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Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster
Carol Danvers kicks off her U.S. Air Force career with her first year at flight school, where she'll be tested in ways she never thought possible-and make a lifelong friend, Maria Rambeau, in the process-in this atmospheric and exciting prelude to the upcoming Marvel Studios' film, Captain Marvel! Focusing on Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau as they wend their way through a space that was still very much a "boys' club" in the 80s, the important social-cultural themes explored in this novel are sure to draw in not only fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but readers of social issue-focused YA who gravitate toward relatable protagonists learning to navigate the world around them, and to succeed in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity.
246 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2019
About the author
Liza Palmer
19 books540 followersLiza Palmer is the internationally bestselling author of Conversations with the Fat Girl , which has been optioned for series by HBO.
Library Journal said Palmer’s “blend of humor and sadness is realistic and gripping,..”
After earning two Emmy nominations writing for the first season of VH1’s Pop Up Video, she now knows far too much about Fergie.
Palmer’s fifth novel, Nowhere but Home, is about a failed chef who decides to make last meals for the condemned in Texas. Nowhere but Home won the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction in 2013.
Liza's seventh novel, The F Word, came out through Flatiron Books April 25, 2017.
Liza lives in Los Angeles and when she's not drinking tea and talking about The Great British Bake Off, she works at BuzzFeed.
Library Journal said Palmer’s “blend of humor and sadness is realistic and gripping,..”
After earning two Emmy nominations writing for the first season of VH1’s Pop Up Video, she now knows far too much about Fergie.
Palmer’s fifth novel, Nowhere but Home, is about a failed chef who decides to make last meals for the condemned in Texas. Nowhere but Home won the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction in 2013.
Liza's seventh novel, The F Word, came out through Flatiron Books April 25, 2017.
Liza lives in Los Angeles and when she's not drinking tea and talking about The Great British Bake Off, she works at BuzzFeed.
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April 2, 2019
Covering Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel during her first year at the United States Air Force Academy.
This is not a graphic novel or comic, in case you were wondering. It's a YA novel tie-in.
This is a monster of a review because I have ~feelings.
So, I'm going to preface all of my commentary with a warning: I did not attend the USAFA nor was I in the Air Force. However, I was in the Marine Corps for a little bit so. There's for establishing street cred.
I'm also going to preface my review with another warning: I'm extra salty because a YA contemporary about women in the military means something special to me. So your experience with this book may differ.
Also, I know that this is a Marvel origin story. I get that. However, Carol Danvers was an Air Force test pilot and this is about her experience in the USAFA. Be...accurate about how the military works? It's the little details.
I'm not going to talk about actual USAFA specifics because I don't know them, but there are a couple basic military things that just annoyed the flying heck out of me.
Like having zero accountability of the cadets during their Beast Week. Carol and Maria take off on a run and leave the building before 4 am on their first day.
Hell no.
Beast is--I'm assuming--like boot camp where little baby cadets learn to be little fourth year cadets. You do not leave your room without permission. You do not shit without permission. You most certainly do not leave your room and the building to go for a run without telling anyone.
You also don't march with perfect lock-step precision on day one without any training whatsoever. Marching is surprisingly hard to do well.
There were other things that irritated me, small things that non-military folks probably wouldn't catch but just rubbed me the wrong way.
Like the commanding officer of the gas chamber. Say what? Never have I ever seen an officer run a gas chamber. But hey, this is the AF and they're officer heavy so who knows? Also: gas doesn't enter the room. This isn't Auschwitz. The people running the chamber open canisters (generally in the middle of the room) and that's where the gas comes from. The more canisters they pop the spicier it gets. And you can't wear glasses with a gas mask, 1) because it sure as fuck wouldn't fit and 2) even if you could somehow manage it, you'd be really uncomfortable and sucking down CS gas like a champ because you wouldn't be able to get a proper seal.
And the thing that just had me shaking my head was this
However. I took all that with a grain of salt. I wasn't expecting the small details to be right.
I was expecting something a little more in depth. This feels like a beginning draft. The pacing felt very off due to rushing through a lot of details about life at USAFA and the various struggles that joining the military entails (or just kinda glossing over them?), and I felt like there was a lack of character development that seemed at odds with Danvers' many epiphanies and insights, mostly because what was happening on the page felt too soon or non-existent or like things were happening off page that were just rushed through.
Additionally, the development of the other characters felt one-dimensional and not as well-fleshed out as I'd like. It takes over 60% of the book for Carol's teammates to really feel like more than their last names, and the weird tension with Bianchi in the beginning just felt off.
Same with the stand-off with Jenks. I just felt like he wasn't built up enough as the enemy to really have many of his interactions and reactions make sense. I get the general misogyny and "you don't belong here attitude" (trust me, oh do I get that), but some of his interactions with Carol...I don't know. It just felt weird. Why her? It felt like it was all in her head--and it was, to an extent--but setting Jenks up as a foil just didn't work because he wasn't there enough to really be a good enemy.
One of the things I did enjoy was Carol and her insights on Imposter Syndrome, of not being able to take a compliment or pat herself on the back and acknowledge that yes, she is a damn good pilot. However, coming after her triumphant smashing of the boys in the physical contests, it felt like a hollow realization and removed the joyous realization that she doesn't need anyone else's approval in order to be proud of her own accomplishments.
Another area the book where the book really soared on its own wings (get it, get it?) was when Carol was around airplanes. Once she got beyond the masturbatory ogling of aircraft and finally got into the cockpit, things really took off. The descriptions of flying, and particularly the Thunderbirds, was magical and breathtaking and I just wished that the rest of the book made me feel the same sense of soaring and wonder.
But it didn't.
