A review by living_dead_girl
Harley Quinn: Reckoning by Rachael Allen

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.  

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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?"