Perfect for fans of:
- Julie Murphy’s Faith: Taking Flight
- TJ Klune’s The Extraordinaries
All cards on the table, the only thing I knew about Teen Titans before going into this book could be summarised in less than a sentence. That being said, I feel like I enjoyed I Am Not Starfire almost more because of it since I didn’t have any expectations for the story. And really, I don’t know what it is about this graphic novel, but the vibes were just impeccable. Mandy struggles to connect with people because of her superhero mother Starfire, who everyone wants to talk about instead of about Mandy herself. Mandy’s seen as little more than an extension of her mother at school, and people either flock to her to find out whether she also has superpowers or to get in with her mother. Thus, Mandy spends most of her school days isolating from everyone except for her best friend Lincoln. That is, until a school project forces her into close proximity with Claire, a beautiful, popular girl who Mandy might just be crushing on. And who might just like Mandy back.
Yoshi Yoshitani’s artwork in this is stunning. Mandy has such distinct looks and I adored that we got some body diversity in this graphic novel. Not to mention that the black lipstick, sharp makeup, and overall badass vibes that Mandy has throughout this novel made me nostalgic for my youth.
This graphic novel also picked up on generational differences and especially the struggle of Mandy connecting to her mother and vice versa. Both of them love the other, but they don’t really know how to express that without starting a fight so they often tiptoe around the other or placate each other to keep the peace. It’s such a relatable take on the whole “How do I communicate with my parents/my teenage daughter” discussion that it will for sure make readers cringe with secondhand embarrassment (because hello, we’ve all been there, superhero parent or not) and want to hug their parents extra firmly just for the heck of it.
There’s also a queer romance at the heart of it all which was just so cute. Claire and Mandy are so cute and even though Mandy tries her hardest to be seen as abrasive, you could get a feel for who she would be if she let someone else in.
There’s of course also an epic showdown which I will not spoil at the end of the graphic novel but wow, oh wow, was I here for it. Mandy comes into her own in ways I could have never imagined and I loved how the resolution tied in with her relationship with her mother and while things definitely change for Mandy, she still stays true to herself. All in all, if you’re in need of a good time, this graphic novel’s for you!
A fun, queer take on the “not the chosen one” trope, I Am Not Starfire is a quick read perfect for fans of The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune!
I Am Not Starfire is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up I Am Not Starfire? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
From New York Times bestselling author Mariko Tamaki (Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass) and artist Yoshi Yoshitani (Zatanna and the House of Secrets) comes a story about Mandy, the daughter of super-famous superhero Starfire, and her desperate attempts to get out from under her shadow.
Seventeen-year-old Mandy Koriand’r is not her mother. Daughter of Starfire and high school outcast, Mandy is constantly trying to get out from under the shadow of her bright, bubbly, scantily clad, and famous mother. Dyeing her bright orange hair black and sticking close to her best friend, Lincoln, Mandy spends her days at school avoiding Teen Titans superfans and trying to hide her feelings for the gorgeous, popular, and perfect Claire. And while Mandy usually avoids spending too much time with her alien mother, she’s been particularly quiet as she’s keeping one major secret from her: Mandy walked out of her S.A.T.
While Mandy continues to tell Lincoln her plans of moving to France to escape the family spotlight and not go to college, she secretly hides a fear of not knowing her identity outside of just being the daughter of a superhero and who she will become. But when she is partnered with Claire to work on a school project, their friendship develops into something more and a self-confidence unknown to Mandy begins to bloom. Claire seems to like Mandy for being Mandy, not the daughter of Starfire.
But when someone from Starfire’s past comes to disrupt Mandy’s future, Mandy must finally make a choice: give up before the battle has even begun, or step into the unknown and risk everything. I Am Not Starfire is a story about mother-daughter relationships, embracing where you come from while finding your own identity, and learning to be unafraid of failing, if it was even failing in the first place.