Which was a huge disappointment, because I love Captain Marvel and I really, really want more contemporary YA books about women in the military. There are...not many. Hell, there are not many historical YA books about women in the military (where they are not spies or part of a para-military group, and no, Michael Grant's series does not count).
So seeing this novel about Captain Marvel during her early years at the USAFA made me so excited that I set myself up to crash and burn.
And with that horrible pun, I'll see myself out.
This is not a graphic novel or comic, in case you were wondering. It's a YA novel tie-in.
This is a monster of a review because I have ~feelings.
So, I'm going to preface all of my commentary with a warning: I did not attend the USAFA nor was I in the Air Force. However, I was in the Marine Corps for a little bit so. There's for establishing street cred.
I'm also going to preface my review with another warning: I'm extra salty because a YA contemporary about women in the military means something special to me. So your experience with this book may differ.
Also, I know that this is a Marvel origin story. I get that. However, Carol Danvers was an Air Force test pilot and this is about her experience in the USAFA. Be...accurate about how the military works? It's the little details.
I'm not going to talk about actual USAFA specifics because I don't know them, but there are a couple basic military things that just annoyed the flying heck out of me.
Like having zero accountability of the cadets during their Beast Week. Carol and Maria take off on a run and leave the building before 4 am on their first day.
Hell no.
Beast is--I'm assuming--like boot camp where little baby cadets learn to be little fourth year cadets. You do not leave your room without permission. You do not shit without permission. You most certainly do not leave your room and the building to go for a run without telling anyone.
You also don't march with perfect lock-step precision on day one without any training whatsoever. Marching is surprisingly hard to do well.
There were other things that irritated me, small things that non-military folks probably wouldn't catch but just rubbed me the wrong way.
Like the commanding officer of the gas chamber. Say what? Never have I ever seen an officer run a gas chamber. But hey, this is the AF and they're officer heavy so who knows? Also: gas doesn't enter the room. This isn't Auschwitz. The people running the chamber open canisters (generally in the middle of the room) and that's where the gas comes from. The more canisters they pop the spicier it gets. And you can't wear glasses with a gas mask, 1) because it sure as fuck wouldn't fit and 2) even if you could somehow manage it, you'd be really uncomfortable and sucking down CS gas like a champ because you wouldn't be able to get a proper seal.
And the thing that just had me shaking my head was this
However. I took all that with a grain of salt. I wasn't expecting the small details to be right.
I was expecting something a little more in depth. This feels like a beginning draft. The pacing felt very off due to rushing through a lot of details about life at USAFA and the various struggles that joining the military entails (or just kinda glossing over them?), and I felt like there was a lack of character development that seemed at odds with Danvers' many epiphanies and insights, mostly because what was happening on the page felt too soon or non-existent or like things were happening off page that were just rushed through.
Additionally, the development of the other characters felt one-dimensional and not as well-fleshed out as I'd like. It takes over 60% of the book for Carol's teammates to really feel like more than their last names, and the weird tension with Bianchi in the beginning just felt off.
Same with the stand-off with Jenks. I just felt like he wasn't built up enough as the enemy to really have many of his interactions and reactions make sense. I get the general misogyny and "you don't belong here attitude" (trust me, oh do I get that), but some of his interactions with Carol...I don't know. It just felt weird. Why her? It felt like it was all in her head--and it was, to an extent--but setting Jenks up as a foil just didn't work because he wasn't there enough to really be a good enemy.
One of the things I did enjoy was Carol and her insights on Imposter Syndrome, of not being able to take a compliment or pat herself on the back and acknowledge that yes, she is a damn good pilot. However, coming after her triumphant smashing of the boys in the physical contests, it felt like a hollow realization and removed the joyous realization that she doesn't need anyone else's approval in order to be proud of her own accomplishments.
Another area the book where the book really soared on its own wings (get it, get it?) was when Carol was around airplanes. Once she got beyond the masturbatory ogling of aircraft and finally got into the cockpit, things really took off. The descriptions of flying, and particularly the Thunderbirds, was magical and breathtaking and I just wished that the rest of the book made me feel the same sense of soaring and wonder.
But it didn't.
Which was a huge disappointment, because I love Captain Marvel and I really, really want more contemporary YA books about women in the military. There are...not many. Hell, there are not many historical YA books about women in the military (where they are not spies or part of a para-military group, and no, Michael Grant's series does not count).
So seeing this novel about Captain Marvel during her early years at the USAFA made me so excited that I set myself up to crash and burn.
And with that horrible pun, I'll see myself out.
March 27, 2022
this is a novel that portrays carol danvers’s backstory before she became captain marvel. it shows her journey in meeting maria rambeau, and how she deals with her first year at flight school.
it talks about the struggles they faced as women in an atmosphere that looked down on and discounted them.
it was a great read! carol danvers is a character that i’ve loved ever since i first saw the captain marvel film, so it was nice to read more about her backstory and see how she met maria.
i enjoyed reading her inner monologue and seeing her character development throughout the story. i will be reading more marvel novels in the future, and i definitely recommend this one.
3.5/5 stars
it talks about the struggles they faced as women in an atmosphere that looked down on and discounted them.
it was a great read! carol danvers is a character that i’ve loved ever since i first saw the captain marvel film, so it was nice to read more about her backstory and see how she met maria.
i enjoyed reading her inner monologue and seeing her character development throughout the story. i will be reading more marvel novels in the future, and i definitely recommend this one.
3.5/5 stars
August 29, 2019
Es la 1:20 de la madrugada y heme aquí escribiendo una reseña para esta JOYA.
No solo es un libro que nos habla de la vida de Capitana Marvel, es un libro que nos relata la vida de una heroína común y mortal como Carol Danvers. Una mujer fuerte e increible que nos enseña como permitirnos a aprender.
