Shealea's Reviews > How to Date a Superhero

Following Astrid's day-to-day life with momentary glimpses into the world of superheroes and villains, How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) peels away the gold and glitter of the extraordinary to find the understated beauty in the mundane - and it does this in the most thoughtful way. I'm all for romanticizing the ordinary, and this is the perfect read for that.

What worked for me:
• An introspective coming-of-age story set in college (which we need more of!).
• A frazzled, perfectionist protagonist who obsesses over schedules because she feels like she's running out of time (very relatable to me personally!)
• A refreshing take on superpowered people told through the eyes of their un-superpowered partner - and it did make me wonder what it would be like to date a superhero.
• Reflections on happiness, ambition, and fulfillment - what they mean to us, how they are shaped, and how to pursue them.
• Slight romanticization of living a quiet, ordinary life (and I think, coming from an unprecedented global pandemic, this message can be comforting).
• Flashback snippets into Astrid and Max's relationship, which allows readers to see how they fell into each others' lives so naturally and tenderly.

What might not work for other readers:
• Very little action and superpowered heroics (as the focus is more on Astrid's college life and her development as a character).
• The back-and-forth between past and present with similar beats does slow down the story's pacing and can come across as repetitive.

Final verdict? Recommended!

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