Joy Nash’s energetic narration matches the fast speech and upbeat personality of this audiobook’s unusual heroine, Faith. Nash shows her understanding of the characters and relationships in this story of an atypical teen. At first, Faith seems like an average high school senior. But what doesn’t show are her mind-based abilities to fly and to manipulate force fields. When she uncovers a devious plot, Nash captures her skillful sleuthing ability as well. And when her beloved grandmother decides to move to assisted living because her Alzheimer’s is worsening, Nash depicts Faith’s empathy. The many moods of this story require a continually shifting tone, which Nash delivers. S.W. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

This sequel to Faith: Taking Flight delivers more action and intrigue. …The continuing adventures of an admirable superhero who goes above and beyond.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for FAITH: “This #OwnVoices genre and format mashup is fun and memorable, and should produce legions of new Faith superfans.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Body positive and deliciously keyed into fandom. Readers will flock to this inclusive romp.” — ALA Booklist

"Putting a queer spin on a tale as old as time, Julie Murphy proves that everyone can be a superhero – no matter their size, gender, or sexual orientation – at heart, we all have the power to make the world a better place!" — The Nerd Daily

“As in all her work, Murphy’s portrayal of a plus-size protagonist is nuanced and heartfelt…. Destined for great heights.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Faith is an awesome, crime-stopping superhero.” — People

“This is a superhero done right.” — Nerdist

This is a superhero done right.

"Putting a queer spin on a tale as old as time, Julie Murphy proves that everyone can be a superhero – no matter their size, gender, or sexual orientation – at heart, we all have the power to make the world a better place!"

Body positive and deliciously keyed into fandom. Readers will flock to this inclusive romp.

Faith is an awesome, crime-stopping superhero.

01/01/2022

Gr 7 Up—This story begins three months after Faith: Taking Flight's denouement, when a web of mysteries coalesced in an inferno. Although its precursor's busy plot is (thankfully) recapped, not all returning characters or relationships are memorable enough to carry dramatic weight. In Greater Heights, Faith has less time to spend fangirling over the fictional TV show The Grove or working with animals. Her two best friends, Matt and Ches, are back, but the friendship feels underdeveloped; it's hard to reconcile their status as "get matching tattoos"-level besties with the many times Faith leaves them in the dark. They know, of course, that Faith can fly, but are unaware when she harbors both her ex, Dakota, and the last book's "big bad," producer Margaret Toliver. Faith's feelings for Dakota read a bit more clearly than her friendships, but the most resonant story line is the teen's changing relationship with Grandma Lou, who raised her after her parents' deaths. Lou, now facing worsening dementia, is able to move into a posh continuing care facility run by George, her newly reappeared childhood sweetheart. But something is amiss at Cedar Hills. The prom- night climax is satisfyingly campy, if sudden. Connections between these revelations and the work of mad scientist Toyo Harada and fellow "psiot" Peter are teased, as is the next step in Faith's evolution as a superhero. VERDICT Readers who enjoyed the first book will likely embrace this sequel; despite some shortcomings, it's still entertaining. A win for more varied representation, and a bridge to future installments in Faith's saga.—Miriam DesHarnais

Joy Nash’s energetic narration matches the fast speech and upbeat personality of this audiobook’s unusual heroine, Faith. Nash shows her understanding of the characters and relationships in this story of an atypical teen. At first, Faith seems like an average high school senior. But what doesn’t show are her mind-based abilities to fly and to manipulate force fields. When she uncovers a devious plot, Nash captures her skillful sleuthing ability as well. And when her beloved grandmother decides to move to assisted living because her Alzheimer’s is worsening, Nash depicts Faith’s empathy. The many moods of this story require a continually shifting tone, which Nash delivers. S.W. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

2021-09-01
This sequel to Faith: Taking Flight (2020) delivers more action and intrigue.

Faith just wants to enjoy these last few months of senior year before college, before her best friends move away, before life becomes one big change. Unfortunately, life won’t wait. For starters, her grandmother, in the not-so-early stages of Alzheimer’s, decides to move into assisted living earlier than Faith had anticipated. Then there’s fallout from a recent event in which Faith busted a nefarious criminal plot wide open, literally saving people and puppies from a burning building with the aid of her psiot abilities of flight and force-field manipulation. Her sort-of-girlfriend disappeared that day, as did Colleen, a classmate who could apparently control fire. Suddenly Colleen shows up back at school, behaving almost as if nothing had happened and brushing off Faith’s attempts to talk about the past. There’s no shortage of other shady characters on Faith’s radar, as the aspiring journalist delves deeper into mysteries that are still hidden in her Minnesota town. Murphy crafts a narrative that balances many aspects of Faith’s life—school, friendships, superhero abilities, romance, betrayal, and being both a loving granddaughter and super sleuth. Faith is relatedly imperfect and driven by an unflagging desire to do good and help others. White, plus-size Faith expresses attraction to multiple genders, and there are several secondary characters of color.

The continuing adventures of an admirable superhero who goes above and beyond. (Fiction. 13-18)