De verdad que no esperaba unas enseñanzas tan fuertes y sabias proviniendo de un libro como este... de verdad que GUAU... ni siquiera se como expresar mis sentimientos por medio de palabras.
Como mujer y como una feminista empedernida debo de exigirles a todas que lean este libro, de verdad les impulsara sus sueños como no tienen una idea.
Literalmente se ganó un espacio en mi corazón, y tambien se gano una reseña individual en el canal ❤️️
No solo es un libro que nos habla de la vida de Capitana Marvel, es un libro que nos relata la vida de una heroína común y mortal como Carol Danvers. Una mujer fuerte e increible que nos enseña como permitirnos a aprender.
De verdad que no esperaba unas enseñanzas tan fuertes y sabias proviniendo de un libro como este... de verdad que GUAU... ni siquiera se como expresar mis sentimientos por medio de palabras.
Como mujer y como una feminista empedernida debo de exigirles a todas que lean este libro, de verdad les impulsara sus sueños como no tienen una idea.
Literalmente se ganó un espacio en mi corazón, y tambien se gano una reseña individual en el canal ❤️️
March 15, 2019
4.5*
Fun, quick read. I haven’t seen the movie yet so it was a great way for me to get introduced to the characters. I really liked the development of Carol and Maria in this novel (which is surprisingly done well for such a small story). Carol and Maria were so much fun to read about and they were just wonderfully strong females that teens will love to read about in this YA novel. Overall, I found it fun and entertaining and cannot wait to see the film.
Fun, quick read. I haven’t seen the movie yet so it was a great way for me to get introduced to the characters. I really liked the development of Carol and Maria in this novel (which is surprisingly done well for such a small story). Carol and Maria were so much fun to read about and they were just wonderfully strong females that teens will love to read about in this YA novel. Overall, I found it fun and entertaining and cannot wait to see the film.
March 8, 2019
This is a wonderful little middle grade prequel to the film which takes place during Carol’s first year in the Air Force Academy. I would recommend for anyone seeing the movie!
May 23, 2019
Hits you over the head with morals but they’re social justice ones so I don’t mind one bit.
May 31, 2021
2021 EDIT: Reread, after shamefacedly forgetting everything that happens in this book: It's a spectacular, deceptively simple Carol Danvers - not Captain Marvel - children's/YA novel. Full of brilliant, life affirming lessons to take away from, especially for girls and women. Female empowerment, friendship and thrills are taken to the skies, where there are no limits. Feel what it's like to fly, to work terribly hard, to be exhausted (physically, emotionally and mentally), to be exhilarated (like an inexperienced teenager), and to make lifelong friends and "let yourself learn", from reading these pages.
'Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster' is not a superhero book; it is meant to reflect real life; but it is super.
Carol and Maria would make a great, soaring, revolutionary team and power couple, of any kind.
Read my original review for more.
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
'Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster' - a middle grade/YA companion piece to the movie, about Carol Danvers' first year at the US Air Force Academy. A girl born to fly, she is determined to make her dream come true and mark her name in history, as the first US female fighter pilot, in a world that won't give her a chance even when she's done everything and more to earn it.
'Higher, Further, Faster' - the title reminds me of Kelly Sue DeConnick's comics run, and good grief how I miss that. After the disaster that is 'The Life of Captain Marvel', I'm currently boycotting Marvel (again!), or at least their 'Captain Marvel' run, until I know for sure that that retcon is, well, retconned. At the same time, I didn't want that comic to possibly be the last time I read about Carol Danvers, so the 2019 YA novel seemed a safe bet; as a product of the excellent movie, and not the comics.
'Higher, Further, Faster' is set before Carol becomes Captain Marvel, before she is involved with any Kree in fact, so the title is mostly brand recognition. Still, the book is an enjoyable, inspirational flyby for a day. Preferably on a sunny day in a California desert, or near an airbase (how I wish I could've read it on any of my trips to America!)
This accessible novel is highly inspirational for young girls, and boys. It is about believing in yourself and overcoming challenges and obstacles on a micro as well as major-aggressive level and so on (even the dialogue comments on how cheesy and after-school special this sounds). But it goes deeper than that.
Carol Danvers is complex and likeable here. In a narrative told from her POV, her dialogue and attitude are a hoot, and her internal monologues peel back her brash confidence and reveal her insecurities and uncertainties. She's as physically fit, capable and determined as you can get. I loved reading about her relationship with planes of all kinds, and her exhilarating descriptions of flying. I felt like I was experiencing it with her. However, like any human, she houses doubts that she's both consciously and unconsciously aware of.
At the beginning of the book, before she sets foot at the flight school, Carol is almost arrested for chasing down and cornering a guy in a Jaguar, after he did a hit-and-run on a female driver. Upon hearing her ambitions, a female state trooper, Wright, gives Carol a piece of advice - literally written on a piece of paper in place of a ticket - "Let yourself learn". These three deceptively simple words work to thread the events and themes together throughout the book, for Carol's character development. It's clever, and quite deep and teary.
But the biggest highlight of 'Higher, Further, Faster' is the friendship Carol has with Maria Rambeau. They hit it off almost right away, as roommates. They work so well together. Their banter is funny, they are practically inseparable, are consolable, and have each other's backs. The two best friends are just so lovely together, it's yet another inspiration. It's beyond touching. Far substantial and better explored than in the film, even.
As the academy's two of its very few women members, it's easy to get very lonely and isolated; and Carol and Maria, their friendship is more than what one could have hoped for.
Greatest female friendship read in 2019 has a contender.
Oh, and there are a few men on their squadron who they also grow close to. These boys listen to and learn about the inner workings of the patriarchy from Carol and Maria, and become better people as a result. The book has some good POC diversity. It's nice that Carol has a tight-knit group of friends, who are genuinely there for her, at the intimidating academy and its extremely strict, physically, emotionally and mentally taxing regimes. Estranged from her own family, Carol unwittingly becomes a part of this family of literal high fliers.
