BONUS REVIEW: Mask by Kate Hannigan

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Aladdin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

At first glance, Josie, Mae, and Akiko look like normal girls. But in reality, they are the Infinity Trinity. Thanks to some special artifacts – a cape, a mask, and some boots, the girls are superheroes.

Akiko’s family has been taken to an internment camp because of World War II and the attack on Pearl Harbor. But she gets word her mother has gone missing from the camp. And she’s not the only person missing. Several superheroes, like Zenobia, have gone missing as well.

As the girls start looking for Akiko’s mother, they run into a new villain on the scene, a clown called Side-Splitter. Side-Splitter is setting off bombs around San Francisco and trying to destroy American Naval vessels. The Infinity Trinity have their hands full with this guy!

Review

I love the creativity and uniqueness of this series. This is a re-imagined WWII story where superheroes are real. The racial issues of the time – like the internment camps – are present. Real historical figures are mentioned. The real role of women in the war is also reflected in the story. As with book 1, there are extensive end notes that let readers know which parts of this fantasy tale are anchored in reality.

The final art for the graphic novel sections of the book were not available in my review copy, but there were descriptions of what will be included in the final art. I think readers will enjoy this fun feature to this series. I love the creativity of including comic panels – this is a superhero story after all – into a prose novel.

While there is a lot about this series that I love, I struggled with the pacing of this story. There were several sections that dragged for me. In this story there are several times where the girls are puzzling out coded messages, and it’s hard to put action into moments when they are listening and thinking. There are fight scenes, of course, but this particular story also has quieter moments of thinking, of empathizing with Akiko as she stresses over her mom’s role in the Side-Splitter’s plans, etc. The great features I have already mentioned, though, make up for the slower sections of the story telling for me.

There are several unresolved threads here, including the missing superheroes, to lead readers to book 3. These books should definitely be read in order. Be sure to check out the first book in the League of Secret Heroes series, Cape.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