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vibeke_hiatt's review against another edition
5.0
How would you react if superheroes were real, carrying out battles with villains in your city on a daily basis? For Meg Sawyer, it’s not like the comic books. Meg isn’t blinded by feelings of hero worship and gratitude. In fact, Meg is annoyed. The superheroes aren’t very observant of their surroundings and the average citizens are the ones who pay the price.
Seventeen-year-old orphan Meg goes about her days trying to balance time with her best friend Oliver, holding onto her job in a coffee shop, and surviving. She has managed to devise ways to protect herself, but she is also well-aware that any day could be her last, cut short by the villains who only seem to be emboldened by the superheroes. While fleeing a catastrophe, she finds one of Lunar City’s heroes dead and her already upside-down world gets even weirder. Despite having no powers of her own, she becomes an unlikely and reluctant hero herself. Can she save the other three heroes, Lunar City, and herself? What follows is a story that is smart, funny, thought-provoking, and intriguing.
Simonds’ gifts for writing and storytelling give life, wit, and heart to this fresh story. Many times, I laughed out loud at Meg’s reactions and observations. I admire the author’s ability to go from being funny to serious and back again. Meg is a relatable, likeable, and sarcastic hero.
Collateral Damage is a must-read YA adventure that can be enjoyed by teens and adults alike. Don’t just borrow it, BUY IT. This indie author deserves our support. Trust me, it’s worth the price.
Seventeen-year-old orphan Meg goes about her days trying to balance time with her best friend Oliver, holding onto her job in a coffee shop, and surviving. She has managed to devise ways to protect herself, but she is also well-aware that any day could be her last, cut short by the villains who only seem to be emboldened by the superheroes. While fleeing a catastrophe, she finds one of Lunar City’s heroes dead and her already upside-down world gets even weirder. Despite having no powers of her own, she becomes an unlikely and reluctant hero herself. Can she save the other three heroes, Lunar City, and herself? What follows is a story that is smart, funny, thought-provoking, and intriguing.
Simonds’ gifts for writing and storytelling give life, wit, and heart to this fresh story. Many times, I laughed out loud at Meg’s reactions and observations. I admire the author’s ability to go from being funny to serious and back again. Meg is a relatable, likeable, and sarcastic hero.
Collateral Damage is a must-read YA adventure that can be enjoyed by teens and adults alike. Don’t just borrow it, BUY IT. This indie author deserves our support. Trust me, it’s worth the price.
whatsmacksaid's review against another edition
3.0
Although the plot includes lots of explosions and running, I had a hard time actually getting into it. There was nothing wrong with the writing, but it just wasn’t hugely interesting. HOWEVER, things picked up considerably in the last third—I *loved* the last act, it was a solid four-star ending. I wish the whole book was that good, but it’s well worth reading through the less interesting bits to get to the meat. And I’ll probably be picking up the sequel (especially if the ebook is just as cheap as this one was).
emc425's review against another edition
4.0
Okay full disclosure, I hate superhero content. I don’t know why, I’ve just never been into it. The Marvel thing was not my jam, superheroes have just never been my thing.
But I loved this book! Like, really loved it!
It made the superhero cynic in me smile and it’s making me rethink my Avengers Grudge™️
The pacing in this book is really phenomenal. This was actually my second time reading the book and it was just as compelling as it was the first time! Not to mention, the twists and turns and action were just as exciting. The dialogue is also absolutely perfect. Meg and her friends are all young adults / teens, and you definitely get that vibe in the best way possible. As a 22 year old myself, their humor resonates with me in a way many books do not.
I also was very excited to find that not every character is white! In fact, Meg’s best friend is Korean. As someone who is half Chinese, seeing any Asian characters in media is exciting for me tbh, and I love this! Not to mention there’s no forced romance which I think is rare in YA books. The girl and guy best friends are just that, great, platonic, best friends. Some of the supers can be a bit confusing at the start because they're numbered 1-4, but other than that, I have no qualms with this book at all.
Overall, Collateral Damage is an outstanding book! I’d definitely recommend it if you’re into superheroes and honestly even if you’re not and you're just looking for a fun, action packed, engaging story! It’s a quick, fun read for all ages!
But I loved this book! Like, really loved it!
It made the superhero cynic in me smile and it’s making me rethink my Avengers Grudge™️
The pacing in this book is really phenomenal. This was actually my second time reading the book and it was just as compelling as it was the first time! Not to mention, the twists and turns and action were just as exciting. The dialogue is also absolutely perfect. Meg and her friends are all young adults / teens, and you definitely get that vibe in the best way possible. As a 22 year old myself, their humor resonates with me in a way many books do not.
I also was very excited to find that not every character is white! In fact, Meg’s best friend is Korean. As someone who is half Chinese, seeing any Asian characters in media is exciting for me tbh, and I love this! Not to mention there’s no forced romance which I think is rare in YA books. The girl and guy best friends are just that, great, platonic, best friends. Some of the supers can be a bit confusing at the start because they're numbered 1-4, but other than that, I have no qualms with this book at all.
Overall, Collateral Damage is an outstanding book! I’d definitely recommend it if you’re into superheroes and honestly even if you’re not and you're just looking for a fun, action packed, engaging story! It’s a quick, fun read for all ages!
reneeereads's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so fun! Meg is hilarious, and the plot had me guessing. Finished in two days because I couldn’t put it down! Fingers crossed for a sequeal
octobertune's review
4.0
I really loved this book - a book about superheroes but from the POV of the 'normal' people that live in a city where villains and superheroes alike keep wrecking everything around them. I loved Meg as a character, and I loved Oliver as well. Him being one of the Supers kind of surprised me but I also kind of suspected it, still I was surprised when I turned out to be right. I automatically loved him a bit more cuz he's basically Quicksilver.
This book was incredibly fast-paced (I read the majority of this book in a day) and I could not put it down. If you love anything Marvel or DC and if you want to read a book from the perspective of a non-powered person living in those worlds, definitely pick up Collateral Damage!
This book was incredibly fast-paced (I read the majority of this book in a day) and I could not put it down. If you love anything Marvel or DC and if you want to read a book from the perspective of a non-powered person living in those worlds, definitely pick up Collateral Damage!
justinekorson's review against another edition
3.0
This story was cute! Kind of cheesy at some points with all the superhero tropes but I was able to read it all in one day. As one piece of criticism, I don’t think I knew Oliver was Korean until page 255 (when it’s explicitly stated) so he wasn’t described well. I also felt SUPER (LOL) Bad for Juniper and Sam. I don’t think Junipers grief was touched on enough either.
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book Series: Standalone so far
Rating: 4.5/5
Diversity: Not that I can remember, but I read this a bit ago
Publication Date: June 5, 2019
Genre: MG/YA Superhero
Recommended Age: 13+ (superheroes, experimentation, and sarcasm)
Publisher: Parliament House
Pages: 318
Amazon Link
Synopsis: ower. Courage. Invincibility. The marks of a true hero.
Meg Sawyer has none of these things.
Meg has never stopped a moving bus with her bare hands, been bitten by a radioactive insect, or done anything moderately resembling saving the world. She doesn't have to. She's a background citizen, a nobody, one of the swarms of faceless civilians of Lunar City--where genetically enhanced superhumans straight out of the comics have thwarted evil for years.
For as long as the Supers have existed, Meg has had one goal: to not become a casualty in their near-daily battles for justice. And for the last seventeen years, she's managed to do just that. Sure, her minimum-wage job at the local coffee shop isn’t great, she can’t even leave her apartment without loading herself up with protective gear, and her car was just hijacked to throw at a supervillain (again), but she’s not dead yet.
But when Meg accidentally finds one of the city's perfect, invincible protectors murdered under extremely suspicious circumstances, her whole “innocent bystander” strategy falls apart. After being coerced by his determined girlfriend into a mission to help prevent the deaths of the remaining Supers, Meg finds herself forced into the foreground of a story she never wanted to be part of—one that challenges everything she thought she knew about both her city and herself.
Review: This book is so cute and amazing! The book is sarcastic and witty, funny and touching, and the characters are perfection! They have an amazing voice and it feels like they’re real! The book is also well written and the plot is pretty well done!
My only issue is that the book had a bit of issue with pacing. It felt slow in areas and fast in others. I also don’t like how the characters aren’t multi-layered but I consider this book to be for younger audiences so I’m giving it leeway.
Verdict: If you like superheroes you’ll love this one!
Book Series: Standalone so far
Rating: 4.5/5
Diversity: Not that I can remember, but I read this a bit ago
Publication Date: June 5, 2019
Genre: MG/YA Superhero
Recommended Age: 13+ (superheroes, experimentation, and sarcasm)
Publisher: Parliament House
Pages: 318
Amazon Link
Synopsis: ower. Courage. Invincibility. The marks of a true hero.
Meg Sawyer has none of these things.
