BLOG TOUR: Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

Hi, friends!

It’s so good to be back with you after an unexpected hiatus. I’m glad to be writing again and couldn’t be happier to kick off this reunion with my post for C.B. Lee’s Sidekick Squad Blog Tour!

The third book of the Sidekick Squad series, Not Your Backup, hits shelves on June 1st. Both C.B. Lee and CW from The Quiet Pond were kind enough to arrange a review copy of Not Your Sidekick (book one) for me to read and review in anticipation for the latest release of the series and I can’t wait to finally share my thoughts (+ illustration!) with you.

Not Your Sidekick (Sidekick Squad, #1) by C.B. Lee
Published by Duet Books on September 8, 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 283
Format: eBook
ISBN: 1945053038
Source: Author
Goodreads

Welcome to Andover… where superpowers are common, but internships are complicated. Just ask high school nobody, Jessica Tran. Despite her heroic lineage, Jess is resigned to a life without superpowers and is merely looking to beef-up her college applications when she stumbles upon the perfect (paid!) internship—only it turns out to be for the town’s most heinous supervillain. On the upside, she gets to work with her longtime secret crush, Abby, who Jess thinks may have a secret of her own. Then there’s the budding attraction to her fellow intern, the mysterious “M,” who never seems to be in the same place as Abby. But what starts as a fun way to spite her superhero parents takes a sudden and dangerous turn when she uncovers a plot larger than heroes and villains altogether.

I received a review copy from the publisher as part of the blog tour. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

As soon as I finished Not Your Sidekick, I immediately wanted to start its sequel. It’s not like it ended in a cliffhanger, but the book left me with such good spirits that I just had to read more.

What makes it so good?

Not Your Sidekick had something for everyone, many of which I loved. It’s a book I wish I had as a teenager because it was fun, highly relatable, and felt 100% genuine.

Jessica Tran, the main protagonist, was very endearing to me because I was able to connect with her struggles, emotions, and fears. She reminded me of myself when I was her age and I’m glad this book exists so that other teens can see themselves in her and feel understood. Jessica is a bisexual, mixed race character who is still very much learning about herself, her identity, and her place in the world. Because the book is written in Jessica’s POV, we become very familiar with her family, friends, and long-time crush. Books that explore family relationships and friendships are very easy sells for me, and C.B. wrote them in such a seamless way that made them so real and human in my eyes. I’m also not big on romance in books, but I found myself smiling while reading Jessica’s interactions with her crush, Abby.

C.B.’s take on superheroes and villains was the cherry on top for me. The book explores what it means to be a hero and a villain, and questions society’s definition of greatness and worth. I love books that ask the hard questions and NYS did not disappoint.

Not Your Sidekick is easily one of my favourite books of the year. It was heartfelt and delightful with a mixed bag of treats that’s sure to have something for everyone.

Illustration for Not Your Sidekick

I had lots of fun creating this illustration of Jessica and her house robot, Chả, who was my favourite character in the book. I’m a sucker for non-human characters and Chả was nothing but cute and completely lovable. <3

About the Author

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SIDESICK SQUAD Tour Schedule

27th May

CW @ The Quiet Pond (Introduction)

Harker @ The Hermit Librarian (NYB Review + Quotes/Who Would I Be in CB’s World?)

28th May

Shari @ Colour Me Read (NYS Review + Illustration)

29th May

Fadwa @ Word Wonders (NYB Review + Aesthetic)

30th May

Ceillie @ Let’s Fox About It (NYB Review + Character Interview)

31st May

Avery @ The Book Deviant (NYB Review)

1st June [NYB RELEASE DAY]

Rita @ Bookish Rita (NYB Review + Quiz/Aesthetic)

2nd June

Laura @ Green Tea & Paperbacks (NYB Review + Creative Post)

3rd June

Lili @ Utopia State of Mind (NYB Review + Handlettering)

4th June

Nicky @ Small Queer, Big Opinions (Trilogy Review)

5th June

Kait @ Kaitlyn Gosiaco (NYB Review + Author Interview/Aesthetic)

6th June

Shenwei @ READING (AS)(I)AN AMERICA (NYB Review)

7th June

Janani @ The Shrinkette (Trilogy Review)