"The world had never been good about accepting women with power. It never did believe we could wield the power we possessed." - Birdie, pg. 165.

If this book had a thesis statement, it would be this. Despite being a very entertaining, emotional, and funny super hero story, the story of Birdie is one that so many women can relate to - the unending question of what it means to be a woman in society, and who gets to decide the answer to that question. The book isn't hiding its argument; if anything, it's projecting it in neon flashing lights to everyone to see: we are the ones who decide how and when to wield our power.

Birdie is a loveable contradiction. She's physically stronger than most people on the planet, but the development of her power has resulted in her being more emotionally stunted than most people around her. Physically, little can hurt her, emotionally, it doesn't take more than a verbal slight to send her spinning. But after initial resistance, she's willing and able to put in the work to fix her shortcomings. It was wonderful to experience the evolution of Birdie's relationship with Evie, the perfectly chipper foil whose pain and strength is belied by the bubbly exterior.

Aiden is a perfectly foul-mouthed misanthrope with a soft spot for the people he loves and cares about. The relationship that develops between Birdie and Aiden makes sense and I was definitely rooting for it to succeed. 

Overall, this is a super charming story that had me hooked from Birdie's interaction with the "super fan" and that had me wanting a shirt by the end. The moral may have been a little too obvious, but it didn't detract from the great fun you have as you experience the lesson.