The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope

Maggs (The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy) continues the adventures of Hungarian Russian “new American” Nadia Van Dyne, the Unstoppable Wasp, with this story of a superhero who also happens to be a busy, bipolar, genius teen. Though Nadia, 16, enjoys the support of her stepmom, former Wasp Janet Van Dyne, and works alongside friends at New York City’s Genius in Action Research Labs (GIRL), she has questions about her birth parents. Along with fighting nefarious scientists, coming up with a science project to showcase, and trying to be a “Cool American Teen,” Nadia also works to maintain her mental health through therapy and meds. To stay on top of everything, she turns to a self-learning AI assistant invented by a female tech exec. When her friends grow involved with their own lives, it takes a crisis that can only be faced by the entire GIRL team and their adult allies to bring them back together. Nadia’s to-do list can sometimes overwhelm the narrative, which further bustles with character cards and pop culture references, but Maggs successfully centers mental health and life-balance concerns to create an inclusive story accessible to readers beyond the Marvel fan base. Ages 12–up. [em]Agent: Maria Vicente, P.S. Literary. (July) [/em]