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Super Adjacent

Crystal Cestari (Goodreads Author)

4.08 · Rating details · 25 ratings · 15 reviews

Claire has always wanted to work with superheroes, from collecting Warrior Nation cards as a kid to drafting "What to Say to a Hero" speeches in her diary. Now that she's landed a coveted internship with the Chicago branch of Warrior Nation, Claire is ready to prove she belongs, super or not. But complicating plans is the newest WarNat hero, Girl Power (aka Joy), who ...more

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Hardcover, 304 pages

Expected publication: March 17th 2020 by Disney-Hyperion

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Average rating 4.08 ·

Rating details

· 25 ratings · 15 reviews

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Dec 08, 2019 Cece (ProblemsOfaBookNerd) marked it as tbr-unreleased

Shelves: anticipated-of-2020, lgbtqia, my-books, owned-to-read

Don't mind me, just making room in my heart for another adorable f/f superhero book because those are my everything.

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Oct 25, 2019 mahana rated it really liked it

Shelves: rep-wlw, rep-poc, arcs

— review on my blog

"I'm pretty sure I was too busy realising a lifelong dream to be distracted by a girl, no matter how cute."

I like to start ARC reviews by informing you whether you’d like the book or not so you can consider if it’s suitable for you, and you’re not misled by false advertising. Therefore, I’m going to be thorough for this book since quite a few people added it because of me (and I literally hate when people do that then come to me saying they didn’t like it because they ...more

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Feb 13, 2020 K. rated it it was amazing

I read an ARC of this book.

My review: I loved it! The writing was fresh, and I loved the superhero world-building - it was clever, fun, and made sense! The characters were fantastic as well. Claire was a perfect fangirl with perfect fangirl reactions and thoughts, and I really enjoyed Bridgette's perspective as the girlfriend of a superhero. Both POVs were distinct and interesting, and their friendship - as well as their personal journeys of discovery - were extremely satisfying. The plot was ...more

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Feb 03, 2020 Renata rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, fiction, lgbtq, ya, sci-fi

This was a cute, light read. I was intrigued by the "real world" corporatized superheros--the concept sort of takes a backseat to the romances, which is OK. It's nice to see a cute fluffy f/f story, even if the characters also weren't super developed? Sometimes it is enough to read about one superhumanly strong girl kissing one girl of regular strength.

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Dec 31, 2019 Brittney rated it liked it

3.25 / 5 stars

*Thank you Disney Book Group for providing me with this eARC through Netgalley.

Imagine dating a superhero. You finally get to meet and date a beloved hero. You are living everyone’s fantasy. You would also always be protected… right?

Bridgette knows what it’s like to date a superhero. It is isn’t all fun and games. Bridgette understands the reality of coming second to the danger in the world. Bridgette craves some normality in her relationship.

Claire is a superhero fangirl. Claire ...more

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Feb 16, 2020 Amanda Arkans - rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

Such a fun book! A wonderfully different look at the life of superheroes and those who love them.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Jan 19, 2020 Kate Waggoner rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-read

Thank you to NetGalley, Disney Book Group, and Disney-Hyperion for allowing me the opportunity to read an advance copy of Super Adjacent by Crystal Cestari. This young adult book will be published on March 17, 2020.

Claire has wanted to work with superheroes ever since she and her mother were saved by one. Now she's landed a coveted summer internship working for Warrior Nation. She's determined to prove that she fits in and can make a difference even if she doesn't have super powers. Things get a Thank you to NetGalley, Disney Book Group, and Disney-Hyperion for allowing me the opportunity to read an advance copy of Super Adjacent by Crystal Cestari. This young adult book will be published on March 17, 2020.

Claire has wanted to work with superheroes ever since she and her mother were saved by one. Now she's landed a coveted summer internship working for Warrior Nation. She's determined to prove that she fits in and can make a difference even if she doesn't have super powers. Things get a little complicated though when she starts to fall for Joy, the newest addition the Chicago Warrior chapter. At the same time, Bridgette is dealing with her own complicated relationship. She's working on building a portfolio to prove to the dean of art school she's transferring to that she's capable and worthy of being part of their showcase. Her efforts are complicated by her long term boyfriend, Matt, who just happens to also be Vaporizer, one of Chicago's four superheroes. Bridgette and Claire end up meeting and Claire seek's out relationship and Warrior Nation advice leading Bridgette to become a kind of mentor. When all the heroes go missing, it's up to Claire and Bridgette to figure out what's really going on and save the ones they love.

