content warnings: violence, racism
representation: bisexual biracial (chinese-vietnamese) main character, sapphic love interest, main f/f relationship, side trans black character, side latina character, side asian characters, side queer characters

This was everything I wanted Dreadnought to be. It was silly, it was fun, it was heartwarming, it was cute, just AHH! It was everything.

The world that this book takes place in was so well-crafted. It's set almost a century into the future after World War III where superheroes (meta-humans) are common. C.B. Lee did an amazing job of naturally incorporating facts about the history of the world and how the technology worked, and none of the exposition scenes felt too bogged down with information because she always made sure to include enough character and fun that you barely noticed how much information was being fed to you.

I loved how it's established that, even in the future, technology can be sucky. It can be outdated, it can malfunction, those of lower economic status can't get the best tech, and I feel like that's never explored in futuristic texts.

This book has my new favourite cast of characters in it! Jess was a fantastic protagonist, awkward and funny and kind, and I loved being in her head. Being the daughter of Chinese and Vietnamese parents, it was wonderful to see her culture incorporated seamlessly into the book; in the food she eats, some of the words she says, the name she gave her A.I. I also don't think I've ever seen a book look at the struggles of a child with bilingual parents who was predominantly taught English, and how that can affect them.

The side characters were also a complete delight. Abby was an adorable love interest, and I'm so excited to read Bells and Emma's books.

One of my favourite themes to explore in literally anything superhero related is the morality of a hero vs. villain mindset, and this book tackles it perfectly. A lot of that discussion is spoilery, but I'll just say that it really nailed the ideas of what makes a hero and what makes a villain, as well as who makes those distinctions. This was explored in relation to the government hiding parts of history they didn't want the general public to see, which just so happens to be a favourite sci-fi trope of mine.

Now, plot-wise this book is about as subtle as a punch to the face. Odds are, you'll figure out every twist and who everyone's secret identities are. But that doesn't matter, because the book is still so enjoyable, and let's be honest. You're not expecting the most mind-boggling, intricate plot ever. You're expecting a fun superhero plot and that's exactly what you get.

In conclusion, I'm really pissed off that my library doesn't have the sequel because I want to continue right this second.