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Heroine Addiction
Vera Noble belongs to a long line of famous superheroes, but she's done quite enough lifesaving in her time. Now, she's perfectly happy to serve pie and coffee in her small-town cafe, far away from the bright explosions and enormous radiation-spawned monsters of the big city. However, no life ever stays safe and quiet forever, and one simple request from her family's former mortal enemy upends Vera's semi-average existence.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
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385 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 21, 2015
A retired superhero returns to her old life to investigate the disappearance of her father, and in doing so gives an intimate look at her family and friends.
Vera Noble comes from a long line of superheros, one that goes back to the Mayflower. Superheros are a fixture of this world and have been for centuries. Her family gives new meaning to the word dysfunction though, one of the reasons she hasn't worn a costume for five years. But when a supervillain comes to tell her that her father is missing she slips back into that world like she never left.
As with many self-published novels, this one could have done with more editing, both in terms of story clarity, simple mistakes and copy-editing. The cover (covers actually) also don't do the story justice. The original cover is horrible, and the new kindle cover implies a romance. It's not a romance, although relationships feature heavily.
The actual story is wonderful though. Vera is bisexual, her ex is a woman and her newest interest is a man, and the fact of her bisexuality is both open and discussed. Another major character is gay, and again this is a major plot point. And at almost all times actual names are far more important than code names. In fact, I'm not sure you even get Vera's superhero name. But it's Morris, not Quiz Master. It's Graham, not Fortress.
Definitely one of the better self-published novels I've read.
Vera Noble comes from a long line of superheros, one that goes back to the Mayflower. Superheros are a fixture of this world and have been for centuries. Her family gives new meaning to the word dysfunction though, one of the reasons she hasn't worn a costume for five years. But when a supervillain comes to tell her that her father is missing she slips back into that world like she never left.
As with many self-published novels, this one could have done with more editing, both in terms of story clarity, simple mistakes and copy-editing. The cover (covers actually) also don't do the story justice. The original cover is horrible, and the new kindle cover implies a romance. It's not a romance, although relationships feature heavily.
The actual story is wonderful though. Vera is bisexual, her ex is a woman and her newest interest is a man, and the fact of her bisexuality is both open and discussed. Another major character is gay, and again this is a major plot point. And at almost all times actual names are far more important than code names. In fact, I'm not sure you even get Vera's superhero name. But it's Morris, not Quiz Master. It's Graham, not Fortress.
Definitely one of the better self-published novels I've read.
December 5, 2015
The good: I love how diverse this book is. It was a pleasure to read about a bisexual main character, and there were plenty of people of color including the hero. The main character and most of the other characters were well characterized and came to life on the page. I loved the send up of lots of different superheroes and their world. The plot was fun and easy to follow.
The minor: Hazel really should have been introduced a bit more. I still don't have much of a sense of her character. Also, history would have proceeded a hell of a lot differently if there were proper superheroes wandering around from at least the 1600s. I was able to ignore it for just one book but you can't change the whole past of the world and somehow expect the modern world to turn out just the same but with superheroes.
The bad: It's just not very well written. The writing doesn't flow and is quite awkward in places. It's not impossible to read, of course, but I kept being thrown out of the story by little mistakes or weird phrasing. It was also quite obvious that parts of the book were written well before other parts and those weren't quite as meshed with the whole book. In short, this book reads like a second or third draft, rather than a final product.
The minor: Hazel really should have been introduced a bit more. I still don't have much of a sense of her character. Also, history would have proceeded a hell of a lot differently if there were proper superheroes wandering around from at least the 1600s. I was able to ignore it for just one book but you can't change the whole past of the world and somehow expect the modern world to turn out just the same but with superheroes.
The bad: It's just not very well written. The writing doesn't flow and is quite awkward in places. It's not impossible to read, of course, but I kept being thrown out of the story by little mistakes or weird phrasing. It was also quite obvious that parts of the book were written well before other parts and those weren't quite as meshed with the whole book. In short, this book reads like a second or third draft, rather than a final product.
June 10, 2011
I am always gentler on first outings, and this is a first outing.
The two main complaints I have about the book?
