<b><i>How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying)</i> is a charming, irresistible young adult story about superheroes, villains, a crushing premed course load--and the everyday bravery involved in being vulnerable with friends and in falling in love. I adored this and am in for all future books by Fernandez.</b>

In Cristina Fernandez's new young adult book <i>How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying),</i> main protagonist and Columbia premed undergrad Astrid is dating Max Martin, a sweet, nerdy boy she knew back in high school.

Astrid is always on time, always. Her sense of time and what it's possible to achieve within windows of time is practically her superpower. (You should see her day planner with its advanced highlighting and scheduling.)

On the other hand, Max is always crashing in late for their dates and dashing off abruptly in the middle of their time together. And it seems like trouble gravitates to him--he's always in the middle of some kind of Life-and-Death Problem.

Astrid is still adjusting to the pure joy she gets from being with Max. He adores her, and she adores him--and aside from her best friend David, her relationship with Max is her only non-academic joy. Only David or Max could inspire her to take time out from her grueling studies.

But when a supervillain breaks into Astrid's apartment to kidnap her--she has organic chemistry to study for and she really does not have time for this!--she has to face facts: It really seems undeniable that Max...is a superhero.

Superheroes exist--but Astrid never planned to get involved with one. In fact, she's reminded again that her schedule really doesn't allow time for romantic entanglements in the first place.

Max is wonderful, but now Astrid is expected to be part of a training and support group that helps superheroes' significant others protect themselves and cope with the entire complicated situation of caring for and being involved with a superperson. And worrying about Max's safety as he fights the bad guys could be its own full-time job.

<i>How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying)</i> is a wonderfully romantic story about finding your own true self, listening to your gut, finding the strength to put yourself on the line for other people, the bravery of falling in love, and the importance of treasuring every day. Cristina Fernandez has crafted an irresistibly charming story that I absolutely adored.

I received a prepublication copy of this book courtesy of HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley.

Cristina Fernandez began writing this book when she was in college. I hope she's prolific, because I'm in for all of her future books!

<b>To see my full review on The Bossy Bookworm, or to find out about Bossy reviews and Greedy Reading Lists as soon as they're posted, please see <a href="https://www.bossybookworm.com/post/review-of-how-to-date-a-superhero-and-not-die-trying-by-cristina-fernandez/"><i>How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying).</a></i></b>

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to pre-read this book and share my opinions on it.

As far as book candy goes, this had a few of the notable elements that made it a good option - the goofy but big-hearted best friend who steals the scene every time he's on the page, a playful and gentle sweetness between the male lead and the main character, and a world where superheroes-vs-aliens fights are just something that pops up on the nightly news, no big deal.

Ultimately, though, I was disappointed.

When a book has the word "superhero" in the title, I guess I'm expecting a lot more superheroes and a lot less of the main character sitting in her dorm room studying or complaining to her mentors about how hard it is to fit her boyfriend into her schedule.

There were maybe one or two scenes that actually had the suspenseful, dangerous, action-packed superhero fun that I really, really wanted when I picked up this title, but we spent the balance of the book waiting for something interesting to happen. We mostly just got mentions of the superhero-y stuff happening in the distant, off-page world of the book and very rarely got to witness any of it firsthand or even see any of the aftermath. Honestly, Max could have been a regular guy with no superpowers whatsoever and it wouldn't have had much affect on whether or not Astrid felt comfortable squeezing him into her schedule. It would have had very little bearing on the story we end up with.

This is going to be one of those titles that I think of in the future whenever I talk about books that have great concepts but poor execution. Imagine if you will, someone you just met rattles off several facts about themselves. "I am a sophomore in college. I color-code my planner. And oh yeah, I'm dating a superhero." You're gonna be like, "Wait, WHAT? Tell me more about that!" She then proceeds to go into exquisite detail about her life as a sophomore and her color-coded planner and generally says nothing about the one thing you were most interested in. That is essentially what my experience with this book was, and I felt let down.

