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living_dead_girl's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
THE TWISTS AND TURNS! I went in having no idea what this book was about outside of that back cover summary and I was genuinely shocked by how much I enjoyed it. It took a few chapters for me to really get into the story, but I had a great time when I did. Harleen is such a precious character, I really enjoyed her perspective. She is a complex character and getting to understand her motives was so interesting. I LOVED how much science/university stuff was discussed - as a university student myself, it felt so relatable - I could totally immerse myself in the book. Not only that but I felt like the author does an absolutely incredible job of addressing the intricacies of rape culture, trauma, and violence against women throughout the book. Certain parts of this book were absolutely heart-wrenching and I couldn't stop crying. But other parts - especially the development of Harleen and her relationships - brought a smile to my face. A rollercoaster of emotions with this one! I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending - the last two chapters + epilogue - but I do understand that the author had to finish off everything nicely to lead into a trilogy. Overall, I LOVED this book. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I read it. Great character work, a super engaging plot, and strong commentary on the female experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, and Mental illness
My favorite quote from the book (censored as best I could to avoid spoilers but marked just in case!) : "It really was an intense reaction - almost scary. I can't help but think about how there's a whole spectrum of ways that people respond to things like rape and assault. [ ] and [ ] are so different. And [ ] response was different still. And we're different people, so, of course, we all respond differently to trauma... [ ] says she wants to unbreak her... but you can't take a survivor's journey for them. ... Sometimes fighting for all the women who came after you is the most powerful way to heal...How many discoveries and breakthroughs have we lost out on because women were pushed out of science before they had the chance to make them?"gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
<b> The Details: </b>
<i> Narrated by
Unabridged </i>
I loved this imagining of of Harley Quinn. It had great representation of women in STEM, and of various personality traits too, dismissing this stereotype that 'the hot blonde' can't be intelligent too.
I loved getting a glimpse into an idea of what her earlier years building up to her career (both as a psychiatrist and as a villan) and getting more of her personality and identity outside of the Joker.
The relationships between the girls in the reckoning was so varied and real. I adored how they grew, became tense and fractured, and then realigned again.
I throughly enjoyed this story and can't wait to read the next one.
The note at the end was very poignant into how women in STEM are treated even still to this day. This whole story was so inspiring.
<i> Narrated by
Unabridged </i>
I loved this imagining of of Harley Quinn. It had great representation of women in STEM, and of various personality traits too, dismissing this stereotype that 'the hot blonde' can't be intelligent too.
I loved getting a glimpse into an idea of what her earlier years building up to her career (both as a psychiatrist and as a villan) and getting more of her personality and identity outside of the Joker.
The relationships between the girls in the reckoning was so varied and real. I adored how they grew, became tense and fractured, and then realigned again.
I throughly enjoyed this story and can't wait to read the next one.
The note at the end was very poignant into how women in STEM are treated even still to this day. This whole story was so inspiring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Death of parent, Sexual content, Stalking, Violence, Torture, Death, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, and Toxic relationship
runes_reads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.75
4.75/5 Stars
I finished this read in under a week, in about four sittings. It was so good, one I started a page, I couldn’t put it down for a while. The liked the dedication at the beginning, and I was able to get a feel for Harley’s character right away through the writing of her POV. I was rooting for her right away, but I felt like I continued to discover more and more about her, especially as she grew throughout the story. Her character was able to remain consistent, and still evolve as a person. The main cast was so lovable, I was cheering for everyone on of them.
The representation is great, with the main characters being a part of a multiple socioeconomic classes, races, ethnicities, and neurotypes. Harley herself, the protagonist, was confirmed ADHD in the story, and has had romantic relationships with both men and women, although she doesn’t put a label on it.
There’s definitely some heavier content warnings on this, so be sure to check them out before reading. Unfortunately, there’s no content warnings in the book. The dedication was nice, and really fit with the story. I loved the cover art and design as well!
I would say this book is medium paced, but more fast paced towards the end. There’s flashbacks which are done well, as well as sheets of notebook paper written on by a character. I won’t spoil that part, but it’s done well.
Overall, this book was a 4.75 for me! I really enjoyed it, and can’t wait to get me hands on the sequel. According to Amazon, there’s a third book coming out in April of 2024. There were so many twists, but they were foreshadowed so cleverly! It’s not a five star for me, only because I feel like conversations like this need to include trans people, and near the end I got a bit confused. I enjoyed this book a ton overall, there are many tropes that I adore in it.
I finished this read in under a week, in about four sittings. It was so good, one I started a page, I couldn’t put it down for a while. The liked the dedication at the beginning, and I was able to get a feel for Harley’s character right away through the writing of her POV. I was rooting for her right away, but I felt like I continued to discover more and more about her, especially as she grew throughout the story. Her character was able to remain consistent, and still evolve as a person. The main cast was so lovable, I was cheering for everyone on of them.
The representation is great, with the main characters being a part of a multiple socioeconomic classes, races, ethnicities, and neurotypes. Harley herself, the protagonist, was confirmed ADHD in the story, and has had romantic relationships with both men and women, although she doesn’t put a label on it.
There’s definitely some heavier content warnings on this, so be sure to check them out before reading. Unfortunately, there’s no content warnings in the book. The dedication was nice, and really fit with the story. I loved the cover art and design as well!
I would say this book is medium paced, but more fast paced towards the end. There’s flashbacks which are done well, as well as sheets of notebook paper written on by a character. I won’t spoil that part, but it’s done well.
Overall, this book was a 4.75 for me! I really enjoyed it, and can’t wait to get me hands on the sequel. According to Amazon, there’s a third book coming out in April of 2024. There were so many twists, but they were foreshadowed so cleverly! It’s not a five star for me, only because I feel like conversations like this need to include trans people, and near the end I got a bit confused. I enjoyed this book a ton overall, there are many tropes that I adore in it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Addiction, Medical content, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Confinement, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Drug use, Stalking, Grief, Drug abuse, and Murder
kylieqrada's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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
This was fun and hard-hitting at the same time. Teen Harley is super well developed, and the author wrote this novelization so it would fit with her canon backstory without romanticizing some of the more unsavory aspects.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Rape, Death, and Mental illness
harleyc's review
adventurous
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death and Sexism
Her father is emotionally abusive, and she forms a sort of girl gang to "punish" offenders who keep getting away with harassment and such. There is also a teacher/student relationship where the teacher is subtly grooming and preying upon the student.ramenlasagna's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So nice to read a story about one of my favorite characters growing up with such progressive and inclusive characters and themes. I’ve never really watched or read anything with a bisexual main character (at least that includes a character in the mainstream media) and as someone who is bisexual, that representation was awesome. I flew through this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the trilogy. This taught me that I love reading and have just always struggled to find the right book. Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
itaby's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
christikb's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.5
I had no idea what to expect of Harley Quinn: Reckoning. For all that Harley Quinn was introduced in an animated TV series ostensibly geared for children, her character development since then has been anything but. So a young adult book series focusing on Harleen Quinzel before she ever became a psychiatrist, before she ever fell in love with the Joker? I guess you could say I was skeptical, but because she's one of my favorite characters of all time I had to read it. And I absolutely enjoyed it! Yeah, it wasn't full-tilt, uninhibited Harley Quinn, but it wasn't meant to be. You could see how she'll develop into it, but right now, she's still at that weird 18-19 year old phase where everybody reads like a sociopath and we're just looking for our people. This book NAILED the found family aspect of Harley, her intelligence, her deep-seated loyalty, and her genuine dark moments that evolve into Harley Quinn. There were a few out-of-character YA moments of, "we can't let her really kill this guy, right?" that frustrated me a smidge, but I was far too obsessed with the story of a girl gang meting out feminist justice and coming face to face with the villains of Gotham to really get upset about it. Honestly, this book gave me all of the feminist vigilantism I could ever want and did it with a deeply diverse cast of girls "from the wrong side of the tracks." Plus it was WONDERFUL to read a Harley written by a woman!!! Really looking forward to book 2!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
pedanther's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Sexism, Misogyny, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Confinement, and Death of parent
Minor: Racism and Classism
scarroll178's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault