Amazing! I will definitely recommend that our library purchase this. It will be a great addition to our graphic novel/comic book collection.

Squirrel Girl is the most delightful superhero to ever hit the shelves. Doreen Green, faced with many of the same Middle School drama that kids can relate with, is filled with self-confidence, love for her friends, respect for her parents, and even positivity towards her enemies. While sometimes life gets her down, she doesn't let it keep her from being true to herself.

In Hale's novel, Squirrel Girl is reading the story along with the reader, adding in her thoughts and annotations. This is particularly amusing as we read the perspectives of Doreen herself, her best friend, and her best squirrel friend. This was a little confusing reading as an e-book because of the placement of the footnotes, but the chipper personality still shone through. Readers of all ages will find amusement from the anecdotes about the Avengers. It was a nice touch to remind the reader what universe this takes place in, and how a young Superhero looks up to them, just as young readers will look up to Squirrel Girl and her BFF sidekick, a brilliant (human) girl.

I found this novel to be a little exhausting because of the high-energy, but I am not the target audience. Squirrel Girl makes for a superhero that kids can look up to, and parents would be thrilled. I would recommend it to young readers because it is relatable, goofy, and empowering. Also, imaging a halloween filled with squirrel tails. That's just cute.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A cute, fun read perfect for fans of the character and middle grade readers looking for a new superhero to love!

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World is amazing! Everything wonderful about the popular comic book series has been kept with this thrilling adventure of Doreen Green's. As a high school student, Doreen must navigate a new school, make new friends (including beloved squirrel Tippey-Toe), eat nuts, and kick butts. The hilarious footnotes make the story (they're my favorite part). This is a great book, with a superhero that is quirky and an excellent role model for girls. I would recommend this book to everyone!

Shannon and Dean Hale have done it once again. Squirrel Girl is an adventure and a delight! My graphic novel readers will grab this one right away.

I downloaded this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

A 320-page Middle Grade Novel telling an original "tail" of Marvel's cute, quirky, and downright furry Super Heroine--Squirrel Girl!

Penguin Audio reveals a bit more detail:

Who Runs the World? Squirrels!

Fourteen-year-old Doreen Green moved from sunny California to the suburbs of New Jersey. She must start at a new school, make new friends, and continue to hide her fluffy tail. Yep, Doreen has the powers of . . . a squirrel!

After failing at several attempts to find her new BFF, Doreen feels lonely and trapped, like a caged animal. Then one day Doreen uses her extraordinary powers to stop a group of troublemakers from causing mischief in the neighborhood, and her whole life changes. Everyone at school is talking about it! Doreen contemplates becoming a full-fledged Super Hero. And thus, Squirrel Girl is born!

She saves cats from trees, keeps the sidewalks clean, and prevents vandalism. All is well until a real-life Super Villain steps out of the shadows and declares Squirrel Girl his archenemy. Can Doreen balance being a teenager and a Super Hero? Or will she go . . . NUTS?


What worked for me?
There are lots of positive things about this book. It's got a diverse cast of characters to start. (Although, can you get much more diverse than a girl with a squirrel tale?) I like that it addresses, but doesn't dwell on the inanities of peer relationships in middle school. The friendship between Doreen and Ana Sofia is delightful. I enjoyed reading the chapters narrated by Tippy Toes, Doreen's squirrel friend. MM, the supervillain, is a complex character who I ended up feeling sorry for. Doreen's parents are a bit flakey, but it's kind of an over the top book anyway. I can see that fans of Ryan North's graphic Squirrel Girl series, who are reluctant readers of more text based books, could be convinced to read this.

Problems I had:
Let me begin by admitting that I am not the target audience for this book. If I were still working in the library, I would give this to one of my readers and ask what they think. Part of the problem is that I'm not a reader of marvel and other superhero comics so I'm sure I missed a lot of connections and injokes. There is a squirrely freneticness to the writing that aggravated me, and made it impossible for me to suspend belief and accept the authors' world. While the interactions with the reader were sometimes funny, they interrupted my already tenuous connection to the narrative. It wasn't until I was actually half way into the book that I actually got 'into it.' I might have abandoned it completely except someone I trust told me she was enjoying it. I admit that I did actually come to care about these characters and what happened to them.

Conclusion:
I really expected and wanted to love this book. After all, I've loved everything else Shannon Hale and Dean Hale have come up with. Maybe I need to have a go at Ryan North's Squirrel Girl comics to see if it all makes more sense to me.

Super cute! This book belongs in every high school and middle school library. U think it probably works best for those who already have a cursory understanding of Squirrel Girl, but it isn't really necessary to have read the comics beforehand. Doreen Green is trying to be a typical teenager, but is also starting to discover what she's capable of. It's really got a fun story!