It's hard out there for a superhero. An Asian superhero though?? 
 Meet Aveda Jupiter, nee Annie Chang, San Francisco's self appointed protector. After a portal opened up in the city and gave her (very) limited powers of telekinesis, she decided to train herself to become a superhero. She was inspired as a child by watching Michelle Yeoh in The Heroic Trio (1992), a film about three female superheroes in Hong Kong. (The full movie is on YouTube by the way.) (Also Maggie Cheung is in it!) 
 Sitting next to Annie in the theater, and next to her always, is her best friend and assistant Evie Tanaka. They met in elementary school when the other kids started picking on Evie for bringing spam musubi to school and Annie defiantly ate them all. The spam musubi, not the other kids. Evie and Annie bonded as Evie held Annie's head while she threw up all the spam, and they've had each other's backs every since. Well, it's mostly been Evie behind Annie once Annie decided to become AVEDA JUPITER, SUPERHERO. But mild mannered Evie preferred a behind the scenes role as she's also been taking care of her younger sister after their mother died and father ran off. 
 The tables get turned when Aveda injures her ankle while superhero-ing, and she sends a glamoured Evie in her place to some events. When demons attack one event, Evie, who isn't trained in fighting like Aveda, ends up using a power that she's repressed since an incident long ago. She shoots fire out of her hand. Evie, as Aveda, finds herself for the first time at the center of attention, from curious bloggers to those pesky, seemingly evolving demons. 
 Rounding out Team Aveda is Nate, nerdy, scientific, ...muscled, brooding Nate, Lucy the bodyguard/trainer/condom supplier, and Bea, Evie's annoying little sister extraordinaire. 
 My first feeling about this book is just how NECESSARY it is. This is the scene where Annie and Evie discover The Heroic Trio for the first time, but it could also apply to kids reading this book: 
 From my Litsy 
 It's why #WeNeedDiverseBooks. Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal, as amazing as she is, can't be the only one holding it down for us colored girls. This is also about friendships, and how they evolve and can get complicated. This book was in the Sci Fi section but it could also be classified as YA/NA. Evie is just recognizing her powers, both literally and figuratively, and all the feelings she's tamped down over the years are bubbling out. Aveda and Evie have both identified themselves in one way for so long (hero and sidekick) that this new situation makes them reexamine their places in the world and each other's lives and what they want out of both. 
 I had some trouble with the tone initially because it read younger than I was expecting despite the characters being in their 20s. It also brought up some great issues that weren't addressed, like Aveda's Asian parents not approving of her lifestyle choice, but now that I see a sequel (and series!) is in the works, I really hope they're examined in the next installment. 
 Overall, there's so much potential in the story and characters and writing, that despite being a little uneven at times, I'm ALL IN. It's also really fun. There are karaoke battles to the death! What more could you want?? Heroine Complex is a book we need, but also one that we deserve. We deserve superheroes that LOOK LIKE US, damn it, WRITTEN by people who LOOK LIKE US. 
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 Whew, this is the first review I've written in like 4 years. What can I say, I was inspired by the DNC. If Hillary Clinton can become the first female presidential nominee of a major party, I can finish a review. Or something. Now I'm going to finish The Heroic Trio. How has everyone been??