Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wonder Woman has always been one of my favorite superheroes and I love this interpretation of Diana Prince. Diana is the princess of the Amazon and it's her sixteenth birthday. Like all teenagers, she's painfully awkward and uncertain of her place in her world, but eager to grow up. When she plunges into the sea to save refugees, she ends up accidentally breaking through the veil surrounding Themyscira and ending up in our world instead.

Her skill with languages helps identify her to a diplomat and a volunteer, who pull her out of the camps and take her to New York, where she ends up staying with a Polish family. There, she immediately begins helping out undocumented immigrants and low income families, while the book-- very neutrally and not at all sanctimoniously-- tackles issues like gentrification, human trafficking, and corruption.

I really loved this book a lot. It's aimed at young adults but nothing about it is childish. The art style is polished and the writing is mature. I wouldn't have expected less from Laurie Halse Anderson, though. Tough topics are basically her bread and butter as an audience.

Diana is a hard character to write and Leigh Bardugo didn't quite pull it off with her interpretation. This is close to perfect, though. Diana is the perfect blend of kick-butt heroine and naive traveler. She doesn't tolerate sexism and is willing to put everything on the line to defend families and children, but she doesn't know what a merry-go-round is and is flummoxed by homelessness and bad coffee.

I also loved the positive themes in this book: bonding together as a community, the greatness of libraries and how they serve as resource hubs for those who are struggling, and the importance of friendship and family ties. I think TEMPEST TOSSED will be an excellent read for anyone who loves Wonder Woman.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars