*Synopsis*
Everybody in Chicago has a “superhero sighting” story. So when a villain attacks editorial assistant Gail Godwin and she’s rescued by superhero Blaze, it’s a great story, and nothing more. Until it happens again. And again.
Now, the media has dubbed her Hostage Girl, nobody remembers her real name, and people are convinced that Blaze is just Gail’s boyfriend Jeremy in disguise. Gail’s not so sure. All she knows is that when both Jeremy and Blaze leave town in the same week, she’s probably doomed. Who will save her now?
But when the villains miraculously lose interest, Gail is able to return to her life…until she wakes up strapped to a metal table by a mad scientist who hasn’t read the news. Escaping, and now more than human herself, she’s drawn into a secret underground world of superheroes. She’ll have to come to terms with her powers (and weakness) to make it in the new society, and it’s not easy. After all, there’s a new villain on the rise, and she has her sights set on the one and only Hostage Girl.
*My Thoughts*
SUPERHEROES ANONYMOUS is Lexie Dunne's debut into the world of superheroes, and super villains. The story is told in the first person narrative by Gail Godwin. Gail lives and works in Chicago, where superhero sightings are just as exciting as watching a Chicago Bulls game. Well, maybe not for everyone.
Gail is a diminutive editorial assistant who has a bad habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nicknamed Hostage Girl by the media, Gail has been on the villains radar for the past 2 years. Every villain with something to prove, finds a way to make sure Gail is part of their world domination plans in order to lure a certain superhero into their web.
Everyone in Chicago truly believes that Superhero Blaze, who has rescued her more than a dozen times, is Gail's boyfriend Jeremy. Everyone that is except for Gail who hasn't a clue who Blaze really is. When Jeremy and Blaze leave Chicago for Miami, Gail truly believes she can finally relax, and not worry about being kidnapped, or tortured, or used as a tool to gain Blaze's attention. Not so fast my friends.
After falling victim to a mad scientist hoping to catch Blaze's attention, Gail finds that she's been forever altered by drug that is supposed to be addictive. She finds that her body is changing, giving her new strength and healing abilities, and an entirely new physique. After escaping, Gail once again finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and comes face to face with a new super-villain named Chelsea and to the attention of an organization of superheroes who are very interested in what happened to Hostage Girl.
Holy fudge! That ending left my heart torn into pieces. With the sequel to Superheroes Anonymous coming out in June of 2015, it's going to be a rather long wait to find out what happens next in "part 2." I suppose I should say that since Superheroes is close to being a comic book in print, you have to expect a cliffhanger ending in order to get you to pick up the next installment. However much we, as readers, hate cliffhanger endings, they're not going away anytime soon.
I liked Gail as a lead character because she really doesn't give into the Mary Jane aspect of a simmering, suffering female victim as is often portrayed in these sorts of stories. She actually started the ball rolling by bravely taking on her first encounter with a villain. She could have run away more times than you can count, but didn't. Not even when she faces off against her very own nemesis in Chelsea.
The secondary characters in Superheroes are as interesting as Gail. This includes her trainer Angélica, her mentor Vicki, and of course, Blaze. I liked that there wasn't a love at first sight moment when Blaze's identity is finally revealed. I should say I was rather surprised by Blaze's true identity. I liked that Gail doesn't turn into a super hero over night, but has to endure hours of training, frustration, and a learning curve that is created just for her.
As I have previously stated, I prefer a character who grows over the course of a novel, or series. I think Gail definitely falls into that category. She goes from someone who only works at her place of employment because of health insurance, to a much more confident person who gets thrown into the world of superheroes and supervillains. I really wish we could have learned a bit more about Chelsea, and her plans. But, I can have patience until the sequel comes out and hope that Dunne reveals her master plan for Blaze, Gail, and Chelsea.
Author - Lexie Dunne
Title - Superheroes Anonymous
Released by Harper Voyager Impulse
Published - November 18, 2014
Genre: Science Fiction
Format: E-Book, 336 pages
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