I hate questions that ask me what kind of superpower I would have like to have because I don’t see why I have to choose just one – since I am dreaming, why can I not dream about having them all? But that’s just me. I was never the type to read the Marvel comics – to be fair, we didn’t have them in Fiji. Or if we did, I didn’t see them. The closest thing I had to graphic novels about superheroes was Phantom, this dude who lives in a cave with his wife and kid, goes around in a bodysuit (tights) and has a ring with a skull on it. He solves crimes but I don’t know his motivation. Anyway, this little prologue is to prepare you for Dark Star, a rare young adult novel about superheroes. Well, one directed at girls. It was the first one I read anyway.It is not without its flaws but I enjoyed it for a couple of reasons. Audrey is easy to like, snarky, feisty and everything I want in a protagonist. And she has a really cool Mom. No seriously, if there were awards for great mothers in young adult literature, she would win it. She has her own life, her own issues apart from Audrey; she is the Morning Star and that becomes more her identity than the persona she dons to save the world every night. It would have been easy for Audrey to be drowned by her mother’s loud and larger than life presence but to Frenette’s credit, she creates a careful balance between the two so that while the reader is a bit awed by Morning Star, it is still Audrey’s story that is most attractive. The pacing is quite brisk.I was quite impressed by the plotting to be honest. Frenette took some twists and turns that I hadn’t expected and the complication I had expected didn’t come to pass. What I’m trying to say is that the book isn’t predictable and I like that. The romance is interesting though I’m not too pleased with the whole protector business. It makes sense that they do but well, I hope the romance is delved into a bit more in the next book. Also, Audrey’s rushing into situations while knowing the situations are dangerous and she is not equipped to handle them got a bit old. However, the whole superhero culture is fascinating, especially the bit about being “called” to be a Guardian and how that effects a person.So do I recommend this to you? I do. I enjoyed it. it’s not perfect but it’s entertaining and I think it should tide you over as you wait for the next superhero movie.
