| Title | : | Cape (The League of Secret Heroes, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1534439110 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781534439115 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 |
| Publication | : | First published August 6, 2019 |
Josie O’Malley does a lot to help out Mam after her father goes off to fight the Nazis, but she wishes she could do more—like all those caped heroes who now seem to have disappeared. If Josie can’t fly and control weather like her idol, Zenobia, maybe she can put her math smarts to use cracking puzzles for the government.
After an official tosses out her puzzler test because she’s a girl, it soon becomes clear that an even more top-secret agency has its eye on Josie, along with two other applicants: Akiko and Mae. The trio bonds over their shared love of female superhero celebrities, from Fantomah to Zenobia to the Black Cat. But during one extraordinary afternoon, they find themselves transformed into the newest (and youngest!) superheroes in town. As the girls’ abilities slowly begin to emerge, they learn that their skills will be crucial in thwarting a shapeshifting henchman of Hitler, and, just maybe, in solving an even larger mystery about the superheroes who’ve recently gone missing.
Inspired by real-life women from World War II—the human computers and earliest programmers called “the ENIAC Six”.
Cape (The League of Secret Heroes, #1) Reviews
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NetGalley ARC.
The format was all messed up for this book and that was really disappointing because I was enjoying it! It seemed to be a cute middle grade superhero book! I guess it was set in the 1940's? Or an alternate reality? Seemed fun and I'll have to check out the finished copy. Also it starts off as a comic book and then transfers into a novel! -
3.75 stars, this story about superheroes fighting World War II on the homefront (Philadelphia) was a lot of fun. Part historical fiction, part mystery, and part adventure. Whoever knew that the world could use a few superheroes then and now? Even if you aren't a fan of superheroes, give this one a try.
In addition to fans of superheroes, fans of girl power or good vs evil stories will like this one. -
This new addition to the super hero titles for middle grade truly delivers. It is like a combination of Hidden Figures and Wonder Woman. Josie, Akiko and Mae combine their newly discovered super powers and become the Infinity Trinity. Instead of waiting for someone else to solve a problem, they jump right in. Most of the book is in chapter form with a few graphic chapters inserted. Filled with real life history and the hope inspired by superheroes, this is well-researched and entertaining to read. "Superheroes exist all around us, every day. Only their costuming might not look so obvious."
Thank you to Simon Schuster/Aladdin and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. -
This review and many more can be found on my blog:
Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book is such a fun mixture of genres and formats: a historical fiction superhero novel with graphic novel elements! Right there, I was sold. This book will appeal to such a wide variety of kids, and I think it will get many of them reading about an era that they wouldn’t otherwise have thought they’d be interested in.
The book is set in the US during WWII, and it highlights the real-life women (and a few men) who contributed to the war effort in truly unique ways! I actually felt like I learned a lot from the book (and the author’s note at the end), but it definitely doesn’t feel like learning while you’re reading. The superhero elements are incredibly fun, and many of the most active superhero sections of the book are told via graphic novel format (via the amazing illustrations from Patrick Spaziante). The book also features a diverse trio of girls (one black, one Irish and one Japanese) who are trying to make the world a better place and touches on issues of racism and the Japanese internment. All three girls have family members fighting in the war, and the fear and tension that goes with that is not overlooked (though the book never gets too heavy-handed). There are a few things that aren’t exactly believable (no one knows that the girls are the superheroes? Those must be some fantastic masks), but you’re not reading this sort of story for believability. Also, a sad event is revealed at the end of the book, but it’s glossed over just a little bit and didn’t feel realistic to me—but this is a middle grade book, and I think Hannigan wanted to include that element without making the book overly depressing. All in all, I would highly recommend this fabulous read!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.*** -
Perfect for fans of Wonder Woman, Hidden Figures, and Agent Carter, Cape is a fun and powerful historical, science-fiction middle grade story. The characters, especially Josie, are a blast and I love how diverse they are despite the story being set in the 1940s. Not only does this book address the issues people had during wartime, but it takes a stab at racism, sexism, and bullying during this time period as well. The story doesn’t shy away from big problems just because it’s middle grade. The whole premise of becoming real life superheroes and uncovering a Nazi spy master plan was a lot of fun. I love that whenever the girls turn into superheroes, the scenes are told through comics instead of the normal written narrative. Cape also focuses heavily on women who utilized their knowledge of science and math to help the war effort and was inspired by many real life women, which the author makes note of in the back of the book. Fans of middle grade, superheroes, and girl power are sure to love this story. I’m looking forward to the sequel!
