Hench

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots and read by Alex McKenna is a great book about super villainy, what it means to be a hero, and the mix of darkness and light within us all. Anna is a hench, temping for villain after villain, but after a run in with a hero changes the course of her life, will she rise to something more? This book takes the traditional super hero narrative and subverts it, looking at the dark side of super heroics from the prospective of someone actively opposing them. It's an interesting concept, and a well written book. I really liked Anna and enjoyed watching her journey through the novel. At times it was a bit difficult for me to completely follow her logic and understanding, but her development from beginning to end was so great that I was able to get past her worldview and simply root for her as a person. Additionally I longed for more closure in Anna's relationship with a couple other characters who exited the narrative before the end. Maybe we don't always get that closure, but I still found myself longing for it. My only other complaint is that I didn't love the ending. Somehow I wanted more. I also had the sense that Walschots may have been leaving the door open for a sequel. I'd certainly be interested in reading it if a follow-up is released. More than anything this book left me thinking about the complex web in which we're all entangled and connected to one another. Overall it's a great book and the audiobook features wonderful narration. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️