Could've used a bit more firm editing hand for simple things. As mentioned in the status updates, the toilet tank is not a gross, nasty thing. The water in the tank goes into the bowl, and the bowl is where all the waste goes. Small detail, but jarring.
A little firmer editing hand for the narrative. Not the first person present tense. I'm used to first person narrative by now even if it has yet to be something I prefer; and the present tense is a bold choice. But the constant descriptions of Vera's bangs, Vera's curls, Vera's wiggle dresses, Vera's heels -- they grated a little because of how often they turned up.
The rest of my feelings on the book are all glowing praise.
Ms. Matarese takes superhero tropes, turns them sideways, upside-down, and inside out. Then she adds a dash of pop culture references, a clever pun or two, and mixes well with interesting characters on the ordinary and extraordinary side of the supheroes-and-normals divide.
I admit to having started out being disappointed because I thought Heroine Addiction was a book about superheroes. It's really not. It's really a book about a young woman deciding she is who she is, and she is who she wants to be. It's really a book about relationships, love, family, dysfunctional relationships, and friends. It just happens to take place in a world where there are superheroes.
The superhero tropes take the typical Love Triangle trope and tweak it hard. Then the fact that the other person in the triangle is same sex also tweaks the trope harder still. And the options that can be taken for handling one's disapproval of another person's lifestyle are of course wider in a world full of superhumans and superheroics.
Vera is funny and sarcastic, and despite the constant harping on her hair and sense of style, very sympathetic.
Hazel is somebody who is tough on the outside, soft on the inside.
Travis is hilarious, cowboy swagger covering a sharp mind and a sweet spirit.
Troy is oddly charming, despite how pathetic he is, all spindly and awkward, dropping pens and scribbling in his notebooks.u
Morris is charming, and I really, really wish we'd gotten to know more about him. We get hints: he's kind of Elfin, he wears a bowler, he's kind of snooty, and he's a genius that would make MacGyver look like he belongs in a Special Ed class.
Tea and Strumpets is a place I'd go to sit and eat, people watch and write.
Everett Noble is almost a mystery since we only get to hear what Vera tells us about him.
Ivy Noble is not hateable as I'd have expected her to be.
And the villain came as a surprise to me.
The diversity of race (there's a black coroner, a hijab-wearing Indian superheroine, and at least a couple Asian heroes) is marvelous, as is the diversity of lifestyle. It's handled respectfully and tastefully. Another bold choice is that Ms. Matarese does not shy away from the homophobic reactions of the people who are not on board.
So definitely worth a read, and I'd say I'd definitely love to see a little more in this 'verse again sometime soon.
The two main complaints I have about the book?
Could've used a bit more firm editing hand for simple things. As mentioned in the status updates, the toilet tank is not a gross, nasty thing. The water in the tank goes into the bowl, and the bowl is where all the waste goes. Small detail, but jarring.
A little firmer editing hand for the narrative. Not the first person present tense. I'm used to first person narrative by now even if it has yet to be something I prefer; and the present tense is a bold choice. But the constant descriptions of Vera's bangs, Vera's curls, Vera's wiggle dresses, Vera's heels -- they grated a little because of how often they turned up.
The rest of my feelings on the book are all glowing praise.
Ms. Matarese takes superhero tropes, turns them sideways, upside-down, and inside out. Then she adds a dash of pop culture references, a clever pun or two, and mixes well with interesting characters on the ordinary and extraordinary side of the supheroes-and-normals divide.
I admit to having started out being disappointed because I thought Heroine Addiction was a book about superheroes. It's really not. It's really a book about a young woman deciding she is who she is, and she is who she wants to be. It's really a book about relationships, love, family, dysfunctional relationships, and friends. It just happens to take place in a world where there are superheroes.
The superhero tropes take the typical Love Triangle trope and tweak it hard. Then the fact that the other person in the triangle is same sex also tweaks the trope harder still. And the options that can be taken for handling one's disapproval of another person's lifestyle are of course wider in a world full of superhumans and superheroics.
Vera is funny and sarcastic, and despite the constant harping on her hair and sense of style, very sympathetic.
Hazel is somebody who is tough on the outside, soft on the inside.
