REVIEW All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens

All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: May 27, 2025
Publisher: Montlake
Format: eBook + Audiobook (Kindle Unlimited)

All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens wasn't even on my radar until I saw a recommendation for it from author Katee Robert, and I'm so glad I picked it up on a whim from Kindle Unlimited. I completely devoured it in a day. Switching between Dara Brown and Sean Bassett's narrration along with the ebook made me so excited. And I was not expecting that ending.

Decades ago, 48 beings from outer space (in the form of children) landed on Earth. With fantastical powers, some of them developed into what we would consider heroes and some of them became supervillains. Some never picked a side. Roland (previously Pyro and later Wyvern) decides he wants to become a hero after much negotiations and needs a PR team to help make it happen. Enter Vanessa and her team. Both Roland and Vanessa are drawn together by feelings they can't explain, and once they finally do get together strange things start to happen. I'm a big fan of the superhero genre, and I was so excited by this author's take on things. Also, as previously mentioned, I was not expecting how things played out at the end and I all but screeched while reading it. I know Monika and Taranis have a book coming up in November 2025 (All Superheroes Need Photo Opps) but I really hope as many characters as possible in the series get their HEA because they were all amazing. I'm also very excited to hopefully learn more about some of the other beings who fell to Earth, as we haven't even touched on most of the 48.

Overall, a fantastic read and a fantastic story. I highly recommend this book to adult romance readers who like diverse reads with elements of superheroes and the paranormal.

REVIEW Captain America: The Ghost Army by Alan Gratz (Illustrated by Brent Schoonover)

Captain America: The Ghost Army by Alan Gratz (Illustrated by Brent Schoonover)
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Release Date: January 3, 2023
Format: ARC (Courtesy of Rockstar Book Tours and Publisher)
Publisher: Graphix

Check out my original blog tour post for the book!

Lately, I’ve been slowly introducing more genres (other than fantasy) to my reading list, and graphic novels have been a frequent choice. Given my love of Marvel content, it was a no-brainer to pick up Alan Gratz’s Captain America: The Ghost Army (illustrated by Brent Schoonover). This unique tale tells the story of Captain America and Bucky Barnes as they and the rest of the Howling Commandos take on an army of Nazi Ghosts. 

I loved the art style and how they balanced the dialogue and action in each panel of the comic. The play on the ‘Ghost Army’ idea was pretty cool and helped lend itself to some humorous moments. There’s even a bit of romance in the book too. I enjoyed the way that Alan Gratz and Brent Schoonover captured the vibe of the time period well through their writing and drawings (given that Captain America is a World War 2 era icon, not a modern hero). The unexpected villain(s) who made an appearance was a hit for me, and I hope this storyline continues in a future graphic novel. 

Admittedly, after so long seeing Captain America and Bucky Barnes as buff adult action movie heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was a little weird seeing a younger Bucky Barnes in a sidekick role (akin to a Batman and Robin dynamic). However, it did not affect my enjoyment of the read too much. 

Overall, it was a fairly entertaining read. The novel is marketed as a middle-grade read, but I would lean more towards recommending it to an upper middle-grade or young adult audience. If you’re looking to introduce someone who loves graphic novels or comics to the superhero genre (or vice versa), this would be a great choice. It’s short too, so definitely a read someone could finish in an afternoon. 

Thank you to the author, and the illustrator. the publishing team at Graphix and Scholastic, Edelweiss, and Rockstar Book Tours for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book as part of my participation in the blog tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review the book immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed Captain America: The Ghost Army. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.

About the Book

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz ( Refugee, Ground Zero) comes an all-new, original Captain America graphic novel!

In this thrilling historical adventure set during World War II, Steve Rogers (AKA Captain America) and his young sidekick, Bucky Barnes, encounter threat like none they've ever seen -- a Ghost Army. The dead of this war and wars past are coming back to life, impervious to bullets, flames, or anything else the Allies can throw at them. The armies rise from the ground in the night and seem to disappear without a trace.

