Review Detail

I snapped this one up because I love Wonder Woman, and I much appreciated Leigh Bardugo's adept writing in Six of Crows. (I know shameless fandom pandering when I see it, but I found this one harder to resist than others in this vein.)

Disclaimer: I didn't particularly like the canon alterations in the Gal Godot movie version of Wonder Woman, but I loved so much about the rest of it I've just come to accept it. Unfortunately, this book throws all that continuity out the window and gives us yet another alternate universe version of Diana Prince. One in which it is modern day, and she is just 17. Which sets us up for the uncomfortable-yet-strangely-inevitable: Teenagers playing truth-or-dare with the Lasso of Truth. >.>

Bardugo's writing is a highlight. She captures Diana's personality with the air of a true fan--portraying all her straightforward strength and guileless naivety in convincing depth. (Although, she shares nearly half the 3rd-person stage with Alia... who is, sadly, often more bratty than interesting.) The side character of Theo ended up being an endearing bit of candor and comedy I would have liked to see far more of.

Up until the final 1/4th of the story, the pacing is fairly slow. But the biggest drawback, to my mind, was the choice of Diana's bland and rigid (sort-of) love interest. I could never find him remotely likeable, and there wasn't enough chemistry for me to suspend a sense of cringing disbelief over their apparent attraction.

Overall, my impression was a bit middling. I'm afraid I won't end up remembering much about this one.