Being part of a group of people somewhere between friends and family is something I used to dream of, but it always seemed even less realistic than the mutant powers.
I’m just going to say it outright: I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in a long, long while. Cute Mutants, Vol 1: Mutant Pride is quirky and original while still paying homage to those that came before it, and I loved it a whole heckin’ lot. OMG
Publisher: SJ Whitby | Pages: 400 | Release Date: July 27, 2020
“My name is Dylan Taylor, human incarnation of the burning dumpster gif, and this is my life.”
I always wanted to be an X-Man. Except people and me never got along, and apparently you need social skills to run a successful team. Cue Emma Hall’s party. One hot make out session with the host herself, and I can talk to objects like my pillow (who’s far too invested in my love life) and my baseball bat (who was a pacifist before I got hold of him).
Now there’s a whole group of us with strange abilities, including super hot ice queen Dani Kim who doesn’t approve of how reckless I can be. The bigger problem is a mysterious mutant causing unnatural disasters, and we’re the ones who have to stop him. Except trying to make a difference makes things blow up in my face and the team’s on the verge of falling apart. Can I bring them back together in time to stop the villain from taking revenge? Have I mentioned I’m not a people person? Magneto help us.
You can find Cute Mutants, Vol 1: Mutant Pride on Goodreads, Amazon, Indigo, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and Book Depository.
Let me preface this review by saying that the author reached out and provided me with a digital copy of Mutant Pride, in exchange for an honest review. But within finishing the first chapter, I knew this was a book I wanted in my life, permanently.
So I bought a physical copy for myself. And I’m so, so glad I did, because I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s as if X-Men and the chaotic girl gang energy of Birds of Prey got together and had a very dysfunctional—and very, very queer—baby.
This is the problem with having your dreams come true. Reality is inevitably a terrible disappointment.
Mutant Pride, at its core, embodies one of my most favourite of tropes: the found family. Except it’s the most disastrous of found families, and the book is all the better for it. Dylan, Lou, Alyse, Dani, Emma, Bianca: y’all are a mess, but I mean that in the most caring and positive of ways. Their powers each so original, as is the way they get them. Can all superpower origin stories be like this one?
Side Note: I love how unapologetically and casually queer this entire book is. So many identities can be found within its pages, and it was nothing short of fantastic. Also, Pear is the best moniker ever.
Particularly, I could see so much of myself in Dylan (honestly, I also now know for a fact that if I ever got superpowers, I really hope it means I’d get to speak with inanimate objects, too). And her voice. SJ Whitby’s protagonist carries the story with wit and a self-depreciating snark that completely stole my heart. It was such a treat to watch her grow over the course of the book, to slowly crawl out of her comfort zone and find not only a team to fight bad guys with, but friends. The terrible anxiety that comes from not knowing if people like you or are just really good at pretending to like you (even if they say several times over that they do really like you and enjoy your company)?
I felt that with this book, so hard.
It captures such a specific part of growing up, and does so really, brilliantly well. It tackles all those messy parts of the teenage years—relationships with family and friends, navigating and discovering and questioning your identity and your place in the world. It’s all there, and exploring it through the “mutant” lens makes Mutant Pride a favourite of mine for the same reason that I love X-Men.
This is better than the comics. It’s happening to me in real life. Somehow I’m the misfit, hated and feared, who has found the other misfits and in the most unlikely turn of events, they want to cling to me as badly as I want to cling to them.
With a chaotic and lovable cast of characters navigating their newfound abilities as they find their way through a fast-paced and punchy plot, Cute Mutants, Vol 1: Mutant Pride was a complete and utter blast. It took me on one hell of a ride, and I loved every second.
I absolutely cannot wait to pick up Volume Two (honestly, the title itself is reason enough), and all the sequels and spin-offs that are sure to follow.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Disclaimer: I originally received a copy of the book from the author for review purposes. This does not affect my review, which reflects only my honest opinions.
doodles and books 