| Title | : | Not Your Villain (Sidekick Squad, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1945053259 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781945053252 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 307 |
| Publication | : | First published October 5, 2017 |
After discovering a massive cover-up by the Heroes’ League of Heroes, Bells and his friends Jess, Emma, and Abby set off on a secret mission to find the Resistance. Meanwhile, power-hungry former hero Captain Orion is on the loose with a dangerous serum that renders meta-humans powerless, and a new militarized robotic threat emerges. Everyone is in danger. Between college applications and crushing on his best friend, will Bells have time to take down a corrupt government?
Sometimes, to do a hero’s job, you need to be a villain.
Not Your Villain (Sidekick Squad, #2) Reviews
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Oh my god this was so lovely and wonderful. Ahhhh. These books make me so happy I lose the ability to be coherent.
I LOVE BELLS. I loved Bells in Not Your Sidekick so of course I had to love him when he actually got his own book. He's so awkward and nerdy sometimes, but he can also be a glorious show off and I adore it all. His general excitement over being a superhero was so contagious and joyful. And can we talk about how brilliant it is to see a black trans guy on the cover of his own book? I can't stop staring at this cover and grinning.
I am cis and cannot comment on the accuracy of the trans rep, but I have heard really wonderful things from trans and nonbinary reviewers so please seek their voices out! I will say I loved the normalization of pronouns throughout this book. Bells' identity is never called into question at any point, and his pronouns are a constant and an absolute. Beyond that, there is a normalization of they/them pronouns and even a scene where characters introduced themselves and included!! the pronouns they preferred!! in their introductions!! Honestly my heart sang it was glorious.
I loved the side bits of characters we already fell in love with in Sidekick, especially seeing how Jess and Abby's relationship is slowly evolving. Spoiler (not really don't worry): it's all adorable. Also, we got more of the other side characters we saw less of in book one and that was really enjoyable. We got to meet Emma's moms! And spend more time with Brendan! And I definitely also appreciated in the introduction of some new characters as well.
Worldbuilding! Friendship! Superpowers! Characters casually mentioning exploring their sexuality! An actual discussion of the ace spectrum and where a character may possibly fit into that, without ever demonizing or questioning the ace spectrum as being legit! Like, the amount of happiness I got from this book is off the charts.
I did have a minor issue with the first bit of this book, in that it is basically going over all the events of Sidekick as they happened from Bells' point of view. It was useful as far as remembering how everything went down in book one, but it made it a bit more difficult to really get going in a new story. However, once the book caught up to the point where everything was new again, it really took off and I finished it in two sittings because it was so compelling and enjoyable.
Let's be honest, this was my most anticipated release of the entire year and it didn't disappoint at all. I can't wait for more people to read this. Also, this is so mean because I know this book isn't even officially out yet and I swear I understand it takes a long time to write a book, but I'm already dying for Not Your Backup. My love for this series is just so strong.
*I received an early copy of this book from the publisher, but that in no way influences my review* -
In case you didn't know, Not Your Sidekick was my favourite book of 2017, and remains to be one of my favourite books of all time. So, you can imagine how excited and ecstatic I was I was given the privilege to read its sequel, Not Your Villain! I adored Not Your Villain, and I cannot wait to tell you why.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the first part of Not Your Villain overlaps with the events that take place in Not Your Sidekick, but from Bells's perspective. It was a fantastic way to ease into the new developments of the story, and also gave us an opportunity to become acquainted with and understand Bells a little better. We get the opportunity to see Bells attending Meta-Human Training and what it was like to train as a prospective superhero. Moreover, we get to see more of their world; whilst Not Your Sidekick was mostly confined to Andover, Not Your Villain takes us to places such as Aerial City and other exciting places. Not only was it cool to see Lee's vision of a world recovering from an apocalyptic event, but it was also an opportunity to learn history through fictional spaces and geography. It was wonderful to see the worldbuilding developed a little more.
Bells was such a brilliant character, and I adored him. He is kind, sharp, witty, and cares so much for his friends. His perspective was fantastic, and I enjoying seeing the transformation of budding superhero that was eager to please to someone who wants justice despite being framed as a villain, and the effect this had on him and the trajectory of his journey. Although we knew that Bells was a shapeshifter in Not Your Villain, the nature of his powers, though still an enigma, are explored alongside with Bells's personal discovery of his powers and their potential. Furthermore, Bells's trans experience and identity integrates with the story well, even briefly exploring how this interacts with his shapeshifting prowess. Altogether, I loved how Bells's narrative was so... genuine, warm, and vulnerable. I cannot wait for all of you to fall in love with him. He is just such a gem.