Full review here:
https://booksandwafflesblog.wordpress...
~Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.~ -
My daughter said we had to give this five stars. Review to come!
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This book is sort of a historical-fiction-meets-superheroes type story, almost like the first Captain America movie. What’s neat and unique about this book is that almost every time the main characters turn into superheroes to save people, the book switches into comic-book-form, so there are three or four chapters in the story which are actually comics. 🙂 The story itself also reads a bit like a comic book, with cheesy names, witty comebacks, and the characters obsessing over superheroes. 😉
Overall, I enjoyed the story! It has a good, strong main character, interesting plot twists (though I did predict a few ahead of time XD), and some good lessons! I would say, though, that some of the reactions from the characters were a little bit confusing for me at times, though that also just be the style of the story (and because of spoilers later on in the story).
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good superhero comic book, and I think anyone 12 years old and older would enjoy it. 🙂 I would note, however, that there are a few images in the comic book portion that could potentially be scary to some people, and one of the superheroes which appears in the story is a ghost, but otherwise the content is pretty much PG. 😉 -
I wanted this book to be more than it was. Based on the cover and title alone, I figured some girls are or were going to become superheroes and I was all in. What I was not expecting was the background where this all took place. It takes place during WW2. For many this was the “golden age of comic books”. But superheroes existed in more than just the funny pages. They were real people and since the war started, they have all disappeared.
Enter Josie, an irish immigrant who helps her mom with her brothers, and works at the dinner to help get rent paid while her father is fighting overseas. But Josies is only 12. She really wants to be a puzzler - someone who can break codes and read secret messages. She wants to do her part for the war effort. Going to take the official puzzlers test was scary, but quickly became maddening when Josie and the other girls watch Mr. Hissler toss their papers in the trash and only keep the papers from the boys.
It’s through her indignation and other crazy happenings at the test that Josie meets Mae and Akiko. Mae lives with her grandmother who is a librarian and helping to set up Philidiplia’s library, and Akiko is with her extended family because her parents are being held in a japanese internment camp in San Francisco. Through some crazy action that is not quite explained these girls end up a superhero trio. What is their official job, they have no idea, but in the moment they will do whatever they can to survive and make sure no one else is harmed.
Part of what makes this book interesting is that it is part graphic novel and part standard novel. I was expecting to like this, but unfortunately I didn’t. The Graphic novel portions were used for the high action scenes. I question this tactic because it was done for effect or because the author could not effectively write an action scene. Because the graphic is not effectively done. It relies too much on the picture without wording to help the reader keep up. It’s too little. A reader ends up lost. Then you have the cliches and the outright eye roll scenarios that make you want to stop reading (or if this was nickelodeon, change the channel).
As mentioned before I wanted to like this more than I did. It was good, but it wasn’t great. Part of me wonders if that is because it is set up for future novels in the series, or just because they were trying to squeeze it into a middle grade novel. There are so many concepts, so much going on that is not explored, or just seems tossed in for effect that it appears more of a mishmash than a fully comprehensible story. Maybe the series will get better as it goes on, but I will never know as I have no desire to find out more.
