about the book
Like most sixteen-year-olds, geeky Kamala Khan finds her parents far too strict and controlling. She doesn’t want to do anything too outrageous; she just wants the freedom to write her fan-fiction, spend time with the cool kids, and attend a party of two. But her parents are Jersey City working-class Muslim Pakistani-Americans and that means a lot of restrictions.
Frustrated, Kamala decides to defy her parents and sneak out to a party, but on her way there, she walks into a weird mist—and her boring life changes forever! Suddenly she has super powers—amazing strength, the ability to heal quickly, and craziest of all, an incredibly elastic body. Not only can she stretch into any size or shape, but she can now change her appearance!
Talk about a confusing and scary situation! Not only does she have to keep these powers secret, she has to learn how to control them. Then there is the whole question of what she’s going to do with them. Just ignore it all and continue on with her old life…or become a superhero? Possibly even the next Ms Marvel, just like her idol Carol Danvers!
While trying out her powers, she assumes Ms Marvel’s sexiest appearance—with long flowing blond locks and the skimpiest costume possible. Who knew the high boots would chafe and the tights costume would give her a wedgie! Being a superhero is definitely not all glamour!
If Kamala wants to help her community, she’ll have to do something about her parent’s strict restrictions. Not to mention the whole school thing and her friends…they are starting to ask questions. The pressure of the whole situation is starting to get to Kamala, but she can’t ponder her problems for long. Her first villain, The Inventor, is doing some really bad stuff.
When she goes after him, nothing goes right. Plus she gets grounded—again! In order to make all this work, Kamala will have to unlock the secret behind the mist. She’d better do it soon. You’ll be shocked to learn who The Inventor really is!
about the author
Writing under the name G. Willow Wilson, Gwendolyn was born on August 31, 1982. She started her writing career as a freelance music critic for DigBoston. While attending Boston University, she converted to Islam and moved to Cairo, Egypt. There she worked as a journalist contributing to the Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine, and the National Post.
Cairo, her first graphic novel, was published in 2007 and named one of the best graphic novels by Publishers Weekly, one of the Best Graphic Novels for High School Students in 2008 by the School Library Journal, and one of the 2009’s Top Ten Graphic Novels for Teens by the American Library Association. Gwendolyn also wrote and released a memoir, The Butterfly Mosque, about her life in Egypt, which was named a Seattle Times Best Book in 2010.
Gwendolyn’s ongoing comic series, Air, was nominated for an Eisner for Best New Series in 2009, and she has also written comics for Superman, Vixen, Justice League, and the Outsiders. Her debut novel, Alif the Unseen, won the 2013 World Fantasy Award for best novel and was a New York Times Notable Book. Her comic book series Ms Marvel is the winner of the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story.
When not busy penning novels, graphic novels, comics, and articles, she enjoys massive multiplayer online video games, British films, and cooking, and she holds a purple belt in Kajukenbo. She lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.
On January 24, 2016, Gwendolyn informed her fans that her youngest daughter was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. This brave “little pickle” will be going through a complicated delicate surgery and faces a long recovery. Gwendolyn asks that you keep her in your good thoughts.
Sources:
Author website
Author interview: Vulture
Article about author: Bleeding Cool
Author interview: Islam Sci-fi
Also by G. Willow Wilson:
A-Force : 1 : Hypertime. Marvel Entertainment Group. July 2016.
Ms. Marvel : 3 : Crushed. Marvel Entertainment Group. 2015.
Ms. Marvel : 2 : Generation Why. Marvel Entertainment Group. 2015.
Mystic : The Tenth Apprentice. Marvel Entertainment Group. 2011.
about the illustrator
Canadian Adrian Alphonsa was a relatively unknown artist when he came onto the comic scene with a bang. He co-created the hugely popular unconventional Runaway series with writer Brain Vaughn. Much of the success lies in Adrian’s amazing ability to depict wayward teens.
He has an exceptional grasp of the human figure and how it moves. But more importantly, he goes beyond most male illustrators and has a great understanding of teen fashions. His characters actually look like the kids hanging around schools, malls, and beaches. He has also designed characters for Cloak, Dagger, and Captain America and the other Avengers. His drawing style is sleek and stylized.
So far, he is credited with more than 115 comic issues.
Source:
Illustrator biography: Comic Vine
Also Illustrated by Adrian Alphona:
Runaways (Books 1-7) by Brian K. Vaughan. Marvel Entertainment Group. 2011.
read more!
Ms. Marvel : 2 : Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson
While looking for the villain The Inventor, Kamala Khan struggles with her new powers and finds her idol, Wolverine, in a sewer drain full of deadly robots, giant alligators, and a cockatiel-human hybrid cloned from Thomas Edison’s DNA! With the aid of unlikely allies and a new canine companion, Kamala realizes that her generation needs a voice now that she has uncovered The Inventor’s terrible scheme.
Runaways : Dead End Kids by Joss Whedon
The Runaways, a group of friends whose parents were super-powered villains, start a new life in New York City, where they become involved with Kingpin, a powerful and evil crime boss, and are transported back in time to 1907.