HARLEY QUINN

The infamous Harley Quinn gets a feminist spin.

By day, Harleen Quinzel is trapped: in an abusive household, in poverty, in a patriarchal system that makes the lives of women, especially in STEM, painfully difficult. Only her work in a neurobiology lab and the dream of a college education she can’t pay for sustain her. By night, Harley goes after sexist men, seeking justice with the help of the Reckoning, a found family of girls, who give voices to those who need them. But the gang’s heists heighten in intensity, and the bonds between them strain beneath the weight of secrets as they uncover threads of a grotesque conspiracy the perpetrators would kill to keep hidden. Will justice prevail? Or will everything the young women have worked so hard to build crumble to dust? The story starts off somewhat unsteadily; the unremitting misogyny—accurate though it might be to the experiences of many women—comes across as fatalistic. In addition, characters initially present more as types than fully fleshed-out individuals, making it difficult to feel for them. The strength and warmth of the girls’ relationships (platonic and otherwise) are high points, however, once their personalities are revealed in more depth. As the plot becomes increasingly intricate, the story picks itself up, racing headlong toward twists and turns that will leave readers breathless with anticipation for whatever comes next.

A supervillain origin story that’s an engaging, refreshing page-turner once it gets going.