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Reviewed by:
  • Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond
  • Alaine Martaus
Bond, Gwenda Lois Lane: Fallout. Switch, 2015 [304p]
ISBN 978-1-63079-005-9 $16.95
Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 9-12

Lois Lane may be the new kid at East Metropolis High, but before the first day is over, she’s up to her old tricks: defending bullied students and investigating corrupt administrators. A new job with the Daily Planet’s online teen newspaper gives her just the excuse she needs to pry into the Warheads, a secretive, manipulative clique, and their mysterious independent study project with a shadowy local research firm. With help from a team of unexpected new friends and an anonymous online crush, SmallvilleGuy, Lois uncovers a plot more dangerous than anyone imagined, though, including top-secret military experiments in mind control. When her new compatriots begin to fall under the sway of the Warheads, Lois must decide if getting the scoop is worth risking the lives and minds of the people she cares about. Ultimately more Nancy Drew than Smallville, this refocused retelling lacks the nuance of other comic book–based stories, but Lois picks up the girl-detective mantle with enough sass and spunk to earn her a place among other recent undercover heroines (Latham’s Scarlett Undercover, BCCB 7/15 and Giles’ Endangered, BCCB 6/15). The story itself is a pleasing, straightforward whodunit with a teen-friendly focus that involves virtual worlds, online gaming, bullies, and inept authority figures, and the narrative unfolds at a lively pace. The final rescue scene has plenty of tension, but readers may be disappointed by the lack of showdown or unmasking of a villain or punishment for evildoers. Additionally, the nefarious nature of Advanced Research Laboratories is underdeveloped throughout, perhaps in an attempt to set up sequels. Still, the novel is a possible choice for readers who want to see Lois step into the spotlight, and it may be an option for those who want their feisty teen mystery with a side of Superman fandom.

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