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spineofthesaurus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Torture, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Violence, Ableism, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Excrement, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Grief, Abandonment, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Vomit
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Xenophobia, and Sexual content
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is the type of book that you ruminate on after you finish.
My initial thoughts go towards the very realistic representation of the recovery process, especially after an invasive surgery. It wasn't romanticized, it wasn't hastily time skipped, it was a turning point where a fundamental line had been crossed and it was devoted page time that it deserved.
Hench follows your garden variety data entry specialist that manages spreadsheets. There are other types of henches such as her friend June with the power of enhanced senses, but they predominantly seem to be IT based like her friend Greg.
Other staff include the Meat who are the bodyguards and meat shield for the villains. There are also kicks, who are the second fiddles, the support step above the Meat, they have powers of some sort, though not necessarily good enough or experienced to go solo.
There is some hint of romance in this story but I think I'd categorize it more as appreciation and valuing the people rather than active seeking of attachment. This fits well within the main theme of the book of what is the worth of human life? There's a lot of discussion on does the punishment fit the crime?, and at one point the main hero reminisces about what his mentor had told him about watching the people he interacted with because they would be the ones that would become his opponents in the future, but the fault in that character is that he didn't actually consider what that actually entailed, wherein the common factor and catalyst of these people going to the dark side was him. Instead of treating that advice as a reason to do better and treat everyone well, he was suspicious of everyone, always searching for signs that they would "betray" him.
I think it's important to note that I also don't think I liked any character, but that was also kind of the point. It was definitely operating much in the morally grey space which often turned dark quite quickly. I don't know that there was a single redeemable person, however, what the book delivered was an in depth understanding of how a person's life can be diverted or derailed and how you can make incrementally bad choices because at the time it doesn't seem like you've gone that far from your sense of self, but over time the distance between who you were and who you become is quite drastic.
My initial thoughts go towards the very realistic representation of the recovery process, especially after an invasive surgery. It wasn't romanticized, it wasn't hastily time skipped, it was a turning point where a fundamental line had been crossed and it was devoted page time that it deserved.
Hench follows your garden variety data entry specialist that manages spreadsheets. There are other types of henches such as her friend June with the power of enhanced senses, but they predominantly seem to be IT based like her friend Greg.
Other staff include the Meat who are the bodyguards and meat shield for the villains. There are also kicks, who are the second fiddles, the support step above the Meat, they have powers of some sort, though not necessarily good enough or experienced to go solo.
There is some hint of romance in this story but I think I'd categorize it more as appreciation and valuing the people rather than active seeking of attachment. This fits well within the main theme of the book of what is the worth of human life? There's a lot of discussion on does the punishment fit the crime?, and at one point the main hero reminisces about what his mentor had told him about watching the people he interacted with because they would be the ones that would become his opponents in the future, but the fault in that character is that he didn't actually consider what that actually entailed, wherein the common factor and catalyst of these people going to the dark side was him. Instead of treating that advice as a reason to do better and treat everyone well, he was suspicious of everyone, always searching for signs that they would "betray" him.
I think it's important to note that I also don't think I liked any character, but that was also kind of the point. It was definitely operating much in the morally grey space which often turned dark quite quickly. I don't know that there was a single redeemable person, however, what the book delivered was an in depth understanding of how a person's life can be diverted or derailed and how you can make incrementally bad choices because at the time it doesn't seem like you've gone that far from your sense of self, but over time the distance between who you were and who you become is quite drastic.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Sexism, Body horror, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Vomit, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Torture, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, War, Alcohol, Body shaming, Car accident, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, and Violence
booksthatburn's review
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
HENCH is a heady mix of spreadsheets and schadenfreude, with cruel beauty in its precision.
Because of the focus on the human cost of “heroes” there are long sections threaded through with the slow process of healing, of Anna coming to terms with how her body has been broken and reforged, accepting new limitations and finding joy and freedom in novel tools. Her cane is a great example, she uses it as an extension of herself, to support her, protect her, and to make grand her expressions since every gesture is fancier when punctuated by a cane.
Anna is very observant of people, both in ways that matter to what becomes the bulk of her work as a hench, and in ways that make the book better to read. Her turns of phrase, particularly when describing someone’s voice or laugh, are perfectly suited to the moment and bring new detail to each scene. The prose in general, told through Anna, uses what she observes to simultaneously give the reader more about her and to make every interaction feel fuller. The action scenes are poetic, beautifully described and full of the human cost of each moment of violence.
