I really liked this book. It was funny and kept me turning the pages to see what would would happen next.

This is a book I was incredibly excited to get and then simply...didn't read it. You know how it is. In any case, my excitement was justified because this book is good.

Riley was such a lively character: she seemed real and her responses to everything that would happen were understandable. The side characters were all developed enough to ensure and interesting story, written in such a way as to let us know as much about them as we would have if we had met them. The love interest was just... electric, I enjoyed her presence on the page and how her relationship with Riley developed.

I did not expect unions to be such a large part of this YA book, but it very much worked within the context of everything. It was a plot that was given a lot of attention and care to.

The worldbuilding was good, we weren't revealed everything, just enough to make us understand why and how everything happened. I enjoyed all the commentary of superpowers and how they would impact the real world. It was all vivid: characters we were meant to hate were easy to feel that way towards and vice versa.

Most of all I enjoyed the dry, humorous writing-style of the author. Although there wasn't really anything entirely unexpected in the plot, the book was funny, which I enjoyed immensely.

Overall, a great addition to the catalogue of super-themed books, fresh and enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

I wished I liked this book more than I do. It starts out in what has become familiar territory - the realization that a world with superheroes probably wouldn't be very friendly to non-powered people. In this case, all of the best jobs, the roles with power and influence, go to people with powers. The "normies" are scrambling to feed their families and have few opportunities for anything better. And the "good guys" take whatever they want, no matter who it hurts. This exploration of what it means to be a hero and who declares someone a villain is fairly commonplace. This book stand out from the crowd in that it doesn't stop there. Sure, the heroes are kind of jerks. But the villains are undeniably evil if fairly ridiculous. As the plot progresses we realize that there are other power structures at play, that the dramas that play out on the news and in the streets aren't exactly what they appear. Those additional elements make this a unique read. I did struggle with it, though, largely due to pacing. There are so many elements, so many pieces at play between family drama, relationships, the details of the job, the efforts to unionize, and the larger plot of the heroes and the town, that the book seems to plod along. This is one that requires some patience.

Book Review of Strictly No Heroics by B.L. Radley

Cover Story: Nope
BFF Charm: Big Sister
Talky Talk: Grows on You
Bonus Factor: “Normies”
Factor: Mental Health
Relationship Status: I’ll Be Over There

Content Warning: Radley included this note at the start of the novel: “Please be aware that this book contains graphic violence, gore, panic attacks and trauma, and references to sexual assault and child abuse.”

Cover Story: Nope
This cover is terrible.

The Deal:
When Riley loses her (vital) summer job after retaliating against a handsy customer, she’s forced to take a job at the only place she can find that “hires anyone”: HENCH, an organization of folks who support supervillains with various duties, up-to-and-including firing weaponry at superheroes during hero vs. villain battles. Riley doesn’t want to be involved in anything Super, but she needs the money to pay for sorely needed therapy—and there’s something intriguing about Sherman, her fellow HENCH employee, who takes no crap but dishes it out like that’s her real job.

BFF Charm: Big Sister
Although she has a best friend (who she’s secretly in love with, no biggie), a sister (half, as she reminds Riley at every opportunity), and a father (figure; he’s not her real dad, but he took the job when her mom died), Riley comes across as a very lonely person. She deals with severe PTSD after a car crash in which her mom died and her sister lost a leg and hasn’t ridden in a car since. She’s gay but hasn’t come out to anyone because she’s worried about how they’ll react. She can’t tell anyone she works for HENCH because, again, she’s worried about how they’ll react. She’s carrying a lot on her shoulders, and I wish I could take some of that stress away, or at least reassure her that no one’s going to think differently of her if she lives her truth—no one who matters, anyway. (If they care, eff ’em.) She’s got such a level head, a strong sense of loyalty, common sense, and confidence that just needs to be nurtured by the people she values most.

Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Spoiler alert: This isn’t a book in which best friends realize they’re in love. But this is a book in which a young woman meets another young woman who’s a total badass (with secrets) and finds herself moving on from an unrequited crush that maybe wasn’t exactly a crush but instead a safe place to hide her true self from the world.

Talky Talk: Grows On You
Much like Riley, it took a while for me to mesh with Radley’s writing. At first, it came across stilted, like Radley was writing what readers “expect” a brash, broken teen lesbian to sound like, instead of a fully fleshed out person with features and flaws who is a lesbian with PTSD, but neither of which define her. Thankfully, once I got into the story, it got much easier to just go with the flow and enjoy Radley’s quippy text.

“You came back, I croak, though I can barely hear myself speak. Then, just to be a shit: “My hero.”

Sherman doesn’t waste time snorting.

(Ed. note: I pulled this quote from an advance review copy; the final text might be different.)

Bonus Factor: “Normies”
I love a good superhero story as much as the next person—OK, probably more—but I also love stories about the other people in those stories who are just trying to live their normal lives while dodging building debris and ray gun blasts.

Factor: Mental Health
Riley is really trying to manage her trauma and PTSD, but she needs help to do so. (Hence, HENCH.) Strictly No Heroics includes some pretty frank, but important, scenes of/discussions around mental health.

Relationship Status: I’ll Be Over Here
I really appreciate the work you’re doing, Book, to shine a light on the superhero service industry and the less glamorous parts of living in a world with superpowered beings. Next time, though, can we meet far away from the action? I’m still getting building dust out of my hair.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Incredibly funny and full of voice. I loved the sound of this book from the moment I heard the premise and enjoyed getting to read all of hijinks, mishaps, and queer panic. Strictly No Heroics is a fun look at the superhero genre through a side that isn’t often told. I wish there was more of it!

An amazingly fun romp into a world of superheroes! I loved the point of view of someone who ends up as a henchman/henchperson!! Definitely going to recommend this to anyone looking for superhero fun from NOT the POV of the hero - always a great POV to read, in my opinion!

This is an interesting book. I love the concept of a hero villain world where the narrative comes from that of the minions. The ones that are always the background, faceless, and unimportant. We forget that these people have stories too. They have lives, families, and reasons for supporting the villain or the hero, ones we will never know as long as the light is focused on the super powered characters. I love hearing stories from different perspectives. All of them are valid, and sometimes those we normally see as faceless play huge roles in how things play out. That being said. This book just wasn’t paced in a way that kept my attention. I loved Riley’s arch of figuring out how to be true to herself and let herself be seen by those she loves. I also enjoyed watching her find her voice when standing up for henchman’s right. I just wish I could have gotten more into the story. Overall, the book is okay. It was neither a complete hit for me, nor a failure. It just fell beneath what my expectation for this book was going in.

Thank you so much to Macmillian's Children's Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Unfortunately, this book is so not for me. I've gotten about 45% of the way through and I just can't finish it. I kept trying to push through but I just can't do it. If you enjoy action and superhero books then this could be for you but I've realized I prefer my superheroes on screen.

B. L. Radley's Hench is a genre classic of coming of age in a world dominated by super heroes and villains while just trying to get by as a normal person. Riley Jones just wants to spend the summer working with her best friend, and secret crush. Instead, Riley ends up losing that nice normal job after a disagreement with a Super that ends in Riley hitting him with a trashbag. Desperate for any job that will help her save money for therapy, Riley applies to Hench with their ever so appealing slogan: we hire anyone. The down side, Riley will be working for the Villains of Sunnylake City. But Hench isn't what Riley expected. Turns out henching is a little less about being helpful and a little more about damage control and then there's Sherman, a fellow hench advocating for unionization.

I enjoyed a lot of Hench, but I wanted so much to enjoy all of it more. Instead a lot of it fell flat for me which was mostly due to who the audience is for this book. The book at times felt more introductory and simplified which if your audience is not meant to be well versed that makes sense. If the goal is offer readers a glance at some basics of unionizing and class politics, the book does a more than passable job. Radley works to create nuance and to deliver a message of solidarity and action and does so well enough. There was just a little piece of me that kept feeling something wasn't quiet landing. The knowledge that Radley was writing about the United States, on issues so deeply entrenched in the culture and history of the country, having never lived in made a lot of that feeling make more sense.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All the views and opinions expressed in this review are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

This was a humous book with a lot of action. Perfect for fans of the Boys.