#LitsyAtoZYA
#BeattheBacklist -
The most frustrating part of WWII for schoolgirl Josie O'Mally is that she can't fight like her dad has been doing ever since Pearl Harbor was attacked. On top of that, all her favorite the comic book superheroes have mysteriously disappeared from Philadelphia and no one knows why. Gone are Zenobia, her sister the Palomino, Hauntima, Hopschtch, Nove the Sunchaser and just when they are needed most. Now, however, Josie, a Irish immigrant, has a chance to do something for the war effort, thanks to an ad in the newspaper calling for puzzle experts to help fight the Nazis and it just so happens that she is a whiz at solving puzzlers and ciphers. All applicants have to do is take a qualifying exam in the Carson Building downtown.
But just as the exam is ending, Josie begins to wonder why the proctor, Hank Hissler, is separating the exams by gender - girls to the left, boys to the right. Her thoughts are interrupted when a tall woman with a dog burst into the room demanding to know what Hissler is doing and if it is approved by Room Twelve. And it looks like the very same woman and dog Josie had seen earlier at the diner where she works part-time. Needless to say, the exam abruptly ended, but Josie surprised and dismayed to see he Hissler dump the test papers of the females, and just take those of the males. Josie isn't surprised to discover that her best friend Emmet Shea has also taken the test - after all, they are partners in puzzling.
As it happens, the woman, Mrs. Constance Boudica, or Mrs. B., and her dog Astra have been observing each girl, recognizing their innate courage, intelligence, strength, desire to fight injustice in the hope they can become part of the League of Secret Heroes.
In the elevator, Josie meets two of the other girls who took the exam. Akiko Nakano is a Japanese American from San Francisco. Her family is living in an internment camp, her brother is serving in the army's all Japanese 442nd regiment, and she is living with cousins in Philadelphia. Also there is Mae Crumpler, an African American from Chicago, Illinois who is living with her grandmother, a librarian, for the summer. The three of them get to talking and discover they have two things in common - they love superhero comics and solving puzzles and ciphers. But when they come into physical contact with each other, they really set of sparks - sparks that give them temporary super powers.
Now, they can not only fight neighborhood bully Tobe Hunter and his gang who took Josie's younger brother's new bikes, but they can also search for Emmett, who has gone missing, and most importantly, they can fight the Nazis who are plotting dastardly deed in Philadelphia - if only they could think up a good name for themselves. Their first order of business - rescue the six women, including Josie's cousin Kay, involved in developing a computer that will help win the war - and one that the Nazis would love to get their hands on.
Cape is a fun book to read. First of all, some of the chapters begin using comic book panels before slipping back into prose, much that way superheroes slip in and out of their secret identities. Secondly, it is part historical fiction and part fantasy, and yes, it slips in and out of those two genres, as well. Thirdly, there plenty of action, and even the ghost of one of the missing superheroes, Hauntima, who helps the girls with words of encouragement as they fight the arch rival of the women of Room Twelve. I also liked that fact that as the girls don't start of as perfect superheroes, but learn little by little what their individual powers and abilities are and how to effectively use them. The only power they have in common is flying, but working together they become greater than the sum of their powers. There isn't a dull moment in this novel, not even when they are on the ground just being their usual selves.
The language in Cape is straightforward but has a snappiness to it that has always been so characteristic of comic books. And Hannigan has really captured the everyday details of the period (I remember my mother saying how much she also hated spam and spam hash during the war). Hannigan also touched on the prejudice of the period regarding people who are African American, Japanese American, and German American. And yet, Josie, Mae, and Akiko all have loved ones fighting in the war for the Allies. Other themes in the book are loss, betrayal, and disappointment.
And there really were six women working on a programable computer called ENIAC in Philadelphia during the war (read the Author's Note for more on that and more about Hannigan's inspiration for The League of Secret Heroes series).
