I really wanted to love this book. I love Murphy's writing style, and while superhero narratives aren't really my thing, I found the premise to be interesting and am a sucker for a plus-size MC.
Faith has secrets--super secrets--and when a chance encounter with her favorite TV star sparks a possible romance, Faith is over the moon. Except animals in her town are disappearing. So are the homeless. And a popular senior girl. Can she figure out her romantic life and balance her super powers without losing everything?
Pluses: This was a quick, easy read. I found the voice to be just short of authentic, my interpretation of what a high school senior might sound like on Twitter or TikTok.
Faith's relationship with her grandmother is sweet. Really, my favorite moments from this read were her interactions with Grandma Lou and the neighbor. It showed a community that cares for each other and highlighted the uncertainty that comes when encountering a serious life-altering illness.
Things I didn't care for: The entire missing animals/people plot. Faith also didn't seem to care too much about it. This isn't a detective story, she's not looking to solve crimes or use her powers in that way, so when she does become entangled with the mystery, I was not invested. It felt pushed together.
The predictable love triangles and flat sub characters. Down to the light as a feather, stiff as a board moment. None of the characterizations felt fresh or nuanced. No depth. No surprises. I liked the third-wheel friendship dichotomy but even that falls to the wayside when Faith meets Dakota.
The vast underdevelopment of the superhero origin story. Some vague references, veiled memories, and buzz words, but as far as origin stories go, this isn't that.
Overall, this is a light read with some cute moments, but it lacked a wow factor that I was expecting and the characters didn't come alive as much as I was hoping they would. I'd recommend to anyone looking for a fun, mindless read, but if you're looking for an addicting story line, I'm not sure this will be the book for you.
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