WelovedSarah Kuhn ’s “ geek romcom ” novel One Con Glory — so we ’ve been await for years to see what she does next . So we ’re stoked to wreak you an exclusive looking at atHeroine Complex , her Scripture about Asian - American superheroes , which fare out July 5 .
In Heroine Complex , Evie Tanaka is stuck being the personal assistant to Aveda Jupiter , who ’s San Francisco ’s most dear superhero — and Evie ’s childhood best friend . Too tough Aveda has develop up to be kind of a prima donna . Evie has everything under control , until she ’s pull to impersonate her boss and former friend for one night , and then let on that she , too , has great power . Cue superheroic karaoke struggle , deadly cupcake , and a demon invasion that could just put down the whole city .
So here ’s what Kuhn wants you to know about the covering fire , which we ’re give away for the first clock time , as well as the book in general :
I ’m so thankful to my fantastic editor in chief Betsy Wollheim , creative person Jason Chan , G - Force Design , and everyone at DAW for this cover , which has so many thing I love : bright confect colors , badass superheroine action at law motion , and lovely cupcakes that encounter to be evil pulp - eating demons .
But what I love most is how perfectly Jason captured the appearance and personalities of the two main character , Evie Tanaka and Aveda Jupiter ( aka Annie Chang)—down to the smallest details , like Aveda ’s fab power ponytail and Evie ’s precious ducky tee / hoodie combo . It was really emotional for me to see them like this : two very dissimilar Asian American adult female battling malign side by side . That ’s an trope I ’ve hunger and search out since childhood .
These two have a complicated friendly relationship that stretch out back to their most formative years , when they draw together over being the only two Asian American students in their kindergarten course of study ( Evie is Hapa — half - Japanese like me — and Aveda is Formosan American ) .
This excerption grind into their history a bit . I really wanted to show how deep , complex , and even thorny longstanding friendships between woman can be as they grow up together and bond over shared experience and ultimately end up oppose the adept fight against hellish cupcakes . Like you do .
And here ’s that address in full , featuring art by the bright Jason Chan :
And here ’s a never - before - control extract from the book :
I detest cry . To me , it is a useless activity , a sign of helplessness , and a entire waste of time . Think about it : in those mo you drop allowing salty rivers of angst to stream down your cheeks , you could be fixing whatever caused your tears in the first place .
I first came to this conclusion the summer Aveda and I turned eleven . Neither of us was concerned in boy yet , and we were content to spend entire afternoon on dorky activities like micturate up our own composition songs using the battered Casio keyboard we nock at Goodwill .
It was also the summertime we discovered The Heroic Trio .
permit me back up a little .
While Aveda appointing herself my playground protector was great for me , it was n’t always so good for her . mouth off to bullies got her in trouble with teachers . That , in turn , got her in trouble with her parent , who had very specific idea about what a good firstborn Chinese American girl should be : demure , studious , and on the doc track by age five . Aveda had a temper . Aveda had a theatrical streak . Aveda insisted on shouting down bitchy little Kelly Graham when she made fun of our “ weird heart ” after we kicked her ass in dodgeball during second grade deferral . ( I was inclined to slink off once the tease started up . Aveda told Kelly her “ whole face ” was weird , so she should believably keep out up about other masses ’s eyes . )
I enjoy her for all of this . And while she basked in my admiration and make whoopie in protect me , she desperately wanted latria from her parent as well .
She could n’t control her frankness and even though she gave it her all , she could only wield Bs in maths and scientific discipline . That kept her off the doctor train , so she was always explore for something else she could be The Absolute Best at . Something that would impress her parent and force them to ultimately consent her as their perfect girl .
She put together immaculate rig , vividness coordinate her air-sleeve with her ponytail holders .
She trained until she was the only kid in our course who could do three whole puff - ups .
She take to the woods for class president every yr — and unremarkably won .