Travis is hilarious, cowboy swagger covering a sharp mind and a sweet spirit.
Troy is oddly charming, despite how pathetic he is, all spindly and awkward, dropping pens and scribbling in his notebooks.u
Morris is charming, and I really, really wish we'd gotten to know more about him. We get hints: he's kind of Elfin, he wears a bowler, he's kind of snooty, and he's a genius that would make MacGyver look like he belongs in a Special Ed class.
Tea and Strumpets is a place I'd go to sit and eat, people watch and write.
Everett Noble is almost a mystery since we only get to hear what Vera tells us about him.
Ivy Noble is not hateable as I'd have expected her to be.
And the villain came as a surprise to me.
The diversity of race (there's a black coroner, a hijab-wearing Indian superheroine, and at least a couple Asian heroes) is marvelous, as is the diversity of lifestyle. It's handled respectfully and tastefully. Another bold choice is that Ms. Matarese does not shy away from the homophobic reactions of the people who are not on board.
So definitely worth a read, and I'd say I'd definitely love to see a little more in this 'verse again sometime soon.
February 7, 2014
Well this was delightful. If an alternate reality/urban fantasy mystery in a post-Pixar sort of universe where the Superhero Licensing Bureau does things like monitor superheroes' insurance appeals to you, step right up. Some things could have been explained better. But if that doesn't bother you when you have characters that step right off the page, then dive on in.
This book could have benefitted a lot from a really good editor. And I kind of wish I'd gotten the print edition - the Kobo one has some serious formatting issues - second "L"s missing whenever there were double Ls, weird line breaks, very distracting. Also, Goodreads lists an illustrator?! I had no illustrations. But I would gladly pay more money to read more from Ms. Matarese. (No, really, TAKE MY MONEY. PLEASE.)
And for those looking for more and better bisexual representation in fiction, this is... well, it's a little too raucous to call it a balm for the soul. Maybe not so much a balm as an effervescent tonic?
This book could have benefitted a lot from a really good editor. And I kind of wish I'd gotten the print edition - the Kobo one has some serious formatting issues - second "L"s missing whenever there were double Ls, weird line breaks, very distracting. Also, Goodreads lists an illustrator?! I had no illustrations. But I would gladly pay more money to read more from Ms. Matarese. (No, really, TAKE MY MONEY. PLEASE.)
And for those looking for more and better bisexual representation in fiction, this is... well, it's a little too raucous to call it a balm for the soul. Maybe not so much a balm as an effervescent tonic?
October 16, 2011
I wish I could give it the half star to make it 3.5. I enjoyed the story and the characters, especially the main character of Vera. I found her to be strong and interesting. I liked the idea of a retired superhero who didn't get along with her more powerful family members. I wish the author had delved a little deeper into the family relationship of the Nobles, rather than having the various romantic interest subplots, but maybe that's just me. I did find the interactions between Vera and Morris humorous. This book has definitely awakened an interest in reading more in the superhero fiction genre.
January 30, 2012
Definitely an enjoyable read. The identity of the villain behind it all was revealed awkwardly. Vera seemed to suddenly assume it was this person, and as another reviewer mentioned, I felt like I missed something. Otherwise, though, I did enjoy the book. Superheroes as an everyday, licensed bureaucracy? Even better, a dysfunctional superhero family? Hee. I loved Vera's attitude of "Been there, done that. Sigh," to all the stuff she and the other heroes have to face, and I liked her style. I'm glad to have seen a comment about this book on Twitter, or I may never have read it.
January 15, 2014
I *loved* this book. It shows the life of a superhero family in a world where superheroes are a fact of life. A job that is organized and regulated like any other. And like any other celebrity, they strive to maintain a perfect image despite being just as disfunctional as the rest of us. The characters are complex and surprising and unpolished in the best of ways. My only wish is that I could have more from this verse, both a prequel with Morris and Everett's story, and a sequel with more of Vera and her family.
July 1, 2011
For those who love superhero stories, sly unexpected humor, and protagonists who are made of the same cookie-cutter mold, Heroine Addiction is an excellent choice. Vera Noble, the daughter of the world's two most famous superheroes, finds herself dragged back into the family business when her father's greatest enemy (and secret lover) enlists her help to locate the missing hero. The story is full of twists, and lots of funny little winks toward the reader, and definitely a great read.