Title: How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying)
Author: Cristina Fernandez
Genre: YA, fantasy
Rating: 3.0 out of 5

Falling for a superhero is dangerous. You have to trust that they’ll catch you.

Astrid isn’t a superhero, not like the ones she sees on the news, but she has something she thinks of as a small superpower: she has a perfect sense of time. And she’s not going to waste a single second.

Her plan for college is clear—friends, classes, and extracurriculars all carefully selected to get her into medical school.

Until Max Martin, a nerdy boy from her high school, crashes back into her life. Things with Max were never simple, and he doesn’t keep to her schedule. He disappears in the middle of dates and cancels at the last minute with stupid excuses.

When a supervillain breaks into her bedroom one night, Astrid has to face the facts: her boyfriend, Max Martin, is a superhero. Double-majoring as a premed was hard, but now Astrid will have to balance a double life. This wasn’t part of her plan.

This was an okay read. Definitely an alternate reality setting, with superheroes and aliens accepted as commonplace, and the rest of the world more or less the same as ours. Astrid was…overwhelmingly selfish, frankly. Beyond obsessed with her schedule and infuriated by anything that dared impinge on it—or her life plans. This is a fairly light read, and if you can deal with a selfish and self-absorbed main character who’s oblivious to all the signs being put out by everyone around her, well, give it a shot.

Cristina Fernandez’s debut novel is How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying).

(Galley courtesy of HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.)

DNF @ 30%. I'm really bummed about this. I just couldn't get into it. I was so excited for a superhero romance, but this just bored me. I hope others are able to enjoy it more than me. I really thought this would be right up my alley.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Cristina Fernandez, and the publisher for eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Astrid isn't a superhero in life, but her drive to become a doctor gives her the "superpower" of being able to not waste a single moment of her time. That is until Max comes into her life and completely changes her way of thinking and seeing life. There's something something special about him that she later discovers.
I thought this was a cute book! I will definitely be recommending it to my friends who enjoy YA! I want to say more but I definitely do not want to ruin the story for anyone. Enjoy!

All 'bout the sidekicks...

This was a YA/NA book, very sweet, and focuses on Astrid a college student in her first two years at college (oh, the schedule).
Max, her boyfriend (who is a superhero) and her buddy, David. It really does focus on the sidekicks (think Skyhigh). Told in very quick short chapters and in third person, the story moves very quickly.

It took me a minute to get into How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying). The book is written in third person present tense, which initially threw me off. I’ve come to believe, however, that it’s the perfect style for Cristina Fernandez’s novel. Fernandez’s prose creates a sense of urgency and suits her main character, Astrid.

Astrid is the student who is always trying to be the best, earn the most points, get the most out of everything. Her life is planned out down to the minute, and when you live like that, any deviation is likely to wreak havoc. Fernandez does get a little lost in the minutia, but even that rings true to Astrid. Because of her strict schedule, Astrid is most interesting when forced to deviate.

And while Astrid is at the center of the story, it’s the supporting characters that really bring it to life. Without Max, Astrid’s best friend, David, and the other people she’s forced to socialize with because Max is a superhero, this book would not work. They add a desperately needed balance and force Astrid to look beyond her perfectly planned program.

When everything comes together, How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) truly takes flight. The pacing truly reflects the characters and how the characters act within the world Fernandez has created. It’s not a perfect novel, but it’s an enjoyable one that will make you ask, “What if superheroes were real?”

Having a superb sense of time should keep Astrid on schedule. However, she has things beyond her control that throw it off. She is currently dating a superhero, Max. She also has a busy course load, volunteers, works in a campus lab and needs to figure out who has been messing with her labs. Then Eleanor insists that Astrid take some a course on dating a superhero, to help keep her safe. With a schedule like this, its a wonder that Astrid does not explode.
Opinion
This was a very interesting look at what the lives of the people behind superheros could be like. It did include several other significant others to balance out Astrid's wonky schedule. These characters added charm and excitement to the book.
I liked that the book went back and forth in time. It broke up the intense scenes as well as gave insight into Astrid and Max.
Overall, I thought the book was a fascinating look into the hidden side of superheros. It's a great read for teens who like action and/or superheros.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for providing me with an ARC of this book.

