Faith: Taking Flight

Faith Herbert is a plus-size teenager who blogs about her favorite TV series and superhero comics while living with her grandmother in a small Texas town. When she discovers she has supernatural powers of flight and force fields, she must learn to balance her new abilities with her regular life. A string of mysterious animal disappearances hits Faith's community as she begins an internship at the local news station. She investigates these events while navigating a budding romance and trying to keep her powers hidden from those around her. At its core, the novel explores identity, self-acceptance, and the weight of responsibility that comes with having extraordinary abilities. The story incorporates themes of trust, family bonds, and what it means to become a hero in one's own right.

Readers describe Faith: Taking Flight as a coming-of-age story that balances superhero elements with real-life teen experiences. Positive reviews highlight: - Authentic plus-size representation without making weight the character's focus - LGBTQ+ themes handled naturally - Strong family relationships and friendship dynamics - Faith's optimistic personality and relatability Common criticisms: - Plot pacing feels slow in the first half - Superhero elements take too long to develop - Writing style can be simplistic - Some found the mystery subplot predictable Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (1,900+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (230+ ratings) "Faith feels like a real teenager, not a stereotype," notes one Goodreads reviewer. Another writes, "The superhero aspects felt secondary to teen drama." Barnes & Noble readers rated it 4/5 (50+ ratings), with multiple reviews praising the protagonist's voice but noting the story "takes time to find its footing."

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✦ Faith "Zephyr" Herbert is one of the first plus-size superheroes to headline her own comic book series, which inspired this novel ✦ Author Julie Murphy worked as a librarian before becoming a full-time writer, and draws on her experience working with young readers to create authentic teen characters ✦ The original Faith comic book character first appeared in 1992 as part of Valiant Comics' Harbinger series ✦ Faith's powers include flight and the ability to create a "companion field" that allows her to lift and transport objects and people while flying ✦ The novel combines elements of classic superhero stories with contemporary issues like body positivity, online privacy, and social media influence