The library world is absolutely loving Natalie Zina Walschots' Hench. It's our Lead Read title for Fall 2020 and I knew immediately after reading that I would be shouting about it from the rooftops. Hench is The Boys meets My Year of Rest and Relaxation. It's a smart, imaginative, and evocative novel of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption, told with razor-sharp wit and affection, in which a young woman discovers the greatest superpower—for good or ill—is a properly executed spreadsheet. Check out a few of the (many) rave reviews:
"Walschots playfully pokes at both office politics and comic book absurdity while offering gripping action and gut-wrenching body horror. The inventive premise, accessible heroine, and biting wit will have readers eager for more from this talented author."
—Publishers Weekly review
"Smart, witty, and at times bloody, this book will please comic book fans who wish to take a jab at the superhero tropes, as well as readers who enjoy dark humor with a bit of satire tossed into the mix."
—Library Journal review
"In this refreshing, subversive, and darkly humorous debut novel, poet and journalist Walschots slowly reveals the nuances of her superpower-filled world, keeping readers guessing. Hench reads like a comic without the illustrations and is packed with subplots and rapid-fire wit. With a diverse and inclusive cast of characters, Walschots' original tale performs a brilliant and exciting variation on the superhero trope and is not to be missed."
—Booklist review
Nancy Pearl also love Hench! She left us a voicemail singing its praises:
I recently had the honor of interviewing Natalie for the podcast. It was so fun to chat about what makes a villain evil, what a hench person has to be willing to overlook to work in an evil office, Millennial office politics, and much more. Take a listen to the interview below:
We mentioned the fun behind-the-book pieces and the "Supercollided" certificate in the recording. You can find those on the Edelweiss page here.
The book is available now—you can see our book birthday celebration with Natalie and her Editor that took place on publication day (September 22nd) on our Door to Door episode. View the video here.
A big thank you to Natalie for coming on the podcast!
-Lainey
Comments