3.5 rounding up to 4 stars.

Really enjoyed the premise of Fernandez's debut novel: How to Date a Superhero [and not Die Trying]. The idea that Astrid, a college student who wants to be a doctor, has a superhero boyfriend is something you don't read a lot. Put in that there are other newbies to Astrid's situation made for a quirky cast of characters.

I wasn't as big a fan of the moving timelines and wished they had a better flow to them. I feel that some newspaper articles, quotes, etc would have benefitted these sections. I also wasn't a fan of the swearing throughout. As a YA reader, I tend to find books that I can share with my students. Sadly, this cannot be one of those.

Overall, if you love the DC/Marvel universe this is a story for you!

Thank you Harper Collins Children's Books and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

This was a cute story.

Astrid is a premed student trying to juggle it all while dating Max a superhero. David is her roommate and best friend.

Astrid’s schedule is planned out to the minute, daily (and we know everything she is doing at all times). So when things go a little off schedule and she finds out Max is a superhero enter Eleanor and the program. An entire new thing she has to fit into her schedule of classes, clubs, her lab, and living.

I think we know a little to much about Astrid and her schedule that it gets old however. I really wanted to get to know the other characters more (especially Max and David). David seems like you average, partying all the time, college student. At the end we find out this is not so much the case but that he could’ve really used Astrid a lot more but she was so busy with her schedule planning she wasn’t really there for him. Max seems sweet and kind of goofy around Astrid but when we hear about him as a superhero he seems to change personalities a bit. I wish there was more character development on them and even on the other kids from the program (and Wally but we got to see a good glimpse of his life 😍). A second book with POVs of David and Max in their new place at the end would be awesome to get to know those characters better.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this and give an honest review!

When a premed student at Cornell learns that her boyfriend is a superhero, she is roped into a special course for superhero significant others and forced to reevaluate her life's priorities in order to stay alive.

Set on a college campus, this book exists in that "New Adult" space that has great appeal for both teen young adults and adult young adults (as well of some of us who are even older than that!). The narrative voice hooked me immediately (third person present tense with a tongue-in-cheek vibe that kept reminding me of Slaughterhouse Five, although the subject matter is very different). In the tradition of most great Sci-Fi, Fernandez uses her hard Sci-Fi world as a lens to explore real world issues, in this case, the uncertainty of love and commitment, the fragility of human existence, and how to stop existing and truly live in a dangerous and frightening world. I am head-over-heels for this book, and if you love both Sci-Fi and Rom Coms, you will be too!

I felt like this novel really led me down a garden path of expectations that it didn't deliver on! There were so many hints that didn't pan out that, if they had, would have made a more satisfying superhero story. The writing was good, the characters were all fun to watch, and it was an good exploration of trauma, but as a superhero story it fell a bit flat.

A fresh and funny perspective on superheros that made me laugh out loud. This was remarkably accurate of how I imagine dating a superhero would be like. I enjoyed Ben Barnes being a supervillain because someone beat his score on a final. Also the author did an incredible job with all the side characters like each and every one of them could go on to be the main lead in their own book and I would read it.

Astrid Rose has a superpower: she has an impeccable sense of time. But she's not a superhero, nor does she want to be. Instead, she's a slightly depressed, very anxious, premed college student who has carefully and neurotically planned out the next ten years of her life in minute detail. But all of her preparations are for naught when she discovers that her nerdy, clumsy boyfriend, Max Martin, is a literal superhero. Suddenly Astrid's double-majoring turns into a double-life, and over the course of a packed sophomore year, she'll have to ask herself what she really wants and what she's willing to give up.

I have a soft spot for superhero stories. How to Date a Superhero (and Not Die Trying) is a fun, heart-filled coming-of-age story not for the superhero, but the regular human girlfriend who is thrust into a world that she's not quite prepared for. 4 stars.