What I really loved about Not Your Villain was that we got to see more of the other characters. Though Not Your Sidekick focused a lot on Jess and Abby, we get to see even more of Jess and Abby, but we also get to learn more about Emma, Brandon, and some new characters. For one, we get to meet Bells's parents, and I adored them. I loved how Bells had such a close-knit and supportive family, particularly his close relationship with his father. Moreover, whilst Emma and Bells was strongly hinted at in Not Your Sidekick, the chemistry and relationship between the two of them in this book was sublime. I also loved how they had such a strong friendship, enjoyed (and simultaneously was absolutely distraught) when their friendship and love was tested, and loved seeing them grow together through thick and thin. Seeing such a strong and loving friendship, flaws and hiccups and all, was absolutely wonderful.
The overarching story of the Sidekick Squad starts to get very interesting in Not Your Villain. Slowly, we begin to see who the real antagonist is (and what I'm liking is that it's not an individual, but something much larger than one person), and characters showing their true colours - with some unexpected surprises. Underlying this, however, is a theme that I really love in this series: that even teens who are determined and hold true to justice and goodness can be heroes. Indeed, the concept of heroism and villainism is blurred, and highlights that the media plays a big role in what is portrayed as good versus evil. The messages in this book are refreshing, needed, and empowering, and are delivered with earnest and enthusiasm. My only criticism of Not Your Villain was that parts of the end felt a little rushed and the narrative a little jumpy, but it didn't impede my enjoyment of the book. Rest assured, Not Your Villain is indeed a fantastic book.
Furthermore, fans of the book will be pleased to know that there's going to be a third installment of the series, and it'll be from Emma's perspective! If you're feeling ambivalent about Emma, just wait until you read Not Your Villain - you'll adore her and you'll be just as excited as I am for Not Your Backup! Brimming with positivity and warmth, Not Your Villain is a solid sequel to Not Your Sidekick and it met my very high expectations. Although I adore Not Your Sidekick a little more - and for personal reasons; it was one of the first books where I felt represented after all, and therefore has a very special place in my heart - I can see Not Your Villain resonating and being a favourite for many. You absolutely need this book.
Rating: 4 / 5
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Is this book for you?
Premise in a sentence: A shapeshifting meta-human is framed as a villain; he and his friends set off on a mission to fight back against the corrupted heroes organization.
Perfect for: Readers who want to read about a black trans superhero, and want a heartwarming read.
Genre: Young adult, science-fiction
Recommended? Absolutely, especially if you enjoyed Not Your Sidekick!
Trigger/content warnings: none that I can think of; please let me know if I need to include any!
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This review can also be found on my book blog,
Read, Think, Ponder! -
started reading this and then discovered that my copy is just missing fifty pages… all right then…
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This book made me tear up repeatedly with its beautiful representation and I am just so freaking happy that CB Lee writes books for teens. If you're a librarian, and especially if you're one who serves teens of color, please, please get this series in your library.
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Almost dnf'd this and the series, because the beginning dragged like hell. It was the happenings of the previous book but with a different pov, and the writing wasn't good, either. I started to enjoy it maybe from the middle. But I loved the ending, and excited for Emma's book. She is so precious.
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#1)
Not Your Sidekick ★★★★☆
#3)
Not Your Backup ★★★☆☆
quick thoughts:
• i'm so disappointed
• bells is one of my favourite characters but i realllllly didn't like the plot
• the first 40% of this book is a recap of the first book from bell's pov. it was so unnecessary and made the story repetitive and rushed the ending
• i also just .... didn't ship bells & emma that much
• bells' voice felt really passive. jess had such a clear, unique voice so i don't know what happened
• the fact that bells' transness was so central to the story was wonderful. he talks about how shapeshifting affects his gender dysphoria and practising giving himself t-shots when he goes away for training
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Bells (mc) is a (bi?) Black trans boy; Emma (sc) is Latinx, questioning aroace & has two mums; Jess (sc) is bisexual & Chinese-Vietnamese; Abby (sc) is a lesbian; Brendan (sc) is gay (?) & Chinese-Vietnamese; queer, hijabi, & bipoc scs.
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You don't know what you're in for. This was the best thing ever. Bells stole my heart.
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I received a digital arc of this book from the publishers through Nergalley in exchange of an honest review
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Full review originally posted on my blog:
Word Wonders
I read Not Your Sidekick not that long ago and absolutely adored it. Short after I finished reading it, I got approved for an eArc of Not Your Villain so imagine how excited I was to pick it up but… life got in the way and I only got to read it around a week ago. That being said, it’s okay, because I ended up loving it even MORE than the first but just a little though, which says a lot considering how enjoyable than one was for me. So without further ramblings, let’s dive into the actual review.
Like the first book in the series, the writing in this one is equally simple and pleasant to read, it’s pretty similar but I could feel and ever so slight shift in it to suit the shift in perspective since… it’s a different character narrating the events. One thing that I think was a pretty clever move is how the first few chapters sum up the events of Not Your Sidekick but from Bells’ perspective and I think it serves a few purposes like refreshing the reader’s memory since, if they’ve read the first book at its release, they will need it AND it gives a wholesome view on how things went down on Bell’s side because fact is, we don’t really know how he dealt with everything that went down.
There’s also the fact that that gave opportunity to get to know him a whole lot better, from his childhood, growing up, with his family, friends, how he discovered his powers and how delt with them, etc… I really appreciated that the story didn’t pick up right where the previous book left off (which can be pretty confusing when it’s been a while) and I don’t see that done in many books.
It’s safe to say that Not Your Villain is action packed from very early on because it doesn’t have the disadvantage of setting up the context of the story. Don’t get me wrong, there’s actually still a lot of worldbuilding done in here, but it’s less heavy, it’s rather shown through some research the characters do or through casual conversation. And we also get to see other cities in this post-apocalyptic America whereas in the first book, all we pretty much saw was small town Andover and that change was pretty darn awesome.
I don’t know if it’s the change of perspective, just a case of getting used to it or the series taking a more serious tone but I feel like it lost the silliness of the first book (which I talked about liking in my review). I don’t dislike this change at all, in fact, I love both equally but it’s just a difference I couldn’t help noticing and I thought it was worth pointing out. I had also said that Not Your Sidekick was -enjoyably- predictable and that too has lessened. Don’t get me wrong, I could still see some things coming but other events and choices characters made really took me by surprise and raised quite a few questions I can’t wait to have the answers for.
Bells is such an amazing main character. FREAKING BRILLIANT. He’s so caring, witty and smart. And he also has a vulnerable side that shows through his narrative and that he’s not scared of showing and I really admired that about him. He’s a trans guy and although I cannot speak on that particular rep, the echos I got from ownvoices reviewers were good. The book has brief mentions of body dysphoria, of Bells taking hormones as well as some other things. He honestly could’ve easily taken the cake for my favorite character in the series if Emma didn’t exist and I’ll tell you why.
Emma is the only character I could EVER relate to when it comes to how I function in my dating life. Every time she was talking about how it felt for her, I felt like it was me talking and that was such a validating feeling. She is latina and has such a strong personality, is funny but also has a quiet side, and there too I could see a little bit of myself. In this book, we get to know her a lot more than we did in the first since well… Bells is in love with her so he thinks about her, mentions her and interacts with her a lot. She’s either aro, ace, or aroace and THAT MAKES MY DEMIRO HEART SO HAPPY. I got so emotional when she was addressing how she felt about her romantic and sexual orientation and Gah. Feels.
Other than Emma, we got to see a little bit of Jess and Abby and how CUTE they are from someone else’s perspective, seriously, I just love them so much. We also got to know Brendan, Jess’ brother who is the freaking adorable as well as very funnily serious AND a bunch of other characters. Something I think is worth noting is how amazingly written all the relationships are either the friendships, romantic relationships or family relationships, they’re just so realistic and heartwarming because of how supportive all the characters are of each other.
I think I’m gonna end the review here with this: I NEED NOT YOUR BACK UP RIGHT NOOOOW!!!!! It’s from Emma’s perspective and we all know now how I feel about Emma, I just need that story and that perspective in my life asap. -
bi rep! trans rep! ace rep! gay rep! lesbian rep! [brb crying]
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FIND THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG - ALL MY REVIEWS GO LIVE THERE FIRST
R E V I E W
Warning: this is the second book in the Sidekick Squad series. The first one is title Not Your Sidekick and I would highly recommend reading it. It features one of the first f/f romances I ever read and is just so cute.
