Just Cause: (Just Cause Universe Book 1) by Ian Thomas Healy
A NEW HERO FOR A NEW ERA
Mustang Sally has some speedy shoes to fill. This young superhero has waited her whole life to join Just Cause — the premiere team of American heroes. Now she’s hoping her super-speed will earn a spot on the same team to which her parents and grandparents belonged.
AN OLD GRUDGE FROM AN OLD ENEMY
A chance encounter with the villain who killed her father changes everything. Even though she’s only an intern, Sally devotes herself to finding the man known as Destroyer. With the help of her eagle-winged best friend Sondra and her super-strong love interest Jason, her investigations uncover a sinister plot stretching all the way back to her grandparents’ era. Sally and Just Cause must risk everything to halt Destroyer’s plans and save the entire world.
Olivia Wylie’s Review: 4-stars
If you’re a fan of the Avengers movies, this is your book. But-fair warning-it is very genre. If you’re not a superhero fan, there’s not a lot here for you.
Focusing on Mustang Sally, trainee superhero just out of Academy with a proud family history and a familial foe to best, this story starts off as a romp and keeps the energy high. It reminded me of several favorite teen-superhero shows from my younger days, and I found that charming. Many TV tropes show up here on the page: the Meet Cute, the Man With No Past, and of course the Sad Origin Story. It’s perfectly in character for this perfectly in genre dash through The World Of Supers.
Now, where Healy sets himself apart is in the world integration. Para-humans are an acknowledged part of society. They have specialized academies and training facilities that are publicly recognized. They are a component of law enforcement and government. They even need insurance. I found that utterly charming. The focus of this story is procedural events and action scenes a la the Avengers or Young X-men. Drama is kept to a minimum aside from a little young romance, for which I’m always grateful. I hate pages of angst (looking at you, Daredevil). What hand wringing there was had a purpose and was kept in perspective.
Again, I will stress that if you’re not into the superhero idea, this is not your book. It follows all the tropes to a T, with some slight novelties introduced but nothing that will change the world. That said, if you do like superhero stories, this is a book you want to grab some popcorn and snuggle up with because it’s a delightful little jaunt. Fans of The Incredibles, Thor, Spiderman, and especially Mega Mind are in for a treat.
Terence Vickers’ Review: 5-Stars.
I really enjoyed this read, couldn’t put the book away until the end.
A genetic anomaly has given some humans some unique talents that make them different from regular people. First discovered in some soldiers in World War II, their numbers have grown.
Salena Thompson, better know as Mustang Sally, is a third generation speedster, having inherited her abilities from her mother and grandmother. She has just turned 18 and is awarded an internship with Just Cause, the top level organization of parahuman super heroes in the US which is an integral part of US Homeland Security. As a third generation speedster, she is a hard one to beat in a race with a top speed on foot of 400 miles per hour you would need a fighter jet to outpace her.
A special hero costume that protects her from the heat of air friction is an absolute necessity for her to perform at top speed. She is so fast that when a mugger tries to rob her she can empty the ammo from the gun before the bad guy can pull the trigger.
If you love superhero stories you will be sure to enjoy this read.
Mustang Sally is so much like any girl her age that I have met it’s hard to believe she is fictional at times. Just like any girl her age she has her emotions, hopes, and dreams the same as any human.
The rest of the characters are just as well written and the other parahuman heroes are all just as powerfully talented, each in their own unique way.
The cover is a perfect fit for this book, I love the pulp fiction/comic book style and the text and illustration are just right for the story. 10 points
The formatting and presentation are as near perfect as you can get. 10 points each. (20)
If there are any spelling, grammar or word choice errors they are so insignificant that I missed them. 10 points each. (30)
The plot by any point of view couldn’t be better. A great mix of action, danger, and romance make this book hard to put down 20 points.
Characters and development: There are no weak or unreal characters, in the context of the story they are all perfectly as real as someone you might meet on the street. Even the ones who only appear for a single scene are ‘real’. 20 points.
100 points=five stars.
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