Truly just "okay." I loved the premise, but I kept waiting for something to happen.

I'm rounding up to two stars. This isn't a terrible book, but it falls far short of the other Star Wars middle grade books that have come out in support of The Force Awakens. (So far, this is the third of those I've read, after Before The Awakening and Smuggler's Run.)

The Weapon of a Jedi takes place following the destruction of the first Death Star. Luke, uncomfortable with his new status as a hero and still coming to terms with the sudden loss of his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi, is sent on a routine information-gathering mission for the Rebellion, along with Threepio and Artoo. However, he runs into Imperial ships en route and suffers damage that causes him to seek repairs on Devaron. He becomes distracted by ruins that he spies coming in for a landing, though, and soon seeks a guide to take him into the Devaronian jungles to investigate.

My description of the plot makes this book sound much more interesting and eventful than it actually is. You spend the first two thirds or more of the book waiting for something really exciting to happen. Meanwhile, Luke thinks about a lot of things, feels sad, tries not to feel sad, and wonders how he will ever become a real Jedi. And then he finds remote droids in a temple and spends a lot of time recreating that scene on the Millennium Falcon where Obi-Wan has him put on the helmet with the blast shield down, just in a temple and with more remote droids. There are also some secondary characters and a couple of fights at the end and more attention paid to Devaronian jungle herbivores than you ever wanted, but I found it hard to care about any of it.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much of this book because although Luke grows a lot over the course of the Star Wars saga, he is, let's be real, the whiniest of all whiny boys. And he is in prime whine mode in this book. The entire book is pretty whiny, starting with a character from the Episode VII era whining about being on droid duty, who runs into Threepio, who whines a bit before telling the story about whiny Luke that forms the majority of the book.

I also had some issues with the writing. Whereas Greg Rucka seems to have approached his installments for this loosely-connected series with respect for his readers despite writing middle grade fiction, Jason Fry decided to write a middle grade book that plays to the lower common denominator of the age group, complete with a slapstick moment where a remote droid shoots Luke in the butt. Maybe I shouldn't complain about it, give the book some slack, but I really don't want to, especially when Smuggler's Run exists in the same series, is so good, and transcends what it could have been to appeal to a wide range of readers. This felt like it was written exclusively for 10-year-old boys, despite the diversity of Star Wars fans who could be expected to read this.

At least it was only 184 pages and a quick read. I'm reading the Princess Leia book next, and maybe it will be an improvement.

I unapologetically loved this book. Taking place after the events of A New Hope, it follows Han and Chewbacca on a rescue mission to find an important rebel ally after he escapes an Imperial ambush. They follow him to Cyrkon, but Imperial Security Bureau commander Alecia Beck is also in pursuit.

Beck might be my favorite thing about this book. I enjoyed getting inside the head of a high-ranking Imperial officer, and Rucka keeps her characterization human, compelling, and not without empathy. She's ruthless, but she doesn't feel like just a villain. I wanted to read more about her. Also, cybernetic eye? Let's be real, that's cool.

Beck's chapters balance nicely with those focusing on Han, whom Rucka writes with impressive skill. He captures Han's voice and Chewbacca's mannerisms well, and writes great interactions between the two.

Although categorized as juvenile fiction, Smuggler's Run reads a bit closer to YA. It's a fun way to revisit iconic characters in a new context and has intriguing secondary characters and settings. I would recommend it to Star Wars fans of all ages.

I checked this out from the library partly because the red, white, and black illustrations caught my attention and I liked them so much, and not just because Poe is looking all kinds of fine in his flight suit on that cover. I also was intrigued by the opportunity to learn more about Rey, Finn, and Poe's origins. I got what I wanted, to varying degrees. The book consists of three short stories, each focusing on one character and exploring what they were doing before The Force Awakens.

Finn's story happens right before The Force Awakens, and I felt it was the weakest of the three. You get to see more of Finn's moral dilemma as he struggles to fulfill his duties as a stormtrooper, but it just didn't feel as exciting as it could have been.

Rey's story has a stronger plot and introduces more Jakku characters, so it expanded the world introduced in the movie and was more satisfying than Finn's story. I struggled with Rey's actions and at first felt that they contradicted her character, but by the end I realized that they really contradicted what I wanted her to do, not what she would have wanted to do. Besides, what I wanted her to do would have prevented The Force Awakens from happening, so I guess I shouldn't have been distracted by that, anyway.

I enjoyed Poe's story the most by far. Typically action-packed sequences and battles in books bore me, but the maneuvers Rucka describes are genuinely exciting. Combined with a more complex story than the other two in the book and legitimate backstory (including information about his parents and how he became involved in the Resistance), this makes for enjoyable reading and ends the book on a strong note.

And what about the fact that this is middle grade fiction? Well, it was noticeable, primarily in the lack of ambiguity. Characters' thoughts, emotions, and motivations are made more explicit and less open to interpretation than if this were adult fiction. And there's a certain safe quality to the writing; despite a couple of examples, it's clear that nothing truly irreparable is going to happen. And I mean, of course it's not, and of course there aren't going to be huge revelations, because it would make no sense for events to contradict The Force Awakens, and they're not going to waste huge plot points and twists on a chapter book. However, Rucka writes with respect for his readers, and he doesn't dumb down the vocabulary just because he's writing for a younger audience.

So, while I was slightly self-conscious about reading a kids' book, it didn't prevent me from enjoying it. And it didn't prevent me from checking out other new Star Wars chapter books despite being a grown-ass lady. #noshame

A big, twisty shift in tone. This story arc is going to unrelentingly kick ass.

Regarding one giant revelation: Okay, but how is that even possible? I want to go back to the end of volume 2 and check just whose head exploded, because I don't want this to be as inconsistent as it seems.

So, I've taken some time away from Goodreads, and I think I've figured out how to balance using this platform with my desire for privacy. While I'm not going to go back to posting everything (or even most of the things) that I read, I will occasionally post reviews of books that I particularly enjoy, that I want more people to know about, or that have conversations circling them that I want to be a part of.

Queens of Geek is not without its flaws, and I'll start by acknowledging that I would have appreciated a stronger plot. Three friends--one a famous YouTuber, one a prominent member of her fandom online, and the other, well, a regular dude--travel from Australia to the States for SupaCon, a huge fan convention. The story centers on their experiences there, as they struggle with relationship woes and participate in contests and do all the stuff you do at cons. (One assumes. I have never attended one... yet.) Interesting, but it doesn't achieve nail-biting levels of suspense.

But I still loved this book. I can deal happily with a simple, calm, or even weak plot if a book has great characters, and characterization is where Queens of Geek shines. Taylor and Charlie, the dual narrators, felt realistic, and I loved their voices.

And can we talk about the representation? Taylor is a fat, autistic girl with social anxiety. Charlie is an Asian-Australian bi girl. Their identities are inextricable from their experiences, and Wilde handles their identities and the way they inform their lives so well.

Both girls have adventures and find love and enjoy their lives, all while struggling on occasion, supporting each other, and refusing to repress or sacrifice who they are. And that made Queens of Geek the ultimate comfort reading for me, the best little escape from the garbage fire aspects of the world.

So, if you want a hopeful, reassuring YA novel steeped in geek culture, read this book.

P.S. This cover inexplicably makes me super hungry. Why? Am I subconsciously reminded of cupcake frosting or something?