Not Your Villain // a fun sequel with more lovable characters

As soon as I finished reading Not Your Sidekick, I knew I had to jump into the sequel as soon as possible. I needed more of these precious characters, and Not Your Villain did not disappoint.

The events of Not Your Villain continue just before where Not Your Sidekick left off. This time, the story focuses on Bells, a rising hero with shapeshifting powers. When he and his friends try to uncover the truth behind the disappearances of local villains, Bells is labeled as a villain himself, and forced to hide from the public eye. But Bells isn't happy just sitting still, and with the help of his friends Jess, Abby, and Emma, the four must try to reveal a government conspiracy that reaches further than they could have ever imagined.

The world in Not Your Villian stretches beyond the confines of Andover, bringing to story to new and exciting places across Lee's modernised version of America. I wasn't a big fan of the first part of the book as it overlapped a lot with book one without actually giving us a lot of new information. However, I loved exploring more of these futuristic settings, and this expanded worldbuilding really increased the gravity of the situations the characters were placed in.

Bells is another totally lovable character, and I loved seeing this world from his perspective. He is smart and sharp and witty and cares about his friends so much. It was interesting to see his progression in how he slowly becomes disillusioned with the society he lives in and the profession he so admires, and his thoughts provide a whole new perspective on the world of superheroes to what was seen in book one.

Bells is also Black and Trans, and it was so warming to see how this experience was normalised in Lee's world. There were so many little things in the story that demonstrated this, from people introducing themselves with their pronouns to a young child asking their friend what name they'd like to be called by. It made me emotional to think of how simple it could be if we all accepted people for who they are, and I wish there were more stories where being LGBT+ is normalised. I also really loved that Lee's normalisation of queerness didn't eliminate the difficulties that those experiences come with. Bells still has to wear a binder when he isn't shapeshifting, and another character struggles to know where she fits on the asexual spectrum. But in this world there are others who are there to support you without question or need to explain, and it was honestly beautiful to read.

The plot develops a little slowly in this sequel, but it does really pay off. Although my attachment to this series is primarily to the characters, the story continues to be exciting, and I cannot wait to see what is next in store for my favourite sidekicks.

★★★★☆

 YA Science Fiction

 Sidekick Squad #2

Black Trans Protagonist

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Goodreads