Fantastic platonic male and female relationship rep, too. Like in the blockbuster film, there is no romance here! Yahoo!
Could have used more of Carol making other female friends, like Zoe Noble, who dreams of being an astronaut.
'Higher, Further, Faster' is well written, fast-paced and atmospheric. It maturely deals with themes of sexism, how the patriarchy works and thrives, and the endless self-doubt that is drilled so often and deliberately into women and girls with big dreams.
It isn't overt when dealing with racism, disappointingly - in fact that issue can generously be chalked down to barely existing. There also isn't a plot so much as a sequence of events that Carol goes through - hardworking, passing with flying colours, stubbornly unobserved by her male superiors - in order to achieve her goals her first year as a flyer. And to find out what she really, truly wants out of life, for herself and no one else.
It's purely coming-of-age. So anyone looking for a world-saving superhero adventure might want to stick to the comics (or not, since, as I've said, those have been terrible recently *cough* fuckyoulifeofcaptainmarvel*cough*).
Officer/Captain Jenks is the closest thing to a villain the novel has. He is a horrific, passive-aggressive sexist bastard who makes Carol's life hell because she's a woman who dares to exist at the Air Force. In his way, he is a megalomaniac; one of the persistent, vile, vicious tools of the patriarchy determined to keep women down and out of the spotlight. He refuses to change and grow, unlike Carol. It doesn't matter how high Jenks outranks her and will continue to do so no matter what either of them do, she will always be better than him, and she knows it.
A man's world is outdated, and together Carol and Maria will make their own world. They will keep progressing, moving forward, and flying higher...
So, good book. Awe-inspiring, funny and touching. Read it if you are a 'Captain Marvel' fan, or you just like the movie.
Let girls and women be proud. Proud of themselves as well as others. Let them know that they are great. That they are the best.
Okay, one more thing.
Takes deep breath:
IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK, CAROL DANVERS! YOUR SASS AND WIT AND HUMOUR AND CONFIDENCE WERE MISSED!
Final Score: 4/5
'Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster' is not a superhero book; it is meant to reflect real life; but it is super.
Carol and Maria would make a great, soaring, revolutionary team and power couple, of any kind.
Read my original review for more.
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
'Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster' - a middle grade/YA companion piece to the movie, about Carol Danvers' first year at the US Air Force Academy. A girl born to fly, she is determined to make her dream come true and mark her name in history, as the first US female fighter pilot, in a world that won't give her a chance even when she's done everything and more to earn it.
'Higher, Further, Faster' - the title reminds me of Kelly Sue DeConnick's comics run, and good grief how I miss that. After the disaster that is 'The Life of Captain Marvel', I'm currently boycotting Marvel (again!), or at least their 'Captain Marvel' run, until I know for sure that that retcon is, well, retconned. At the same time, I didn't want that comic to possibly be the last time I read about Carol Danvers, so the 2019 YA novel seemed a safe bet; as a product of the excellent movie, and not the comics.
'Higher, Further, Faster' is set before Carol becomes Captain Marvel, before she is involved with any Kree in fact, so the title is mostly brand recognition. Still, the book is an enjoyable, inspirational flyby for a day. Preferably on a sunny day in a California desert, or near an airbase (how I wish I could've read it on any of my trips to America!)
This accessible novel is highly inspirational for young girls, and boys. It is about believing in yourself and overcoming challenges and obstacles on a micro as well as major-aggressive level and so on (even the dialogue comments on how cheesy and after-school special this sounds). But it goes deeper than that.
Carol Danvers is complex and likeable here. In a narrative told from her POV, her dialogue and attitude are a hoot, and her internal monologues peel back her brash confidence and reveal her insecurities and uncertainties. She's as physically fit, capable and determined as you can get. I loved reading about her relationship with planes of all kinds, and her exhilarating descriptions of flying. I felt like I was experiencing it with her. However, like any human, she houses doubts that she's both consciously and unconsciously aware of.
At the beginning of the book, before she sets foot at the flight school, Carol is almost arrested for chasing down and cornering a guy in a Jaguar, after he did a hit-and-run on a female driver. Upon hearing her ambitions, a female state trooper, Wright, gives Carol a piece of advice - literally written on a piece of paper in place of a ticket - "Let yourself learn". These three deceptively simple words work to thread the events and themes together throughout the book, for Carol's character development. It's clever, and quite deep and teary.
But the biggest highlight of 'Higher, Further, Faster' is the friendship Carol has with Maria Rambeau. They hit it off almost right away, as roommates. They work so well together. Their banter is funny, they are practically inseparable, are consolable, and have each other's backs. The two best friends are just so lovely together, it's yet another inspiration. It's beyond touching. Far substantial and better explored than in the film, even.
As the academy's two of its very few women members, it's easy to get very lonely and isolated; and Carol and Maria, their friendship is more than what one could have hoped for.
Greatest female friendship read in 2019 has a contender.
Oh, and there are a few men on their squadron who they also grow close to. These boys listen to and learn about the inner workings of the patriarchy from Carol and Maria, and become better people as a result. The book has some good POC diversity. It's nice that Carol has a tight-knit group of friends, who are genuinely there for her, at the intimidating academy and its extremely strict, physically, emotionally and mentally taxing regimes. Estranged from her own family, Carol unwittingly becomes a part of this family of literal high fliers.
Fantastic platonic male and female relationship rep, too. Like in the blockbuster film, there is no romance here! Yahoo!
Could have used more of Carol making other female friends, like Zoe Noble, who dreams of being an astronaut.
