Tag: Superheros

Kamala Khan is a typical Pakistani American teenager living in Jersey City. But she’s also a superhero:  Ms. Marvel. Balancing these two worlds is often her biggest obstacle from attending high school, managing friendships and relationships, and, oh yeah, taking down villains. This time, the villain is Kingpin who has possession of a magical artifact which sends Ms. Marvel to Lahore, Pakistan under the guise of Khan visiting a sick relative. 

Mohammed’s work in voice acting and personal background as a Muslim Pakistani woman naturally flows into capturing Khan’s comedic superhero energy and the Jersey City family and friends as the single narrator with a stamina that holds strong throughout the audiobook. Similarly, the emotional mix of silly and serious scenes are handled adeptly and provide the depth of storytelling Faruqi intended in addressing colonialism and curation through the lens of a teen turned superhero. 

Since Angeline Boulley’s sophomore book, Warrior Girl Unearthed, tackles the subject of repatriating stolen artifacts from marginalized communities, the books align well. Or, listen to others in the Marvel YA novel series universe by Penguin Random House like Lee’s Gamora and Nebula and Reynold’s Miles Morales: Spider-Man for more superhero energy.

-Alicia Abdul

Other Nominated Titles

• The Oks Are Not Ok by Grace K. Shim
• Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

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