Black Widow: Forever Red
By Margaret Stohl
Age Range: 12 - 18 years
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Series: A Marvel YA Novel
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Marvel Press (October 13, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 148472643X
ISBN-13: 978-1484726433
Approximate Lexile: 780
Publisher’s
Blurb:
Enter the world of the Avengers' iconic master spy.
Natasha Romanoff is one of the world's most lethal assassins. Trained
from a young age in the arts of death and deception, Natasha was given the
title of Black Widow by Ivan Somodorov, her brutal teacher at the Red Room,
Moscow's infamous academy for operatives.
Ava Orlova is just trying to fit in as an average Brooklyn teenager, but
her life has been anything but average.The daughter of a missing Russian
quantum physicist, Ava was once subjected to a series of ruthless military
experiments-until she was rescued by Black Widow and placed under S.H.I.E.L.D.
protection. Ava has always longed to reconnect with her mysterious savior, but
Black Widow isn't really the big sister type.
Until now.
When children all over Eastern Europe begin to go missing, and rumors of
smuggled Red Room tech light up the dark net, Natasha suspects her old teacher
has returned-and that Ava Orlova might be the only one who can stop him. To defeat
the madman who threatens their future, Natasha and Ava must unravel their
pasts. Only then will they discover the truth about the dark-eyed boy with an
hourglass tattoo who haunts Ava's dreams. . . .
Black Widow: Forever Red features all the heart-pounding adventure
readers expect from Marvel, written by #1 New York Times best-selling author
Margaret Stohl. Uncover a new side of the Marvel Universe that will thrill
loyal fans and newcomers alike, as Stohl reveals the untold story of Black
Widow for the very first time.
My
Thoughts:
This was a little bit slow for me at first. The best
parts were at the end of the chapters, as Natasha goes through a
debrief/hearing regarding her actions—which also foreshadows the narration to
come. Her voice rings true with the wry, Russian attitude that we’re accustomed
to from the Marvel Comics Universe movies.
Intially, much of the action focuses on Ava and Alex.
It looks like it’s going to be just another teenage adventure. Orphaned teen
tries to get back at the world and those whom she feels abandoned her, etc. I
do love that Alex and Ava are fencers—my two grown kids were both recreational
fencers, and the fencing is properly done.
It’s once Natasha Romanov enters the scene that I
started to enjoy the book. When she brings in Tony Stark, even better—their banter,
again, rings true to what we’ve come to expect from the big screen.
This story is definitely aimed at the YA audience,
with the teenagers being the primary point-of-view characters. It does give
Natasha some backstory, without leaving her tied down by it. (Surprise—not. I
totally saw it coming that a particular character would not survive the book.) Honestly,
I found that part of the story to be a bit contrived and too convenient.The
mysterious Red Room is further explained, beyond what was revealed in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Does it live up to the above billing of “the untold
story of Natasha Romanov”? Only a little bit. The book, at its heart, isn’t
really about Black Widow. She is merely a player in the story of Ava Orlova. Overall,
it’s an enjoyable adventure that introduces a new character to the MCU, while
filling us in some more on an old (and favorite) one.
Possible Objectionable Material:
Perilous situations,
violence (it’s a MCU story, after all), teenagers being sneaky. Mild cursing.
Who might like this book:
Fans of the MCU, of
course. That’s why I requested it! Teens mostly, though adults will find it
perfectly tolerable.
I received a free e-book from NetGalley in return for this impartial
review.
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