Reviews

This was a really interesting book because of how it’s told. The first half is essentially telling us almost everything that happened, then we get put mid-way into what happens next but Harley doesn’t know what we know.

I do think Harley is the kind of character who can get away with a meta-narrative like this, and I liked how this created suspense bc it’s not about whether we, the reader, can guess who the bad guys are, it’s watching Harley interact with them. I do think Harley as narrator could’ve been more clear about this structure, and I could see it throwing people.

I am happy that we get so many more references to things that are wonderful about Harley’s canon, like Ivy, King Shark, and I really do like how Bernie is used here.

What’s weird to me is that bc there’s so much specifically from the HBO show, some of the choices feel like a redux of moments in the show, so they didn’t hit for me the way they would for someone else.
And this is maybe a dumb complaint but I enjoyed how much science was in the first book and was disappointed there was much less of scientist Harley here. It’s something really special about her character, and particularly having a scientist write Harley was really cool in the last book. I hope that comes back in Book 3.

sknselena's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious 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

5.0

itaby's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny informative mysterious 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

4.5

vwannamaker's review against another edition

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5.0

I was super excited to know that this was an actual novel instead of a graphic comic. I love reading her story in this format. This author went above and beyond in the way she portrayed Harley's life up until she meets the Joker Tull the day she turns into the villain we know her as. With the back story of her character being written out it's easier to see how she was so manipulated by the Joker. I LOVE IT! I give this book a 9 out of 10. I will be buying a physical copy and promoting on my Instagram!

mclark224's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

mediocremasen's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was such a good sequel and I'm excited for the third book to come out.
The characters are expanded in interesting ways and the continuation from the first book is nice. It is its own story but flows after the first book we'll.
My biggest issue is that it does seem to jump at times. They go from one location to another without the purpose of being in the location being fully resolved.

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