"Hench" Discuss Everything *Spoilers*

[SFFBC, Ancillary Mod]

Come chat about all the specifics!

Some questions to get us started:

1. What did you think of the cost of supers?
2. Did you find yourself agreeing with the MC?
3. What worked or didn't for you?
4. Overall thoughts?

Non-spoiler thread here: First impressions

[Reading]

The first quarter was solid especially once I settled in and accepted 'it's a comic book universe so stop asking those questions', then the story hummed along until about page 110. I can't really explain why but I struggled and somewhat lost the thread. Thankfully it was only choppy for maybe 10-12pgs and after that it was, ready for it, difficult to put down - I don't think I've ever written that in a review.

The story delivers on all promises.
Skewering office politics ☑️
Heroism measured through data science ☑️
Body horror ☑️
A profound misunderstanding of quantum physics - hah, hah ☑️.
💥 Extra credit for coming up with so many excellent, original superhero names which given how many previously existed is always impressive. Not only that, their powers match their names and are mostly original as well.

I especially enjoyed and appreciated the main characters behavior and choices. Very refreshing for the genre plus unexpected and with a ring of truth throughout. One disappointment that left me with a mild sour taste was how the relationship with June developed and especially how it was resolved - I feel the author squandered an opportunity and I was left wondering 'is that it?', sorta waiting for more, even with the reference at the end.

The final sequence is sheer joy and the action, behavior and resolution to story arcs of all involved is spot. How they deal with SC is flat out hilarious, apropo and quite satisfying (except perhaps how they ultimately leave him but really, I have no better solution. The whole evolution of Quantum's character, how SC's real motivations are peeled away, the raid, etc., And critically important the ending... SO GOOD! Sequel? Not necessary, huzzah! Possible, heck yeah though if rather see the author test into a new set characters and situations.

In the pantheon of books about superheroes this is no Adventures of Kavalier & Clay but that's a good thing as Hench is wholly original and a whole lot more fun, while all the while sneaking in commentary on contemporary culture, technology, etc.

[Gabi]

I tried to read this book somewhen last year and I only got to a third of it. Sometimes there are books where I get a nearly physical feeling of anxiety when I pick them up again because of my emotional reluctance to read on. This was one of those books, so I decided to call it a day at 30%. ^^'

[Laura]

Gabi, I feel a similar way, so I think I'm going to return the audiobook and exchange it for something I want to read more right now. I'm only 20 % in and I think the overall idea is great, but I guess it's just not for me.

[Laura]

Laura and Gabi, glad you are prioritizing your reading! It took me a bit to get into it. I loved reading this purely due to the ridiculous and original storyline. I have not read any super hero related books, this was a first. If it had followed the classic super hero trope I probably would not have read it. I loved that they were trying to bring down super heros first through a series of minor events and inconveniences.

Reading, the stuff they did to SC at the end made me cringe! Imagining him literally folding in on himself made me feel uncomfortable! but I guess he had it coming.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I will say that there was a part around 30% that I also almost gave up, it was so offputting, but it does kind of turn a corner.

[Kaa]

AMG, very much agree that the book was NOT what I was expecting. Quite a bit darker, and I think the message was not what I anticipated either. I also, for various reasons, considered quitting between 30-40% (I had some huge issues with Anna and June's relationship, among other things), but I'm glad I did not.

[Melani]

So I liked it, but I also thought there was a major flaw that the author never really reconciled. Superheroes may cause a lot of damage (and this book owes a lot to The Boys comic) but Anna held a mind control ray to a 12 year old boy while he was told to self-mutilate. No, she doesn't deserve what happened to her, but it makes it hard for me to believe that her anger is really justified. The novel just kind of brushes over the things the villains do, because it's too focused on castigating the white cis-heteronormative patriarchy as represented by the superheroes, but just because one side causes so much damage it doesn't justify the damage done by the protagonist. I think the novel almost gets there when Anna deals with killing the speedster (I forget what ridiculous name Wolschots gave him) and the fallout of her relationship with June, but it never quite succeeds. Anna ends the novel back in the villainy business, and because of that it does seem that the novel wants us to believe that villainy is the better choice. This is especially frustrating because there are hints that the novel recognizes that the hero/villain dyad is a false dichotomy, but it's never fully explored.

[Beth]

Latter part of chapter 1




This part with the ransom situation and its aftermath is pretty darn squishy. If these reminders of "the meat" persist throughout the book, and at this frequency, I'm going to have a difficult time.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Beth wrote: "Latter part of chapter 1




This part with the ransom situation and its aftermath is pretty darn squishy. If these reminders of "the meat" persist throughout the book, and at this frequency, I'm g..."

This is a tamer part of the gore.

[Beth]

Thanks, Allison. The internal debate between buckling up, and returning the audiobook, will now commence.

[Andrew]

I really enjoyed the story, despite it being much darker and containing more gore and body horror than I had expected.

I agree with you Melani. The story hints at the false dichotomy of heroes and villains without spending much time acknowledging the harm that Anna herself had caused. I did appreciate though that in the last chapter Anna acknowledges the hypocritical nature of her anger at being manipulated by Quantum when she was manipulating Quantum in the same manner.

[Dennis]

I have never read anything like this. It was definitely original, and also weird and
funny. It’s a sort of Marvel world, with super heroes and villains, except there is a twisted morality which is sort of interesting.

[Feliciana]

I felt like I was reading a more grown-up version of Brandon Sanderson's Reckoners series.

I liked the premise of the story and using data to show in concrete terms the costs caused by the heroes.
Through a real-world lens, many local, state, and federal institutions that are supposed to be for the inherent "good" of the community would benefit from a cost analysis of damage/harm done in the process of "doing good".

I enjoyed the dark humor, although I did find Anna annoying at times. I found the abrupt diminished friendship with June odd, and thought that June would eventually show back up at some point.
I didn't feel that Anna had any invested interested in the costs, safety, and well-being of others, and was mostly focused on getting back at the supers after what happened to her.

I would have liked more back story on, Leviathan, the Draft, Melinda, and Quantum. I was hoping Melinda would become a more central character.

I personally didn't think the book was that gory, but I was listening to it on audio (mostly) and might have zoned out during those parts. The only part that was disturbing for me was what Quantum did to Supercollider at the end.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

So, I had a few problems with this. I was never told "why" about henching? Why did people turn to it? Why didn't some agency help folks avoid it? I thought the friendship between the two women characters was fairly toxic? But that could have been how the narrator read them. And my big thing was the ways the MC attacked women heroes. She went after the sanity and support of the men characters. She sex shamed and mom-shamed the women characters and uh...the fact that this was the "in" for the women characters' weakness is...I have to say it's pretty sexist. Men can love their children to the point of removing themselves from the work force to care for them. Most of the doms/tops/instigators I know are VERY capable of handling people who want to make them submissive for the puritanical shame we ascribe sexually assertive women.

But what I did like was that able-bodied-ness and attaction/power were not interchangeable, and that we flipped the idea of the "good" vigilante on its head. I'd have liked to have seen more regarding both of these, but I think what it did, it did best in these spheres.

I didn't find it particularly funny, but again I'm willing to blame the narrator.

[Brian]

While reading this book - I was also watching the Amazon show "The Boys," which is based on a comic book of the same name. This show reminds me A LOT of that TV show. Anyone who has watched the show also get that same vibe? I swear, Supercollider could also be Homelander (from The Boys).

It Venn diagram for this book and the TV show would have a lot of overlap.

[Brian]

I am not sure if this was an accident- or perhaps just a coincidence, but both the authors for this months reads are into LARPing.

Small world.

[Oleksandr]

Melani wrote: "Superheroes may cause a lot of damage (and this book owes a lot to The Boys comic) but Anna held a mind control ray to a 12 year old boy while he was told to self-mutilate. No, she doesn't deserve what happened to her, but it makes it hard for me to believe that her anger is really justified."

Is it in our power to decide who deserves what? I agree that her position was biased and one-seided, as well as hers brushing off damage made by villains as insignificant, but for me this meant just to show her feelings, not actual truth.

[Brian]

Reading this book, and the current state of the world, especially living in the United States, it was difficult not to think of the recent cases that deal with police brutality and the BLM.

How the "heroes" in our community sometimes do more harm than good in the name of keeping the peace and protecting their communities. I don't know if Walchots meant to make that social commentary, or if I am reading into it. But she is making an interesting point of the difference between good and evil is a matter of perspective... and marketing. Are those in charge really helping, or are we just conditioned to believe that they truly have out best interest at heart?

I feel like I am rambling. I am thinking "out loud." I am still try to comes to terms with what I read.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Brian these are great thoughts! Thanks for bringing up the current events aspect

[Melani]

That was my point. The book sides too much with Anna's 'feelings' on various subjects, so that it is one sided. I'm aware that the 'truth' of the novel's world is probably not quite as Anna sees it, but the novel itself doesn't really do much to promote that idea. There is a very brief moment where it seems like the book is going to delve into how the villain/hero duology is a false narrative, but it never goes there and instead leans back into heroes=bad, villains=slightly less bad? (Because reasons? But don't pay attention to that, look handwave over here and ignore the damage that villains do. Focus on the heroes cause I said so.)

[Brian]

Melani-

The book is written in first person POV. I think that it is understood that this is a limited and biased view of the world. Since everything is seen through that lens, it makes sense that it is limited, because the reader only has access to the inner thoughts and feelings of Anna.

[Anna]

(I haven't started this book but I'm so confused by all the comments about Anna's feelings! Every single time I open this thread I have to figure it out all over again :D )

[Chris]

Anna wrote: "(I haven't started this book but I'm so confused by all the comments about Anna's feelings! Every single time I open this thread I have to figure it out all over again :D )"

You should change your nickname to "The Moditor"

[Melani]

you can write a book in first person POV and still have the readers questioning the narrator. I say again, the book did not do enough of that for me.

[Midiain]

This was a lot darker than I expected and I didn't really get humor out of it either. It was more like a grimdark superhero novel. There were no clear-cut heroes, no "good guys". If anyone was looking for a redemption arc or a character progression of learning the error of their ways and changing for the better, the reader would be disappointed. Every character had profound flaws and each did what they thought was right in the moment despite all the evidence that they were doing harm. All consequences were written off as being for some kind of greater good when in fact the majority of actions were motivated by petty self-righteousness and personal gain of some kind.

I'm not sure if I'd call this a fun book but it was an engrossing and well developed story with complex and memorable characters. It was also like a fascinating, slow-motion, train wreck of morality and ethics. Obsessive desire for revenge and power eating away at one's humanity, exemplified by the lack of humanity in Supercollider and Leviathan. One internally and the other externally.

I agree that there were chilling parallels with the power structures of our world. Police behaving as judge, jury, and executioner with precious little accountability, and the governmental power structures that created and supports the system. I can't help but think of Alan Moore's slogan in Watchmen, "who watches the watchers".

I don't think there was a lesson to be learned from the book and I don't think there was a social agenda behind it. It was told from the perspective of a character without a moral compass, without much of a conscience. She grew stronger and more confident but never came to understand the consequences of her actions and never understood why others found those actions to be reprehensible. That's another aspect of grimdark that I saw in the book.

[Chris]

Melani wrote: "Superheroes may cause a lot of damage (and this book owes a lot to The Boys comic) but Anna held a mind control ray to a 12 year old boy while he was told to self-mutilate.[...] The novel just kind of brushes over the things the villains do [....]"

Yes, exactly what I thought, at that same plot point. I was on board with the idea that the heroes often don't live up to their label and can even be evil. However, I couldn't sympathize with the villains. A pox on both their houses.

The body horror during the climactic rescue was a strange choice by the author. Walschots clearly knows that some of her readers will be grossed out because all the characters observing the potato-fication of Supercoliider certainly were. But she keeps giving out detail after detail about the gore. To what end? If the message is, "This kind of writing sucks; don't do it," she hurts her own work in the process.

[Brian]

Melani,

Fair enough. I thought there was enough there - like the input from other characters, Anna unsure how others are going to take her, her relationships to other characters, that allowed for some uncertainty that her believes may not be entirely sound.

But reading is a personal experience, and I get how things may work for one person but not another.

[Kaa]

For me personally, I struggled a lot more with Anna's morality in the first half than in the second, because it felt like she thought she was on some kind of "righteous" mission despite all the harm that the villains were causing. I had a much better time with her, and with the book, once it leaned more into how awful her actions were.

I also think that there's something really powerful here about the additional awfulness when someone is absolved or even celebrated for heinous acts, versus when similar acts are condemned/punished. That was, for me, one of the most powerful parts of the book.

