Fantastic female figures, menacing melded minds, and so much more! The first book in Gwenda Bond’s newest series is off to a great start. Lois Lane, known for her role in Superman’s story, has just moved to Metropolis. Known across the country for her massive permanent record and multiple mishaps, she is determined to fit in and keep her head down. However, trouble seems to find Lois when she discovers that a classmate is being bullied through a high-tech virtual reality game. With only her brains, nose for news, and mysterious online friend to help, can Lois find and stop whoever is responsible for these nasty tricks?
In this series opener, Bond draws inspiration from the story of Superman, but gives her tale its own fresh twist. I admired Lois as a character. Her determination, strength, and smarts helped her solve mysteries and find the truth, but she also learns valuable lessons, such as needing to depend on her friends. Many times writers take “an independent female character” to mean “she is a loner and can do everything alone,” but that didn’t happen in Fallout. Another aspect I liked about Fallout was that the story focused on Lois’ journey and her own mystery, instead of the romance between her and her online friend. It was refreshing to see a character like Lois, who was so deeply involved in her passion and not always chasing a guy. On that note, I disliked Lois’ online friend. Lois knew next to nothing about him, despite the fact that he knew close to everything about her. She decided to trust him based on a photo he sent her of his learner’s permit with his name and face covered up. Lois seemed to seek his approval and attention. To me, this seemed creepy and predator-like. However, I was able to move past this and not let it hinder my enjoyment of the other facets of the novel. My favorite part of Fallout was, without a doubt, the plot. At first it focused on cyberbullying, which is something that many teens experience, with a twist. Later on it evolved into a more detailed experience with research and information-gathering that mirrored how an article would be created. Bond created a mystery that reeled me in with the first 50 pages. All these characteristics help Fallout land at a solid 4/5 stars with me, and I will definitely read the second book.
5 Comments
guest
11/10/2016 09:10:48 pm
Is this worth reading if you are only interested in the Lois Lane/Superman aspect of the story?
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The Baroness
11/11/2016 05:26:46 pm
In my opinion, the story is heavily dependent on the sci fi/mystery part. Lois Lane is the main character, but this doesn’t follow her and Superman, it just tells her story. If you are looking for a YA novel based on DC or Marvel comics, I would try the Black Widow series by Margaret Stohl, that, admittedly, does follow a character named Ava, but also includes references and character appearances from the Avengers universe. Another set of books that has yet to be released is featured in this article: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/31/dc-comics-ya-novels-wonder-woman and will follow four DC Comics heroes. Happy reading!
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Elise
1/16/2017 08:11:58 pm
Do you need to have ever watched Superman/have any background info on Superman in order to read this?
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The Baroness
1/16/2017 08:34:35 pm
No. I didn't and I was fine. Obviously, there are some things you will pick up on, knowing that Lois Lane is a part of the Superman story, but you can read this book and enjoy it without having seen the movies or the television shows. Happy reading!
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Elise
1/29/2017 07:45:09 pm
Ok, thanks!
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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