Collateral Damage

Meg Sawyer is an ordinary person living in extraordinary times. She’s an average citizen of Lunar City, which used to be a notoriously crime-ridden place. So much so that the Genetically Enhanced SuperVarient Program was launched to transform regular folks into superheroes. There are now four Supers watching over the city, but while most organized crime gangs have moved elsewhere, it’s still not a safe place to live. There are supervillains now, to say nothing of mega robots and outrageous plots to end life as we know it, and the ordinary people have to take pains to avoid getting caught up in the crossfire. Meg thought things were bad enough when she lost yet another car due to superhero activity, but when she discovers that one of the Supers has been murdered, she knows things are going to get far worse…

Collateral Damage is a hugely entertaining and pretty unusual take on the superhero genre. Meg is a brilliant central character; sarcastic and grumpy, she seems to be the only person in Lunar City who recognizes the damage that the Supers do. Still, when the murder occurs and she realizes that the remaining Supers are in danger, Meg leaps (okay, maybe she somewhat reluctantly shuffles) into action with the aid of her BFF Oliver. There follows plenty of action, danger, intrigue, and witty one-liners. While pretty much everything is wrapped up in the end, Taylor Simonds has left the door open for further books featuring Meg, Oliver, and the Supers, and it’ll be interesting to see what the future has in store for Lunar City.