Penny is a trans girl fresh out of high school driven to the end of her rope. With no aspirations, she's consigned to life in a small town that won't accept her. Then, in the night, she receives superpowers from the moon itself, granting her master over illusions and the ability to control her appearance. Now a local celebrity, Mirage dedicates her free time to helping her hometown and finally getting the positive attention she deserves. But there's another force at play in the town that threatens Mirage's safety. Will she be able to live up to her duties as a superhero, even at the cost of her safety?
This story is well-written, with great characterization. I thought the twist on how "superheroing" was conducted in this world was clever and unique as well. It also does a great job subverting expectations - the cliche tropey plot development one might expect at various junctures doesn't actually end up occurring.
There's a lot of darkness, but ironically the majority of it isn't even from supervillains - just the nasty bigotry that (speaking from experience) a trans person can expect to find in spades in some small, insular southern towns. There is a happy ending however and as usual it's all the sweeter for having gone through adversity.
Being trans, coming out, etc is a big part of the focus of the story content. If that's your cup of tea, or if you just don't mind and are up for a unique superhero story, then I highly recommend giving this a read!
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This is a good novel with solid worldbuilding, including a unique take on superheroes, and strong characterization and plotting. Penny will sneak into your heart and settle down within a chapter or two.
I beta-read the novel before it was posted on Scribblehub.
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