All in all, this is a great novel and I can't wait to read the next two - Mask and Boots.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library -
[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Thoroughly enjoyed this historic fantasy story full of superheroes and super powers, but set during a version of WWII with supers. I loved the historic pieces about the real women who worked on the first electronic computer (The Eniac Six). Fascinating author's note in the back about the historically accurate pieces she wove into the story. Great list of resources so readers can learn more about the history of comics, women's roles during WWII, and women in technology as well as other topics. The diverse group of girls who lead this story - one Irish, one African American and one Japanese - introduce a little of the racial issues of the time, too.
The structure of this one is interesting - mostly prose but with 4 sections told in comic book panels/art. The art is a nice visual anchor for some of the superhero action. It's a clever idea that fits the book so well. Don't miss this one!! Looking forward to book 2 already. -
CAPE by Kate Hannigan is an exciting read full of action, history, and girl power. Lively origin story of three young superheroes developing their powers during World War II. I appreciated the author's note and sources for readers who want to know more. Middle grade readers looking for adventure, puzzles, and heroes will love this new series.
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I read this aloud to my 7 year old daughter and she absorbed every minute of it! For me was a little predictable, but this is a children's chapter book and I thoroughly enjoy it. Mixes historic facts with comic book superhero fantasy and chock full of girl power! Cant wait for the next!
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I give The League of Secret Heroes: Cape a five-star rating because it was action packed and the settings were very clear and I felt like I was in the book. The characters were very excited and I feel the same connections between them and my friends.
Reviewed by: Lucy, grade 4 -
Had the honor of reading an ARC. What fun! Retro comic superheroes mixed with hidden histories of WWII women and their contributions to the war effort. This is a blend of novel with sections of comic mixed in. Kids will love it.
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3.95 stars...just cannot make myself bump it up to 4 stars (don't know why)
I am all over the board with this one. The writing and the characters are a bit uneven and a bit unlikable...and yet. Their flaws are their strengths blah blah blah. It's a trope that is used over and over again. YET, if I read ONE MORE TIME that the MC was tired/refused/couldn't stand to get in between a fight between two of the others I was going to throw the bloody book against a wall. Very hard! Get it together ladies and women up! Seriously. Stop sniping at each other. That is so old and been done a thousand times already.
All sorts of fascinating bits in here: WWII, math, science, cryptography, computers, superheroes, regular heroes, spies, comic books, spy rings, bad guys, etc. But I kept getting distracted from all of this coolness by the weight of the stupid plot that just kept tripping over itself, with everyday dumbness: these girls hardly ever EAT! Seriously. They go around fighting crime and just have an occasional slice of pie and milkshake? What? No. And this was freaking World War II folks. They wouldn't have been so wasteful with their food! Every scrap was saved or collected! It was a WAR. (And what is it with adventure books where no one ever goes to the bathroom or takes a bath/shower or changes their clothes or eats? Even with everyday, set in our world, adventure stories? C'mon!)
Don't get me started with the baby brother's lisp or how he is not addressed consistently throughout the book. *sigh*
Here is something interesting though: According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, [4] the U.S. slang sense of salty meaning angry or irritated was first attested in 1938. On April 24th, 2007, an entry on the term[3] was submitted to Urban Dictionary. The author describes it as having originated in Philadelphia, where it was defined as "looking stupid… because of something you did". It is thought to have entered into widespread usage on the internet through fighting game and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) communities.[1] Hannigan used the word "salty" twice that I counted in this book (setting is Philadelphia) and I was surprised and sure at first that it was being used incorrectly, but nope. She got it right along with a bunch of other historical facts that she talks about at the end. Hence my conflicts over this book. This will be a series, and I am interested to see if the characters can grow a bit and stop being so ANNOYING.
I love that Hannigan featured POC as her MC, and that she did it in a sensible way instead of trying to shove meaningless diversity at us. We get to see our heroes be super in all sorts of lights. Now if they can only develop more. -
Update: Now that I'm getting into Mask and thinking about this series again, I've come to appreciate that this is so closely based on real history. It's a way to teach kids about this era that will grab their attention and allow them to remember key facts and players, especially if they don't like non-fiction. I have a newfound appreciation for this series, and I'm excited to see what Mask has in store.