How can Cap and Buck fight something that's already dead? And just what does the mysterious Baron Mordo―sitting in his castle atop nearby Wundagore Mountain―have to do with this?

Award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz merges the worlds of historical fiction and super hero comics in this one-of-a-kind graphic novel that is sure to be met with major enthusiasm from fans of all ages.

 

About the Author and Illustrator

About Alan Gratz:

Alan Gratz is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several highly acclaimed books for young readers, including Ground Zero, Allies, Grenade,Refugee, Projekt 1065, Prisoner B-3087, and Code of Honor. Alan lives in North Carolina with his wife and daughter. Look for him online at alangratz.com.  

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

About Brent Schoonover: 

Hailing from the epicenter of culture known as South Beloit, Il, Brent was on a one-way trip to normalcy until the fateful day he laid eyes upon his first comic book. He immediately grabbed hold of a pencil and never let go, dedicating himself to creating scores of characters and scenarios with a zeal that would make lesser men quake in dread.

Now located in Minnesota, he draws upon a fertile imagination marinated in comics, old cartoons, classic horror movies, pro wrestling and face-melting metal to create distinctive illustrations with a retro feel that run the gamut from comic books to editorial and packaging assignments. Working for clients such as Target, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Surly Brewing, and the Star Tribune. You can check out more of his work at
brentschoonover.com 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads 

BLOG TOUR Captain America: The Ghost Army by Alan Gratz (Illustrated by Brent Schoonover)

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE GHOST ARMY by Alan Gratz & Brent Schoonover Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE GHOST ARMY

Author: Alan Gratz & Brent Schoonover (Illustrator)

Pub. Date: January 3, 2023

Publisher: Graphix

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 176

Find it:  Goodreads, https://books2read.com/CAPTAIN-AMERICA-THE-GHOST-ARMY

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz ( Refugee, Ground Zero) comes an all-new, original Captain America graphic novel!

In this thrilling historical adventure set during World War II, Steve Rogers (AKA Captain America) and his young sidekick, Bucky Barnes, encounter threat like none they've ever seen -- a Ghost Army. The dead of this war and wars past are coming back to life, impervious to bullets, flames, or anything else the Allies can throw at them. The armies rise from the ground in the night and seem to disappear without a trace.

How can Cap and Buck fight something that's already dead? And just what does the mysterious Baron Mordo―sitting in his castle atop nearby Wundagore Mountain―have to do with this?

Award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz merges the worlds of historical fiction and super hero comics in this one-of-a-kind graphic novel that is sure to be met with major enthusiasm from fans of all ages.

Check out my review of the book here!

About Alan Gratz:

Alan Gratz is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several highly acclaimed books for young readers, including Ground Zero, Allies, Grenade,Refugee, Projekt 1065, Prisoner B-3087, and Code of Honor. Alan lives in North Carolina with his wife and daughter. Look for him online at alangratz.com.  

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

About Brent Schoonover: 

Hailing from the epicenter of culture known as South Beloit, Il, Brent was on a one-way trip to normalcy until the fateful day he laid eyes upon his first comic book. He immediately grabbed hold of a pencil and never let go, dedicating himself to creating scores of characters and scenarios with a zeal that would make lesser men quake in dread.

Now located in Minnesota, he draws upon a fertile imagination marinated in comics, old cartoons, classic horror movies, pro wrestling and face-melting metal to create distinctive illustrations with a retro feel that run the gamut from comic books to editorial and packaging assignments. Working for clients such as Target, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Surly Brewing, and the Star Tribune. You can check out more of his work at
brentschoonover.com 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads 

  

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a finished copy of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE GHOST ARMY, US Only.

