THE HERO COMPLEX

A teen girl breaks the gender barrier to join the ranks of superheroes and battles to save the world.

In Comerford’s duology opener, The Love Interest (2024), Jenna Ray discovered she’d acquired the ability to control water and exposed King Ron, the corrupt head of the British Heroics and Power Authority. But there are many in the media who think he should still be in charge. The new head of the HPA, Mia (who uses they/them pronouns), is determined to improve the organization, starting with recruiting Jenna as “the first female hero.” However, when Jenna has a terrifying incident in which she loses control of her powers and causes catastrophic damage, Ron reaches out to her from prison, claiming that she’s being possessed by the EV, a force that powers all the heroes, and only he can help her. This entry introduces a range of new heroes from around the world, who join the well-drawn cast of central characters and add depth to the worldbuilding. Jenna’s forbidden to date a fellow hero per the HPA rules, making her relationship with Laurie Lin aka Blaze—the boy who rescued her, putting her in the public eye—humorously complicated. The nonstop action is incredibly fun, and clever jokes combined with swoony, tender moments between Laurie and Jenna make this adventure a real page-turner. Jenna is Black, and the earlier book established Laurie as Chinese and white.

Fast-paced, cinematic action paired with a heartfelt love story.