User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Admittedly...this book is very, very funny. Yet I have a beef with it. For hilarity alone, 5 stars. For political views, even giving Kane the benefit of the doubt...2 and 1/2 stars.
The tone here is very dry, satirical humor, and Kane nails it. AVATCFUP is like The Office meets The Avengers. The heroes complain and whine; they bitch about their salaries and benefits. They have odd quirks and behave in ridiculous ways. The dialogue is quite funny, and the characters, while absurd, have enough foibles to seem human...ish.
The premise is that in a near future, superheroes are neither vigilantes nor government funded. Instead, they work for private corporations that then have contracts with local and state governments. They defend their territory for profit while minding the bottom line. And the superhero corporations also compete with each other for contracts and staff. In this particular instance, the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection (or CUP) manages to "steal" a contract from another corporation to protect the Bronx. And it just so happens that a giant egg spaceship that came through a rift in space is poised over Yankee stadium and possibly about to release a horde of aliens to take over the world. As part of their legally binding contract, will CUP be able to stop them with minimum loss of human life and property damage? Or will we all wake up dead tomorrow? You'll have to listen to find out, as this is an audiobook only release. The voiceover actress gives an outstanding performance...perfect comedic timing, great voices, very likable. She deserves 5 stars.
So, to my political beef. Andrea Vernon, the main character, is a very smart college grad who seems to be aimlessly drifting without focus or career plans. She's hired as the administrative assistant (right-hand woman, really) to the President of the company...a crotchety little old Asian woman from down South who runs the company with an iron hand, Southern wit and a mind to profitability. Andrea's brother works for the New York state government…I believe he is a state senator, and he believes that the corporations should not be trusted to run security and protection for society. Essentially, CUP is a private police force against supervillains. Or, like a private military contractor such as Triple Canopy today. Corporate mercenaries, basically. Andrea’s brother is portrayed as a pompous, somewhat naïve buffoon. And while CUP is satirized and Kane gets a lot of comedic mileage out of tongue-in-cheek efforts to save humanity while at the same time being mindful of administrative responsibilities (so you saved the school, but did you file the TPS report afterwards?), in the end CUP is portrayed as an effective and heroic team defending the country at the risk of their own lives.
In our day, with a President who wants to dismantle government in all its aspects and has blatant disregard for regulations and science, to make fun of government as an administrative morass versus the delusion of corporate “efficiency” is both inaccurate and morally indefensible. For a long time now, as right wing think tanks and funders like the Koch brothers have promoted, the Republican party has sought to discredit the capabilities of government to help the people. This can be found, for example, in the techniques they have used to discredit Social Security and portray it as collapsing with the goal in mind of converting all retirement funding to the stock market…and as a result a belief that government “won’t be there for you” has been instilled in people so the majority no longer demand it or think it’s even capable of it. We must turn to the “free market” for solutions to all of life’s problems. The shift has been made through both propaganda and specific efforts to weaken, defund and hobble government’s ability to oversee corporate malfeasance.
I’m willing to give Kane some benefit of the doubt in that there is always an ironic tone to the corporate humor. The playing off of cost/benefit analysis against human life and the secret, possibly alien or demonic corporate board behind CUP. But in the end, CUP agents do act selflessly and risk their lives to save humanity. So…the corporate way must be best after all? It rankled me at times. Perhaps Kane took this route simply as comedic expedient. Perhaps he’s not a political conservative. If so, I hope if he does another book in this series, he thinks a bit more about the real ramifications of privatization.
Jennifer Government is a good example of a novel that addresses privatization of government services in a way that is actually considerate rather than glib. Swipe your credit card if you’d like help from the FBI to find your missing child. After all, won’t the search be more efficient if it’s for-profit?
Rating: really liked it
ARRRGH! I have no idea how to fairly rate this book. It's taken me months to finish this because I kept getting really bored with it and never managed to do more than a chapter or two before abandoning it for something else. I don't even know why I felt so much obligation to finish this one. I guess I kept thinking it would maybe get better, and it just really, really seemed like something I *should* like.
In this story, we follow Andrea Vernon as she starts work as an administrative assistant to the boss of a corporation that contracts with and deploys superheroes to fight super villains. Although the story is mostly told from Andrea's perspective, each chapter has her interacting with a different employee (either from the admin side or the superhero side) of the company. Efficient as they all may be, errors occasionally happen, super villains show up, and hi-jinks ensue.
