He smiles... and I make the worst mistake of my life... I smile back.
As fascinating an origin story as it is a compelling, thematically complex study of mental illness, Stjepan Šejić's Harleen shows us the 'meet cute' behind the twisted relationship between Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker, and Dr. Harleen Quinzel. It's heavy on the psychiatric, favoring conversations and inner monologue over any substantial action; a choice that works beautifully in showing how inevitable Dr. Quinzel's transformation into Harley Quinn really was. However, the moments of action we do get, throughout, are delivered in a satisfyingly graphic manner that effectively displays the erratic, manipulative psychology of these characters.
I really enjoyed getting a more nuanced look into Harley Quinn, a character I'm mostly familiar with through animated series (where she's little more than a caricature of 'mad love') and films (where's she's so far gone, there's really no trace of Dr. Quinzel left). Šejić's smart writing and gorgeous artwork elevate this character to something more interesting, more consequential, than a secondary villain while also giving further insight into the psyches of several other Batman villains, in the process.
“I want to be heard without consequence because to be heard is such a novelty. If someone asks while looking me straight in the eye, I slither away. Even though we are looking at each other, I am still hiding. My dark eyes are good for that. The feelings on the tip of my tongue have no shape; they’re listless, always trying to sneak up in a moment of poignancy. Sometimes what I want to say is “I want you to be mine!” Sometimes it is “I feel trapped!” Sometimes it is “I resigned myself to a fate I thought I wanted, but now I don’t!”
But I have yearnings, that’s true. I make choices. I take action. That is simply how I navigate. But isn’t it who I am who goes out into the world? Do those few lonely moments when I return inward, away from noise and glamour, really count?”
Happy hour is a book that is purely vibes living our best summer in New York. I had so much fun reading this book, having never been to New York myself i felt as if i was experincing the city with the characters. The main character is funny, witty and you never get bored of her adventures.
Isa and Gala are two girls who are illegally in the country therefore they cannot work normal jobs which causes them to always live on edge when it comes to money. They party at night with elite people and work through the day in street markets. Although the first half of the book where they do go to these parties was very enjoyable I was hoping to meet more interesting people as the book progressed. You can also argue that this was the author’s intention in portraying a New York so full of life yet so incredibly filled with boring and dull people.
With that said, I think the book could have dived deeper in some of its themes. The disparity between rich and poor people in New York, although explored could have benefited with more characters struggling to survive in the city, instead of only our two main characters.
Isa and Gala are not exactly likable nor do they have to be for you to enjoy this book, in fact i appreciated the characters being so very flawed and making absolute stupid decisions over and over again, it gave them substance, it made them human. It kept things interesting and you were always on edge thinking “how could these girlbosses make this situation even worse” i love drama in my books !! They are funny and that’s why it’s such an easy read.
“Being a young girl is always a cute trick. It leaves nothing to be desired and it is easy. I feel as though becoming a woman is like a long tradition of going through things and coming out strong, but I am tired and weary!”
The best part of this book is Isa’s inner thoughts and her very astute observations over the people that surround her. She is a slave of the system she lives in and has to take the best she can out of every situation. Ee see her make these moves to survive over and over again, sometimes she’s smart about it but other times she isn’t, and that’s what makes it a compelling story.
conclusion: this is a great summer read !! It gives you fun, interesting characters but doesn't have a plot you need to pay close attention to. It shows you the ins and outs of a great city and keeps you entertained throughout the whole novel.
Israeli Damage to Archives, Libraries, and Museums in Gaza, October 2023–January 2024, A Preliminary Report from Librarians and Archivists with Palestine (LAP), February 1, 2024 (pdf here)
Plus: A Talk About Israeli Damage to Archives, Libraries, and Museums in Gaza, by ArabLit Staff, ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly, February 8, 2024
(image: «This is what remains of my younger brother's home library. My brother is an extraordinary scholar of Arabic language grammar and was about to earn his PhD and who has introduced six books into the Arabic language rich collection of scholarly books.» – Mosab Abu-Toha)
Title: The Deck of Omens
Author: Christine Lynn Herman
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Horror
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Date published: April 21, 2020
A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The teenagers of Four Paths must save their home.
Though the Beast is seemingly subdued for now, a new threat looms in…
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, 2020
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents novel by Isabel Wilkerson, 2020
Writers & Lovers by Lily King, 2020
The Death of Vivek Oji novel by Akwaeke Emezi, 2020
Untamed by Glennon Doyle, 2020
Luster by Raven Leilani, 2020
My Dark Vanessa: A Novel book by Kate Elizabeth Russell, 2020
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, 2020
Beach Read by Emily Henry,…
Yeah, yeah, yeah... I get it, we already knew this, but until you see what happens between her and Superman in this story, you don't really know the least of it. The rest of the book is a solid story about the core beliefs of Wonder Woman being challenged by the ghosts of her past, and her journey to find a way to put those ghosts to rest. The art is chaotic and messy and totally at home within this story full of ravaged landscapes and mutated monstrosities. It makes the action explode off the page with a ferocity as ugly as it is riveting. The new characters are okay, but only really ever work as well as they do in direct relation to how well this broken down version of Diana works. The parts are definitely better than the whole, but they're more than enough to make the whole worth reading.
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McClure, Laura. “Tokens of Identity: Gender and Recognition in Greek Tragedy.” Illinois Classical Studies 40, no. 2 (2015): 219–36.
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Richlin, Amy. “Gender and Rhetoric: Producing Manhood in the Schools.” In Sex and Difference in Ancient Greece and Rome, edited by Mark Golden and Peter Toohey, 202–20. Edinburgh University Press, 2003.
«At the Internet Archive, this is how we digitize a book. We do this so that everyone, everywhere has access to a great research library.» – Internet Archive, April 2024