The more reviews I read about this book, the more I want to increase my rating...Everything people seemed to dislike about this book really worked for me. I loved the use of comic book pages to break up the text and allow high action scenes to be shown rather than told. I also really liked the deeper discussions this book introduced. I'm still trying to figure out where exactly this book lacked for me. I just know I wanted more. A lot of things were repeated, and the mystery of Ms. B would have been so much better if there was room for the reader to figure it out on their own before it was blatantly revealed.
I guess what I should call this book is...uninspired? I can't find the word. The names of our side characters were taken directly from their historical inspirations, and our main character Josie is pretty much an author self-insert. This is such a cool concept but it seems almost like a copy/paste of the era it was inspired by with some minor changes added in. I really enjoyed myself, and it was a quick read overall. I can see myself continuing this series, and hopefully the later books have what I'm missing. -
When I learned that Kate Hannigan is publishing a WWII superhero/spy series, I was 300% here for it, and the first novel didn't disappoint. This combo of prose and graphic novel scenes was so entertaining, well-written, and fast-paced that I couldn't put it down, and that's saying a lot from me, because I pride myself in my ability to stop reading and go to bed.
This book showcases diverse characters of different strengths, deals with a variety of social issues from the WWII American home front era, and has resources in the back that show how historically based many elements of this novel are. Although this story is set in an alternate universe with superheroes, it is very attentive to the details, emotions, and events of history. I loved this, recommend it to boys and girls of all ages, and will eagerly await the following books. -
Who says girls don't like comic books?!
These were fantastic explorations of comic book inspired tween super-powered girls in WWII who work with the world's first computer programmers, known as the ENIAC Six, and the women who wrote the algorithms for our troops on the ground, fighting Nazis and fascists.
Each book features four sections of several pages of comic-book art and text that both illustrate and further the plot. It's a sure-fire way to engage and hold onto reluctant readers or just readers who still need or enjoy a visual element as they read. The art, by Patrick Spaziante, even caught my husband's attention, and he's a hard-core Marvel/ DC reader!.
The story's pretty simple: super heroes have vanished from America, right when we need them the most -- WWII. No one knows why. Just...they're gone, and apparently not coming back.
Enter 12-year-old Josephine O'Malley, who's doing her "part" for the war effort by busing tables at a local diner. She knows it's important, but it sure doesn't feel heroic. There's a cypher contest and it's a few days before the last day of school. Despite what the boy bullies in the neighborhood say, she's determined to try out, maybe make more money to help pay her mom's rent.
At the test, Josie meets Akiko Nakano, whose family is being kept in a Japanese internment camp, and Mae Eugenia Crumpler, of Chicago, who's Black. But the test administrator, a man named "Hissler" dumps all the girls' exams into the garbage. (You know where this is headed, right? Hiss-ler? Hitler, but with scales? What a snake!)
He's caught in the act, and Ms. Boudica, one of the women programmers, catches him and invites the girls to see what the programmers do, although they don't get to see what's going on in the mysterious, top-secret Room 12. She bears a striking resemblance to a "missing" super hero.
The girls scheme their way back into the building, determined to figure out what the women in Room 12 are doing (and it's better than being in school on the last day, when you do absolutely nothing, right?) at the exact same moment there's a confrontation between Hissler and The Stretcher, one of the last remaining legendary superheros. The Stretcher erupts in a flash of white light, leaving behind only his cape, mask and boots (Hint: Look at the titles!), which the girls pick up and put on.
Each book then features their adventures against the various villains: the Hissler and an evil clown named Side-Splitter. Shudder. Clowns really are scary.
I won't spoil how the girls learn to master their powers and save the day.
