Dark Star (review)

As the daughter of Minneapolis' most revered superhero, sixteen-year-old Audrey Whitticomb knows a thing or two about keeping secrets. Her mother clearly still has much to teach her, though, since Audrey has never suspected that Morning Star (as her mother is known to the populace) has been fighting anything other than your average thief or murderer on her nightly outings. When Audrey is attacked by a supernatural being, she uncovers the full truth of her mother's identity: Mom is part of the Kin, a group of people with superhuman powers that fight Harrowers, demonic creatures looking to infiltrate the mortal world. Audrey's ability to psychically access people's memories makes her Kin as well, but Mom isn't about to let Audrey in on the battle, especially after she's attacked again; instead, Audrey is grounded until further notice with her mother's bossy (but totally cute) sidekick as a babysitter. With charming, authentic characterizations and stellar world-building, Frenette offers a marvelous debut, giving readers a taut, swoony, downright fun story that will have them reconsidering their notions of superheroes. Elaborating on the traditional superhero origin story, the author capably creates a believable backstory that places Audrey and her fellow Kin in the center of the action while the plot twists come as fast and as furious as the demon attacks. Audrey herself is reckless but not bratty, witty but never precocious, and her reactions to both the discovery of demons and her status as a Kin are believably authentic while her relationship with her mother is touching and entirely plausible for her age. The ending is a bit abrupt, but it lays the way for further installments, which will no doubt please readers who want to continue to prowl the mean streets of Minneapolis with Audrey at their side.