'Higher, Further, Faster' is well written, fast-paced and atmospheric. It maturely deals with themes of sexism, how the patriarchy works and thrives, and the endless self-doubt that is drilled so often and deliberately into women and girls with big dreams.
It isn't overt when dealing with racism, disappointingly - in fact that issue can generously be chalked down to barely existing. There also isn't a plot so much as a sequence of events that Carol goes through - hardworking, passing with flying colours, stubbornly unobserved by her male superiors - in order to achieve her goals her first year as a flyer. And to find out what she really, truly wants out of life, for herself and no one else.
It's purely coming-of-age. So anyone looking for a world-saving superhero adventure might want to stick to the comics (or not, since, as I've said, those have been terrible recently *cough* fuckyoulifeofcaptainmarvel*cough*).
Officer/Captain Jenks is the closest thing to a villain the novel has. He is a horrific, passive-aggressive sexist bastard who makes Carol's life hell because she's a woman who dares to exist at the Air Force. In his way, he is a megalomaniac; one of the persistent, vile, vicious tools of the patriarchy determined to keep women down and out of the spotlight. He refuses to change and grow, unlike Carol. It doesn't matter how high Jenks outranks her and will continue to do so no matter what either of them do, she will always be better than him, and she knows it.
A man's world is outdated, and together Carol and Maria will make their own world. They will keep progressing, moving forward, and flying higher...
So, good book. Awe-inspiring, funny and touching. Read it if you are a 'Captain Marvel' fan, or you just like the movie.
Let girls and women be proud. Proud of themselves as well as others. Let them know that they are great. That they are the best.
Okay, one more thing.
Takes deep breath:
IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK, CAROL DANVERS! YOUR SASS AND WIT AND HUMOUR AND CONFIDENCE WERE MISSED!
Final Score: 4/5
December 13, 2019
This book gives us a view into Carol Danvers early training in the air force. She's super determined, tough, and competitive, all good things for what she's chosen for her career. She not only meets Maria Rambeau her first day, but shares a dorm room with her. The two become fast friends, and plan to achieve their dreams of flying combat together. Of course, there's adversity, assumptions to break, and a happy ending, with Carol and Maria achieving a number of their first year's goals.
I found myself uncomfortable with how much Maria Rambeau's character was used to support Carol's, which happened in the movie, too. Maria seemed like a fascinating young woman in her own right, and I wanted to know more about what she was going through that really tough first year of training. Instead, we're given very little to work with to understand Maria, other than she's consistently supportive (even when Carol's being an ass), an amazingly gifted pilot, and driven.
I also found the author really toned down how much opposition and misogyny the two young women would have probably encountered as female trainees.
So, if you don't look too closely at the story, it's fun, fast and enjoyable.
I found myself uncomfortable with how much Maria Rambeau's character was used to support Carol's, which happened in the movie, too. Maria seemed like a fascinating young woman in her own right, and I wanted to know more about what she was going through that really tough first year of training. Instead, we're given very little to work with to understand Maria, other than she's consistently supportive (even when Carol's being an ass), an amazingly gifted pilot, and driven.
I also found the author really toned down how much opposition and misogyny the two young women would have probably encountered as female trainees.
So, if you don't look too closely at the story, it's fun, fast and enjoyable.
Want to read
July 9, 2019I'm sorry but this title just makes the part of my brain that thrives on dirty humor chuckle . . .
August 31, 2019
So, this was just shy of perfect and I think that's due to the fact that I feel like this book was made to appeal to a younger audience. It kept it from reaching that level of realism I wanted from a story like this, but that's okay. I still enjoyed quite a bit of it.
I will say, this Carol Danvers doesn't really feel like the Carol I've read in the comics, but that could be because this is a Carol before she had confidence. This entire book is about Carol gaining confidence and realizing that she's only trying to reach her personal best; not prove her worth to a bunch of chauvinist pigs who will never give her the praise she deserves. It becomes just a bit redundant at times but I think the character progression is handled well enough that the ending most certainly feels earned.
I really loved the cast of characters in her squadron. Pierre, the super hungry and emotional airman, was my personal fave. Del Orbe grew on me. Bianchi was pretty cool, too. Of course, Maria Rambeau was in this a lot and I really, really loved that! I liked getting to see a lot more of her here than I got in the film.
I will say this, I wonder if Palmer was told she wasn't allowed to make Carol and Maria an item because it still reads a hell of a lot like they were in love. Like in the movie, "best friend" and "sister" seemed like "no homo" words tossed in because the writers weren't allowed to go there. Carol looks to Maria in every situation she's excited about, they care for each other, they support each other. That scene where Maria tells Carol that she can achieve some of the praise and welcoming she's looking from by looking to Maria... I actually teared up. That scene was so wonderful and I just don't understand why these two ladies aren't allowed to kiss.
But, I digress. The ending is quite emotional, and certainly earned. I loved that Carol drew that last bit of encouragement from a woman, as much as I appreciated everything Jack taught her. They handled the issue with Bianchi's guilt quite well. It was one of the best turnarounds I've seen recently - chauvinist learns to see the error of his ways. I also think, in a lot of ways, Carol's progression here was just as good as it was in the film in terms of her learning to be her own cheerleader.
Loved Jack and Bonnie. Loved that scene that appeared to acknowledge that Maria's struggle is different from Carol's and harder in a different way. Overall, this is a pretty solid recommend if you liked the film and are looking for more of Carol and Maria's rise in the Air Force.
In a lot of ways, this reads like it's taking place in a world without superheroes. Aside from one reference to Captain America and a plane built by Stark Industries, there's no real mention of any other super characters here.
