April Daniels
Diversion Books
January 24th, 2017
Danny Tozer just wanted to look on the outside like the girl she was inside, but puberty and high school got in the way. She was grabbing a bit of solace, painting her toenails behind the mall when a thunderclap of violence sounded in the sky.
When superheroes and supervillians fight, it’s time for regular humans to take cover. She wanted nothing to do with it, but superhero Dreadnought fell right in front of her, with a hole in his chest. He apologized as he lay dying, and Danny was surrounded by a white light.
When the light dimmed, Danny discovered that not only did her outside now match her inside, she had the powers of Dreadnought. He’d passed the mantle on to her. As if high school wasn’t enough to contend with, now she has to learn to navigate the world of Capes–that is, superpowered people and vigilantes–with all it’s rules and pitfalls.
She barely feels comfortable in her own skin–how is she going to live up to Dreadnought’s legacy?
Dreadnought is an #ownvoices book about a trans teenage superhero, and all the baggage that comes with being both trans and a kid with enhanced abilities. Danny really struggles with getting the confidence to love herself, and by the end of the book, you’re cheering and wishing you could give her a hug. The book speaks with an authentic voice about the character’s experiences in being trans and living in an abusive situation. Danny has her dark moments, but the book overall glows with a relentless optimism and some kickass superhero fight scenes. It’s the superhero book we need, and the superhero book we deserve. It’s got a lotta heart, and it’s a lotta fun.
JL Jamieson is a strange book nerd who writes technical documents by day, and book news, reviews, and other assorted opinions for you by night. She is working on her own fiction, and spends time making jewelry to sell at local conventions, as well as stalking the social media accounts of all your favorite writers.