Holy crap what a book. I had heard good things about Hench, but I was definitely unprepared for what I just read. I’m blown away - this story is so goooood. 

The premise is fantastic - a superhero tale from the POV of a villain’s henchwoman. The story isn’t black and white; the human psyche is far more complex than what is seen in a typical comic book and Walschots’ delves deep into it. It’s brutally honest and gets a lot darker than I had expected it to. 

And that ending - it is crying for a sequel. Someone please tell me a second book is coming!

I really tried, but this story just drags. I found myself getting bored with the repetition. DNF at 45% 

I saw an interview where Angie Thomas said her inspiration for Concrete Rose was Russell Hornsby’s portrayal of Maverick in the THUG film. I totally get it - he was brilliant... just like Angie’s writing in this book. I cannot stress enough how fantastic this story is - not gonna lie, I did tear up a bit. I really hope this book becomes a film as well.  

Books by Schwab have always been iffy for me, so I wasn’t sure how I’d like this one. But I was pleasantly surprised! Addie LaRue is about a woman cursed with immortality and the inability to be remembered. She’s moves through history like a ghost, until one day - a man remembers her. It’s a great premise that Schwab pulls off quite well. I could see the ending coming but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. I’d recommend it. 

Harrow's previous book The Ten Thousand Doors of January is one of my all-time favourites so I knew this one was going to be great. And it is - the hype has been well deserved. It's a history-laden story with suffragists, trans rep, feminism and witchcraft - it's quite an empowering read. I can already tell this will be on my 2021 favourites list. 

This book is a short and very quick read, but it packs a big punch.