Professional athlete of the future turns superhero

This is my last review of the year (and the day)! By some miracle of will power, I met my half-cannonball goal despite only starting reviews last month. Must do better next year, for realz.

My final post is for Mara, a YA graphic novel set in the future where professional sports is an even bigger business. Sport competitions keep everyone distracted from the endless world war cycle of Earth. Mara is superstar volleyball player whose been training since she was 2 years old!

Barely legal, she lives in comped luxury apartment with tons of corporate endorsements. That is until one day, she runs faster than any human beings on camera to chase the ball. It was pure reflex and she’s never done it before. The fans and her friends begin to turn on her, calling her a doper/cheater. But Mara truly has no idea what’s going on with her body.

Other powers begin to manifest such as flight and supernatural healing abilities. The military fakes her death and trains her to be their secret weapon. Giving her new purpose in her life. But when the government refuses to tell her twin brother she’s alive, she goes escapes and goes rogue. She’s even more powerful than she imagined flying high into space. She no longer needs to breathe oxygen. All she had to do is mentally embrace her powers. While flying high in the sky, she exposes herself to commercial airline.  Now the sponsors and friends want a piece of her again now that she’s superhuman. Fame is a fickle beast. But the military isn’t done with her and kidnaps her brother. Will she rescue him in time? What awaits the military who crosses one so powerful?

I came across this at the library and the cover drew me in. The writers have all done other work I love like X-men and Guardians of the Galaxy, so I figured I give it a whirl. I thought volleyball was an interesting choice of professional sport. I can’t imagine the entire world being obsessed with it, but maybe that’s because I hated playing it in gym class back in the day. Really loved the illustrations of her in space and discovering her powers. The universe of this book is cruel, but the end has a glimmer of hope for humankind.

I’d recommend this graphic novel for fans of dystopian futures and strong young female protagonists. Think The Hunger Games and Divergent. 

That’s it folks, read all my #CBR6 reviews if you’re so inclined on my blog.