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‘The Best Superheroes Right Now Aren’t on Screens. They’re in Books’… Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee is a coming-of-age tale about Jessica Tran, the powerless daughter of two superheroes who gets a job at a tech company—and discovers that the world of heroes and villains is more complicated than she realized.

Wired Magazine

C. B. Lee’s Not Your Backup perfectly weaves together superhero fun and queer self-discovery in a compelling story that made my aroace heart sing. I loved it from the first to the last page.

Claudie Arseneault, author of Baker Thief

This is a light romp of a middle grade adventure/romance, but the real strength is in its matter-of-fact representation of LGBTQ and first-generation American identities. While the meanings of these identities are explored, they are not the focus of the book and are simply part of the character- and world-building. Coming out has already happened, friendships based on immigrant identity are complicated, and there are many primary and secondary characters who fall into these categories so that no single character has to stand for everyone.

School Library Journal

Not Your SidekickNot Your Villain, and Not Your Backup are entertaining and propulsive novels written with confidence, charm, and cheek. C. B. Lee gets not only how to elevate superhero tropes but how to write teenagers in an honest and compelling way. Everything from the worldbuilding to the plots to the character development are firing on all cylinders. The Abby-centric fourth novel, Not Your Hero, can’t come soon enough.

Tor

Lee offers up a fast-paced, engaging tale set in a quasi-dystopian 22nd-century America where the line between hero and villain is often blurred. With a diverse cast of characters, both in terms of sexuality and ethnic background, and a wholly adorable romance for Jess, it’s a lively exploration of morality in a superpowered age.

Publishers Weekly