Astrid is in college and, along with a very detailed life plan (she wants to become a doctor), she also meticulously plans each and every busy minute in each and every day. Advanced science labs, Organic Chemistry, volunteer hours, the opportunity to work in a research lab, study time; each has been carefully fit into her schedule leaving hardly any room for sleep, much less fun. So when she finds out her boyfriend is a superhero—and discovers the danger and time that’s involved with juggling things like abductions and a survival class for the hero-adjacent—her schedule may just fall apart—along with Astrid.
I’m on the fence about how I feel about this book. I love the concept of focusing on the normal people who end up in relationships with supers and I was thrilled that the main character is a female STEM student. Astrid also struggles with some anxiety and post-trauma issues, which makes her a very realistic and relatable character. What I didn’t love was that I didn’t feel like Astrid grew and developed as much as I’d like through the novel. There was an opportunity to have her really grow strong and confident in herself and that wasn’t really highlghted (though she did have a heroic moment in the end). I also felt like the superhero moments (the ones that draw superhero fans) weren’t shared. I know that the book is about Astrid more than her boyfriend Max, but I still wanted more of the hero moments and to know Max more.
Overall, How to Date a Suerhero (and Not Die Trying) is a very sweet and modern YA novel and Cristina Fernandez has brought about a memorable character and storyline.
How to Date a Superhero (and Not Die Trying) comes out 8/2/22.
*I received an ARC of How to Date a Superhero (and Not Die Trying) from Netgalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books in exchange for an honest review*