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Emily Monroe Is Not The Chosen One #1
Night Shift
Emily Monroe may be a lot of things, but one thing is for sure, she is NOT the Chosen One.
Emily is a normal girl working at Big Burger who has the unfortunate luck to look exactly like Big City's superhero darling, the Chosen One.
It has been the bane of her existence as it disrupts her life and those around her when super villains come knocking, wanting to prove their mettle by fighting the Chosen One. Nobody listens when she insists she isn't who they think she is.
With common sense and years of rage built up inside, she usually serves their butts to them on a platter, asking "Did you want fries with that?" No cape required.
Emily is a normal girl working at Big Burger who has the unfortunate luck to look exactly like Big City's superhero darling, the Chosen One.
It has been the bane of her existence as it disrupts her life and those around her when super villains come knocking, wanting to prove their mettle by fighting the Chosen One. Nobody listens when she insists she isn't who they think she is.
With common sense and years of rage built up inside, she usually serves their butts to them on a platter, asking "Did you want fries with that?" No cape required.
82 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2018
48 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Erik Schubach
209 books440 followersInternational bestselling author of #lesfic f/f romance, scifi, urban fantasy, paranormal & more. Consummate geek & sarcasm connoisseur. Any pronouns are fine.
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Twitter: https://bit.ly/2GDN0is
Blog: https://bit.ly/2EZMIC7
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GooglePlay: http://tiny.cc/udycvz
YouTube: https://bit.ly/2Sw0Q9u
Bestsellers:
Fantasy:
Scifi/Paranormal:
Urban Fantasy:
Romance/Romantic Comedy:
With over 100 titles to choose from from various series and genres, I'm sure I've written something for you. Check out the whole list here .
Amazon: https://amzn.to/30ACXSq
Audible: https://adbl.co/2SrFqu1
Twitter: https://bit.ly/2GDN0is
Blog: https://bit.ly/2EZMIC7
iTunes: https://apple.co/2Sx6FDI
GooglePlay: http://tiny.cc/udycvz
YouTube: https://bit.ly/2Sw0Q9u
Bestsellers:
Fantasy:
Scifi/Paranormal:
Urban Fantasy:
Romance/Romantic Comedy:
With over 100 titles to choose from from various series and genres, I'm sure I've written something for you. Check out the whole list here .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 10, 2019
This tiny superhero novella was quite a fun story. It had a good mix of humor, romance, and superhero powered action!
The premise was fun. Emily Monroe has a fairly useless superpower as all she can do is change her eye and nail color. Unfortunately for her she attracts the top level of supervillain as she looks exactly like Big City's premier super-heroine The Chosen One. Everyone thinks Emily is The Chosen Ones secret identity. Which is super inconvenient for Emily as keeping a job is tough when supervillains are crawling out of the woodwork everywhere and trashing everything in sight while they are trying to kill her!
The story turned out to be quite fun. Emily might not have had much in the way of superpowers but she still managed to be a proactive and kick-ass heroine and held her own all while never being short of a snarky quip. The world seemed a fun enough one with villains outnumbering the superheroes three to one and superheroes being ranked on a scale of 0-50. Poor Emily ranks a 0.1 on the scale which means all the negatives of being superpowered without getting any of the benefits of having actual powers. This was super short so we only learned a tiny bit about the world in general but I thought it held good potential and hopefully that promise will be fully fulfilled in the sequels.
On the whole the flow of the story was good. There was plenty of witty dialogue and snarky humor and a nice mix of action and romance. If I had a criticism it was that this felt like it packed in enough action, humor, romance, and mystery for a full novel but we got it all crammed into a tiny novella. This really should have been a full sized book!
All in all I enjoyed the tiny novella and will listen to the sequel when it comes along.
Rating: 4 stars. Short but fun.
Audio Note: Hollie Jackson did an excellent job with the audio. She got the snarky humor and tone of the story and was good with the character voices.
