There are a lot of good things that are included in Unstoppable #1 Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders. However, not only is this a book that while you can stop after book one you need the series to fill in blanks, there are events that I just could not like. I know that this is a controversial statement due to the subjects included. We deal a lot with gender (in fact it is such an important part of things, when someone introduces themselves their pronouns are included) and the events that surround finding your true self. Therefore, I will say this is a space opera that sometimes sings and sometimes does not. It all depends on what you bring to the concert, what you are willing to take from it, and what your level of acceptance to a slow burn story is.
Our character, Tina, is a girl who never fitted in on Earth. She believes in Right and Wrong; in Justice and is willing to fight for it while wearing a full dinosaur pajama/costume. She stands out in all the wrong ways. The fact she is actually the clone of a famous space warrior might have something to do with this and her attitude towards things. Of course, eventually the event happens so her enemies come and friends find her, bring her (and her best friend Rachael) into space and in the middle of a dangerous war. And of course, nothing goes as planned (Tina is supposed to get all of her Super Warriror memories and strength back), with more Earthlings getting involved and there are battles, death, genocide, racism, transphobia, and romance.
The idea of being a hero is good; the idea of being yourself is good; the overall concept is good. Yet, it never meshed for me as it is a bit predictable and I did not always like the characters. There is a statement at the end that makes the point (really hit over the head) about how we can project our own prejudices towards others (in case you missed that before) so at least Andres wants to make themselves clear as occasionally I felt I was flying in some murky waters. Personally, I feel that I am not the exact reader for this book, but for at least aged 13 and up you might find one.