Just know Mask ends on a cliff-hangar, and I'm eagerly awaiting (like any good comic book fan!) the next book, which I'm assuming will be Boots!
Enjoy the read!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips:
https://amb.mystrikingly.com/ -
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the review copy of Cape by Kate Hannigan. All opinions are my own.
This books is described by the publisher as: "Hidden Figures meets Wonder Woman in this action-packed, comic-inspired adventure about a brilliant girl puzzler who discovers she’s part of a superhero team!"
There are so many amazing things about this book that I'm not sure where to start. The first thing I like is the layout of the book. It is a mixture of comics and novel chapters. Most of the key action scenes are depicted in comic book form and the book starts out as a comic. This is perfect for students who are reluctant readers. The comic book style will draw them in and then the plot is so engaging that they'll have to keep reading in order to find out what happens. It's also a perfect style considering the main character's own love of comics. The second thing I really love about this book is the girl power. There are so many positive messages for girls in this book. Several times Josie, Mae, and Akiko are faced with obstacles just because they are girls. For example, Mr. Hissler doesn't even bother to look at their puzzler test solely because they're girls. The three never seem to let this stop them; instead, they keep moving forward and doing their best. Josie even shares what she calls the most powerful words she could think of "I can," which is just an overall positive message for all readers. You can do whatever you put your mind to and you are capable of more than you may believe. Third, I really love that multiple types of heroes were presented throughout the book including the original computer programmers and human computers, code crackers, daring pilots, spies, and the women who worked in the war industry building ships and other necessary items for the war. This book is fast-paced, fun, and full of adventure and excitement. I can't wait to add a copy of this book to my classroom library, so I can share it with my students.
Cape by Kate Hannigan will be released on August 6, 2019. -
Josie, Mae, and Akiko were all trying out for the job that involved code breaking when they find themselves suddenly thrown together into a bigger adventure than they pictured. Despite their different backgrounds, the girls all share a love of codes and superheroes, which is good. Because after witnessing a German spy take out a superhero the girls suddenly find themselves with superpowers. They have to figure out how to control their new powers, figure out if they can trust one another with their various secrets and war time heartaches, while also uncovering a German spy ring and rescuing some kidnapped code breakers right on USA soil, all without letting their families know what is going on.
This was a very fun superhero adventure. I like that the book featured smart girls into codes. There's a little bit of info about the human computers who worked for the war office during WWII (read this with Code Girls by Mundy for a great fiction/nonfiction pair) as well as how various ethnicities were treated during the war (Josie is a 1st generation Irish American immigrant and has friends who are German immigrants, Mae is African American, and Akiko is Japanese American and talks about family in internment camps and a brother in the 442nd). The history bits of this are all factual. The superhero elements are just worked in around the edges so readers get to learn a bit of WWII history as well as enjoying a fun superhero adventure. It was an exciting, engaging read. Highly recommended.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Deaths in the war are mentioned but no descriptions of those deaths. Some superhero battles that result in some injuries, nothing major. One person appears to be vaporized by a supervillain. There's some nasty bullying one of the girls is dealing with that is both psychological and a little bit physical. Racial prejudice is experienced by several characters. -
In World War II era Philadelphia, Josie O'Malley is an Irish immigrant girl who works at a diner to make ends meet while her mother works overtime building battleships and her father is in the Pacific fighting the Japanese. Josie is a fan of the superheroes that have been protecting cities across the world. But just when the superheroes are needed the most, they have disappeared. Josie also loves puzzles, and she wants to use her ability to solve puzzles to help fight the Nazis. So when the opportunity comes up to take tests to do just that, she jumps at the chance. However, the man at the testing center immediately throws away her completed test--along with all of the other girls. However, she and two other girls--African American Mae and Japanese Akiko--gain the attention of the mysterious Ms. B. What are the secrets of Room 12? And what do they have to do with superheroes? The girls are going to find out... and discover their own inner strengths along the way.