I will say, this Carol Danvers doesn't really feel like the Carol I've read in the comics, but that could be because this is a Carol before she had confidence. This entire book is about Carol gaining confidence and realizing that she's only trying to reach her personal best; not prove her worth to a bunch of chauvinist pigs who will never give her the praise she deserves. It becomes just a bit redundant at times but I think the character progression is handled well enough that the ending most certainly feels earned.
I really loved the cast of characters in her squadron. Pierre, the super hungry and emotional airman, was my personal fave. Del Orbe grew on me. Bianchi was pretty cool, too. Of course, Maria Rambeau was in this a lot and I really, really loved that! I liked getting to see a lot more of her here than I got in the film.
I will say this, I wonder if Palmer was told she wasn't allowed to make Carol and Maria an item because it still reads a hell of a lot like they were in love. Like in the movie, "best friend" and "sister" seemed like "no homo" words tossed in because the writers weren't allowed to go there. Carol looks to Maria in every situation she's excited about, they care for each other, they support each other. That scene where Maria tells Carol that she can achieve some of the praise and welcoming she's looking from by looking to Maria... I actually teared up. That scene was so wonderful and I just don't understand why these two ladies aren't allowed to kiss.
But, I digress. The ending is quite emotional, and certainly earned. I loved that Carol drew that last bit of encouragement from a woman, as much as I appreciated everything Jack taught her. They handled the issue with Bianchi's guilt quite well. It was one of the best turnarounds I've seen recently - chauvinist learns to see the error of his ways. I also think, in a lot of ways, Carol's progression here was just as good as it was in the film in terms of her learning to be her own cheerleader.
Loved Jack and Bonnie. Loved that scene that appeared to acknowledge that Maria's struggle is different from Carol's and harder in a different way. Overall, this is a pretty solid recommend if you liked the film and are looking for more of Carol and Maria's rise in the Air Force.
In a lot of ways, this reads like it's taking place in a world without superheroes. Aside from one reference to Captain America and a plane built by Stark Industries, there's no real mention of any other super characters here.
March 14, 2020
Happy to indulge my inner child here when I plucked this book from the children’s/ YA section. No regrets (and totally not just for children I tell myself) A fun, short quick little read following Carol Danvers in her early years of training for the airforce. It was great to read a back story of something that was only touched upon in the films and enjoyed getting to know her life prior to becoming Captain Marvel.
It was easy to tell the target audience of this book is perhaps for those a bit younger than me (I’m feeling young teenage category) but I enjoyed the book nonetheless (as an older, definitely no longer in the young teenage category)! She’s one of my favourite marvel characters and the book definitely did her character justice.
Although at time it did read as more of a high school set up and dynamic throughout the book as opposed to hardcore hard nosed army training and a few slightly silly moments here and there. Some cheesiness too.
Some lovely carryover messages running throughout though such as the importance of friendship, doing things for the right reasons and sticking to your dreams no matter how impossible they might seem. Impossible not to feel uplifted after this little book and a great message to all the littler readers out there who couldn’t find a better role model than in Carol Danvers/ Captain Marvel as she is truly a kickass amazing woman which the book did true justice to!
It was easy to tell the target audience of this book is perhaps for those a bit younger than me (I’m feeling young teenage category) but I enjoyed the book nonetheless (as an older, definitely no longer in the young teenage category)! She’s one of my favourite marvel characters and the book definitely did her character justice.
Although at time it did read as more of a high school set up and dynamic throughout the book as opposed to hardcore hard nosed army training and a few slightly silly moments here and there. Some cheesiness too.
Some lovely carryover messages running throughout though such as the importance of friendship, doing things for the right reasons and sticking to your dreams no matter how impossible they might seem. Impossible not to feel uplifted after this little book and a great message to all the littler readers out there who couldn’t find a better role model than in Carol Danvers/ Captain Marvel as she is truly a kickass amazing woman which the book did true justice to!
Read
March 13, 2019CAROL DANVERS AND MARIA RAMBEAU AND FOUND FAMILY AND JUST SO MUCH THANK YOU
March 27, 2019
3.5 Stars
May 25, 2020
I’m not usually a fan of super hero stories, action sequences tend to bore me and I couldn’t even get into The Avengers franchise. However, I did love the recent Captain Marvel movie! I can’t resist a kickass heroine or a soundtrack of 90s girl power jams. So I was really looking forward to reading this book about Carol Danvers and her life before she became Captain Marvel. It’s an inspiring tale about how Danvers pursues her dreams and learns to believe in herself.
And I did love the whole empowerment storyline... however, the book focuses on Danvers first year of Air Force training, and there’s A LOT of talk about planes. Danvers spends all her free time getting her pilot’s license, discussing flying with her fellow cadets, and watching planes at the airport. Honestly, I think you’d have to have an interest in planes / flying to really enjoy this book. Personally, I don’t, so I found the book quite boring 😬 I tried skipping past some of the flying talk, but it’s kind of impossible, as it makes up a large portion of the book.
Ultimately though, I think Danvers is a great role model for young women, and I love that her story arc is all about achieving your goals, despite what anyone else thinks. There’s absolutely zero romance in this book, which I found very refreshing. There’s also a great female friendship between Danvers and one of her fellow cadets. It was so great to see a story about women working together to achieve their dreams, rather than competing with one another. So I give this book 3 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️
And I did love the whole empowerment storyline... however, the book focuses on Danvers first year of Air Force training, and there’s A LOT of talk about planes. Danvers spends all her free time getting her pilot’s license, discussing flying with her fellow cadets, and watching planes at the airport. Honestly, I think you’d have to have an interest in planes / flying to really enjoy this book. Personally, I don’t, so I found the book quite boring 😬 I tried skipping past some of the flying talk, but it’s kind of impossible, as it makes up a large portion of the book.
