Think Bridget Jones's Diary meets Catwoman or some origin story. Instead, it was more a detailed examination of how one slides into the villain role over time. Interestingly, most of us were under the impression that this would be a somewhat humorous look at the hench role-a sort of re-imagination, perhaps a humanized Minions via Despicable Me. In fact, I might have shelved this on the Infinite TBR List if not for a group of enthusiastic friends. Just because I've left the path of self-sacrificing medical worker doesn't mean I'm swinging another way.

I'm not saying I was looking for lifestyle alternatives. As she becomes an increasingly valuable lieutenant, she might just save the world.Ī sharp, witty, modern debut, Hench explores the individual cost of justice through a fascinating mix of Millennial office politics, heroism measured through data science, body horror, and a profound misunderstanding of quantum mechanics. It’s not too long before she’s employed once more, this time by one of the worst villains on earth. And with social media and viral videos, she can control that appearance. By tallying up the human cost these caped forces of nature wreak upon the world, she discovers that the line between good and evil is mostly marketing. When people start listening to the story that her data tells, she realizes she might not be as powerless as she thinks.īecause the key to everything is data: knowing how to collate it, how to manipulate it, and how to weaponize it. With no money and no mobility, with only her anger and internet research acumen, she discovers her suffering at the hands of a hero is far from unique. And, to her horror, compared to the other bodies strewn about, she’s the lucky one. But when she finally gets a promising assignment, everything goes very wrong, and an encounter with the so-called “hero” leaves her badly injured.

But is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? In this economy?Īs a temp, she’s just a cog in the machine. Working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn’t glamorous. Anna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job.

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots