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A review by theteenidol
Black and White by Jackie Kessler, Caitlin Kittredge
2.0
I was recommended this book nearly ten years ago, but didn’t actually read it until now. I thought my expectations going in might have been a little high since it was recommended to me by more than one person, but after thinking about it, that’s not really the case.
It’s all just too much. Its’s set in a weird, cyberpunk world, there’s a superhero academy that’s sponsored by a corporation (I think?), and every hero’s powers fall into one of several categories and each category has their own “fatal flaw”. Superheroes that graduate from the academy can get sponsors and endorsements from cities and corporations, and if they don’t they can be mercenaries or rogues, or rabids, or whatever else. Or they can just get normal 9-5’s, which the book suggests most of them do.
I didn’t really find any of the characters relatable and they all talk on the same snarky, sarcastic tone that just annoyed me after a while. Even in normal conversations.
The two plot twists that come along in the last hundred pages or so were completely obvious. Then, Bruce/Tazer turning on Night at the end was lame and felt like a cop out. Also, why did Night let Iridium keep talking to Jet at the end? He should have just knocked her out so she couldn’t talk Jet out of shadowing the sun. Plus, there’s the ol’ villain-explaining-their-entire-master-plan cliche. And every Shadow power ends up going crazy? Why don’t they do something about that? It makes no sense. The world building is just bad and incomplete.
Trying not to rant too much here, so I finish up. The flashback scenes are okay and it’s kinda cool seeing some of the other powers in action, but even that is just eh.
It’s all just too much. Its’s set in a weird, cyberpunk world, there’s a superhero academy that’s sponsored by a corporation (I think?), and every hero’s powers fall into one of several categories and each category has their own “fatal flaw”. Superheroes that graduate from the academy can get sponsors and endorsements from cities and corporations, and if they don’t they can be mercenaries or rogues, or rabids, or whatever else. Or they can just get normal 9-5’s, which the book suggests most of them do.
I didn’t really find any of the characters relatable and they all talk on the same snarky, sarcastic tone that just annoyed me after a while. Even in normal conversations.
The two plot twists that come along in the last hundred pages or so were completely obvious. Then, Bruce/Tazer turning on Night at the end was lame and felt like a cop out. Also, why did Night let Iridium keep talking to Jet at the end? He should have just knocked her out so she couldn’t talk Jet out of shadowing the sun. Plus, there’s the ol’ villain-explaining-their-entire-master-plan cliche. And every Shadow power ends up going crazy? Why don’t they do something about that? It makes no sense. The world building is just bad and incomplete.
Trying not to rant too much here, so I finish up. The flashback scenes are okay and it’s kinda cool seeing some of the other powers in action, but even that is just eh.