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spineofthesaurus's review
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
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
leanne_miron's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, Police brutality, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse
keen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love stories about superheroes. I was raised on the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons, watched some Batman the Animated Series, then read some of the comics. I found I had a taste for the darker side of those stories without it going grimdark. The Boys, The Umbrella Academy, Invincible, all are dark superhero stories I love.
So to read reviews comparing this book to the above stories had me hooked. Then, right before reading, I heard there's body horror? This was a book made for me. As written in The Enigma of Amigara Fault by Junji Ito, "This is my hole! It was made for me!"
I have a lot to gush about, so I'll start with what I wasn't a fan of. My biggest issues with Hench were the chapter sections. There are 8 chapters, each one broken down into sections within. These sections rarely had awkward starts, but when they did, my reading was thrown off. There were two or three timeskips that forced me to reread pages. The first big one actually made me have to check what book I was reading. I would've appreciated some lead-ups before the timeskips. Usually, the lead-up was told after the skip happened, giving some sections a middle-beginning-end format. I also noticed a few times where words felt repeated too close to each other, giving a paragraph or page repetitive prose. Some words showed up across pages that felt important for the reader to take note of, but the ones I spotted were too nearby for technique.
Aside from that, there was one evolving relationship I took differently than the book intended, which is more a fault of my own. My friend who read with me understood where the relationship was going. I had to wait for the book to spell it out before I dropped my headcanon.
Okay, done now! Onto the gushing.
So, I'm black, trans-masc agender, and I use they/he pronouns. This book already had me joyful to see a bisexual protagonist with multiple female and male crushes. Then I met not one, but two reoccurring side characters with they/them pronouns. I was almost teary-eyed. Instead, I smiled so hard my face hurt. Every reminder makes me smile again. I don't know if I've read a published novel set in the modern age with human characters using they/them pronouns. The fact that there are two in one book is groundbreaking to me. Four or five, if you count one-offs in the short story at the end of the book. The point is, they/them pronouns are accepted grammar and identities in the setting.
Then there's racial representation. Not everyone's ethnicity is listed, but you can get hints from their names or descriptions. Anna'sโthe protagonistโbest friend is a dark-skinned woman named June. One minor character has the last name Ng, and a reoccurring character is described as being Maori with tattoos.
This book gave me what I wanted from a story with representation. This is a book where ethnicity and sexuality aren't used to make a point about society. There are no drawn-out conversations talking about the horror of biphobia or how to use they/them pronouns. A character's transition to female is treated with respect, no one questions Anna for having a crush on a hot muscular woman, these are simply facts of life. The only bigotry is some minor misogyny, which characters turn on its head to empower themselves with.
Related to the above, Anna also suffers physical trauma early on that isn't treated as an end to her life. It's an impediment that would be better if she didn't suffer it at all, but over time, as her body heals and she receives support from her friends, she's able to see that all isn't bad. The same goes for her mental health and PTSD. There were a couple of times she had panic attacks that she controlled with breathing techniques, even citing the term CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). That too is shown as a hardship capable of being managed. Her trauma never goes away, but it doesn't rule her either. It's a breath of fresh air to read a story about a mentally ill and physically disabled character who isn't seen as a burden or as an inspirational story. She has her problems and she makes the best of them.
There isn't much more for me to say on this book. I loved it. I loved the characters, I loved the balance of tragedy with modern humor (good for Millennials and the older Gen Z crowd).
When the true body horror kicked in, the book had me gripped and I made no attempt to escape. I loved it even more. I clearly haven't read enough horror books if this is the best body horror I've read. With that in mind, if you hate that stuff, don't touch the book. Physical trauma is littered throughout and it only gets worse. I didn't think it could, but it did. This was stuff taken out of Lovecraftian horror.
Natalie Walschots stated within an interview on Los Angeles Public Library that a sequel is in the works. Hench ended well as a one-off, but there is plenty of room to expand on the world. Which, isn't that the joy of comic book universes? They're infinitely expansive. Hench introduces superhero teams with unique dynamics, villains of varying morality, and a government with systems for superpowered people. Walschots has plenty to work with, whether she follows the main character, changes perspectives, or creates a whole new story set in the world of Hench. It wouldn't be the first time, because there's a short story from the perspective of another character within the book. If a sequel never comes, there is plenty for fanfiction writers to pick up on, and I suspect that something she would enjoy seeing.
So to read reviews comparing this book to the above stories had me hooked. Then, right before reading, I heard there's body horror? This was a book made for me. As written in The Enigma of Amigara Fault by Junji Ito, "This is my hole! It was made for me!"