But given these parallels to police brutality, I thought it was especially shitty that June's fear of being targeted for being associated with Anna's blog was consistently dismissed as being about her "comfort", and not a reasonable fear for a Black woman. And I could never tell if that was Anna's attitude or the authors.

[Oleksandr]

Kaa wrote: "I also think that there's something really powerful here about the additional awfulness when someone is absolved or even celebrated for heinous acts, versus when similar acts are condemned/punished. That was, for me, one of the most powerful parts of the book."

I agree. Usually books moralize, but this one, I hope intentionally, left judging to the reader

[Brian]

Kaa wrote: "And I could never tell if that was Anna's attitude or the authors."

Since this book is written in first person POV - I think it is fair to say that it is the attitude of the character, not the author. I do not think that the author should have to share the same beliefs as any character in their narratives - and should always be given the benefit of the doubt, unless of course there is information out there that should prove otherwise (like JK Rowling being a TERF).

All I know about Walschots is what I read in the back of the book (and the bio in the back of the book is absolutely delightful- read it if you haven't already) - so therefore I will take everything written in this book as, "the opinions expressed do not represent... blah, blah, blah." Anything else would just be an assumption.

[Clyde]

Just completed chapter 4 and catching up on everyone's comments to this point in time.

**Thank you Brian for your parallel to current events observation. I too was thinking down that line and wondered if it was just me.

To take that thought a bit further but from Anna's perspective. There she was, this somewhat unassuming young women, taking part-time or contract jobs just to get by. Touched by violence changing her life dramatically. Wronged by what others consider the "right" side of society and not just by other people but a superhero. Then left to mend her life as if they had no part in it.
**Reminds me of news stories of homes severely damaged by law enforcement and left for the owners to suffer the loss.

Unsure if I will complete the second half of this book but will work through chapter 5 before making the call.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Loving all the discussion, great thoughts on the parallels today, the use of POV, and moments of personal disbelief in a story because of something we've seen IRL.

[Sabrina]

Brian wrote: "While reading this book - I was also watching the Amazon show "The Boys," which is based on a comic book of the same name. This show reminds me A LOT of that TV show. Anyone who has watched the sho..."

I just finished and yes, I had a very strong "The Boys" vibe! I had to actively try and imagine other heroes. At the same time, I was happy, that girls kicked 'homelanders', I mean 'supercolliders' ass!

I primarily liked, how she blurred the line between heroes and villans / good and bad. I also liked how she questioned that some villains are made because of heroes or that even for heroes the end does not justify the means.
At the beginning, I often asked myself, but why would you choose to be the villain? Only at the very end did she explain, that it was not always a choice: either stick to their corporate rules and be a hero or you get to be the villain. But what I did not really understand was the initial choice for Anna to be a hench? Why would she choose that for herself? She didn't have her knowledge at the beginning. So, that did not really make sense.

[J.W.]

I absolutely adored this book. It had fabulous characters and I loved the math/spreadsheets/etc. aspect. I actually kind of wish it had focused -even more- on the math because I find that stuff so interesting.

[Bonnie]

Brian wrote: "While reading this book - I was also watching the Amazon show "The Boys," which is based on a comic book of the same name. This show reminds me A LOT of that TV show. Anyone who has watched the show also get that same vibe? I swear, Supercollider could also be Homelander (from "The Boys")"

Yes! I'm only 1/3 in but I snuck over here to the Spoilers thread to say that. The book brings to mind elements from The Boys: collateral damage being covered up; 'Superhero Industrial Complex' being big business, not a public service; corporate PR running the show rather than altruism; the true villain may be runaway capitalism.

The show's instigating incident has (view spoiler)[Hughie and his girlfriend holding hands facing each other; superhero A-Train whizzes by and disintegrates the girlfriend, leaving stunned Hughie holding her severed hands. Sours him on "supes!" (hide spoiler)]

Like Anna being injured by Supercollider and her resentment fuels her starting the "Injury Report" blog.

I enjoy how she is using her information skills for revenge rather than muscle, and find it all quite fun.

[Liane]

I also saw the The Boys parallel, though I only catch snippets from the next room while my sons/husband watch. I wonder if my ability to blur the darker/gorier bits makes it more easy to read than watch, but I don’t watch much tv, so perhaps a fluke.