The premise was fun. Emily Monroe has a fairly useless superpower as all she can do is change her eye and nail color. Unfortunately for her she attracts the top level of supervillain as she looks exactly like Big City's premier super-heroine The Chosen One. Everyone thinks Emily is The Chosen Ones secret identity. Which is super inconvenient for Emily as keeping a job is tough when supervillains are crawling out of the woodwork everywhere and trashing everything in sight while they are trying to kill her!
The story turned out to be quite fun. Emily might not have had much in the way of superpowers but she still managed to be a proactive and kick-ass heroine and held her own all while never being short of a snarky quip. The world seemed a fun enough one with villains outnumbering the superheroes three to one and superheroes being ranked on a scale of 0-50. Poor Emily ranks a 0.1 on the scale which means all the negatives of being superpowered without getting any of the benefits of having actual powers. This was super short so we only learned a tiny bit about the world in general but I thought it held good potential and hopefully that promise will be fully fulfilled in the sequels.
On the whole the flow of the story was good. There was plenty of witty dialogue and snarky humor and a nice mix of action and romance. If I had a criticism it was that this felt like it packed in enough action, humor, romance, and mystery for a full novel but we got it all crammed into a tiny novella. This really should have been a full sized book!
All in all I enjoyed the tiny novella and will listen to the sequel when it comes along.
Rating: 4 stars. Short but fun.
Audio Note: Hollie Jackson did an excellent job with the audio. She got the snarky humor and tone of the story and was good with the character voices.
May 29, 2018
Being a Superhero is great, but looking like one... Not so much. 4.5 stars.
Emily is just your average fast-food worker, except she looks just like the city's biggest hero: Chosen One. Something that seriously ruined her life because every villain thinks it's a good idea to try to catch "the Chosen One" in het "Civilian Identity". Wich means Emily has to fight a whole slew of villains with only her wits and skills and no powers what-so-ever.
This was an really entertaining read. Emily is snarky, sightly world-weary, but never downtrodden at the same time. Her mouth occasionally sells what she can't afford, and as such the overall effect is hilarious. The inside references to hero/ villain archetypes are fun to spot but don't detract form the overall romance/ slice-of-life plot.
Overall this was fun, sweet and entertaining.
Emily is just your average fast-food worker, except she looks just like the city's biggest hero: Chosen One. Something that seriously ruined her life because every villain thinks it's a good idea to try to catch "the Chosen One" in het "Civilian Identity". Wich means Emily has to fight a whole slew of villains with only her wits and skills and no powers what-so-ever.
This was an really entertaining read. Emily is snarky, sightly world-weary, but never downtrodden at the same time. Her mouth occasionally sells what she can't afford, and as such the overall effect is hilarious. The inside references to hero/ villain archetypes are fun to spot but don't detract form the overall romance/ slice-of-life plot.
Overall this was fun, sweet and entertaining.
September 17, 2018
“Emily Monroe is Not The Chosen One (Night Shift #1)” is a terrifically entertaining story of lesbian superheroes, supervillains and one virtually normal girl: Emily.
MC Emily is constantly being attacked by supervillains wanting to make a name for themselves, because she looks just like Big City’s poster superheroine: The Chosen One. Emily is snarky and quick thinking, and routinely defeats the dimwits who attack her, so no one really believes that Emily isn’t really The Chosen One.
As fun and entertaining as the book is, Schubach also introduces a dark backstory that addresses the origin of The Chosen One. Who chose her? What choices were made so that she had powers rated at 49.9 on the 50 point super scale? Was The Chosen One involved in those decisions? Does The Chosen One like the life she’s been assigned?
Emily’s superheroine idol (not The Chosen One….who has ruined Emily’s life by looking like her) takes an interest in Emily despite Emily only ranking 0.1 on the 50 point super scale. Emily’s roommate Violet is also a great side character.
I listened to “Emily Monroe is Not The Chosen One” before I listened to T. B. Markinson’s “The Chosen One”, but I’m just now getting around to catching up on older listens and writing reviews. It’s intriguing how similar parts of the two stories are. In Schubach’s book, there is, as I mentioned, a dark history to the creation of the super powered Chosen One….and not everybody is pleased with her creation. In Markinson’s book, The Chosen One was conceived (literally) to play a role in the political ambitions of her family, and The Chosen One is expected to fulfill her designed role despite any difficulties in her personal or love life, and regardless of the impact on other family members. Listen to both stories….they’re both terrific!
Hollie Jackson. Clearly I don’t need to say more about the narration for you to want to listen to this book! 4.5* rounded to 5* - I’m looking forward to volume #2, “Unchosen” to being released as an audiobook!
MC Emily is constantly being attacked by supervillains wanting to make a name for themselves, because she looks just like Big City’s poster superheroine: The Chosen One. Emily is snarky and quick thinking, and routinely defeats the dimwits who attack her, so no one really believes that Emily isn’t really The Chosen One.
As fun and entertaining as the book is, Schubach also introduces a dark backstory that addresses the origin of The Chosen One. Who chose her? What choices were made so that she had powers rated at 49.9 on the 50 point super scale? Was The Chosen One involved in those decisions? Does The Chosen One like the life she’s been assigned?
Emily’s superheroine idol (not The Chosen One….who has ruined Emily’s life by looking like her) takes an interest in Emily despite Emily only ranking 0.1 on the 50 point super scale. Emily’s roommate Violet is also a great side character.
I listened to “Emily Monroe is Not The Chosen One” before I listened to T. B. Markinson’s “The Chosen One”, but I’m just now getting around to catching up on older listens and writing reviews. It’s intriguing how similar parts of the two stories are. In Schubach’s book, there is, as I mentioned, a dark history to the creation of the super powered Chosen One….and not everybody is pleased with her creation. In Markinson’s book, The Chosen One was conceived (literally) to play a role in the political ambitions of her family, and The Chosen One is expected to fulfill her designed role despite any difficulties in her personal or love life, and regardless of the impact on other family members. Listen to both stories….they’re both terrific!
Hollie Jackson. Clearly I don’t need to say more about the narration for you to want to listen to this book! 4.5* rounded to 5* - I’m looking forward to volume #2, “Unchosen” to being released as an audiobook!
March 15, 2022
Oh dear. Excellent concept, loved the title but call down hill from there. Move on.
May 10, 2018
Knocked it out of the park
Erik really hit a home run with this one. I love lesfic and I love comic books and Erik Schubachs brain combined with a comic book adventure is pretty darned awesome. Read it. Now!
Erik really hit a home run with this one. I love lesfic and I love comic books and Erik Schubachs brain combined with a comic book adventure is pretty darned awesome. Read it. Now!
November 19, 2018
Interesting storyline but way to short.
May 21, 2018
Being a Superhero is great, but looking like one...
As a fan of the superhero genre, the premise of this book would be above par virtually anything on tv right now. It has its quirks, it has its mistakes, but overall it far too enjoyable when compared to the common flaws found with Superheroes.
“Certain moments could be expanded upon” is my only true issue with the story. Character building is slightly glossed over for big action, but Emily’s growth over the story fits who she is, however short the story.
As a fan of the Nemesis Saga and vastly disappointed in the writing of Supergirl by the CW, this story is a sarcastic breath of fresh air.
As a fan of the superhero genre, the premise of this book would be above par virtually anything on tv right now. It has its quirks, it has its mistakes, but overall it far too enjoyable when compared to the common flaws found with Superheroes.
“Certain moments could be expanded upon” is my only true issue with the story. Character building is slightly glossed over for big action, but Emily’s growth over the story fits who she is, however short the story.
As a fan of the Nemesis Saga and vastly disappointed in the writing of Supergirl by the CW, this story is a sarcastic breath of fresh air.
February 12, 2021
Emily Monroe is a fry cook and counter girl at a burger joint because she can't get a job doing anything else. This is due to the fact she looks identical to the setting's equivalent of Supergirl a.k.a The Chosen One. Supervillains constantly come to attack her in her "secret" identity once they find out about her, only for her to survive by the fact that Emily may not have impressive powers (she can change her eyes and fingernail color) but she's perfectly capable of beating the crap out of most inexperienced baddies. She's also aware of the majority of their weaknesses thanks to Wikipedia.
I really liked this short little story and while it's a bit rough in presentation and very much an "indie" title, I think it's something I'll buy the entire series of. It's cute, it's funny, and it's cheap. There's no reason not to pick up a copy.
I really liked this short little story and while it's a bit rough in presentation and very much an "indie" title, I think it's something I'll buy the entire series of. It's cute, it's funny, and it's cheap. There's no reason not to pick up a copy.
May 15, 2018
Cute story
I enjoyed this story and I liked all the superheroes and their abilities. I especially liked that a low powered woman kicked butt!
I enjoyed this story and I liked all the superheroes and their abilities. I especially liked that a low powered woman kicked butt!
July 30, 2018
I really enjoyed this book, its only fault was it was too short. In some ways it reminded me of this author’s ’Fixit’ stories, especially when Emily developed her crush on the super hero Heather.
My only worry is given the number of series this author must be working on, it might be a long wait before the next book.
My only worry is given the number of series this author must be working on, it might be a long wait before the next book.
April 22, 2022
I have "read" this several times. It is a great short story involving Supers with and without powers. I still can't look a t fire extinguisher the same anymore. This was my introduction to the author Erik Schubach. I found the Audible book a couple of years ago and next thing I know I have every book he has written in Audible form (and a couple on kindle because I couldn't wait for the next part.) I am patiently waiting for several of the series to be finished on Audible. (*cough* MotS). But I digress, the is a great start to a fun series. The only complaint is that it is short.
April 2, 2021
A lighthearted jab at the superhero genre. There is quite a bit of comedy and deliberately-silly uses of comic-book tropes, but there is also a real story. There are lesbian characters, but this is not a romance nor erotica: just a story featuring GSRM characters. I very much enjoyed this novella.
May 12, 2018
4.5 for being too short when I wish I could continue reading this story for hours.
But wow its a realy good story.
I want more, please? Pretty pleaseeeee?
But wow its a realy good story.
I want more, please? Pretty pleaseeeee?
July 4, 2018
I loved this book; it was a funny/silly story with a slightly serious undertone (if you stop and think about it).
The author did not dramatize the story; they kept it lighthearted, pg, and quick-paced. I will definitely read it again when I need a little pick-me-up.
To enjoy the story you need to either expect some nonsensical developments, or have a good suspension of disbelief. The plot is there, but it is speedy (think the antithesis of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time), and the characters are introduced, but the main character is the most developed; the rest are just plot-movers or fun fanservice. :)
The author did not dramatize the story; they kept it lighthearted, pg, and quick-paced. I will definitely read it again when I need a little pick-me-up.
To enjoy the story you need to either expect some nonsensical developments, or have a good suspension of disbelief. The plot is there, but it is speedy (think the antithesis of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time), and the characters are introduced, but the main character is the most developed; the rest are just plot-movers or fun fanservice. :)
September 9, 2018
This novella was fun to read. I don't know how well it would work at novel length, but at 100- pages it was a hoot. The setting is Standard SuperHero: The world gets on as best it can while super villains try to rob banks, super heroes stop super villains from robbing banks, and the collateral damage destroys banks.
The Chosen One is the city's number-one super hero, and does the most to keep the city safe. Too many super villains try to make a name for themselves by attacking her. Unfortunately, The Chosen One being hard to find, they tend to mistakenly attack Emily Monroe - who bears a strong resemblance to TCO, except for not having her powers. Emily is easier to find, because she flips burgers for a living. She's beyond tired of being mistaken for The Chosen One and attacked. Even though she usually wins these fights because, as she notes, second-tier villains who try to put themselves on the map by attacking first-tier heroes tend to be dumb as stumps.
"He had me go through it all twice, stopping me in disbelief when I told him where I shoved the fire extinguisher nozel, and just why it was a bad idea...to wear spandex."
