Summary
As Shuri digs into her studies and training in order to earn a trip to a tech conclave with her brother, King T’Challa, she starts hearing rumors of missing teen girls. First, it’s someone she met on her last adventure. Then it’s someone her best friend K’Marah knows. Then Shuri is hacked by an American girl who also has a missing friend. And those three girls are just the tip of the iceberg. Girls from around the world between 10 and 15 years old, all with major STEM skills, have gone missing. But no one seems to have noticed.
When Shuri discovers coordinates in Ethiopia where the missing girls might be, she and K’Marah scheme for an opportunity to get away and check the place out. While they feel obligated to be sure the girls are safe, two more teenage girls on a rescue mission might not be the best choice. And what they find seems to raise more questions than it answers.
Review
This was fun! I loved the premise of the book – the missing STEM teens – and Shuri’s journey to solve the mystery. There’s nice development to Shuri’s relationship with K’Marah. And there are several fun appearances of folks from the larger Marvel universe. I would love to see the wrap up of this book become something bigger that gets explored more in a future story. Shuri seems well-positioned to make a difference for other bright young minds that don’t have the resources or support that she does.
Fans of the first book should NOT miss this one. Newcomers probably don’t need to have read that one to follow the action of this one, but it’s fun to see the full arc for Shuri in order. Readers should be aware that while there are some connections to the Wakandan world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this series does not line up 100% with the movie timeline. Also, this is a prose novel, not a graphic novel.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.