I really enjoyed the humor, and flipping to the villains’ perspective in a way that made sense to me (and as a cpa, I do love a spreadsheet). The lines seemed to blur more as the story progressed.

The June bit was odd and abrupt, I expected her to recur in some way.

While there are inconsistencies, they didn’t take away enough from the humor or story overall. I also think there are bits

[Liane]

Well, that was coincidental, accidentally posting before I was finished - app posting challenges.

I so enjoyed reading the preceding comments. I don’t know whether I considered the current event parallels, but I can see them now, regardless of whether the author intended that.

[Clyde]

Am happy that I decided to finish the book after all. The story line was losing my attention until Anna and Quantum drew up their rescue plan, which became revenge / payback. Was the hero really a hero or just someone that loved the limelight and attention no matter who was hurt. But then, was Supercollider groomed to be this way all along? Was the Draft actually villains in disguise?

[Ellen]

Brian wrote: "While reading this book - I was also watching the Amazon show "The Boys," which is based on a comic book of the same name. This show reminds me A LOT of that TV show. Anyone who has watched the sho..."

I was very much reminded of "The Boys". The superheroes in the book seemed like the ones in the show. Not so super and not nice.

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship]

I had a lot of fun with this! I love the juxtaposition of magical and mundane and enjoyed Anna - she has a strong voice and a mission, no milquetoast heroine here. The end did seem a little unfinished, like maybe this isn’t meant to be a standalone after all, especially with respect to Anna’s relationships. I also expected June to come back, and a bit more backstory on why Anna was henching when she was surely smart enough to do better.

A little surprised by the comments about body horror - I’m quite squeamish generally but this book didn’t really bother me, maybe because that aspect was so fantastical. It wasn’t clear to me whether that was really the end for Supercollider - logically it seems like it should be, they left him in a place only his biometrics could get entry to, and Quantum didn’t fix him before peacing out. But Anna comments at the end that Leviathan was having to come to terms with the idea that SC “might not get better,” indicating she thinks it’s still fixable.

The police brutality parallel is a really good point. I wonder what we’re meant to think of Anna’s agreeing to help Quantum keep the superheroes accountable, but then it never happens. Did one or both of them not mean it? Is this still on the table? Or are we done because Quantum’s plans were all premised on Leviathan’s death?

[Ellen]

Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship wrote: "Or are we done because Quantum’s plans were all premised on Leviathan’s death? "
That was the impression that I got.

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship]

Ellen wrote: "Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship wrote: "Or are we done because Quantum’s plans were all premised on Leviathan’s death? "
That was the impression that I got."

Fair, I suppose it seemed a bit weird to me because Quantum was talking about keeping heroes accountable as something she wanted to do, not necessarily involving Anna, and then Anna said she'd like to help, while presumably thinking herself that Leviathan would still be around.

Overall I'm a bit disappointed in the ending to the extent it's a standalone book. It seems like Anna should either have gone full independent supervillain (mwahahahaha!) or decided to get out of the business altogether. Leaving her as Leviathan's hench when she's been there most of the book was a bit of a letdown to me, like this chapter in her life isn't even over so why is this the book? I can see it if there's a sequel though, which sounds likely but not guaranteed.

[Ellen]

Agree about the ending. The he's not speaking to me and I'm just taking it part didn't seem right from a strong character like Anna. does have a whiff of sequel.
I think Anna would be a great brains not brawn supervillain.

[Anna]

Ellen wrote: "I think Anna would be a great brains not brawn supervillain."

Thank you!

😜

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship]

Ellen wrote: "Agree about the ending. The he's not speaking to me and I'm just taking it part didn't seem right from a strong character like Anna. does have a whiff of sequel.
I think Anna would be a great brai..."

Leviathan clearly needed space, I don’t see anything inconsistent with strength in respecting that. But Anna had gotten her own villain name and everything, it seems to me her story isn’t over until she decides where to go with that. And I’ll totally read a sequel! I just wasn’t expecting this to be a series opener so the end jarred a bit.

[Ellen]

Anna wrote: "Ellen wrote: "I think Anna would be a great brains not brawn supervillain."

Thank you!

😜"

You are welcome. Work on your evil laugh