I have a lot to gush about, so I'll start with what I wasn't a fan of. My biggest issues with Hench were the chapter sections. There are 8 chapters, each one broken down into sections within. These sections rarely had awkward starts, but when they did, my reading was thrown off. There were two or three timeskips that forced me to reread pages. The first big one actually made me have to check what book I was reading. I would've appreciated some lead-ups before the timeskips. Usually, the lead-up was told after the skip happened, giving some sections a middle-beginning-end format. I also noticed a few times where words felt repeated too close to each other, giving a paragraph or page repetitive prose. Some words showed up across pages that felt important for the reader to take note of, but the ones I spotted were too nearby for technique.
Aside from that, there was one evolving relationship I took differently than the book intended, which is more a fault of my own. My friend who read with me understood where the relationship was going. I had to wait for the book to spell it out before I dropped my headcanon.
Okay, done now! Onto the gushing.
So, I'm black, trans-masc agender, and I use they/he pronouns. This book already had me joyful to see a bisexual protagonist with multiple female and male crushes. Then I met not one, but two reoccurring side characters with they/them pronouns. I was almost teary-eyed. Instead, I smiled so hard my face hurt. Every reminder makes me smile again. I don't know if I've read a published novel set in the modern age with human characters using they/them pronouns. The fact that there are two in one book is groundbreaking to me. Four or five, if you count one-offs in the short story at the end of the book. The point is, they/them pronouns are accepted grammar and identities in the setting.
Then there's racial representation. Not everyone's ethnicity is listed, but you can get hints from their names or descriptions. Anna'sโthe protagonistโbest friend is a dark-skinned woman named June. One minor character has the last name Ng, and a reoccurring character is described as being Maori with tattoos.
This book gave me what I wanted from a story with representation. This is a book where ethnicity and sexuality aren't used to make a point about society. There are no drawn-out conversations talking about the horror of biphobia or how to use they/them pronouns. A character's transition to female is treated with respect, no one questions Anna for having a crush on a hot muscular woman, these are simply facts of life. The only bigotry is some minor misogyny, which characters turn on its head to empower themselves with.
Related to the above, Anna also suffers physical trauma early on that isn't treated as an end to her life. It's an impediment that would be better if she didn't suffer it at all, but over time, as her body heals and she receives support from her friends, she's able to see that all isn't bad. The same goes for her mental health and PTSD. There were a couple of times she had panic attacks that she controlled with breathing techniques, even citing the term CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). That too is shown as a hardship capable of being managed. Her trauma never goes away, but it doesn't rule her either. It's a breath of fresh air to read a story about a mentally ill and physically disabled character who isn't seen as a burden or as an inspirational story. She has her problems and she makes the best of them.
There isn't much more for me to say on this book. I loved it. I loved the characters, I loved the balance of tragedy with modern humor (good for Millennials and the older Gen Z crowd).
When the true body horror kicked in, the book had me gripped and I made no attempt to escape. I loved it even more. I clearly haven't read enough horror books if this is the best body horror I've read. With that in mind, if you hate that stuff, don't touch the book. Physical trauma is littered throughout and it only gets worse. I didn't think it could, but it did. This was stuff taken out of Lovecraftian horror.
Natalie Walschots stated within an interview on Los Angeles Public Library that a sequel is in the works. Hench ended well as a one-off, but there is plenty of room to expand on the world. Which, isn't that the joy of comic book universes? They're infinitely expansive. Hench introduces superhero teams with unique dynamics, villains of varying morality, and a government with systems for superpowered people. Walschots has plenty to work with, whether she follows the main character, changes perspectives, or creates a whole new story set in the world of Hench. It wouldn't be the first time, because there's a short story from the perspective of another character within the book. If a sequel never comes, there is plenty for fanfiction writers to pick up on, and I suspect that something she would enjoy seeing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Excrement, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Self harm, Stalking, and Vomit
kylieqrada's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
I do not usually like superhero books. They're just not my thing. But the combination of my friend Chessa reading this and loving it and the premise intrigued me enough for me to pick it up, and I'm glad I did! This reminded me of The Incredibles in a weird way?? But like the other side of the story, and with a female data analyst as the protagonist. It's funny, and dark, and plays with the line between good and evil in a really cool way. I can definitely see this becoming a series, as well.
P.S. I am wholeheartedly in love with The Auditor as a supervillain name, and claim it for myself in perpetuity, thank you very much.
P.S. I am wholeheartedly in love with The Auditor as a supervillain name, and claim it for myself in perpetuity, thank you very much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, Violence, and Vomit
madarauchiha's review
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
โค๏ธ ๐งก ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ my about / byf / CW info carrd: uchiha-madara ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐งก โค๏ธ
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
mitzybitzyspider's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Infidelity, Child abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Excrement, and Deadnaming
sarah984's review
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
qwerty88's review
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.0
If you didn't like the Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey movie, you probably won't like this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, and Child abuse
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