The Chosen One is the city's number-one super hero, and does the most to keep the city safe. Too many super villains try to make a name for themselves by attacking her. Unfortunately, The Chosen One being hard to find, they tend to mistakenly attack Emily Monroe - who bears a strong resemblance to TCO, except for not having her powers. Emily is easier to find, because she flips burgers for a living. She's beyond tired of being mistaken for The Chosen One and attacked. Even though she usually wins these fights because, as she notes, second-tier villains who try to put themselves on the map by attacking first-tier heroes tend to be dumb as stumps.
"He had me go through it all twice, stopping me in disbelief when I told him where I shoved the fire extinguisher nozel, and just why it was a bad idea...to wear spandex."
May 12, 2018
Hilarious and delightful
Best spoof of superhero stories that I have ever read. Emily has no super powers, but it appears that everybody around her does.
Best spoof of superhero stories that I have ever read. Emily has no super powers, but it appears that everybody around her does.
May 16, 2018
Loved it!
Absolutely loved this short story. Wasn't a single thing I disliked in this book aside from the fact that I have to wait for the next book to find out what happens next. Loved the scenario, loved the characters, loved the humor, and I cannot wait for the next volume.
Absolutely loved this short story. Wasn't a single thing I disliked in this book aside from the fact that I have to wait for the next book to find out what happens next. Loved the scenario, loved the characters, loved the humor, and I cannot wait for the next volume.
June 6, 2018
It made me laugh out loud
Clever and sweet and just a fun read simply U will read more about Emily and her dysfunctional family quite happily
Clever and sweet and just a fun read simply U will read more about Emily and her dysfunctional family quite happily
July 3, 2018
So much fun!
I love these characters and the story is catchy and fun! A cute, quick read full of flare and laughter.
I love these characters and the story is catchy and fun! A cute, quick read full of flare and laughter.
February 20, 2019
Being a Superhero is great, but looking like one... Not so much. 4.5 stars.
Emily is just your average fast-food worker, except she looks just like the city's biggest hero: Chosen One. Something that seriously ruined her life because every villain thinks it's a good idea to try to catch "the Chosen One" in het "Civilian Identity". Wich means Emily has to fight a whole slew of villains with only her wits and skills and no powers what-so-ever.
This was an really entertaining read. Emily is snarky, sightly world-weary, but never downtrodden at the same time. Her mouth occasionally sells what she can't afford, and as such the overall effect is hilarious. The inside references to hero/ villain archetypes are fun to spot but don't detract form the overall romance/ slice-of-life plot.
Overall this was fun, sweet and entertaining.
Emily is just your average fast-food worker, except she looks just like the city's biggest hero: Chosen One. Something that seriously ruined her life because every villain thinks it's a good idea to try to catch "the Chosen One" in het "Civilian Identity". Wich means Emily has to fight a whole slew of villains with only her wits and skills and no powers what-so-ever.
This was an really entertaining read. Emily is snarky, sightly world-weary, but never downtrodden at the same time. Her mouth occasionally sells what she can't afford, and as such the overall effect is hilarious. The inside references to hero/ villain archetypes are fun to spot but don't detract form the overall romance/ slice-of-life plot.
Overall this was fun, sweet and entertaining.
April 18, 2024
04/18/2024: I just gotta say, you know a book/series is good when it keeps popping into your head at random times, and three years later you have a craving to read it/listen to it again.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! While there is still time left in the year, I'm betting this will be my favorite book—hands down. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It's quirky and sarcastic, funny and lighthearted. I loved the villains, I adored Violet and Heather, and I aspire to Emily's snark. I listened to the audiobook from Audible, and the narrator did an outstanding job. They really brought the story to life. 10/10, would read this book again.
Emily Monroe might not be the Chosen One—but she's the hero we all need.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! While there is still time left in the year, I'm betting this will be my favorite book—hands down. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It's quirky and sarcastic, funny and lighthearted. I loved the villains, I adored Violet and Heather, and I aspire to Emily's snark. I listened to the audiobook from Audible, and the narrator did an outstanding job. They really brought the story to life. 10/10, would read this book again.
Emily Monroe might not be the Chosen One—but she's the hero we all need.