Blending traditional prose with superhero comicbook style, "Cape" is a fantastic debut to this series about three girls who fight Nazis, solve mysteries, develop a close friendship, and discover that they have superpowers! Readers of all ages will be delighted with this cast of characters and be fascinated with how the true history of World War II blends with this fictional world, but also feel anger and resentment for the America of the past, and how that World War II might be over but we're still fighting some of the same problems to this day.
I'm looking forward to seeing what adventures lie in-store for Josie, Mae and Akiko! -
3.5. Welcome to a world war 2 where superheroes are real, but they've disappeared. Josie wants to be a puzzler to help the war effort and ends up meeting two other girls who want the same thing, which leads to them joining a secret spy agency and becoming superheroes themselves. This is mostly prose with some scenes in comic form. It feels very very much like a novelized 40s comic book story.
That's good and bad. It gives a strong sense of time and place, but it also allows for a lot shallowness. The writing is uneven, which is hard to know if it's skill or deliberate to match the comic history. I think both. The characters felt a little cardboard, but loosened up a bit as we went on. I didn't like the slams against Akiko for her allergies and asthma, especially since for almost half the book, that was her only characterization. Along with being grumpy, presumably because she felt like crap.
I also don't understand why Akiko was allowed to leave the internment camp her family was in--other people, even very sick people, weren't allowed that. The bullying subplot felt a little weird, too, especially the lead bully trying to weaponize her secret? And why wasn't his dad overseas?
I love the story was created because the author wondered if there had been female superheroes before Wonder Woman, and there was! Fantomah, with skull shifting. Neat. I also love that she brought in real female computers and their special project, complete with photos and history of the women and project, with more information on her website. -
3 stars is a little generous, but the book doesn't deserve only 2 stars. My issue with this book is mostly the dialogue. It's atrocious at times. Obviously given the chapters that are done entirely in comic book form, this book is heavily influenced by comic books, most notably older comic books. And yes, the dialogue is often very bad in those comic books. Perhaps this was intended to be charming, but I found it annoying. Also, the action scenes, the ones not depicted in comic book form, were pretty bad. Again, they were written with that old comic book charm, but I just constantly rolled my eyes. Made it really hard to get through the book. Unfortunately, I already bought the sequel. The first fifty pages or so of this book are fairly interesting. I assumed the story would only get better. I was in the bookstore, and they had a copy of the sequel. So, wanting to be able to finish the first book and move right on to the second, I bought it. While I'll likely go ahead and read it, I'm not going to do it right away. I need some time to forget about what I just read to trick myself into thinking the sequel might not be so bad. I love middle grade books even though I'm well past the target age range, so I build in forgiveness for some things as I'm reading with this in mind. Maybe 9-12 year olds won't have a problem with the dialogue or terrible action sequences. Young girls might enjoy seeing kids just like them being heroic and doing good deeds. But for me, personally, it was a struggle.
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Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for approving me to read an eARC of this book!
Cape is set in Philiadelipa during WWII and follows the story of Josie, Akimo and Mae. The girls meet at a puzzler job tryout..where they soon learn about the evil Mr. Hissler and The League of Secret Heroes. The girls get their powers when the put of the boots, mask and cape of a super hero that disappears right in front of them.
So what I really love about this story is all the girl power in it and also how it didn't shy away from some topic. Our main characters are a diverse group of ladies and they do face prejudice because of the time period it is set in. I love how Josie sees how wrong that is.
"And it occurred to me that prejudices were a lot like allergies. They made it hard for us to really see."
Other things that I loved is how the book has few pages that are written like comic book. I really enjoyed that. I like that the author included the real life history behind the story. Also how some of the characters in the book were real people. She also gave the reader websites and book incases they wanted to learn more.
Overall I think this is a great middle grade book. It has a Agent Carter/ Wonder Woman feel and it as plenty of action packed scenes! I think that readers (not just kids but adults too) are going to love it!