Ultimately though, I think Danvers is a great role model for young women, and I love that her story arc is all about achieving your goals, despite what anyone else thinks. There’s absolutely zero romance in this book, which I found very refreshing. There’s also a great female friendship between Danvers and one of her fellow cadets. It was so great to see a story about women working together to achieve their dreams, rather than competing with one another. So I give this book 3 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 8, 2019
This was a fun, quick read! It takes place during Carol Danvers's time at the U.S. Air Force Academy and shows how she became such a great leader, protector, and, of course, symbol of female empowerment. The character growth and development was really on-point, and I felt like the characterization of Carol was very well done. I'm not sure if you would like this if you're not a Captain Marvel fan, but if you are, definitely give it a try!
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June 15, 2019DNF at page 94.
February 4, 2019
This book did what it set out to do. It was an engaging YA that gave a clear voice to Carol Danvers as a protagonist and her best friend, Maria Rambeau, as well as distinct personalities to the secondary characters in Carol's flight group. It had the subtext of a feminist message which comes about as Carol, with dreams of making history, tries to work her way up in an organization that operates like an old boys' club.
It's a good read that I think teens will enjoy.
It's a good read that I think teens will enjoy.
April 17, 2024
Actual rating 2.5 - I did like it. It was a very quick read. Not much connection to the MCU itself apart from a couple references, as other reviews have said you could substitute Carol with any strong willed woman wanting to be a pilot and it would still be the same overall story. Still an enjoyable read.
March 24, 2019
I loved the relationship between Maria and Carol. This book chronicles their time at the Air Force academy and it was so great. This a wonderful story for anyone seeking more especially after the Captain Marvel film!
June 17, 2019
I loved the Captain Marvel movie, so I was excited to pick this up, even seeing that it’s a middle grade sort of book. Was it a fun read? Once I got into it, sure. But...
I wish so many details of the training experience hadn’t been glossed over. A certain amount of it was fine, because it seemed really in character for Carol. The first mention of being yelled at, sent somewhere else, being yelled at some more... that’s pretty much many civilians’ idea of how military training starts. But... it gets repetitive. More detail would have been useful there too, like if they were yelled at about specific things. Then there’s the nonexistent classroom time. Carol and the others have tons of homework, which seems legit, but where did it all come from?
I think my biggest problem with the book is that it doesn’t seem like this is the same Carol Danvers, even a young one. The author tells us more than shows us who she is, and it just fell a little flat for me. We only see a small flashback to her training in the movie, but that scene is SO IMPORTANT. Where the hell is it in this book? I liked the whole “let yourself learn” theme, but where’s the woman who struggled, who fell and then got back up and tried again? Where’s the woman who was constantly told “you can’t” and instead of just saying she could, got out there and proved it?
But I did like this book. It was engaging after the first couple chapters, and I liked seeing Carol meet Maria, and seeing their friendship develop. I liked seeing their squad form into a real unit. (I really would have liked to see their friend who wanted to be an astronaut actually drag the group over to meet John Glenn at the air show, too. Another missed opportunity for this book.)
I wish so many details of the training experience hadn’t been glossed over. A certain amount of it was fine, because it seemed really in character for Carol. The first mention of being yelled at, sent somewhere else, being yelled at some more... that’s pretty much many civilians’ idea of how military training starts. But... it gets repetitive. More detail would have been useful there too, like if they were yelled at about specific things. Then there’s the nonexistent classroom time. Carol and the others have tons of homework, which seems legit, but where did it all come from?
I think my biggest problem with the book is that it doesn’t seem like this is the same Carol Danvers, even a young one. The author tells us more than shows us who she is, and it just fell a little flat for me. We only see a small flashback to her training in the movie, but that scene is SO IMPORTANT. Where the hell is it in this book? I liked the whole “let yourself learn” theme, but where’s the woman who struggled, who fell and then got back up and tried again? Where’s the woman who was constantly told “you can’t” and instead of just saying she could, got out there and proved it?
But I did like this book. It was engaging after the first couple chapters, and I liked seeing Carol meet Maria, and seeing their friendship develop. I liked seeing their squad form into a real unit. (I really would have liked to see their friend who wanted to be an astronaut actually drag the group over to meet John Glenn at the air show, too. Another missed opportunity for this book.)
July 5, 2019
Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster depicts the life of Carol Danvers and her time in the Unites States Air Force Academy, before anything that happens in the Captain Marvel the movie. She faces a couple of obstacles, and is able to make various friends along the way. This is also a fight for herself and maybe more as she journeys through, trying to prove what she believes to be right. I love the fact that Carol is able to be as strong as she is despite the obstacles put in front of her.
My favorite thing about the story is the relationship between Carol and Maria Rambeau. They are able to meet and somehow share many of the same ideas as they work towards their dreams. I love how they are able to pull each other up. They are continuously trying to be the best they can be in order to defeat the ones around them. With the idea of the time being that they aren’t very many female pilots, girls have to work twice as hard just to get what they want.
Carol and Maria both show that they have the strength in order to reach their dreams. However, one thing that i didn’t really like was the fact that nothing was very detailed. I felt that throughout the book, there seemed to be things left out or unfinished. However this book was still a great story despite its lack of details, and was able to show Carol as an incredibly strong woman. Throughout the story, she would be able to believe more in herself, which is what I believe to be a really good thing.
My favorite thing about the story is the relationship between Carol and Maria Rambeau. They are able to meet and somehow share many of the same ideas as they work towards their dreams. I love how they are able to pull each other up. They are continuously trying to be the best they can be in order to defeat the ones around them. With the idea of the time being that they aren’t very many female pilots, girls have to work twice as hard just to get what they want.