I don't even really know why I found this to be so darn tedious to finish. Parts of it were very humorous and parts were terribly clever. I actually really enjoyed some bits. But then the rest was just very boring. I think some of the scenes were very repetitive (especially the action sequences), and there was such a large cast of characters that it was kind of hard to keep them straight. Also, while I appreciate the range of voices that Bahni Turpin brought to the story, some of them were over the top or grating, and that really irritated me.
Overall, I'm down the middle with this at 2.5 stars (rounded up solely for the scenes including the Big Axe and/or Inspector Well Actually). I suspect people who have worked in traditional office jobs might appreciate this more than I did. Also maybe bigger fans of superhero stuff. I dunno.
Badass Female Character score: 5/5 -- all the women are strong and capable and there was no dickitude happening here (when it did occasionally seem to be about to happen, the offending character would be very quickly put in his place).
Rating: really liked it
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Occasionally the Audible daily deal tempts me to give a chance to a book I wouldn’t normally try, like say a story about the administrative assistant at a company for superheroes. I’m a girl who loves a deal and so when this was the daily deal I picked it up.
I mean, who isn’t looking for a different take on the entire superhero franchise?The best part is, it is pretty light and funny. Andrea Vernon is offered a job at a company that just happens to deal in superheroes and their protection. The biggest requirement for her getting the job was she isn’t allowed to ask questions. That does make it a little more difficult to figure out how your boss likes their coffee but it seems she managed it eventually. It is like any other company with salesmen and contract negotiations and all the other day to day interoffice issues you might face but with superheroes.
There are a ton of silly jokes and it was fun to try and figure out how the entire corporation ran. The bidding wars between other companies with superheroes, the contracts and how serious each superhero took themselves. Some of the running joke stuff got a little monotonous, I mean I can’t take a like/love interest seriously that refers to himself as THE BIG AXE every other sentence when on page, I just can’t. Actually, all the superhero names were kinda a mouthful, I longed for something simple like The Tick after a while.
There is a plot too with an alien egg, a space puppy and the imminent destruction of the world on the line so the story was pretty interesting but pacing was a little bit of an issue for me due to the nature of the names of all the characters and a few running jokes that ran a little too long for my taste.
If you are in the mood for something superhero adjacent then this audiobook might hit the mark. Narration: I like Bahni Turpin; she did well with all the characters and did bring the story to life. I’d easily listen to other books narrated by her. I’d actually like to see what she would do with a story in a different genre.
Listen to a clip here:
Rating: really liked it
What a combo! The story was great and Bahni Turpin did a fantastic job narrating it.
I started this audiobook a few times before I felt like I was in the mood to listen to it. I figured it would be funny. I didn't expect it to be such an engaging tale with awesome characters. The humor in it had me laughing/snorting from start to finish. The story base is fairly simple but it's so well done! I was definitely swept along by the smart writing and seamless sequences peppered with awkward observations and actions that had me cackling in delight.
This is a story about superheroes and saving the day from potential annihilation. You get a good look into the nitty-gritty details about what it takes to run a hero business. The hiring process, sales, contracts and damage control. A look into the office side of the flashy glory.
Go find a copy from your library, audiobook club, Audible, etc and settle in for a hilarious ride with a very average human named Andrea Vernon. You won't regret it. I didn't!
I am stingy with 5 star ratings for a variety of reasons. This book gets five stars because the story is good from start to finish and Turpin did an amazing job interpreting it. The two make this an A+ story and audio entertainment. I'm not sure if I would rate it this high without it being this particular combo. I had a great time and it feels good to add another book to my favorite list.
Rating: really liked it
This book sounds like a bad joke at some points.
A Lumberjack, Tiger-man, and Alien Diamond Rabbi walk into a bar after securing the contract to save the city from a giant alien egg.
It is actually way funnier than I could figure a whole joke for though. Plus you got to avoid spoilers! This is all about Andrea Vernon though. Her parents moved from Haiti to Queens, NY and her siblings are all about their titles "State Senator" "Professor" "Doctor". At 28 she has her degrees and loves to travel, but comes off with lots of commitment issues in all other aspects of her life. Yet even with a small bit of romance among other things, she grows more confident and remains empowered as a person. Atleast this what I took from it, whatever you got from it is cool too. It made me smile and wish for a golden space puppy that I didn't realize I wanted so I don't really care about much else. I'm sure someone wouldn't enjoy some of the silly aspects like teleporter Joe who has leaves strange side effects on the teleported. I sure did though! Ehh, maybe not that specific story point but other silly bits definitely.
Hoping for a sequel or anything else from the author in the future.
Rating: really liked it
*** 4.44 ***This was hilarious! I did this on audio and not only was the writing sharp and funny, but the narrator was awesome! Then why not 5*? Because I think it's not exactly perfect, but very close, for the genre😃. I am kind of stingy with my five stars ratings when it comes to first books in series, because I give series time to develop, hoping that the author and the characters grow as we go...
Andrea Vernon is a New Yorker from Haitian descent who is dreaming about writing a book and traveling through Europe... She is unemployed at the moment and has received 17 rejections from job applications... Until CUP, Corporation for Ultrahuman Protection, decides to hire her as an administrative assistant to the VP... The main condition - never ask questions!
It is wonderful to follow AV's internal monologue, her conventional thinking clashing and absorbing the unconventional circumstances of being surrounded by superheroes and their daily worries. Like, how long does it take for CUP to start matching your 401K, or how to ask for a raise without loosing your job or dignity, and how come the most important and high-valued employees of the company are the sales people... Also, how do most of those enhanced humans have "relations" with their differently composed bodies... And other stuff 😎.
Andrea Vernon is finding her way in the corporate world while the greatest threat to maybe the world, is threatening from alien invasion. On top of that, she has to face her commitment issues or risk loosing a really good guy. He is not a doctor or a politician, but he is good despite wearing overalls... Hopefully her family approves...
I truly enjoyed this audio book and am planning on getting the rest of the series the same way. Since currently I have been reading some heavy and dark big Fantasy novels, this is a breath of fresh air! Recommend it for all ages and reading tastes. You have to see if it works for you 👍😃
Rating: really liked it
DNF @ 28%
I have a sense of humor, I swear. It’s just… sarcastic and dark. Doesn’t make it any less funny.
Goofy humor? I don’t get. I understand that a joke was intended, but my brain clearly lacks the proper wiring for actual laughter to occur. That’s exactly what it was like listening to Andrea Vernon. Bahni Turpin does a superb job narrating what I’m sure is a very hilarious and entertaining tale about superheroes. But we’re not talking superheroes like Wolverine. No, instead we’ve got Teleporter Joe who can only teleport one way to Roosevelt Island (and only when he has an erection) and anyone that teleports with him gets diarrhea.
I received this book free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Rating: really liked it
This audiobook is pretty funny.
It reminds me just a little of Douglas Adams' books.
It's entertaining and quite a lot of fun. A great way to kill some time but I don't think it's in that league. Still, even being compared to Douglas Adams is pretty good.
Rating: really liked it
What campy fun! I loved listening to this. It was cute, well done, adventurous and funny. Andrea Vernon, a Haitian-American, brilliant former Ivy leaguer who has been working nothing jobs just to afford her next travel adventure is getting older and needs a new, more substantial job, and boy does she get one. She’s now an administrative assistant for a super hero corporation known as CUP, and she has to excel at her position without asking questions. This is going to be an adventure.
Rating: really liked it
Super fun! It reminded me of Neal Gaimen's lighter more fun stuff. Like Good Omens. I may just listen again.
Rating: really liked it
More like 3.5 stars ⭐️. This is an imaginative, funny, and entertaining audiobook with excellent narration by Bahni Turpin (5 stars ⭐️ for her alone). A great way to pass the time!
Rating: really liked it
Great on audio. That Bahni Turpin is amazing. She added lots to the already fun story.
I used to work for a government agency who was very much into saving the world. So I felt right at home at Andrea‘s firm. The way the superheroes gave IT a hard time about using that database for example was spot on.
I did read some other books alongside this one, and I took my time. But I always liked coming back to this world and Andrea. Also the Big Axe was a refreshing kind of romantic interest.
And of course it is just great when the backstage people in admin, HR and so on for once get to stand in the spotlight, right alongside the heroes.
Rating: really liked it
Sorry, not sorry for 1 star rating? I can't justify giving higher for a book I couldn't bring myself to hear 50% of. The audible narrator was talented which makes it even more shocking that I couldn't finish.
The entire of point of this book seems to be to crack jokes, and if your sense of humor doesn't align, there's pretty much nothing left in this story to fall back on to keep you interested. I could ignore humor that's not my style if there was a good plot and story beneath it. As it is there's nothing to emotionally connect you with the characters and no plot to keep you engaged. It's just one thing we don't care about after another after another.
The liberties taken with the laws of physics are horrendous (No you can't float beside a black hole in space and dip an axe in it like an ice fishing hole). I'm at a loss to understand how someone could make a book about super heroes - a topic I love - so boring.
Did not finish at 35%%. Could not finish. That's three-ish hours of my life I'll never have back again. If you like the style of humor in this book, it'll be worth your time. It was not worth mine.
Rating: really liked it
https://booknest.eu/reviews/charles/2...
ANDREA VERNON AND THE CORPORATION FOR ULTRAHUMAN PROTECTION is an absolutely hilarious book that I recommend not only buying it but definitely picking up all three volumes as well as the audiobook version. Andrea Vernon not only manages to satirize corporate culture, workplace drama, superheroes, and politics but does so in a way that you never feel like you're being talked at. It is such a delightfully silly and ridiculous world that you almost miss how smart a lot of the satire is. It reminds me of Pratchett and, more recently, J. Zachary Pike's Orconomics.
The premise is that Andrea Vernon, New York 2nd generation Haitian American, is hired as a secretary for the titular Corporation for Ultrahuman Protection AKA CUP. Cup is a corporation that handles the superhero contracts for much of America. If you have problems with supervillains, alien invasion, mole people, robots, or natural disasters then they are the people to turn to. There are other superhero corporations, especially Da Superheroes in the Bronx, but CUP has the advantage of the world's greatest salesmen. Oh and their superheroes aren't terrible either.
Much of the book is about Andrea Vernon adapting to her peculiar office environment. The Senior Partners of CUP are like the ones from Wolfram and Hart in Angel, mysterious and all-powerful, but their daily boss is Ms. Oh who embodies every Southern stereotype imaginable (except for being Korean). She also has to deal with mad scientists, underpaid superheroes, and the fact there's a giant alien egg that has landed in the Bronx. My favorite part of the book was where Andrea had to suit up in an Iron Man-esque suit of armor to make sure their marketing guy got to a meeting in time. This despite the fact her body type doesn't fit into it due to being built for a Romanian gymnast.
The mysterious space egg provides much of the story's primary plotline and is a source of great amusement. While CUP the best qualified to handle the world destroying threat, there's countless considerations that need to be taken into account like the fact the Bronx is outside their jurisdiction and they need to acquire the contract for its handling before moving in. The government is also of the mind that CUP is overcharging and Andrea's state senator brother is leading the charge against private superhero contractors.
My favorite character is probably Doctor Well Actually who has the power to answer virtually any sort of question whatsoever but requires him to be correcting someone else. This makes him probably the most insufferable person on Earth and has certainly caused his girlfriend no end of frustration. However, he's an incredibly amusing take on the Smart Guy and I love how Andrea plays off of him in particular. I'm also fond of the 8ft tall, The Big Axe, who is basically their equivalent of Thor but who has an especial fondness for Andrea.
I've always enjoyed superhero worlds that try to get into the nitty gritty about how they function. One of my favorite character concepts was Damage Control from Marvel Comics in the Eighties. You know, the people who clean up after superhero battles. I also was a huge fan of She-Hulk when it focused on her being a lawyer for her fellow superheroes (and some supervillains). This deals with the idea of government contractors and just because Andrea works for some doesn't mean that it agrees they should be an unregulated industry (and this becomes increasingly clear in the sequels).
This book is very silly and all the more entertaining for it. It's the kind of book where a superhero demands the surrender of a bunch of alien invaders and has no idea what to do when said surrender is actually achieved. Bahni Turpin is an immensely likable narrator and does Andrea well. About my only regret is the fact that I do like to read along and the third book is an Audible exclusive.
Rating: really liked it
This story is like the improbable, but not impossible, scenario: someone says, "I'm going to put on my unicorn footie pajamas and buy a 5 foot bag of cotton candy. I'm then going to hang a sign around my unicorn onesie neck that says 'LIFE' and walk around New York City handing out lemons on street corners. And then I'll laugh and say to the passerbys, 'Just kidding. I'm a unicorn. I wouldn't be so complex as to be an analogy or metaphor. Have some cotton candy instead! Just because it's good, plain fun. No lemons needed.'" And a mature adult would say, "But what does it mean? There has to be a deeper meaning." And a small child, wise beyond their years would say, "Nothing. He said it was just for fun." And the guy in the suit is probably John Cena, because what wouldn't that guy try... if that happened, you would get
Napoleon Dynamite. And
Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for Ultra Human Protection. I had a ton of fun with this story. It was absurd and laughable in a way that said, "We're taking nothing seriously right now. Just have fun."
The narrator was fantastic, but it's also worth noting this is a story directed towards adults. The hilarious head-butting between CUHP and the government almost poked fun at the concept of socialized medicine. But at the same time, I really don't think the author was making any sort of statement against it as much as he wanted a scape for absurd sibling rivalry.
I'd rate this a TV-14 for slapstick violence, swearing, adult humor, and implied sexual encounters.
