Velveteen vs. The Junior Super Patriots by Seanan McGuire ★★★★☆

A charming new addition to super power lore

Fiction – Adult – Urban Fantasy

204 pages

Publication Date:  2012 

Velveteen vs. #1

I wanted to like this book from the first moment I found it on Goodreads and after a few minutes of reading I was ready to be delighted and jump in with both feet.  The beginning was a bit jumpy, but amazingly funny.  I also fell deeply in love with the narrating voice.  It described fantastic word pictures coupled with just the right amount of snark.  I also found her power to control toys charming.

I debated about giving this book 4 or 5 stars, but I have to say the lack of a crescendo at the end of the book knocked it down to 4.  Mrs. McGuire obviously had the talent to turn the last scenes into a real climax, but for some reason chose not to and the book ends without the real bang it deserved.

Something else that really bothered, though no fault of the book or author, was the limited run.  I got it on kindle, but would love to get to have a hard copy and the same goes for book two.

I have to say this has got me totally rethinking my own super power plans.  First I wanted the power to freeze and speed up molecules, you know like Piper from Charmed.  Then I became a mom and being a speedster sounded pretty, at least until my letter from Hogwarts for adult correspondence classes arrived, but now I see that I shouldn’t close myself off to the possibilities.  Human mutation and transformation through lab accidents shouldn’t be limited by my tiny imagination.