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.

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.

Not Your Sidekick, Not 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.

Not Your Sidekick is a smooth read with characters who hit the likeable zone between being overly self-involved and unrealistically altruistic….A large part of the story deals with her expectations about what it means to be ordinary and what it means to be extraordinary. This is a theme that will speak strongly to the current generation.

Not Your Backup by C.B. Lee is the third book in the Sidekick Squad series and is just as good as its predecessors. Readers should buckle up because in this installment, Emma’s at the wheel and it’s her turn to shine as leader of the newly created resistance movement (THE LEAGUE IS A LIE!). It’s a challenge she’s absolutely up for but mishaps and setbacks cause her to doubt herself. Meanwhile, she’s also in the midst of figuring out her romantic and sexual identity after agreeing to date her best friend, Bells. With realistic (and supportive!) relationships anchoring the narrative, Lee crafts a well-paced story of self discovery, brimming with effortless inclusivity and thrilling dose of heroic adventure.