Taylor, the protagonist of Worm, who becomes known as Skitter, excels at both. Further, she has the ill-fortune to exist in a gloriously-realized modern world full of the victims of Traumatic Superpower Awakenings — a world which, if you think about it, would be darn-near Crapsack.
And the author has thought, deeply, about it. The superpowers are consistent and believable, the Myth Arc is just visible but consistently reinforced throughout, the characters — sympathetic and non — are believable and compelling, and their circumstances and interactions drive storylines which are at turns thrilling, horrifying, suspenseful, heartwarming, funny, and awesome.
It's harsh. The author admits that it would be almost easier to list which trigger warnings are not needed rather than which ones are, and the story pulls almost no punches. But it's worth it.
Crunchy Dark Superhero Goodness
(review based on chapters up to 18.7, the latest update.)
One of the conclusions I have drawn about myself is this: I would not be a good superhero. I fancy myself a reasonably moral person, but a truly excellent superhero has two talents I lack: thinking in situations that seems unsolvable and coming up with brilliant plans to get out of said situations.
Taylor, the protagonist of Worm, who becomes known as Skitter, excels at both. Further, she has the ill-fortune to exist in a gloriously-realized modern world full of the victims of Traumatic Superpower Awakenings — a world which, if you think about it, would be darn-near Crapsack.
And the author has thought, deeply, about it. The superpowers are consistent and believable, the Myth Arc is just visible but consistently reinforced throughout, the characters — sympathetic and non — are believable and compelling, and their circumstances and interactions drive storylines which are at turns thrilling, horrifying, suspenseful, heartwarming, funny, and awesome.
It's harsh. The author admits that it would be almost easier to list which trigger warnings are not needed rather than which ones are, and the story pulls almost no punches. But it's worth it.