I cheered her on through all of it , my outfit and posture never nearly as mythical . I could n’t even do one pull - up . But I was always there . That was how I defined myself : by being dependable and loyal and present . I pat her on the back , ice her injuries , and picked the episodic number of lint off her stylish sweaters .
None of Aveda ’s feats were quite enough to win the favorable reception of the elder Changs , who consider these non - demure , non - doctorly accomplishment with a stern “ Mmm ” and a suggestion that she request supererogatory credit prep in math .
It was n’t until that summertime — the summer of The Heroic Trio — that she finally rule a aim . And in a manner , so did I.
We ’d been allow to trek into San Francisco that daylight and were dragging our preteen limb through muggy July , our hands awkward with melted ice ointment . Aveda spotted a posting display outside the Yamato Theater — a grotty establishment that mostly demonstrate old Hong Kong action movies . The placard featured three Asian women striking badass poses .
“ Evie , take care , ” Aveda breathed , smashing her nose against the display instance . “ Asiatic lady superheroes . ” She ran her viscid fingers over the title . “ The Heroic Trio . ”
“ Cool , ” I say , my vocalization tenuous and aweary . We ’d had a long day of running around in the Dominicus and I could feel myself lettuce crashing from the burnt umber double - scoops we ’d just mug up into our gaping maws . “ Annie , it ’s getting dark . We should head home . ”
She whirl around and planted her hands on her coxa . “ We need to see this now . ”
Even then she was magisterial .
I did n’t get home until after dark and was grounded for a workweek , but the movie was deserving it . As we watched those three Asian lady superheroes kick and punch and badass their way across the screen , Aveda ’s sweaty deal crept over the armrest and clutched mine , her grip tightening until I imagine she might give way my fingers off . But I did n’t mind . My own heart felt too bountiful for my body , beating against my breastbone so hard that I was sure it was bare second gear forth from bursting clean out of my chest . We knew we were find something big enough to knock our world off its axis vertebra : superheroes who look like us .
Most eleven - year - olds would ’ve taken that as “ awe-inspiring , there ’s finally a role I can toy while everyone else is Spider - Man and Wonder Woman . ” Aveda took it as , “ I can be that . And I ’m going to . ” Finally she chance a goal to channel all of her considerable energy into , something that compound everything she was well at : personal appeal and manner and athletics and protecting the downtrodden .
Even though she did n’t get her power until year later , her life history map itself out from that point , pose in a dust - speck - infested theater and squash my hired hand . From then on we were “ The Heroic Trio . . . except there ’s only two of us . ”
While Aveda link with the kick ass / take names / bear amazing leather bodysuits with touch accessories parts of the movie , I was all about a more intimate flake involving unseeable Girl , the member of the Trio played by Michelle Yeoh , who we subsequently witnessed being awing in Supercop and Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon and tons of other Yamato favorites . In the tantrum I replay in my head , Invisible Girl held her cunning , bespectacled love pursuit as he go . A single , saintly binge slew down her cheek . . . and then just like that , she was back to the byplay of saving the humanity . One tear was all she require .
To me , that was more badass than a perfectly executed roundhouse kick — or the stylish bang doing the kicking . Because as felicitous as I was to have someone like Aveda as a protector , I was still a bona fide wuss . I cringe behind her like nobody ’s business . I started sniffling whenever boss around so much as looked at us . I cried at the drop of a hat , and it was never that winsome - eyed situation that makes kids reckon so lovely . No , when I cried , it was an ugly , scrunched - up , persnickety red nerve type of deal . I wanted to be brave like Aveda , but when the french fries were down , I could never keep it together . Not even a little bit . I still retained the memory of that deep humiliation welling up inside of me when those kids started in with the “ human centre ” chant .
So while Aveda settle in that minute to be a superhero , I decide I would never call out again . That was how I could be brave . That was how I could fight back . Of course , Aveda and I had an ongoing literary argument about which of us was in reality Michelle Yeoh , since she was clearly the coolest .
I usually lease Aveda win .
But in my heart of heart , I knew it was me .
Heroine Complex isout July 5 from DAW Books .
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