Velveteen is a has-been junior superhero, sort of like a Disney child star, buffed and marketed, and now she's an adult who's held down a bunch of jobs (barista, cleaner--minimum wage, minimum reward). Right now she's got a golden opportunity in Portland, if only she can nurse her beat-up car from southern California across the northern border in time. Unfortunately, there are roadblocks, many of them in the form of old comrades now turned adult star heroes who believe that she, like other washouts, has turned supervillain.All Velveteen wants is a real life away from the Super Patriots and their Junior arm. Even more importantly, she wants to get away from their Marketing branch, which took her from her grateful parents, taught her and plenty of other youngsters and tested them, costumed them, then presented them on a national "contest" show which had them performing various tasks against one another until the best liked and the best winners--and somehow they are always the same--are given a chance as junior superheroes.Is this starting to sound familiar? Satirical? Subversive?Welcome to Seanan McGuire-land.I could not put it down, and I wailed because it was a skinny book. *Wailed,* I tell you.