I was so excited about Not Your Villain. I absolutely loved Not Your Sidekick and was stoked to be able to find out more about Bells. However, I kept pushing the book back because I knew I wasn’t in the mood and it was just sitting as a sad ebook on my phone. When I got my kindle I almost instantly started reading it and it instantly pulled me out of a strange slump I was falling in to.
If you’re like me and have a terrible memory, don’t worry Not Your Villain recaps the events of the first book throughout from Bells perspective. You learn more about his life and what it’s like being a hero in the League. It was honestly interesting. Though my favourite thing had to be how accepting everyone was; not a single person is homophobic or transphobic in this world it seems and it makes me feel so fuzzy inside. Finally, a fictional, futuristic world where people are fully accepted for who they are. I just love it.
Throughout Not Your Villain we are dealing with what was revealed at the end of Not Your Sidekick, that the heroes have been kidnapping the villains and using them to increase their own powers. Bit of tables turned situation. Bells is also now a villain in the eyes of the law because sometimes doing the right thing makes you a villain in the eyes of the law.
We also get characters from the previous book, Jess, Abby and Emma. I have to say that my only problem was the romance. I completely understand why it was in the book but like, I was really hoping this would have just been a no romance book. However, the conversation shared between Bells and Emma about asexuality and being aromantic kind of struck a chord with me? The way Emma feels is very similar to me and now I’m questioning things and need to do some more research on the topic. I’m excited to read her perspective in the third book.
I’m not sure what I can say, which I’ve been saying a lot in my reviews, but for Not Your Villain I’m serious. The plot is so jam-packed with action that saying anything would have spoilers and leave people mad at me. I just really wanted to write a review in order to get people on this series. It may be middle grade, but it is so easy to read and honestly so exciting. If you love Percy Jackson I would highly recommend this series.
Also, if you're looking to buy any books over at Book Depository, feel free to use my affiliate link! I gain a small 5% commission at no extra cost to you. -
3.5 stars
This was good fun! I was really looking forward to reading Bells's point of view, and it did not disappoint. He's probably my favourite character in the series. Now he's becoming one of the most powerful superheroes, but somehow becomes public enemy number one. This is a problem.
Action-packed with superhero stuff and evil robots from start to finish, while also taking the time to talk about some personal storylines - Bells's secret crush on Emma and his feeling like the fifth wheel in a friend group full of couples. I loved these calmer, quiet little parts that provided some relief from the action and really helped with character development.
The diversity in this series is on point as well. POC, trans, bi, ace/aro, it's all there, and I'm even missing a few. It's brilliant to see how flawlessly and effortlessly this is done.
While I don't seem to be falling in love with this series, it is still really enjoyable - strong characters, strong storyline, high diversity - and I'd highly recommend it to lovers of sci fi and things that go boom.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy -
This was still a fun book, but I didn't like it as much as the first one. I think most of that is because literally the first third of this book is recap from the first one. I mean there's some new stuff because it's from Bells' POV instead but a lot of it is literally the same exact scene we've already read with the same exact dialogue we've already read and it just got old after awhile. I understand why the stuff with the training center needed to be there because it tied back in with the ending [which was suuuper rushed but that's another issue entirely] but the majority of the recap was completely unnecessary. That kind of story structure can be done right but IMO it's incredibly difficult and doesn't work in this situation.
The rest of the plot was okay, although this does feel like it suffers from 'middle book syndrome' because not a ton really happens. Still, it's a pretty fun read and I like all the characters and the world so I'm still looking forward to the next book, I just hope it kind of ramps things up again because I definitely got bored in some places here. -
Almost at the end of the book I abandoned this reading.
I didn't like the change of pov. I wanted to read more from Jess's point of view.