August 9, 2013
I liked this book a lot, and it would have gotten four stars had the editing/formatting been even remotely decent. My Kindle-for-the-PC had huge problems reading the text -- double l's were almost always changed to just one "l", and carriage returns were randomly scattered throughout.
Despite these complaints, the story was both original and interesting, and I look forward to better edited/formatted stories by Ms. Matarese.
Despite these complaints, the story was both original and interesting, and I look forward to better edited/formatted stories by Ms. Matarese.
November 21, 2015
I was most interested in Vera's dad's love life more than anything else. Too much exposition in between each dialog line made me skip most of it, I really didn't need to read about every single of Vera's fashion choices nor how she thought everyone who isn't family is attracted to her in one way or another, I scanned until some action happened to move the plot along and skipped all her internal ranting about society.
April 15, 2012
I rather liked this one. Was it perfect? No. In particular I think some of the more action-oriented sequences were a bit short or underdescribed, but I liked the heroine and it pulled together a bunch of fun superhero tropes in a satisfying enough fashion to make for a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I'd read a sequel.
May 1, 2013
This was cute, but I think it could have used one more round of edits to pull it together better. Also, the kindle edition I had was riddled with errors - in words containing double-Ls, one of the Ls was invariably missing, and there were some paragraph break shenanigans going on too, which was jarring to the reading experience.
May 11, 2013
As fan of comic books and super heroes I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the characterization was great, and I really felt for the characters. I love dysfunctional families, and super powered dysfunction was great and funny. I just enjoyed everything, and even though I didn't really care about the romance, I still enjoyed it.
September 19, 2013
A neat little melange of superheroes, supervillains, and pinups. I thought it a cute story of a young woman trying to find her place in the world and her family, with superpowers and a very famous family. Her father's a Superman, her mother's a Wonder Woman, and where does she fit in?
Good book, but I still petition for a 0.5 rating system!
Good book, but I still petition for a 0.5 rating system!
August 2, 2013
There are so many things about this book to merit a five star rating, which in theory i have given, however i'd have to say that my actual rating is a 4.5 purely due to some questionable formatting errors and missing letters from words. Apart from these unfortunate editing mistakes this book is actually sort of perfect. If only more superhero tales were told like this.
August 28, 2011
3.75 stars. Surprisingly amusing jaunt that manages the "Ordinary Superhero" concept without becoming trite or resorting to cliches. Felt a little slow at times, but the deft use of humor was worth it. (Also, I am surprised to admit that Morris was my favorite character!)
December 20, 2013
I don't read on my phone, I hate the screen size and the backlight hurts my eyes. I read this on my phone. An utterly addicting read which has several fun twists on a number of genres. I didn't realize how much I needed a bisexual superhero until I got one.
August 15, 2013
I don't have time to do a full review, but as quickly as possible - the writing style was a bit simple and amateur, but the plot was fantastic and I was incredibly impressed with the representation of people of colour/queer people/women.
August 27, 2013
I really liked this. Vera was a refreshingly different protagonist and I thought this novel had an excellent sense of its own silliness. I'd give it four stars, but there were some annoying typographical errors in the kindle edition I read, with most instances of 'll' being replaced with 'l '.
August 21, 2014
I do love the "superheroes with paperwork" genre and how representative this book is, but the writing could have been streamlined and if I heard one more thing about how great her clothes were I was going to lose my mind.
August 16, 2016
I really enjoyed this book... until the end, which was really no end at all. Not to give away any spoilers I will just say, unless she is definitely writing a sequel, there are WAY too many loose ends and questions not answered.
May 23, 2011
really enjoyed this.
August 9, 2011
Thoroughly enjoyable
July 20, 2011
Excellent Kindle buy at $3.99. I really liked this story, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
October 12, 2013
One of the best super hero books I've read. Solid character building. Consistent world structure even with phenomenally powered supers. Very human super-humans.
Want to read
April 17, 2016Currently free at Amazon. 4/17/16
August 24, 2016
Fun, but rather rough around the edges.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews