I don't normally enjoy stories that take superheroes out of their superhero context, but I have to admit I got a little emotional with this one. Having had the experience of being a child who felt out of place in his own family, I enjoyed the story and related to the characters.

I an unable to review this title, as it was archived before I had a chance to download and read it. This feedback is only to stop this title from adversely affecting my netgalley feedback rate. If in the future I have the opportunity to read this title, I will post a proper review here.

This is a graphic novel that I would be happy to share with my kids (middle grade readers) but there is still a lot of value in the storytelling for adult GN fans. I love Mariko Tamaki and will read anything she works on, so I knew this was going to be a hit for me. The storytelling is cute and heart-warming. The characters are interesting and you are really cheering for them throughout the book. There is a sapphic love story that is very tender and sweet. I think anyone who has dealt with / is currently dealing with the self-doubt and uncertainty of discovering and expressing yourself in the teen years will really connect with the characters here.

One noteworthy thing about this book is outside the book itself. A bunch of grown men on the internet had some strong feelings about it and gave it bad reviews because apparently they find it difficult to relate to stories about people who are different from them e.g. teen girls. So if you see reviews for it around the internet that are bad, it's not reflective of the book itself, but the tragic fragile masculinity of some sad, broken men.

* I got a free digital arc of this book, courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, but my opinions are my own.

A good addition to the DC cannon both in family dynamics and in female relationships and body issues. All the long time DC fans who are trashing on this; it's now written for you your once.

An excellent addition to any graphic novel collection within a library that serves young adults and adults alike. Mariko Tamaki produces a relatable and fun story about an angsty teen and her self-discovery.

If you are curious about DC's teen rebranding, this is an excellent place to start!

As a diehard DC Comic fan, I have grown up alongside the (not-so-teen) Titans and found my interest piqued when titles such as 'Raven', 'Beast Boy', and 'Beast Boy Loves Raven' began cropping up in my recommendation's lists.

To be honest, I have reached the point where I've found myself resistant to change and have consequentially approached each of these new young adult tiles with caution. After all- this will be the first time many teens and young adults will gain exposure to my cherished childhood heroes. If you're reading this now, chances are you have some of the same hesitation.

In this story we meet Mandy, Starfire's less-than-perky daughter. Though the title itself raises many questions about Many and her parentage, it should be noted that this title (technically) falls under the umbrella of DC Comic's 'Elseworlds' franchise.

In short, Elseworlds offers alternate stories woven together by genius talent in order to explore hypothetical alternatives to the primary 'canon' literature.
To date, all of the DC YA I have read in the last 3+ years has fallen into this category. (And there has been a LOT of it to choose from.)

As you might expect from the cover, Mandy is the opposite of her mother. A quiet teenager overshadowed by her mother's fame struggling to find her identity and come into her own. Naturally high school exacerbates the situation. Being short and sweet, this is all of the premise you need to dive right in and fall in love with Mandy and her closest friends.

I Am Not Starfire takes a family-forward approach to the struggles of high school without delving too deeply into darker topics. At its core, it is a light heart-felt read and palate cleanser (with just a dusting of swearwords sprinkled in for authenticity).

If you are curious or looking to bond with a teen in your life over DC Comics- I would recommend giving this book a read.

[Thank you NetGalley and DC Entertainment for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

As a plus size lesbian, I never dreamed of seeing that represented in comics. Thank you to Mariko and Yoshi for giving me, and countless others, the opportunity to feel seen.

Mandy Anders, daughter of Starfire, is not her mother. That doesn't change her personal value or power. She's different and that's okay, and I'm glad to have been able to read through this journey of self acknowledgement and relationship growth between a mother and daughter.

The story of Mandy, Starfire's daughter had so much promise. Unfortunately, it was riddled with overused troupes. Mandy feels like an overdone caricature of the "not like the other girls" stereotype. Although she changes, it's hard to call it character development. The plot develops in a fairly predictable fashion with a pretty obvious conclusion.

OF course Starfire's daughter would be a plus-sized goth. I am here for it. I also felt very much how that household was going before things started moving along. The romance is everything and I'm learning that I love everything that Mariko Tamaki is going to bring about the world.

So it was great. I want more of these about everyone.

This was by far my favorite of the DC middle grade imprint. It is hard to try to work starfire's childhood story into something palatable for young readers, so focusing on her daughter was a great idea. Being a teen is hard enough, being weird is hard enough, but then your mother is this beautiful superhero that has saved the world literally dozens of times? This was perfectly set up.

I would read Mariko Tamaki's laundry list and count myself lucky, so I'm a little biased in writing this review. That said, a story about being the goth daughter of one of the prettiest and goofiest heroes in the DC universe is a great read. I loved the relationship between the MC and her mother as well as with her friends. Her desire to have her own life combined with her desperate desire for her mom to Get It is well done.

Having never read a Starfire comic book, I really enjoyed reading this one that wasn't from her perspective. Plus I love everything that Mariko Tamaki touches so I may be a tad biased in my opinions.

Mandy is NOTHING like her mother. It is easy to see that Mandy's bright, effervescent, and superhero mom (Starfire) is a fry cry from Mandy's dyed-black hair and solemn outlook. Mostly, Mandy just wants to get by without people from school fan-girling over her mom and without her mom finding out she walked out of her SAT.

I do not have particularly in-depth Starfire knowledge, but this story seemed a little rough around the edges for me. It doesn't have the same tone that many of the other DC graphic novels have had. I thought it was a decent quick-read, but wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is picky about their superhero tales.

I am a big fan of Teen Titans. When I heard about this book, I had to read it. I found the book to be quirky and fun read. I did not particularly find this book as my favorite but I did enjoy reading it. I like the concept of how different Starfire & the daughter are. We just received our ordered copy from our public library & I cannot wait for others to enjoy this graphic novel.