I enjoyed the fact that this book focused on the super adjacent, or the half of the super couple that doesn't have super powers. It looks at the pressures and struggles that they face. Though we don't have superheroes in our world, I still think there's a valuable lesson for the reader about how limelight/fame/popularity can affect loved ones. Even though Bridgette and Claire aren't heroes, they're directly affected by their loved ones' fame. While this book was enjoyable, it wasn't quite what I was expecting. It's not quite a mystery, nor a romance, nor an adventure. It has elements of all three, but no single genre really seems to come out on top. I did like that the book had twists and turns and that they mystery plot line wasn't overly predictable. I also liked that the romance line didn't necessarily end happily-ever-after and that instead the relationships seemed more real, emotional, and complicated than they often do in YA romances. This book is a fun, light read and would be appropriate for middle school readers and up. ...more

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Feb 03, 2020 Sarah Yung rated it it was ok

Good casual rep; kinda fluffy / cheesy. Either the characters are a bit annoying or I'm just getting old. It all got a little tiring for me, and the pacing drags a bit, but it's still fun.

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Jan 26, 2020 Ella rated it liked it

This was a fun read and I always love female female romance rep, but I found the plot to be kind of dragging and the plot twist was predictable. It’s a good read it’s just not my favorite thing ever:)

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Oct 30, 2019 Kacey rated it really liked it

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

I really like superhero stories, and this one is no different. Reading this reminded me a bit of comics in general, and a few titles specifically. I don't want to name them and accidentally spoil things for people. I think in this book, my main criticism is on the world-building. It is done pretty well, but it opens up a whole can of worms that Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

I really like superhero stories, and this one is no different. Reading this reminded me a bit of comics in general, and a few titles specifically. I don't want to name them and accidentally spoil things for people. I think in this book, my main criticism is on the world-building. It is done pretty well, but it opens up a whole can of worms that isn't addressed. I get why these questions aren't answered based on our two perspectives, but the plot made me question it in the first place. For example, how do they decide which super-powered people can make the cut into the Warriors? Who came up with those rules in the first place and why? Why do there only seem to be chapters in Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City? What about other large cities like Atlanta, Miami, Las Vegas and so forth? If you have a super-power but don't make the cut, what happens if you decide to save the day anyway? Why can't the heroes decide on their own hero names and costumes? I could go on, but you get the idea.

I also feel like Claire's grail diary is a very dangerous item. She basically records everything she sees and hears about the heroes, and as far as I know the thing still exists at the end of the novel. Especially considering the villain conflict of this book, it just doesn't seem smart to have a comprehensive book detailing every hero's strength and weaknesses.

I'm on the fence about the villain and the motivations. It does feel understandable why everything happened, and maybe the whole point is how basic the motivations are for some of the characters' more morally ambiguous actions. Speaking of which, I did like that there's moral ambiguity, that not everyone does what they do purely to save lives and be a hero. But I also feel like the villain went to an extreme that felt a little off. But that's just my thought.

Most of this story was very nice and fun and didn't take itself too seriously. But at the same time, it did a fantastic job of showing all the grief and worry that comes from someone who loves a superhero. A lot of it was similar to someone who loves a civil servant like a police officer, firefighter, military person, etc. I really liked them showing the good and the bad of this line of work and the personal toll it can have on everyone involved. It also made me think of those who date celebrities-- the lack of privacy, the cameras everywhere and having to keep up a certain public face, the way fans talk about them on social media. Which I thought was also done well.

Surprisingly, I don't really have any complaints about the romance. Yes, the romances do play a part in the story, but didn't really feel annoying to me like in most YA. Both of our narrators go through believable ups and downs in their respective relationships. I liked both the sweeter moments and the ones with our narrators questioning what they want and how they can work on those goals. It's actually pretty great and refreshing that a YA romance is not as important as life goals.

This is just a great book illustrating the hardships of dating someone in the spotlight and with a dangerous job, and a call to be a hero of your own story. ...more

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Jan 02, 2020 Jordan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020, bookstore

First book finished in 2020 and it’s a good one such a cute story to start off the year what’s better then super hero’s and Romance also love the LGBTQ rep in this book those are always my favorite.

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Nov 09, 2019 Kat rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-published, adventure, diverse, e-arc, fantasy, good, hilarious, mystery, young-adult

#SuperAdjacent #NetGalley
I really enjoyed Super Adjacent, I think young adults will like the self-empowerment message that the book conveys. It is about finding your own method of being a hero. You don't have to be like everyone else.

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Dec 04, 2019 Todd Duran rated it it was amazing

Absolutely loved this book. Super smart and snarky with a superhero edge. very well written

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Nov 03, 2019 Athena Milbert marked it as to-read

Thank you Crystal Cestari for giving us Young Adult WLW content that isn’t fake-edgy like so many other YA books are

I can’t wait to read this! ...more

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About Crystal Cestari

Crystal Cestari

182 followers

Oh hey! Thanks for stopping by!

Writing has been my jam since I was very young. In fact, in fifth grade we filled out a profile declaring what we would be doing as adults. I wrote I wanted to be an author because: "I love reading and stories, and want to share that love." My elementary-school self was very wise, because that sentiment holds true today.

I live just outside Chicago with my daughter. ...more