*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* -
I enjoy superheroes and new books about new superheroes are even better. Author Kate Hannigan has three superheroes in her new book as well as some history about WWII that we should all know!
Josie wants to do her part to help the Allies in WWII. He father is fighting in the Pacific and she wants to help. Josie and her best friend, Emmett, enjoy solving codes and ciphers and when the local paper prints an ad that the government is looking for young people to help decode they are sure they will be hired. However, things take a strange turn at the testing. All the girl's tests are placed in a trash can while the boy's have all theirs on the table. When Josie and two others go to question the trash can placement they meet a woman who wants them to return later that day to room 12. When the girls return they learn that together they have super powers and as they learn to use the powers they help the Allies in ways the reader will not expect. Emmett also goes missing after taking the test. Can Josie and her friends help Emmett, stop the enemy from gaining top secret American information and learn how to control their powers in time? READ THIS BOOK to find out. I loved it and I am sure you will too. -
Middle grade alternative historical fiction. Josie and her family are struggling to make ends meet with her Dad off fighting in WWII. Josie has picked up an after-school job at Gerta's Diner, her mom has picked up a second job at the shipyard working the night shift, and Josie's older cousin Kay is helping with expenses too. Josie hears about a puzzler competition, trying to recruit people to help with the war effort. She and her best friend Emmett are excited to try out, but Josie is dismayed when the proctor doesn't even consider any of the tests from the girls! It turns out to work in her favor though, with Josie and two of the other puzzler girls (Akiko and Mae) being recruited to help with the super-secret Room 12. The three girls share a passion for puzzling and superheroes, but unfortunately superheroes haven't been seen in Philadelphia for years. Until now-- when the three girls suddenly find themselves with capes, masks, boots, and superpowers! Can three young girls do good for their city and maybe even their country?
This story teaches a lot of real history-- from WWII spy rings to the ENIAC programmers. But it mixes in superheroes and makes it more of a mystery/ adventure than straight historical fiction. Lots of fun for middle grade and I look forward to the rest of the series! -
Great book for kids who like superheroes. Josie O'Malley is working at a diner, trying to help her mom make ends meet. She desperately misses her father who is fighting in the war. She had hoped to pass the puzzler exam so she could help the war effort as an enemy code breaker. Suspiciously, none of the girls pass. Josie, along with Akiko and Mae, are informed by Mrs. Boudica that they have more important abilities. They each have different superpowers and are desperately needed to stop a snake-like Nazi villian called the Hissler. Since Zenobia and the other superheroes have vanished, it's up to this threesome to stop the Nazis.
There's a little WWII historical fiction mixed in with this fantasy novel. It harkens back to the days when comics and superheroes were all the rage with kids. It has a mellow Superman/Wonder Woman feel to it. The superheroes walk among us until tragedy strikes and they quickly transform into their costume and save the day. No one ever knows who the superheroes really are. There's diversity in this one. Akiko is a Japanese-American. Mae is African-American. And Josie is Irish American. -
At first, I was thrown off by how quickly the action jumped off. We had a couple of chapters to set up our main character (her job, her family, her bully, her best friend, her passion for puzzle solving), then a quick jump into “we have superpowers and are fighting a guy who melts supervillains? And also what’s my cousin up to? And is the dude at my diner a German spy?” It seemed too fast and like it needed more setup.
However, the back 2/3 of the book redeems the first 1/3. Every mystery is tied up (even as more pile on), the pacing keeps you gripped and encourages binge-reading, and it’s fun to discover the girls’ powers alongside them as they work out new skills. My favorite part was the historical element, and the author’s note at the back with info on the real female computers of World War II made me super happy. I think it’s a great superhero book (with the bonus of not being Marvel or DC) that has some sincere girl-Power components without being too cute about it (or making it a marketing ploy). I’d recommend to superhero fans and historical fiction fans alike.