Meg has never stopped a moving bus with her bare hands, been bitten by a radioactive insect, or done anything moderately resembling saving the world. She doesn't have to. She's a background citizen, a nobody, one of the swarms of faceless civilians of Lunar City--where genetically enhanced superhumans straight out of the comics have thwarted evil for years.
For as long as the Supers have existed, Meg has had one goal: to not become a casualty in their near-daily battles for justice. And for the last seventeen years, she's managed to do just that. Sure, her minimum-wage job at the local coffee shop isn’t great, she can’t even leave her apartment without loading herself up with protective gear, and her car was just hijacked to throw at a supervillain (again), but she’s not dead yet.
But when Meg accidentally finds one of the city's perfect, invincible protectors murdered under extremely suspicious circumstances, her whole “innocent bystander” strategy falls apart. After being coerced by his determined girlfriend into a mission to help prevent the deaths of the remaining Supers, Meg finds herself forced into the foreground of a story she never wanted to be part of—one that challenges everything she thought she knew about both her city and herself.
Review: This book is so cute and amazing! The book is sarcastic and witty, funny and touching, and the characters are perfection! They have an amazing voice and it feels like they’re real! The book is also well written and the plot is pretty well done!
My only issue is that the book had a bit of issue with pacing. It felt slow in areas and fast in others. I also don’t like how the characters aren’t multi-layered but I consider this book to be for younger audiences so I’m giving it leeway.
Verdict: If you like superheroes you’ll love this one!
imostlyreadandeat's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely amazing. Witty, sweet and moving. Loved it.
capesandcovers's review against another edition
5.0
I wrote a partial review for this and then accidentally deleted it, but please please please go read this book if you love superheroes, especially Spider-Man. It was fun and witty and just ridiculous enough to make it a real superhero story.
clek625's review
5.0
I loved this book.
That's it. That's the review.
Just kidding. But not about loving it, because I absolutely did, further proven by the fact that I finished this in less than a day. I seriously woke up early to finish it before work. I'm by no means a "superhero fanatic," but what I am a huge fan of is an action-packed, fast-paced plot, characters with original voices that are so strong I'm convinced they're living and breathing somewhere in the world, and witty dialogue that makes me actually laugh out loud on multiple occasions.
COLLATERAL DAMAGE excels in each of these things and more, and the only thing that I hate is I can't be Meg's friend. We would get along great. She's so sassy and sarcastic and questions every unbelievable event that goes on around her with a roll of her eyes and a super (get it) relatable line. The most relatable, fun, and real protagonist I've read in a really long time.
But I can't just single out Meg, because every character had such a prominent presence in the book, each standing strong with unique and real personalities that had me loving them all. Aside from the awesome tone of the book and the lovable characters, the plot itself was genius and so creative. I never saw anything coming, which I feel is not the norm especially in high-acton, superhero-esque stories.
It takes a lot as of late for me to really lose myself in a story and want to race through the pages to see what happens next, but it came effortlessly with COLLATERAL DAMAGE. I will 100% be recommending this book to everyone I know, including those who aren't the biggest superhero fans, because this book is so much more than that. Taylor Simonds crafted a beautiful debut that's full of wit, heart, and friendship, and I can't wait to read many more of her stories in the future.
That's it. That's the review.
Just kidding. But not about loving it, because I absolutely did, further proven by the fact that I finished this in less than a day. I seriously woke up early to finish it before work. I'm by no means a "superhero fanatic," but what I am a huge fan of is an action-packed, fast-paced plot, characters with original voices that are so strong I'm convinced they're living and breathing somewhere in the world, and witty dialogue that makes me actually laugh out loud on multiple occasions.
COLLATERAL DAMAGE excels in each of these things and more, and the only thing that I hate is I can't be Meg's friend. We would get along great. She's so sassy and sarcastic and questions every unbelievable event that goes on around her with a roll of her eyes and a super (get it) relatable line. The most relatable, fun, and real protagonist I've read in a really long time.
But I can't just single out Meg, because every character had such a prominent presence in the book, each standing strong with unique and real personalities that had me loving them all. Aside from the awesome tone of the book and the lovable characters, the plot itself was genius and so creative. I never saw anything coming, which I feel is not the norm especially in high-acton, superhero-esque stories.
It takes a lot as of late for me to really lose myself in a story and want to race through the pages to see what happens next, but it came effortlessly with COLLATERAL DAMAGE. I will 100% be recommending this book to everyone I know, including those who aren't the biggest superhero fans, because this book is so much more than that. Taylor Simonds crafted a beautiful debut that's full of wit, heart, and friendship, and I can't wait to read many more of her stories in the future.