I liked Bess enough, he is wonderful but having the story retold from Bells's experience for about 10% of the book and then realize that the story is not being said in full because some characters are not in the scene but they are just citing events outside the characters point of view is annoying. -
If I would rate the diversity in this book, and the whole series really, I would give it all the stars… I love it :) but if we are looking at the actual story as well, it’s gonna land on 4,5 stars in the end :) this is the continuation of the events that started in “Not your sidekick” and the first like 35% of this book is happening before or during the same time as that first book, just from a different perspective… you might think it would felt repetitive and boring, but it’s not like we see all the scenes just from a different point of view, most of them are new :) I still love our main group of characters and want all the best for them, but the action felt a bit all over the place in this one… choppy and weirdly paced at times, which took a bit of my enjoyment of the story… when it comes to characters development it was amazing… we see how certain people deal with what happened to them during that first book… and yes, I am being vague on purpose, so as not to spoil you certain things :) we also learn some new and very interesting things about some people we already know and I am all here for it… let’s just say I am very curious about the next installment ;) all in all it’s an absolutely wonderful series and I hope you will give it a try :) just, start at the beginning, since we are following the same characters and there is a bigger story arch happening throughout all of the novels :)
XOXO
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I need book 3 (Not Your Backup) *cries*
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This series is an instant serotonin hit.
With a fast paced, action packed plot, unique superpowers, casual diverse inclusivity of sexuality and race and an instantly loveable cast of characters, this series has everything you could ever want from a superhero story and I can't wait to continue. -
5 stars
TW: gender dysphoria, ableist language, reference to parental abduction, reference to physical fights, abduction, missing/abducted parent, unlawful experiments, train accident, explosion, fire, police pursuit
Rep: Creole trans boy MC, Vietnamese-Chinese-American bisexual female SC, lesbian SC, Hispanic female SC, minor older queer couples, minor East-Asian gay SC
The Writing
I will admit that the writing is the one aspect of this book that I maybe don't love with my whole heart. There is noticeable repetition in the sentence structure of it all, but also, it's grown a lot since book one and I'm very satisfied with what it's doing for the story. Bells' voice also comes through in this installment and I absolutely love it and also I love Bells, but more on that later.
The Plot/Pacing
This book takes the plot of this series to a whole new level and it is now about 100x more intense than it was in book one and the stakes have been raised and I absolutely loved every decision that C. B. Lee made here in relation to the plot because it's challenging our characters and also changing the whole idea of this world as we knew it and I'm just?? So excited where C. B. Lee goes with this in future installments.
The Characters
Are y'all prepared for me to ramble on for ages about how much I love these characters because that's what's coming!!
Let's start off with Bells, who is the new character that I am hyperfixating on, he is, in fact, my boy, and I will not be taking criticism at this time. He's developed so much further in this book and I just,,, love him with every ounce of my being, that is literally all. Also, seeing Bells' family be so loving and accepting of his being trans made me really happy and also really sad at the same time, but also, I don't want to start crying rn, so we're not gonna talk about that.
Aside from the man of the hour, I also absolutely love our side characters. I will definitely talk more about Emma in my Not Your Backup review, but for now, let me just say, I would 100% marry her, if she were up for it. I'm very intrigued by what the fuck is going with Jess and Abby, as well as concerned, but aren't I always.
Finally, I would just like to say that I love all of the relationships that we see in this book. Both the friendships and the family relati0nships are really well fleshed-out and are developed in a really natural way and they're all so healthy and wonderful and beautiful and I would give anything to have relationships like that in my life, anywayssss.
The World
The world was developed so much further in this book and there's now even more at stake, and I'm absolutely loving where C. B. Lee is going with this. And I know that I probably mentioned this in my Not Your Sidekick review and am definitely going to mention it again in my Not Your Backup review, but the way the world is written is so... effortlessly exclusive and it makes me really happy. It also goes to show just how easy being inclusive with your fantasy world can be!! It is really not that hard.
Overall
I'm absolutely in love with everything about this book and I will sing this series' praise forevermore. This is what y'all are signing yourselves up for.
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anyways do y'all want to talk about positive trans rep and supportive parents and how the narratives in this series center around queer people of color and them being superheroes and how fucking important that is? because then we'll be here all day.
P.S.: Bells absolutely owns my heart and I want his parents to kinda maybe adopt me idk -
Bells Broussard was excited when his powers manifested early. He can change his body however his wants, add color to his hair if he wants a change. He dreams of being a hero for the Heroes League of Heroes, but when he uncovers what the League is really about, he soon finds himself to be the most wanted villain.
I had really enjoyed Not Your Sidekick and was eager to dive into this one. Once I realized it was more about Bells I was even more excited. I was eager to get to know him better and see his story. This didn't disappoint at all.