May 17, 2021
Cuddly and charming
I really enjoyed the hell out of this one. It's fun, funny, light hearted, and Good natured. Set in a world where super powers are common and cute lesbians seem to be the majority. Sex is alluded to but not shown, less from any puritanical shaming than from the gentle acceptance of it's seeming ubiquity.
Wile Emily Monroe could be a bit dense at times when the story or running joke require her to be, This short story is satirical enough to carry it off with out being exasperating or aggravating.
I call it a short story not a book because it weighs in at a waifish 82 pages. Like a stolen kiss this short story is over all to soon and just as it getting good.
I really enjoyed the hell out of this one. It's fun, funny, light hearted, and Good natured. Set in a world where super powers are common and cute lesbians seem to be the majority. Sex is alluded to but not shown, less from any puritanical shaming than from the gentle acceptance of it's seeming ubiquity.
Wile Emily Monroe could be a bit dense at times when the story or running joke require her to be, This short story is satirical enough to carry it off with out being exasperating or aggravating.
I call it a short story not a book because it weighs in at a waifish 82 pages. Like a stolen kiss this short story is over all to soon and just as it getting good.
November 29, 2023
Such a great twist on the classic super hero story! I love that the hero is not the MC in these books! I love the campy super hero / super villian dialog. This is just a fun read.
One thing I really like about this author. At least in the books I have read, his chars sexuality is not a "Thing" if the MC is gay (I think they always are, at least in the books I have read) there is no big dramatic coming out back story. This book is a perfect example of that. There is no drama about the attraction, it is just "oh she is cute, I wonder if she plays for my team?"
I wish the world I live in now was more like that.
One thing I really like about this author. At least in the books I have read, his chars sexuality is not a "Thing" if the MC is gay (I think they always are, at least in the books I have read) there is no big dramatic coming out back story. This book is a perfect example of that. There is no drama about the attraction, it is just "oh she is cute, I wonder if she plays for my team?"
I wish the world I live in now was more like that.
February 8, 2020
Witty, funny, and sweet
This is a wonderful story. The characters are fantastic, the world building is well done, and there are even a couple of plot twists that were really refreshing. The chemistry between Emily and Heather is really one of the highlights, along with Emily's unpowered battles against the various villains who attack her thinking she is The Chosen One. Highly recommended!
This is a wonderful story. The characters are fantastic, the world building is well done, and there are even a couple of plot twists that were really refreshing. The chemistry between Emily and Heather is really one of the highlights, along with Emily's unpowered battles against the various villains who attack her thinking she is The Chosen One. Highly recommended!
November 1, 2021
Stumbled on this book/audio by chance as a recommendation on my Kindle Unlimited as a quick read and opted to both read and hear it. To my surprise, I did not even bother to see who the author was until the opening credits on the audible version... to my delight! its from one of my favorite authors and once again, he did not disappoint. Now I have to continue with all the books in this series.
December 20, 2019
Love it.
August 23, 2019
Fun quick read. Reminded me a little bit like the movie Sky High.
May 30, 2018
When I read the Amazon sample for Emily Monroe Is Not The Chosen One, it sounded like it would be fun. A lot of my reading is on the heavier side and the sample seemed kind of tongue-in-cheek, so I asked myself, “Why not?” As I continued reading past the end of the sample, the light-hearted style remained but plot elements gradually became more serious, displaying a complexity I didn’t expect. The inclusion of a couple of subplots enriched things as well, so this is not quite the simple comic book-style yarn I expected.
The main character’s voice is immediately engaging, creating someone you’d love to know in real life, someone you can laugh with, sympathize with, and, most important, respect and admire. I love strong female characters — see “About me ‘n’ the blog” on my home page* — and Emily certainly qualifies: She lives in a world populated by many people with superhuman powers, ranked on a 50-point scale. She weighs in at only 0.1%, the lowest measureable amount of power, but she can hold her own against numerous villains without major damage to her body. Though the reason is partly selfpreservation, Emily also has a need to protect others just as if she did have superpowers.
Emily’s also the main source of the story’s humor. Her “aw, man” tagline, is varied in spelling, adding a’s, or w’s in successive utterances indicating her growing exasperation as bad things continue to beset her. It’s a simple, but clever device. Her various interjections verge on the laugh-out-loud; my favorite: holy, sea-humping radish farts. (Punctuation, mine, about which more, later.)
The other main character, Heather, also the superheroine Photon, makes a nice counterpoint to Enily. She’s just as snarky and she accepts Emily as she is, not condescending because of the other woman’s 0.1 power ranking. Her cluelessness as to how her powers affect others is a nice touch. Neither woman is a Mary Sue, for sure.
I have nothing against a well-written, non-porny sex scene, but I appreciate how Schubach leaves it to our imaginations. Still, Emily implies the couple’s hook-ups are frequent and, possibly, toe-curling. We’re happy for her as a result.
Schubach is, at least in this instance, a fine storyteller with firm command of his 1st person narrator’s voice. The actual writing is much more problematic, however; grammatical errors, awkward syntax, and the frequent absence of some very necessary punctuation are a considerable distraction. When used with discretion, sentence fragments can be effective; here, they’re so common, it seems as if the author may not even be aware they’re not complete sentences.
And, if I run across another instance of “phase” when it should be “faze”, I may put my fist through the screen of whichever device, laptop, tablet or phone I happen to be using.**
Frankly, the novella reads like a first draft, published without even a single reread. This shows disrespect for the reader and continually interrupts the narrative flow. It renders what could have been a terrific reading experience, something only a little above average and that, only because the story itself is so good.
In short, this is a terrifically entertaining story betrayed by careless execution. Despite all the above, Emily Monroe Is Not The Chosen One: Night Shift, is still worth a read thanks to its entertaining storyline, unbridled humor and a great protagonist.
* havebookswillreview.wordpress.com
** I’ve read several other Amazon samples of Schubach’s works and the same gaffe appears in every one. Oh, well, at least it’s not “taught” when it should be “taut”. Sigh.
The main character’s voice is immediately engaging, creating someone you’d love to know in real life, someone you can laugh with, sympathize with, and, most important, respect and admire. I love strong female characters — see “About me ‘n’ the blog” on my home page* — and Emily certainly qualifies: She lives in a world populated by many people with superhuman powers, ranked on a 50-point scale. She weighs in at only 0.1%, the lowest measureable amount of power, but she can hold her own against numerous villains without major damage to her body. Though the reason is partly selfpreservation, Emily also has a need to protect others just as if she did have superpowers.
Emily’s also the main source of the story’s humor. Her “aw, man” tagline, is varied in spelling, adding a’s, or w’s in successive utterances indicating her growing exasperation as bad things continue to beset her. It’s a simple, but clever device. Her various interjections verge on the laugh-out-loud; my favorite: holy, sea-humping radish farts. (Punctuation, mine, about which more, later.)
The other main character, Heather, also the superheroine Photon, makes a nice counterpoint to Enily. She’s just as snarky and she accepts Emily as she is, not condescending because of the other woman’s 0.1 power ranking. Her cluelessness as to how her powers affect others is a nice touch. Neither woman is a Mary Sue, for sure.
I have nothing against a well-written, non-porny sex scene, but I appreciate how Schubach leaves it to our imaginations. Still, Emily implies the couple’s hook-ups are frequent and, possibly, toe-curling. We’re happy for her as a result.
Schubach is, at least in this instance, a fine storyteller with firm command of his 1st person narrator’s voice. The actual writing is much more problematic, however; grammatical errors, awkward syntax, and the frequent absence of some very necessary punctuation are a considerable distraction. When used with discretion, sentence fragments can be effective; here, they’re so common, it seems as if the author may not even be aware they’re not complete sentences.
And, if I run across another instance of “phase” when it should be “faze”, I may put my fist through the screen of whichever device, laptop, tablet or phone I happen to be using.**
Frankly, the novella reads like a first draft, published without even a single reread. This shows disrespect for the reader and continually interrupts the narrative flow. It renders what could have been a terrific reading experience, something only a little above average and that, only because the story itself is so good.