I love Anna’s rapport with Leviathan. Their purely platonic relationship has loyalty and respect without treading on each other's boundaries, built on whatever they're both willing to share. This handles several other strong platonic relationships very well. It hints at a sexual past for Anna, and features a bad date early on, but her strongest relationships are with her friends and co-workers, people she relies on and trusts quite literally with her life.
The ending is perfect, stopping right where it needs to. I’m sad that this is (as far as I know) stand-alone, since I don’t often run into many books with this perfect mix of fierce loyalty, revenge, and data manipulation, and I want more.
Because of the focus on the human cost of “heroes” there are long sections threaded through with the slow process of healing, of Anna coming to terms with how her body has been broken and reforged, accepting new limitations and finding joy and freedom in novel tools. Her cane is a great example, she uses it as an extension of herself, to support her, protect her, and to make grand her expressions since every gesture is fancier when punctuated by a cane.
Anna is very observant of people, both in ways that matter to what becomes the bulk of her work as a hench, and in ways that make the book better to read. Her turns of phrase, particularly when describing someone’s voice or laugh, are perfectly suited to the moment and bring new detail to each scene. The prose in general, told through Anna, uses what she observes to simultaneously give the reader more about her and to make every interaction feel fuller. The action scenes are poetic, beautifully described and full of the human cost of each moment of violence.
I love Anna’s rapport with Leviathan. Their purely platonic relationship has loyalty and respect without treading on each other's boundaries, built on whatever they're both willing to share. This handles several other strong platonic relationships very well. It hints at a sexual past for Anna, and features a bad date early on, but her strongest relationships are with her friends and co-workers, people she relies on and trusts quite literally with her life.
The ending is perfect, stopping right where it needs to. I’m sad that this is (as far as I know) stand-alone, since I don’t often run into many books with this perfect mix of fierce loyalty, revenge, and data manipulation, and I want more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Grief, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Gore, Body horror, Medical content, Medical trauma, Violence, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Cursing, Sexism, Ableism, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Excrement, Blood, and Torture
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, and Sexual harassment
jmcordero's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Dysphoria, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use and Infidelity
madarauchiha's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 my about / byf / CW info carrd: uchiha-madara 💜 💙 💚 💛 🧡 ❤️
Oh wow. Ok. So I liked the balance between realism and the grimdark gore. I don't read too much about superheroes--I prefer villain characters in the ol' super hero 'genre'--but I did like this plot a lot. I liked the brutality. It didn't feel like it veered into edgy grimdark goofiness, as superhero plots tend to. The destruction superheroes create tends to be skipped over in most media. "Oh Superdude saved Freedom City!* [*billions of infrastructure damage and lives lost not mentioned.]"
It felt like it gave credence to the plot wherein the MC tries to fight back with her limited, mundane skill set. I thought it was refreshing to see a ordinary human try to take on superheroes without making themself superpowered or going full cheesy embarrassing knock off anime.
I'd agree that some parts of the plot were ignored. Such as the MC going after multiple superheroes using her data analytics. I can accept that, as I'd rather have the book focused on one issue at a time rather than juggle multiple plotlines and fail at that. Who cares if the MC goes after several small time schmucks when it's the big name superhero that is the problem?
The romance was... a lil weird. Not entirely unfounded. The power imbalance did creep me out, as did thehand on the throat scene at the end. The love interest did seem a bit childish, but that's probably due to incredibly stunted growth as a person due to childhood trauma / torture, and having very little chance for mundane human relationships [platonic and otherwise] . FWIW if you're not into romance, it's not featured heavily until, perhaps, the last few chapters. And even then it's not too much.
I'm not sure about how diverse this book is. Are the characters of color? Yes. Are they developed and deployed tactfully? Not really. Like the one asian character is mentioned, we had a Hindu character whowas used as a honeypot to manipulate a white character into death . There's also an Aotearoan woman, who also gets a pretty shitty plotline. Which I can kinda forgive because it makes some sense in how she is exploited by the white secret organization for her powers, her 'token brownness' of diversity, etc etc. Not unlike how this happens to use in real life. She does get a decent ending but she's also a piece of shit. She's a complicated lady, and I hope she gets... Not redeemed. A peaceful conclusion. Assuming there's a sequel.
I'd like to see a sequel to this. Either where it left off, or where Anna is now in some timeskip past this book.
content warnings:
minor ableist c slur,
medium emetophobia / vomit, alcohol use, misogyny, body horror, marital infidelity,
major kidnapping, child abuse, gore, murder, leg trauma, medical content, misogyny, sexual harassment, toxic relationships, domestic violence, medical abuse, child abuse, medical abuse, confinement, unsanitary, prison abuse, kidnapping, torture, stalking, toxic relationships, child abuse, kidnapping, smoking tobacco,
Oh wow. Ok. So I liked the balance between realism and the grimdark gore. I don't read too much about superheroes--I prefer villain characters in the ol' super hero 'genre'--but I did like this plot a lot. I liked the brutality. It didn't feel like it veered into edgy grimdark goofiness, as superhero plots tend to. The destruction superheroes create tends to be skipped over in most media. "Oh Superdude saved Freedom City!* [*billions of infrastructure damage and lives lost not mentioned.]"
It felt like it gave credence to the plot wherein the MC tries to fight back with her limited, mundane skill set. I thought it was refreshing to see a ordinary human try to take on superheroes without making themself superpowered or going full cheesy embarrassing knock off anime.
I'd agree that some parts of the plot were ignored. Such as the MC
The romance was... a lil weird. Not entirely unfounded. The power imbalance did creep me out, as did the
I'm not sure about how diverse this book is. Are the characters of color? Yes. Are they developed and deployed tactfully? Not really. Like the one asian character is mentioned, we had a Hindu character who
I'd like to see a sequel to this. Either where it left off, or where Anna is now in some timeskip past this book.
content warnings:
minor ableist c slur,
medium emetophobia / vomit, alcohol use, misogyny, body horror, marital infidelity,
major kidnapping, child abuse, gore, murder, leg trauma, medical content, misogyny, sexual harassment, toxic relationships, domestic violence, medical abuse, child abuse, medical abuse, confinement, unsanitary, prison abuse, kidnapping, torture, stalking, toxic relationships, child abuse, kidnapping, smoking tobacco,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Stalking, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Vomit, Alcohol, Misogyny, Body horror, and Infidelity
Minor: Ableism
sarah984's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I feel bad for saying this, but I genuinely hated this book. The opening portion with the temp agency was interesting and I feel like there was probably a sharp satirical short story hidden in there, but that premise is soon abandoned in favour of mean-spirited pranks, bad math, boring rich-girl power fantasy writing and ridiculous romance.
Anna has a vendetta against heroes because of the damage they rack up, but villains seem to somehow be mysteriously exempt from her equations (at one point she blames heroes for creating villains at all, which handily puts any damage they do back on to the heroes anyway). By the end of the book she has her own terrible death toll, which she associates with the stupid romance so I guess it's fine now. The idea that things are this bad and it has gone on for years with no one until Anna mentioning it is kind of unbelievable, and the worldbuilding behind the structural issues surrounding superheroes is introduced so late that basically nothing happens with it.
Most of the characters including the protagonist are cardboard cutouts with identities glued to them - we are introduced to an autistic physics prodigy at one point and she is never mentioned again, I couldn't tell you a single fact about any of the minor character work friends. I've already forgotten most of their names. They obviously all love our main character. The one who showed even the slightest bit of resistance came around almost immediately. Most of the characters with even a tiny spark of life wind up written out of the narrative by the end. The twist involving her evil boss comes up so late that it's almost nonsensical.
I couldn't recommend this book to anyone.
Anna has a vendetta against heroes because of the damage they rack up, but villains seem to somehow be mysteriously exempt from her equations (at one point she blames heroes for creating villains at all, which handily puts any damage they do back on to the heroes anyway). By the end of the book she has her own terrible death toll, which she associates with the stupid romance so I guess it's fine now. The idea that things are this bad and it has gone on for years with no one until Anna mentioning it is kind of unbelievable, and the worldbuilding behind the structural issues surrounding superheroes is introduced so late that basically nothing happens with it.
Most of the characters including the protagonist are cardboard cutouts with identities glued to them - we are introduced to an autistic physics prodigy at one point and she is never mentioned again, I couldn't tell you a single fact about any of the minor character work friends. I've already forgotten most of their names. They obviously all love our main character. The one who showed even the slightest bit of resistance came around almost immediately. Most of the characters with even a tiny spark of life wind up written out of the narrative by the end. The twist involving her evil boss comes up so late that it's almost nonsensical.
I couldn't recommend this book to anyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Dementia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Police brutality, and Car accident
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