The novel is written in third person and set in New York City, where Astrid and her superhero boyfriend are students at Columbia University. The world is a contemporary, alternate one, in which superheroes (and villains) are common occurrences in the big city, as are aliens, shapeshifters, etc. Yet despite that, the novel is still focused on a small cast of characters and has an overall contemporary feel.

An important thing for would-be readers to note is that while the book does have a little bit of romance, and does have a little bit of action, it is first and foremost a story about Astrid. While she comes off a little bit of a caricature at first, Astrid is a highly intelligent, yet generally maladjusted, individual whose mental health is an important factor to the story. This is a book in which her introspective journey is front and center, but is is buoyed by a whole lot of humor and heart.

While the book didn't take the course I expected of it, I was utterly pleased with the novel itself. I zoomed through this book in a handful of days and got so lost in Astrid's world that I nearly forgot mine. I did wish, though, that Max and the other supporting characters were a little more well-rounded; Max, in particular, is little more than your stereotypical superhero, sweet and noble. But that disappointment is tempered by Astrid's dynamic character arc. Put this one on your to-read list, if you haven't already.


Posted to Goodreads on July 26, 2022.

Not all heroes wear capes ... Astrid's wouldn't fit over her very heavy backpack. I LOVED this book. A fresh take on the superhero genre that puts the girlfriend at the wheel, How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) was a delightful and surprisingly deep read. I felt Astrid's emotions so clearly through Fernandez's writing and following her ups and downs made it so easy to understand her. Max is a perfect love interest, and I adore that he, although the hero, is not the hero of this novel. As a huge fane of Zendaya's MJ, this novel felt like it was written for me -- a young woman who craves to see herself in superhero movies without being "the girlfriend." I'll be telling everyone I know to read this.

While Astrid isn't one of the heroes you see on TV, she does have one superpower. A perfect sense of time. After all, that's how she's getting through her premed program at Columbia. By maintaining an absolutely perfect schedule. Everything she does fits into her carefully planned life. Even her meals and downtime have a place.

However, Max Martin messes all that up. Max Martin, who she knew from high school, and who just so happens to be a superhero. And Astrid's current boyfriend. After getting kidnapped by a supervillain one night, Astrid learns her boyfriend's secret identity. And now she has to decide if living a double life is worth it. Especially since it doesn't fit into her schedule.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advanced of How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) to review! As an avid superhero fan, I was super excited to pick this up. It sounds like such a fun time, and I wasn't wrong about that. It's such a quick fun read!

The dynamic between Astrid and Max in this book was great. You can tell that they really care about each other, even if Max is a bit absentminded. Which you know, is bound to happen if you're off saving the world half the time. For the most part, the setting in college also felt realistic, and the inclusion of Astrid's schedule helped with laying out the passage of time.

However, I really wanted the characters to be more developed. Outside of her obsession with schedules, I didn't think we got a lot of depth from Astrid, even as the main character. The same with Max. He's just a "good guy" out saving the rest of the world. I wanted them to be more complex. This would have made the book even more enjoyable for me.

Despite that, I did have a fun time reading this! It makes me want to pick up some more comics again. If you're looking for something fun that will be a quick read, I'd recommend picking this up for an end of summer book!