In short, this is a terrifically entertaining story betrayed by careless execution. Despite all the above, Emily Monroe Is Not The Chosen One: Night Shift, is still worth a read thanks to its entertaining storyline, unbridled humor and a great protagonist.
* havebookswillreview.wordpress.com
** I’ve read several other Amazon samples of Schubach’s works and the same gaffe appears in every one. Oh, well, at least it’s not “taught” when it should be “taut”. Sigh.
November 3, 2019
A tough book to rate since it was fun but also dumb in a couple of unnecessary ways. Also tough to review since the things I most want to mention probably qualify as spoilers. For that reason I'm giving my "bottom line" early: if the story appeals to you at all read it. It is more fun than dumb and it is an extremely quick and easy read.
Spoilers, of a sort since they aren't really all that hidden, follow. Read on at your own risk.
So, Emily Monroe (hereafter "EM"), orphan of unknown origins and night shift worker at a fast food place, looks almost identical to the city's premiere super here, The Chosen One (hereafter "TCO"). Fortunately for Emily she's smart enough to handle the second rate super villains that decide she really is TCO incognito. One such confrontation leads EM to a co-worker of TCO, the super hero Photon, also known as Heather. Heather and Emily start dating which leads to EM and TCO (in her Wendy persona) coming face to face.
TCO had known about EM and even watched over her from a distance but apparently the face to face motivates TCO to start investigating. TCO knew she was created in a lab so TCO raids the lab's records and discovers a file explaining that EM is her twin sister.
This twin sister thing is one of the reveals that annoyed me. An mysterious orphan who is essentially identical to TCO? Of course they are twins. I just wish the author would have had his otherwise intelligent MC make some progress on this. At one point EM is contemplating how much she and TCO look alike and wonders if they are sisters. That's it. No follow up.
So TCO leaves the file with EM and the book basically ends. I could see someone complaining about a lack of resolution in this story and that would be valid but, for me, that wasn't an issue simply because the book came off as being about the day to day life of EM and not, for example, about EM's journey of discovering her long lost twin sister.
Bottom line: Not great but fun and in certain respects well written.
Post Script: Observations about the author: I hesitate to recommend this author for two reasons. First I have already read the second book in this series and it isn't as good as the first mediocre one. Second, he seems obsessed with lesbians. Every character in this book whose sexuality is revealed is a lesbian and I briefly reviewed the author's other books. From what I saw he apparently feels unable to write about anything else.
Spoilers, of a sort since they aren't really all that hidden, follow. Read on at your own risk.
So, Emily Monroe (hereafter "EM"), orphan of unknown origins and night shift worker at a fast food place, looks almost identical to the city's premiere super here, The Chosen One (hereafter "TCO"). Fortunately for Emily she's smart enough to handle the second rate super villains that decide she really is TCO incognito. One such confrontation leads EM to a co-worker of TCO, the super hero Photon, also known as Heather. Heather and Emily start dating which leads to EM and TCO (in her Wendy persona) coming face to face.
TCO had known about EM and even watched over her from a distance but apparently the face to face motivates TCO to start investigating. TCO knew she was created in a lab so TCO raids the lab's records and discovers a file explaining that EM is her twin sister.
This twin sister thing is one of the reveals that annoyed me. An mysterious orphan who is essentially identical to TCO? Of course they are twins. I just wish the author would have had his otherwise intelligent MC make some progress on this. At one point EM is contemplating how much she and TCO look alike and wonders if they are sisters. That's it. No follow up.
So TCO leaves the file with EM and the book basically ends. I could see someone complaining about a lack of resolution in this story and that would be valid but, for me, that wasn't an issue simply because the book came off as being about the day to day life of EM and not, for example, about EM's journey of discovering her long lost twin sister.
Bottom line: Not great but fun and in certain respects well written.
Post Script: Observations about the author: I hesitate to recommend this author for two reasons. First I have already read the second book in this series and it isn't as good as the first mediocre one. Second, he seems obsessed with lesbians. Every character in this book whose sexuality is revealed is a lesbian and I briefly reviewed the author's other books. From what I saw he apparently feels unable to write about anything else.
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