Terri Favro’s ‘Sputnik’s Children’ introduces Debbie Reynolds Biondi, creator of the cult classic superhero series ‘Sputnik Chick: Girl with No Past.’
Debbie has coasted along writing the series, detailing the adventures of a hardass heroine who thinks nothing of facing down mutants to save the planet. However, readership is down and her remaining fans demand a prequel. Reluctantly, Debbie is faced with writing her own story. She is, indeed, Sputnik Chick herself. Sputnik Chick’s adventures have been her own.
The book’s premise is creative, and Debbie is an interesting character. However, there are technical problems. Divided into three sections, the first and third sections detail Debbie’s current life. Section two recounts Debbie’s past in Shipman’s Corners, a 1950-ish Rust Belt town of no distinction. This is Debbie’s past - in the alternate reality world of Atomic Mean Time. It’s a world that shadows and magnifies problems of the Eastern Standard Time world. The shifts in time and place can be abrupt and painful.
What starts out as a fast paced witty book, slows down in section two. And the reader is left wondering if the author ran out of quips or just decided to present a different side of her protagonist.
The premise is creative, but the execution too rough. ( )