How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) by Cristina Fernandez, 416 pages. Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins), 2022. $19.
Language: R (149 swears, 24 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Astrid carefully plans her time, dividing it between college classes, labs, and volunteer hours that are leading her to med school (and the success of her five- and ten-year plans) and her boyfriend, Max, who brings needed joy and dopamine into her schedule. Every assignment, study session, test, meal, commute, roommate hang out, and panic attack is packed together for maximum efficiency. But Astrid didn’t anticipate finding out her boyfriend is a superhero and figuring in time for kidnappings.
Fernandez writes realistically but with a dash of ludicrousness. Astrid is so focused on her schedule and making everything fit, a quirk that is endearing even as readers watch it start to take over as her responsibilities increase. I love how Fernandez normalizes superpowers and superheroes in the world she created, so much so that it feels natural for Astrid to refer to her perfect sense of time as a superpower, and how readers get to see a new side of superheroing from the perspective of those without powers but who still deal with the consequences of supervillains. Overall, reading this book was fun and brought joy into my life.
Astrid is implied White, and Max’s skin is described as “tan.” The mature content rating is for underage drinking, mentions of substance use, innuendo, and mentions of condoms and sex. The violence rating is for blood, weapon use, and mentions of guns.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Astrid cannot live without her planner. Even if she’s incredibly good at always knowing the time and what she’s supposed to do, she loves to schedule absolutely everything: from homework and movie nights with her roomie or boyfriend, to even the occasional meltdown. Every single part of her life is meticulously tracked in her planner. But the schedule effectively goes out the window when a supervillain breaks into her dorm room and tries to kidnap her. After her rescue, Astrid learns that her boyfriend, Max, is actually a superhero, and that she’s supposed to join a group of other superheroes’ significant others. This group is supposed to teach her how to deal with the fact that they’re dating superheroes, but when Astrid can barely handle all the tasks and responsibilities of being pre-med, she has no time for this new group. Well, it’s worth it to be able to stay with Max, right? Right?

I received an advanced reading copy of How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) in exchange for an honest review.

How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) is a young adult novel by Cristina Fernandez. It features something I really love in my media, superheroes, but is instead focused on the non-powered characters in this world, and specifically, those who date the aforementioned superheroes.

We don’t often think about these characters, really. We don’t think about what skills they could use, what their personalities should be like, or anything. Or even how inconvenient it probably is to date a superhero! But Fernandez does in this book. I actually found a lot of that part of it humorous, and Fernandez did a great job figuring out the logistics of what these significant others would probably need.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book is that so much of it is not about superheroes. This is more about the life of an over-scheduled and anxious college student. She has to account for every hour of her day, and suddenly this huge wrench is thrown into her plans. It honestly gave me college flashbacks, and not the good ones. I had seasons when I had to schedule every minute as well, and reliving them made me feel anxious all over again. Ah, college. But Astrid takes it all in stride, moving her schedule around to fit in her new ridiculous reality. The entire time, however, I was wondering just how long it would last.

How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) was an entertaining and surprising adventure featuring a college girl who is forced to face the impossible. It’s a book I’d recommend to any superhero fans, or really anybody who’s watched a superhero show or movie and thought, “Oh man, that poor girl/guy. Aren’t they tired of being kidnapped as bait for the superhero again?” Trust me, you won’t regret picking this one up!

How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) will be released August 2. You can preorder your copy from Katherine Tegan Books here.

So fun! I requested this book for the cute title and YA romcom feels, and it was even better than I expected! I am not a huge superhero fan and haven't watched a superhero movie since the 2002 Spiderman, so it definitely isn't a requirement for your enjoyment.

Here's what I loved:
-The couple is already dating at the start of the book, and things get a little wobbly due to superhero stuff. I thought the flashbacks to the beginning of their relationship and when they had only just met were so sweet and done really well. The dual timeline/flashbacks were interesting and didn't slow the plot down at all.
-There is some superhero movie-like action that I was surprisingly into. I think I probably would have enjoyed a couple more scenes with Max fighting bad guys!
-I am glad the main characters were in college with a dorm setting. Most YA I read is set in high school, so the lack of parental supervision and premed pressure was a bit different for YA.
-I can imagine that the main character might be a little bit much for some readers, but as a recovering school-obsessed/achievement obsessed student, she was just really relatable to me and her constant panic over her schedule charmed me.

What didn't work for me:
-Some of the side character plot felt a bit distracting to me. Everyone ends up being more important than I first thought, but I felt slightly bored during some scenes with the other boyfriends and girlfriends of superheroes.
-The pacing was just a bit inconsistent for me, leading me to think that maybe this book was just a tad bit too long.

Overall, this was really original for me. I haven't read anything like it and it was fun and cute.

This book was just not one that hit well for me. The characters were hard to connect with and the storyline lagged a lot in my opinion. I really liked the idea and the premise of the book, but the overall storyline was just not what the synopsis seemed. Not a favorite, but hoping someone else will find this and enjoy it more than I did.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.