1/5: Honestly, this is the lowest store I've given a book but it's well deserved. I think I'm actually being quite generous because of how atrocious this book actually is. First off, the main character is so unlikable to the point where I almost didn't want to finish reading the graphic novel (which was super short so normally it would be no problem) but the only reason I did was to give a review and to see her apologize at the end which she barely did if at all so it was super unsatisfying. The entire time, Many gave such "i'm not like other girls so I'm obviously better than basic girls" energy and it was not a vibe. She basically hated on her mom for no reason. And I get that teen girls get grouchy but this was so extreme. Like there were moments where she felt judged by her mom where starfire legit didn't say a word about her, Many was the judging one. Plus she was mean to everyone, including the guidance counselor and her love interest.

The plot made no sense, as Many had no goals other than not wanting to go to college and the "plot twist" towards the end was weak. I didn't like the character assignation of Starfire b/c she wouldn't be a shit mom. I would not recommend this book for anyone, let alone DC fans. This book was clearly written by someone who wanted to hate on superheroes.

--Slight Spoilers--
Not only is Many rude to everyone, she is such a a*hole to her crush Claire (who she ironically likes even tho she has the same vibe as her mom) for taking a selfie with people that were at her house. And then after yelling at her, Claire is the one to apologize later and Mandy is the one in the right??? No, this was not cool.

Also they hint towards Nightwing being her father and there is no way that would be true b/c either him and Starfire would still be together or they would be co-parenting as it's not in this character to just abandon his daughter who he sees on a regular basis but says nothing to. Also his signs something on screen as Robin (IV)? [if that was his signature, but I'm leaning towards yes as the other signatures present are the titans] which would make no sense as he was the first robin.

----MAJOR SPOILERS-----
The fact that the only thing to make Mandy more understanding and kind to her mom was the fact that she got powers was such a lame twist. Like it would have been nice for her to be normal but eventually make up with her mom over their differences. Also it made no sense that Starfire (who has been training/saving the world her whole life and was acknowledged to be more powerful than her sister in this same novel) would lose in a fight to her sister. It made even less sense for Mandy (who just got them legit that second) to be good enough to beat her. Like what bs.

SO CUTE! Absolutely adored this, and loved the look at the start of a new hero generation! The writing was great, as were the illustrations. Highly recommend to those who just love Teen Titans!

So I have to say I love this and now want a physical copy. This follows the life of Mandy who is the daughter of Starfire and how she navigates her last year of high school and finally tell the girl she likes that she likes her. find out more by picking up your own copy now. I wanted to gush more but then I would spoil it lol.

A thoroughly enjoyable take on a grumpy teen growing up in the shadow of her superhero mom. The contrast between the two characters is hilarious, but their constant miscommunication is truly relatable to many teen experiences. Gorgeous, expressive art driven by characters only adds to the experience. A lot of fun in a small package!

The latest original DC YA graphic novel, by YA rock star Mariko Tamaki, is all about the fraught relationship between (Teen) Titan's Starfire and her teen daughter, Mandy. Mandy's been raised by her mom - no word on her dad's identity, although everyone around her sure has opinions they don't mind sharing with her - and she is NOT like her mother at all. She isn't sparkly. She isn't a tall, alien superhero with superpowers. She's a goth chick who dyes her hair black, wears combat boots, and looks at just about everyone her with total disdain, except for her best friend, Lincoln. When Mandy is paired with "in" girl Claire for a school project, the two hit it off - so well that Mandy, who's just walked out of her SAT and decided to run away to France rather than go to college - may be interested in sticking around after all. But Starfire's family unrest follows her from Tamaran to Earth, and Mandy finds herself facing a fight for her life - or her mother's.


I Am Not Starfire is all about the up-and-down relationships between parents and kids. Are parents aliens to teens? Possibly. Are teens aliens to grownups? Heck yes (speaking for my two, exclusively). The relationship between Mandy and Starfire is recognizable, whether you have a parent that expects too much from you, or that you just can't relate to for a moment in time, but that you still love and want to be loved by in return. It's about family secrets, starting over, and discovering ourselves for who we are, sparkly powers notwithstanding, and it's about relationships with our friends, nurturing a crush to see where it goes, and the (sometimes) explosive relationships we have with family. Yoshi Yoshitani's artwork is amazing, and Mariko Tamaki is one of best writers in comics right now. Together, they create a great book for your teen graphic novel collections.

I received an advanced copy of I Am Not Starfire through NetGalley so I could share my review with you!

Mandy Koriand’r is not her mother, no matter how much the world wants her to be. Growing up in the shadow of her super-famous super-powered mom, Starfire, Mandy has had to find her own ways to stand apart. So, while her mother, peers, and even her friends all have expectations about who she should be, Mandy is determined to find her own path. One way or another, Mandy will show the world once and for all that she is not just Starfire’s daughter.

You can get your copy of I Am Not Starfire today from DC Comics!

I Am Not Starfire is packed with next-generation spunk and energy, bringing an exciting new take on the legacy of the Teen Titans. Mandy was a fun and relatable character, and I really enjoyed watching how she grew and developed over the Though I loved the writing style and plot, my favorite element of this book was definitely the art, by Yoshi Yoshitani. Their bold colorful style and use of intense contrasts added so much to the story. Quite often, I found myself pausing just to admire the illustrations, as they were each so extraordinarily lovely.

My Recommendation-
If you loved the original Teen Titans TV series, with its exploration of adolescents in the world of superheroes, you need to read I Am Not Starfire! This book would be an especially great choice for people who enjoy gorgeously illustrated graphic novels!