Publishers Weekly
★ 01/09/2023
Raney’s smart, silly, and surprisingly heartfelt debut introduces a genius scientist who could go either way in the ongoing conflict between superheroes and supervillains. Like any scientist, Rex, aka the Meister of Decimen City, has made mistakes, but hers end up being inadvertently dangerous, like the time she created a zombie virus or let a horde of dinosaurs rampage through town. She also cured cancer, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from labeling her a mad scientist. As such, she’s constantly monitored by Superbeings Oversight, a branch of the military. Meanwhile, her brother, the supervillain Last Dance, and her sister, the superhero Vivid Blue (both accidentally given their powers by Rex), prepare to face off in an epic battle. Rex tries to stay out of it and off Oversight’s radar, focusing instead on the rapidly increasing intelligence of her dinosaurs, but Last Dance reaches out for help and Vivid Blue demands that Rex spy on him. Amid all the comic book–style chaos, this is really the story of Rex’s self-discovery, aided by unlikely allies and some adorable talking dinosaurs. The result is thoroughly entertaining and utterly delightful. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
"VERDICT: Zinging one-liners, familiar superhero tropes with hilarious twists, and defying the world’s expectations to be your authentic self combine to make this an appealing tale for older teens and adults.” —Library Journal, Starred Review “Raney’s smart, silly, and surprisingly heartfelt debut . . . is thoroughly entertaining and utterly delightful.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
Library Journal
★ 01/01/2023
DEBUT Raney's delightful romp touches on deeper topics, such as how loving someone doesn't excuse them from being the villain in one's personal narrative even when everyone else says it is time to forgive and forget. Rex isn't a villain unless you put cheese (yuck!) on her food; then she might contemplate drastic measures. Yes, one of her experiments escaped from her laboratory again, but she helped wrangle the velociraptors before they caused too much damage to downtown Decimen City. Forced to endure governmental oversight of her projects to prevent her from slipping into super-villainy, Rex must decide if letting others define who is a villain and who is a hero is something she can live with or if she's going to define herself. VERDICT Zinging one-liners, familiar superhero tropes with hilarious twists, and defying the world's expectations to be your authentic self combine to make this an appealing tale for older teens and adults. Be prepared to giggle at dinosaur antics and get teary-eyed as Rex comes into her own.—Mary E. Butler