Bells is a wonderful character. It was a joy to watch him explore his powers more and learn more about them throughout this story. But, what I really enjoyed was seeing his relationships with everyone and his vulnerability throughout the story. We got to see how different his relationship is with Jess and Emma, but how entirely supportive they all are of one another. It is beautiful. They were tested throughout this and grew together during it.
The relationships in this story are simple wonderful. We get to see more of Jess and Abby throughout this and more of the relationship that was really hinted at in the first one, Bells and Emma. Bells and Emma have a really special relationship that I truly love and adore. I'm hoping that it's explored even more in the next book because wow.
There are so many positive moments in this story for the LGBTQ+ community that warmed my soul and made me cry as I hoped that individuals who need the warmth this story provides find this series. Bells' dead name was never mentioned (despite when it easily could have been), body dysphoria was discussed, pronouns were accepted and never questioned, sexuality was discussed in a warm open manner with no judgments. The conversation between Bells and Emma was so validating for me. I have not found many books with a discussion about someone being somewhere on the aro/ace spectrum and finding this has never validated me more.
With all the positives about this book, I have a couple of small hangups with it. The beginning starts off from before the events of Not Your Sidekick with Bells attending training and then getting into the later events when Jess and Abby search for her mom. While it was all from Bells perspective this time around, the overlap was still a little frustrating to read as I had just finished Not Your Sidekick. Otherwise, it probably would have been a welcome refresher.
The ending also felt a little rushed and weird, but overall, my experience with this book was entirely positive. I truly adore this series and the good representation it has. -
★★★.5⭐ | I liked it but the first 1/3 was just retelling everything from the previous book? There's an amazing representation with an interesting plot but there's also some room for improvement.
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4.??/5 stars
the ending really made me want to knock this rating down to 4 stars but I enjoyed Bells way too much as a character / narrator to do him dirty like that
tws for vague body dysphoria mention, superhero related violence
Pros:
-Bells relationship with his father was super lovely to read and felt really genuine
-Less predictable of a story than the first in the series, even with some blatant foreshadowing
-The story of Bells picking his name :''')
-BELLS IN GENERAL! I just love him okay
-Discussion of asexuality/aromanticism!!! I think this is the first time I've read the word asexual in a book that wasn't in a negative light...
-How nothing continues to be solved overnight or immediately but rather taking a long, long time to sort out and resolve which I think is much more realistic
Cons:
-Feelings discussion at the end felt one sided and I wanted Bells to share his feelings more but overall I did like the moment
-The ending felt super summarized and rushed which I know is because there are more books in the series but it felt like a totally different book at the end and made me sad cause I love Bells
I think Bells might be my favorite character in the series so far - his relationship with his family, his friends, and his desire to do good just captured my heart so much. I love how open his family is with their feelings and he is with them. Bells's relationship with his father especially touched me. I loved how worried his father was all the time about not being there if Bells is too anxious about needles to do his t shot. It's just such a refreshing and supportive narrative to read.
Truly one of my favorite parts of this series is how long resolutions take, progress is definitely slow when trying to untangle a corrupt league/government. It's refreshing to read a book where the protagonist doesn't get it right immediately and things drag out, taking lots of time cause it's complicated and interconnected
My other favorite part of the series is the diversity, both racially and lgbtq+ wise. It is seriously so amazing to read a book that has countless characters that are queer and/or poc. It is never done in a way that feels tokeny or awkward, it feels normal and good and it's just nice to see.
I am a little confused about society's perceptions on sexuality and gender in this universe because I feel like it's different between Jess and Bells's narratives - but also it could be because Bells has LGBTQ+ family members whereas it seems Jess doesn't so that could be a subtle difference between their experiences BUT I could also be projecting.
The ending of this book just seemed too rushed, especially compared to the previous chapter. That's really my biggest complaint
All in all, I am loving this diverse and queer af series. Yall should definitely check it out -that is all. -
actual rating: 4.5 stars
Not Your Villain by C.B. Lee is the second book of the Sidekick Squad, a series of four books that follow a group of teens in a world of superheroes and corrupt governments. This second book follows a transgender Black main character, Bells, who was introduced in Not Your Sidekick, and his journey gives us his point of view during some of the events during Not Your Sidekick, and then furthers the plot of the overall story. Along with Bells, this story also features Jess (Chinese-Vietnamese and bisexual), the star of Not Your Sidekick, Abby (some style of gay), Jess' adorable girlfriend, and Emma (Latinx and on the aro and ace spectrums), Bells' best friend.
