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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
mxbenjaminrose's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Harley Quinn is such an interesting character, when written well. The version of Harley portrayed in the animated series is a particularly good characterization.
What Rachael Allen does here, however, was fantastic. The DC Icons series takes larger than life superhero characters and places them in more realistic settings to tell YA stories. Allen has really biting and meaningful commentary here on young women in STEM fields, issues of harassment and abuse cover-ups in higher education, family trauma, and more. In some ways it's a murder mystery, while also being a queer coming-of-age story for a brave young woman who has all the cards stacked against her.
At the same time, it's also an origin story for the anti-hero we know and love, Harley Quinn, and it feels close enough to her characterization in (recent) comics and TV that it *feels* like Harley Quinn. I was honestly impressed and surprised at how well fleshed out and engaging this was! I'm so glad it will be a trilogy, and thrilled to read Allen's take on the character introduced in the epilogue....
What Rachael Allen does here, however, was fantastic. The DC Icons series takes larger than life superhero characters and places them in more realistic settings to tell YA stories. Allen has really biting and meaningful commentary here on young women in STEM fields, issues of harassment and abuse cover-ups in higher education, family trauma, and more. In some ways it's a murder mystery, while also being a queer coming-of-age story for a brave young woman who has all the cards stacked against her.
At the same time, it's also an origin story for the anti-hero we know and love, Harley Quinn, and it feels close enough to her characterization in (recent) comics and TV that it *feels* like Harley Quinn. I was honestly impressed and surprised at how well fleshed out and engaging this was! I'm so glad it will be a trilogy, and thrilled to read Allen's take on the character introduced in the epilogue....
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Physical abuse, Murder, Death, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Stalking, Forced institutionalization, Alcoholism, and Kidnapping
More...