Ends January 10^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

12/19/2022	YA Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
12/20/2022	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt/IG Post
12/21/2022	Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog	Review/IG Post
12/22/2022	onemused	IG Review
12/23/2022	popthebutterfly	Review/IG Post
12/24/2022	A Backwards Story	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

12/25/2022	Nerdophiles	Review
12/26/2022	ThePaperbackBruncher	IG & TikTok Spotlight
12/27/2022	A Bookish Dream	Review/IG Post
12/28/2022	@just_another_mother_with_books	IG Review
12/29/2022	Novel Novice	IG Spotlight
12/30/2022	Becky on Books	Review/IG Post
12/31/2022	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic

Week Three:

1/1/2023	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post
1/2/2023	@thebookishfoxwitch	Review/IG Post

Renegades (Renegades Book 1) by Marissa Meyer

 

Renegades (Renegades Book 1) by Marissa Meyer

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Release Date: November 7, 2017

Format: Audiobook (library)

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

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*Please note - this post contains affiliate links, from which we may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase

Renegades by Marissa Meyer is a dystopian superhero novel where the main characters are on opposite sides. Nova, also known as Nightmare or Insomnia, was raised by the anarchists ("the bad guys") after Renegades ("the good guys" failed to save her family when she was six. Her uncle, Ace Anarchy, was the leader of the Anarchists and has raised her to hate the Renegades. Adrian, also known as the Sentinel or Sketch, is the child of the poster people of the Renegades. His birth mother, Lady Indomitable, died ten years ago and he is determined to figure out what happened. Their paths are thrust together when Nova goes undercover as a Renegade, and they work together as Insomnia and Sketch while trying to figure out each other's alter egos as Nightmare and Sentinel. 

While there has been a large amount of superhero-based films in the past years with the DC and Marvel Cinematic Universes, Renegades felt different and this uniqueness was part of the reason I liked it. The movies of the Avengers and the Justice League focus on very flashy, high-powered heroes. On the other hand, the prodigies in Renegades have a very broad spectrum of powers. It can range from invulnerability and super strength to invisibility and the ability to not go to sleep. I have to say, if I had a choice in what superpower I received, that ability to not go to sleep ever would not be my choice. I feel like it would be very boring at times. 

Renegades didn't completely knock my socks off, but I'm still curious to read the next books (Archenenemies and Supernova) to figure out what happens next with Nova and Adrian. I'm also super curious to see what role Max (a.k.a Bandit) plays in the series, as the author has done a lot to build up the suspense and mystery surrounding his powers. 

The Extraordinaries (The Extraordinaries Trilogy Book 1) by TJ Klune

 

The Extraordinaries (The Extraordinaries Trilogy Book 1) by TJ Klune

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: July 14, 2020

Format: Audiobook (library)

Publisher: Tor Teen

Check out my review of the final book in the series, Heat Wave!

Check out the book on Bookshop.org

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Check out the book on Book Depository

*Please note - this post contains affiliate links, from which we may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune is a quirky, queer superhero love story. I had this book recommended by so many fellow bookstagrammers that I absolutely had to pick it up. After reading Wolfsong and The House in the Cerulean Sea, I went into this with high expectations and I was not disappointed. 

Our main character, Nick Bell, is the biggest fan of Nova City's resident "Extraordinary" Shadow Star. When he's not writing the top-rated fanfic in the Shadow Star Fandom, he's dealing with all the complexities of his ADHD brain and the strain in his relationship with his father following the death of his mother. We have the best friend Seth who is precious and must be protected at all costs (and also very obviously in love with Nick). To round out the main cast of characters, we have their female best friends Jasmine “Jazz” Kensington and Lola “Gibby” Gibson. 

The characters were a highlight of the book. There is Nick’s dad Aaron, who is a police officer and struggles to interact with his son at times following the death of his wife. He’s not an absent parent by any means though, he does his best to be there for his son in every way possible despite working (i.e. after Nick comes out, he demonstrates how to put a condom on using a banana as a demonstration much to Nick’s horror). We have Nick, who has the best lines in the book and is completely clueless about how much Seth cares about him. There’s also the whole cast of supporting characters in the book, who really show up after one of the main characters is injured and lands in the hospital. There’s nothing I can really critique with the characters in this book because everything was as close to perfection as humanly possible. 

