Book Review: Wonder Woman at Super Hero High by Lisa Yee

So, I have a soft spot in my heart for Middle Grade books. I also have a probably not so secret crush on Wonder Woman. Which means, that when you mash those two things together I get very, very excited about it! I’m thrilled that female superheroes are finally getting a chance to be in the spotlight, and that millions of young readers everywhere will have strong female characters to look up to. Wonder Woman at Super Hero High was adorable and, in my opinion, a very much needed book in today’s world.

Although this is aimed at the MG crowd, and very well written for that group I might add, there’s a lot that older readers will love about Wonder Woman’s high school experience. She’s an instantly likable character. Plus, she faces a lot of the same trials that all of us did when we were in high school. Mean girls, popularity contests, and trying to find your niche in such a big place all are tackled in this book. If I had to make a comparison, this is kind of a Sweet Valley High meets DC mash up. A little bit of tension, a lot of lessons, and plenty of adorable moments as well.

What I liked most about this book though, and I hope continues throughout the series, is that there is no strong delineation between villains and superheroes yet. Since these characters are still young, and coming into their own, Yee has chosen not to put them into a box yet. I loved that! Harley Quinn, for instance, is a budding reporter who is actually really sweet. As Wonder Woman’s roommate, she’s actually a fairly big part of this story. As a reader of the DC universe, I kept trying to pin her down as the villain in my mind. Yee kept me from doing that, in the best way possible. Maybe Harley will turn later, maybe not! For now, she’s a great example of someone who is still growing.

If I had one complaint, it was that I felt at times that this book put a little too much emphasis on the “cute” factor. Oh sure, I loved the funny classes that our characters had to take, and their general high school banter. What I wasn’t a fan of, was that it cut somewhat into the strong nature of Wonder Woman as a character. She was a little air-headed at times, and I’m not going to deny that any time someone called her “Wondy” it made me cringe. I’m an adult, who has read Wonder Woman in many a comic. So I know I’m a little biased in that respect. I just really want young readers to look at these characters and see how amazingly strong they are as women. That’s the important part.

That being said, this series has made an very solid start. I see a lot of potential and a lot of love coming from readers of all ages! Anything that puts these super women in the spotlight deserves all the love that it can get. If this creates some new ravenous comic book readers? Well, that’s just a bonus.