When the superhero Dreadnought is killed by a villain, he passes on his powers to Danny. Part of Dreadnought's abilities is giving its user their ideal body, shaping them into what they wished they looked like. The book focuses heavily on Danny's gender identity and the issues that pose with her taking up Dreadnought's superhero mantle, as well as her parents' opinions of her. Danny and another girl she meets who also has superpowers start to hunt down the person who killed Dreadnought, without informing anyone about what they've been up to, leading to dangerous situations. The writing style is engaging, with a mix of relatable struggles, superhero battles, and a hint of darkness, making it a compelling read for fans of YA superhero fiction.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for Dreadnought include intense transphobia, emotional abuse from a parent, and themes surrounding discrimination.
From The Publisher:
An action-packed series-starter perfect for fans of The Heroine Complex and Not Your Sidekick.
"I didn't know how much I needed this brave, thrilling book until it rocked my world. Dreadnought is the superhero adventure we all need right now."-Charlie Jane Anders, author of All the Birds in the Sky
Danny Tozer has a problem: she just inherited the powers of Dreadnought, the world's greatest superhero. Until Dreadnought fell out of the sky and died right in front of her, Danny was trying to keep people from finding out she's transgender. But before he expired, Dreadnought passed his mantle to her, and those secondhand superpowers transformed Danny's body into what she's always thought it should be. Now there's no hiding that she's a girl.
It should be the happiest time of her life, but Danny's first weeks finally living in a body that fits her are more difficult and complicated than she could have imagined. Between her father's dangerous obsession with "curing" her girlhood, her best friend suddenly acting like he's entitled to date her, and her fellow superheroes arguing over her place in their ranks, Danny feels like she's in over her head.
She doesn't have time to adjust. Dreadnought's murderer-a cyborg named Utopia-still haunts the streets of New Port City, threatening destruction. If Danny can't sort through the confusion of coming out, master her powers, and stop Utopia in time, humanity faces extinction.
Ratings (6)
Incredible (1) | |
Loved It (2) | |
Liked It (2) | |
It Was OK (1) |
Reader Stats (23):
Read It (6) | |
Want To Read (11) | |
Not Interested (6) |
1 comment(s)
Okay, so, this book wasn't
perfect. But it hit all the sweet spots and OMG, it was so amazing to see an empowered transgender lesbian girl swoop in, kick ass, take names, and also deal with the personal drama that is so very apropos. My heart goes out to Danielle and I *love* love how LGBT issues were dealt with. I even love that one of the side characters is gay and she's not entirely human!
Also, I ship Sarah and Danielle. I am a bad person. But if the main character can be LT, then her best friend can totally be bisexual. Yes.
Aaah...if I could teach this book, I totally would. This would be such a great book for a teenage audience, too, especially those questioning their gender identity.
I knew I'd love it. I just didn't know that I'd love it this much.
I eagerly await the sequel. I just hope it's longer.
What can you read after
Dreadnought?
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