Book Review: Dreadnought by April Daniels

When Dreadnought, the world's greatest superhero, dies next to Danny, a closeted trans girl, the mantle of heroism falls to her. And with it comes the body she always wanted, one that physically manifests the gender she always had. That is, obviously, amazing. But not everyone is sanguine about this change. Not her bigoted bully of a dad (who only knows about the change in appearance), nor some of the members of The Legion, the superhero organization lead by Dreadnought. Will Danny embrace her new powers and identity? And what about the villain who killed the world's greatest hero?

Dreadnought is the debut novel of trans author April Daniels. While it is a rollicking adventures of heroes and villains, it is also very much an #ownvoices novel about growing up trans. It is an honest, deeply painful novel.

Danny is a terrific protagonist, fully realized, vulnerable, insecure, and in deep pain from growing up with an abusive father and an enabling mother. There are wounds not even the greatest healing factor in the world can cure, and she carries those. She is repeatedly misgendered by her family, and even by one of the leaders of the Legion, who turns out to be - though the term is never used - a TERF. For some, she is too young, too female, too male, too trans. This may be a difficult read for some based on that, so definitely proceed accordingly.

There's a comparison I want to make here, but I do so with extreme caution and caveats. Mishell Baker's Borderline is a terrific, fun, action packed book about elves and magic, and is also a book about having a serious mental illness, about being physically disabled.

Being transgender is not a mental illness nor a disability. However, we live in a world that often treats it as either or both. Which is where the comparison is highly relevant, as both books deal with serious issues, at least partially #ownvoices (Baker shares a diagnosis with her protagonist) in genres where those issues are rarely dealt with seriously. And both books are super fun. Both Daniels and Baker manage the extremely delicate balancing act of "serious topic" and "fun book" with great aplomb, a feat made even more impressive by the novels in question being their debuts. Both books are also the first books of their respective series, though both tell a compelling, standalone story.

So, if you like superheros, and especially if you like superhero stories that aren't cookiecutter, that are original and unique, I heartily recommend this novel. Go get it.