Carol and Maria both show that they have the strength in order to reach their dreams. However, one thing that i didn’t really like was the fact that nothing was very detailed. I felt that throughout the book, there seemed to be things left out or unfinished. However this book was still a great story despite its lack of details, and was able to show Carol as an incredibly strong woman. Throughout the story, she would be able to believe more in herself, which is what I believe to be a really good thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2020
“I was born to fly. Of all the things I’ve ever doubted, that was never one of them.” - Carol Danver
I really enjoyed reading Higher. further. Faster. By Liza Palmer. Captain Marvel is my all time favourite superhero from the Marvel universe! So it was nice to get some insight into Carol Danver before she became Captain Marvel. Of course, she’s just as badass without the superpowers!
I adored the feminism in this book. Such awesome women, kicking men’s butts and fighting for equality in the airforce! I really loved that there was friendly competition, but ultimately, Carol and Maria still lifted each other up. There’s nothing better than women supporting women!
Although I enjoyed the book, I did sometimes struggle with all the airforce and plane jargon, that was sometimes left unexplained!
This was a fun read and definitely a great story for younger girls AND boys! It’s all about female empowerment and working hard to achieve your dreams. And definitely shows that women can do anything men can!
I really enjoyed reading Higher. further. Faster. By Liza Palmer. Captain Marvel is my all time favourite superhero from the Marvel universe! So it was nice to get some insight into Carol Danver before she became Captain Marvel. Of course, she’s just as badass without the superpowers!
I adored the feminism in this book. Such awesome women, kicking men’s butts and fighting for equality in the airforce! I really loved that there was friendly competition, but ultimately, Carol and Maria still lifted each other up. There’s nothing better than women supporting women!
Although I enjoyed the book, I did sometimes struggle with all the airforce and plane jargon, that was sometimes left unexplained!
This was a fun read and definitely a great story for younger girls AND boys! It’s all about female empowerment and working hard to achieve your dreams. And definitely shows that women can do anything men can!
March 16, 2019
This was a one sitting, feel good kind of book. In fact I would put it lower on the YA age range spectrum, possibly closer to MG than anything. A lot of the little details in this were wildly incorrect, like the cadets freedom and things that happened in boot camp, but as it was mainly meant to focus on Carol and is meant for these younger readers it's not that big of a deal. It was also incredibly 'girl/me power' at times. Enough so that I admit, I did roll my eyes once or twice, out of love but wow (it started to feel like a self-help book disguised as fiction).
For a young reader though who wants to know more about Carol and her background, I'd 100% say give this to them. They'll enjoy it, though it has only the barest of details to show it's in the MCU and is pre-powers in setting.
For a young reader though who wants to know more about Carol and her background, I'd 100% say give this to them. They'll enjoy it, though it has only the barest of details to show it's in the MCU and is pre-powers in setting.
August 25, 2021
3.5/5 stars
A quick and fun read! Carol's characterization was perfect. I love found family so much. I wished Maria had a least a storyline to herself, even if it was in the background. She already lacked screen time in the movie. I'm unsure if making one man the sole misogynist is not the most realistic, but it's also nice not to be overwhelmed with misogyny all the time. Another critique is that the book only mentioned the fact that Maria was African-American woman once and it didn't mention or display her own unique struggles that she has opposed to Carol. It would be more realistic if they added a bit about that in the book (of course without making that her only story).
A quick and fun read! Carol's characterization was perfect. I love found family so much. I wished Maria had a least a storyline to herself, even if it was in the background. She already lacked screen time in the movie. I'm unsure if making one man the sole misogynist is not the most realistic, but it's also nice not to be overwhelmed with misogyny all the time. Another critique is that the book only mentioned the fact that Maria was African-American woman once and it didn't mention or display her own unique struggles that she has opposed to Carol. It would be more realistic if they added a bit about that in the book (of course without making that her only story).
March 25, 2019
Aunque no tenía unas expectativas excesivamente desarrolladas sobre este libro, la verdad es que me esperaba una cosa bastante diferente. Soy consciente de que es una novela sobre la vida de Carol Danvers antes de convertirse en superheroína, y no tengo ningún problema con eso. Pero es que en el libro apenas pasa nada. Es excesivamente introspectivo y además, repetitivo hasta la saciedad en las reflexiones que hace el personaje. El mensaje general está bien: hacer las cosas por ti y para ti, porque te llenan y es lo que quieres hacer, y no por demostrarles a los que creen que no puedes hacerlo lo equivocados que están. Lo malo es que el mensaje se transmite sin lograr engancharte demasiado a la historia que está contando. Y además, los no pocos errores gramaticales no contribuyen a tenerte pegada al libro precisamente.
April 24, 2019
This was a great prequel to Carol Danvers' story, just don't expect her to become Captain Marvel yet. This is the story of her first year in the US Air Force Academy, meeting and becoming best friends with Maria Rambeau and a few other cadets. Of course, one of the major themes and obstacles for Carol to overcome is systemic sexism. Another theme is the lesson to "let yourself learn" - not just about flying, but about yourself and that you can't control other people or the world around you - including the entrenched sexism preventing women from becoming combat pilots, and finding your own route to happiness.
May 12, 2020
So, I did not enjoy this book at all. Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel was and still is cool in the movies, but reading about her bored me to tears. It to me felt unreal and so far from what actually happens in real life and that the author didn’t really look into what actually happens at an actual Air Force training, I think her side kick best friend was more enjoyable than actual Carol.
April 1, 2024
This was a fun read/listen. I feel like there potential for a second or third. I kinda wanna know the ins and outs on how Carol and Maria got from here to the events of Captain Marvel. Like how did they meet Mar-vell? Stuff like that. This was just really good at times and I’m almost sad it’s over. Like I said, I could read two or three more stories about them in school.
April 20, 2019
This book made me happy
July 16, 2019
Just makes me love her even more! I want more!!
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