Weeks after her first story blew up, teen reporter-in-training Lois Lane is resigned to what she thinks is a fluff piece about a teen artist in the rough part of Metropolis. But when she sees her friend Maddy’s twin sister in the same neighborhood — and watches her nearly faint — she’s sure she’s found her newest scoop. But this scoop may be too close to her friendship with Maddy for comfort…
I absolutely loved the first of the Lois Lane books, Fallout, and Double Down was in no way a disappointing sequel. The real draw of this particular YA adaptation is that although it’s about a female character and love interest typically associated with one of DC Comics’ big names, the story has virtually nothing to do with Clark Kent, otherwise known as Superman. Initially, before actually starting to read Double Down, my greatest concern for the novel was that it would start focusing more on Lois’s romantic relationship with Clark — who takes the form of her mysterious internet friend SmallvilleGuy in this series — instead of her personal development and plots.
Thankfully, my fears proved invalid: Double Down touches on her romance with Clark very briefly, and he remains a supporting character in an adventure that’s almost entirely about sisterhood. While much of the plot focuses on Maddy and her twin sister Melody, complete with twin bickering and sister rivalry, the relationship that Lois observes between them makes her consider her relationship with her sister Lucy with more care.
One thing that’s remained consistent between Fallout and Double Down is Lois’s voice, which is clear and still rings true in the sequel. The balance of her list of concerns — topped by journalism, followed by her parentals, school, and lastly romance — feels reasonable, not just for Lois herself, but for an actual teenage girl.
However, this does mean readers who are looking specifically for the romance component may feel a little let down. The focus of the book is definitely on sister relationships rather than romantic ones, though the development of Lois and SmallvilleGuy’s relationship is natural and feels like a good pace.
While fans of Superman will appreciate developing references to the larger Superman universe, Double Down continues to be a great entrance to Lois Lane’s character for younger readers, especially ones less familiar with the Superman mythos. Gwenda Bond does an amazing job with Lois’s voice, and I would never hesitate to recommend either of her Lois Lane books to any teenager or to anyone who loves intrepid investigative journalists.
If you’re a Lois fan and you were considering watching Batman vs. Superman, skip it: Bond’s young adult series is so much more worthy of your time and interest.
5 out of 5 stars
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Feliza Casano edits and writes for all sections of the site. In her approximate 2.3 hours of free time each month, she loves watching anime, reading science fiction, and working on her novels-in-progress. Keep up with her antics at felizacasano.com and follow her on Twitter @FelizaCasano.
