Scan barcode
A review by wickedgrumpy
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
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