So, uh, I love Bells.
While I would happily adopt every member of the Sidekick Squad, Bells is definitely my favorite. I cannot tell you why, as I absolutely adore reading about every one of these teens, but something about Bells' character has just allowed him to barrel his way into my heart.
Plot-wise, again, I loved this novel. I really loved seeing some of Bells' perspective during the events of Not Your Sidekick, because it was a brilliant introduction to the book and got rid of the need for a book refresher, which is often the case with sequels.
Then, soon after, the reader and the characters are thrown into action-packed chaos. In my first review, I discussed how superhero books are not my thing, but I just love how C.B. Lee has created this world and this plot and these characters. The book deals with themes of a corrupt government and resistance to that government, and in some way I love that because it is so timely, but also just because I love bad bitches who fight the system.
And another one of Lee's great talents is her representation. Her books are filled with queer people of color, and yet again, she handles that representation beautifully. There is no moment where Bells is rejected by the people around him, his parents and his friends wants him to thrive as the incredible boy he is, with no concern for his gender (other than his dad helping him take his T-shots). This book is also the first time Emma's identity being aro/ace is explored, and that important discussion is continued in the third book. On top of that, they/them pronouns are easily normalized and the need to share and introduce oneself with their pronouns is seamlessly implemented.
Basically, you can't go wrong jumping on the Sidekick Squad train. I highly recommend you do. -
I love this story.
The idea is great. The world is fascinating. The superpowers are getting more and more interesting. The characters are so damn lovable.
I am so thankful for the amount of positive racial, gender, sexual and superpower diversity there is in one series without any of it feeling forced at all. It is incredible.
Now... it's a shame the quality of the structure and writing doesn't quite live up to the brilliance of the story. (I said this for the first book and my opinion on this is confirmed: this story, told in another format, would be AMAZING.)
For one, I'm not a fan of the third person present tense narrative... it just doesn't work for me.
But mostly, the pacing is all over the place. This is especially true for the first third of the book which takes place at the same time as book 1.
But also, the final 'big moment', although interesting, wasn't built up to enough, and left me feeling a little underwhelmed?
I do still continue to love and recommend this series to everyone! It warms my heart to the fullest and I cannot wait for book 3. -
3.5 stars
BELLS BELLS BELLS BELLS BELLS BELLS BELLS BELLS BELLS BELLS BELLS BELLS BELLS BELLS BELLS
anyways now that's out of the way . . . the pacing in this was really bad. like. really really bad. I honestly didn't even enjoy the first 100 pages. which is like a third of the book. and the pacing remained off the whole time. but!! I love bells so so so much!! and I really did love the rest of the book ahhhhhhh -
Great follow up to NYS, full of intrigue but also fun moments between the characters! I love that it gave us a recap of what happened in book 1 but for a few it may be repetitive. Bels is amazing, I love that hes a trans boy being a kickass superhero while also just trying to live his best teen life.
I can't wait for Emma's story! -
This series just makes me so, so happy! Representation done right and I’m just so happy things like this exist. ❤️💛💚💙💜
-
DNF after chapter 6
Sorry, I just couldn't go on. *bangs head on deask*
I absolutely love the representation here - it's literary the whole LGBTA not just two white gay dudes- and also the racial diversity. Look, it's awesome and organic and doesn't feel like a fashion trend.
But the writing... oh my god the writing. The first 5 chapters are summary of book 1, just from Bells POV. Ok, we get through that, it's time to start this book 2 for real, right? Yeah, no. It just goes on like that. It just feels rushed and haotic and we don't have insight on character thoughts just what they are doing. Honestly,this feels like a bad cartoon.
Damit it, I'm just so frustrated! We have these gorgeous characters and a world with so much potencial but everything just falls flat. I get that this is supposed to be light and fun read, but the first book was so much better. -
Loved it. <3 I think I had slightly more fun with NOT YOUR SIDEKICK, in good parts because reading the two back to back really makes the retellings of Book 1's climax's ... longer? I wanted to jump to the rest!
Still, NOT YOUR SIDEKICK is closer to my Fun And Tropy Needs, but NOT YOUR VILLAIN has a lot more of my aroace and friendship needs. On that side, that was wonderful. <3 i absolutely love how valued friendships are, and how complex the feelings surrounding romance and friendship overlapping in a group are. -
I didn't love this one as much as I loved Not Your Sidekick, but it was still really really good
-
Actually i will give it 10 out of 5 stars
Y'all need to read these books -
In trying to describe Not Your Villain and its attached series to my best friend, I found myself referencing the new Spiderman movie. “You know how it's full of superhero action where teenagers with special abilities take on adult bad guys, but it's also full of all stuff about best friendship and crushes that would be in an ordinary teen movie?” CB Lee's series slots into that subgenre nicely, focusing on three queer teens of color living in a post-cataclysmic “American” (not anymore) society that's eerily familiar in its combination of suburban normalcy and vague unease.
It is important to note that this is a continuous series telling one story, and I have no idea how much sense Villain makes without reading Sidekick first. In fact, as a word of warning: the beginning of Villain overlaps significantly with Sidekick so that we can find out what Bells was up to during Sidekick in order to become the superhero we find out he is by the end of Sidekick. It took me a little while to figure this out so hopefully this review will be helpful information for other readers in case they get confused like I was. But don't worry – it's not all a repeat—all the stuff about Bells going to superhero training is new to us anyway even if it chronologically overlaps the other book—and we do move into the new action fairly quickly anyway.
There are so many familiar elements of YA here – the crush on the best friend, the feelings of isolation when all your closest friends have dates and you don't (and the temptation to fake one to fit in)--woven deftly into a story about teens slowly uncovering the rot in the system.
This series should bring joy to Potterheads who wish JKR's diversity was more sincere, since it shares so many elements with HP but is QPOC-authored and stars three queer teens of color. There's the “the teens want to jump into action against the wishes of their adult allies”, there's teens with powers training on their own together, plus a new character named Christine who reminds me a little bit of Luna Lovegood both for her quirky style and for her “I have my Friend Trio but now I also have this New Friend From Somewhere Else” role in Bells's social life.
Let this not make you think that CB Lee is just recycling others' ideas, though! The best parts of the book are all her original ideas. First of all, this is not a series with one single big bad, or even a big bad with a coven of henchmen. Instead, it's a complex world where the villainous elements are fringed, frayed at the edges, sometimes working against each other. Yet that multifaceted nature never causes her worldbuilding to become confusing or murky. She's also very good at placing red herrings where I least expected, leading to a fresh and never predictable narrative. At this point, given the two books of hers I've read, I'm confident in calling her a master of misdirection.
Bells is trans, which comes up a few times seamlessly incorporated into the narrative but hardly ever front and center. For example: getting a hold of HRT when you've fled (don't worry, dear audience, things always work out). When we flash back to Emma and Bells meeting for the first time as children, there's an adorable depiction of a trans kid not being sure what his name is yet and that being okay. But we're there because of the significance of Emma, not because Bells is trying to show us what it's like to be trans. He just is. (By the way Bells is mostly focused on Emma during this book but he did mention kissing a boy at one point in his past, although I can't remember if he ever actually mentions being bi or pan or just to see what it was like.)
Incidentally, he hardly ever faces microaggressions, which makes total sense for the worldbuilding (between the futuristic society and the fact that he can shapeshift) The one exception is a scene where one of the major villains tries to use it against him, threatening him with the loss of his shifting powers. Bells, however, has a great counter for that, which as a cis reader is not my place to comment on but I hope it's as validating as my impression felt it was.
My favorite moments in the book are hard to describe without spoilers but there's an amazing dramatic scene that I could kiss CB Lee on both cheeks for, in which Bells is facing down absolute fucking mortal peril and responds with an evolution of his powers that 1. I never saw coming, 2. is fucking awesome, and 3. was all the more momentous and dramatic because while he saved his own life and was excited about his triumph, he was still wet and muddy and miserable and all alone at the time so it's like this amazing jarring dissonance between sheer triumphant exultation and... dystopian hellscape.
And my other favorite moment is an extension of that scene in which he's able to use that advanced version of his power to save lives in an absolutely epic way. Y'all. Y'ALL. These need to be movies. Can we make that happen, somehow?
Also, I don't know how to massage this into the review any better, but: SCARY ATTACK ROBOTS!!!! yes yes.
Trigger warnings for. Um. "Scenes where teenagers are in extreme danger?" Not really sure. I need to take better notes.