Michael Lesley is going to be one of my new favorite audiobook narrators ever. He has a very upbeat and humorous style when he reads. Between his narration and TJ's witty writing style, I found myself laughing a lot while reading. While I can’t comment on the gay rep in this book due to not belonging to that community, I can comment on the ADHD representation (having the condition myself) and it was spot on. Lesley did such a great job narrating Nick’s inner rambles and monologues. I really related to it, and all the moments that referenced Nick’s ADHD felt very natural (and not like it was thrown in to hit some type of “diversity” quota). 

If you've read Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea and Green Creek series before, you should expect a very different vibe from The Extraordinaries. It’s a very lighthearted and humorous read, but it also addresses some heavy and serious stuff (i.e. parental death). I highly recommend this book to any young adult fans of the superhero genre. There are no intimate sex scenes, but there are some descriptive makeout moments and the main character does have some slightly sexual tones to his inner monologues while fantasizing about his crush. 

About the Author

TJ KLUNE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Extraordinaries, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.

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Black Canary: Breaking Silence (DC Icons Series) by Alexandra Monir

Black Canary: Breaking Silence by Alexandra Monir

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: December 29, 2020

Format: eBook

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers 

Check out the book on Bookshop.org

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Such a fitting tribute to both the comic versions of the Black Canary and the cartoon versions (with adjustments made for the change in age). 

Dinah is a young teenager in Gotham, which is ruled by the Mayor and his court of Owls. Twenty years before the events of the book, an event called "The Silencing" occurred which took away the ability to sing from every female. As the book progresses, Dinah finds her voice and fights back against the Court of Owls, finding allies to aid in her quest along the way. 

The beginning started out slow, but once the action began the pace was very engaging and kept my attention. The role reversal of Arkham was cool (good guys in prison and villains running the show), and the relationship between Oliver and Dinah was heartwarming. It was very different to see them as teenagers who are in the process of discovering themselves versus confident and self-assured adults. I found myself liking this version of their relationship better than the one portrayed in the live-action TV show Arrow. 

I appreciated the cameos and mentions of DC Comics favorites (Batman, Penguin, Birds of Prey, etc...). The DC Icons series is amazing, and Alexandra Monir did a great job with this book. Fingers crossed more books come out in the series in the future (something about the Green Lanterns or Martian Manhunter would be cool. 

About the Author

Alexandra Monir, Iranian-American author and recording artist, has published seven popular young adult novels to date, beginning with her internationally-bestselling debut, Timeless (a Barnes & Noble Bestseller and an Amazon.com “Best Book of the Month”). She published the hit sci-fi novel The Final Six with HarperCollins in 2018, with Sony Pictures optioning the film rights in a major pre-empt deal. A sequel, The Life Below, followed in 2020 and the series has been published in numerous countries and languages.

Alexandra was recently selected to write the first-ever YA novel about DC Comics superhero Black Canary, joining global bestsellers Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Sarah J. Maas and Matt de la Peña as the fifth author writing for the New York Times-bestselling DC Icons series, published by Penguin Random House. Black Canary: Breaking Silence was released on December 29^th, 2020 to rave reviews from critics and comic book fans alike. Alexandra was also selected by Disney to write a historical fantasy YA novel about Princess Jasmine, which will publish in Fall 2022 with Disney-Hyperion.

Alexandra is additionally a screenwriter, recording artist and composer, with both screenplay and musical adaptations of her own work in development. Her musical roots run deep, as she is the granddaughter of the late Monir Vakili, Iran’s foremost opera singer. She frequently travels around the country speaking to readers and writers of all ages at book festivals and literary conferences, fan conventions and schools. She is a member of the Iranian American Women Foundation, an organization near to her heart. Alexandra currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, toddler son, and one fluffy Shih Tzu, where she is at work on her next novel.

Alexandra Monir Author Photo Credit: Kerem Hanci