We Could Be Heroes

I enjoyed the set-up of the world and the situation as well as the development of Jamie and Zoe's friendship. Unfortunately the pacing seemed off. Some scenes were too slow to unfold and other times there were huge jumps in plot and scenery that left me needing to re-read sections. We Could Be Heroes would be perfect, though, for a graphic novel or comic book adaptation. There's a lot here that needs to be seen. http://pussreboots.com/blog/2021/comm... S/M City Offroad 990066.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. Book: We Could Be Heroes Author: Mike Chen Book Series: Standalone Rating: 5/5 Recommended For...: science fiction lovers, superhero novels Publication Date: January 26, 2021 Genre: Science Fiction Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, villain powers) Publisher: Mira Books Pages: 384 Synopsis: Jamie woke up in an empty apartment with no memory and only a few clues to his identity, but with the ability to read and erase other people’s memories—a power he uses to hold up banks to buy coffee, cat food and books. Zoe is also searching for her past, and using her abilities of speed and strength…to deliver fast food. And she’ll occasionally put on a cool suit and beat up bad guys, if she feels like it. When the archrivals meet in a memory-loss support group, they realize the only way to reveal their hidden pasts might be through each other. As they uncover an ongoing threat, suddenly much more is at stake than their fragile friendship. With countless people at risk, Zoe and Jamie will have to recognize that sometimes being a hero starts with trusting someone else—and yourself. Review: For the most part this was a great read! I love anything involving superheroes and the power dynamic between them and villains. I loved the character development (the author is amazing at that) and the story kept me intrigued in the read from start to finish. I also loved how funny it was. It really reminded me a lot of Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson. The only weaknesses of the book I saw was the world building (I wish it was a bit more expanded upon) and the pacing (which was really slow in a lot of places). Verdict: It was a good book!

Thanks to NetGalley fore providing this copy to read. Overall, I liked this a lot. Easily the best part of it were the two main characters and their delightful evolving friendship. Zoe and Jamie are both in need of a friend - and only partly because neither of them remembers most of their lives. And although they start out as enemies, they quickly learn to trust each other, and seeing the fruits of that relationship was really fun. This is also a quick-moving book, which for the most part worked. I sometimes read action-packed books and feel exhausted, in need of a rest, but the pacing here worked pretty well. I never felt overwhelmed. However, I do wish we got a little more character development, especially with Zoe. We don't learn as much about her background, and they also start some flaws with her (like excessive drinking) that are just later dropped and we don't really see anything happen with them. My only other complaint is that the plot has, uh, some holes in it, to be kind. It tends to make as about as much sense as the plots in classic superhero comic books do. But honestly, I saw the plot in this as just in service to the friendship of Zoe and Jamie, so it didn't really bother me that much.

This was not Mike Chen's best effort. The relationship between Jaime and Zoe seemed rushed. There was no reason for them to have this unbreakable bond so quickly. Then, the villian was not fleshed out at all and I still dont really understand what the plan was. It feels like maybe the editor got a little aggressive with this one.