Strictly no heroics is not the book for me. I dnf this one because I was in a really bad reading slump. I think if you’re a fan of this genre then it’s perfect for you!

First I want to say that this book was entertaining, however I did feel like it lacked in certain areas. Let's start with the positive. The world is interesting and has an obvious theme of the haves vs the have nots, but if you dig a bit deeper what I took away was the struggle to want to make a difference in a world that feels stacked against you. At its heart this book had a political agenda. Cleverly using actual super powers to demonstrate those who have more controlling the world and the narrative, while showing "normies" struggling to get by and accepting their role as collateral damage. The book paints a clear picture of ego and ambition in its ugliest forms, all the while attempting to give humanity a chance through our main character.

Now for some thoughts on the holes. Though the world was interesting there was not much explanation as to how it worked. Organizations and timelines (like the age 13 super power deadline) were never truly explained and so I had a hard time connecting to the world beyond the clever idea of it. It was also unclear as to when in time we were. The book noted current events but made it feel like those were in the past, so was it the future or current time? I truly wasn't sure. The main character was likeable but needed a lot more depth. I didn't feel the connection I wanted to. I walked away knowing she had PTSD and was gay, but there was a lot more that could have made her so layered. Perhaps it was too much focus on the conspiracy and not enough on character. The main character also had such a circular thought process that I found myself feeling like I had read that page already. Finally, I needed way more from the main character and the super she falls for. That felt forced and never quite made sense.

Overall, I would recommend this book to someone looing for a fun CW showesque type read. Someone who is world driven not character driven.

Strictly No Hero’s was a hilarious take on the saying “anything that can go wrong will”

Raised by an abusive drunk Riley seems to always be down on her luck, living in a city where superhero’s and villains battle it out. This book reminded me of a more tame take on “The Boys” on Amazon Prime.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Riley has never had the best luck. Raised by a drunk and abusive mother who died in a fiery car crash that left Riley traumatized and her half-sister disabled, she is just trying to get survive a world of superheroes and villains who battle for supremacy in her city.

When Riley offends the wrong supe at her job, she is suddenly unemployed and desperate to find something to pay for the therapy that she needs, as well as help her sister's dad take care of the three of them financially after he took the girls in.

A flyer promising that they hire everyone comes her way and Riley discovers that she's hired herself out as a henchman for the Villain Council of the city through a group called HENCH. With just a few days of training, she's ready to fetch coffee, build lairs, and construct lasers shipped like IKEA furniture.

It's difficult for her to admit to her family and friends that she's technically a bad guy now. It's also difficult for her to come out to those she cares about regarding her sexual orientation. How does one find the perfect girl to date when working for someone who may be trying to destroy the city you love?

Final thoughts: Nice complementary story to How to Date a Superhero by Christina Fernandez, though it's probably just completely coincidental. One is a college girl dating a supe and one is a girl just trying to survive the damage they do. While the story is decent, it lags from time to time and many of the characters stay flat throughout. The best part for me was the fact that many things just... were. Her LGBTQ status is acknowledged and then left alone with no one bullying or criticizing her. This had a diverse cast but that wasn't pointed out for each character as a direct statement; the author just hinted at diversity through physical descriptions.

Rating: 3/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was the humorous, everything goes wrong, Police Academy version of Steelheart or Renegades. I loved it! Captain may have been my favorite side character. *Swear Jar!* this story is for those kids that feel they have to handle all the problems, take on their family’s problems, and deal with the normal teenage angst of crushes and superheroes blowing up your home.

I'm a big fan of the recent trend in which superhero stories are told with a focus on not the superpowered protagonists themselves, but on the regular denizens of their worlds who are just trying to do their jobs and get through their day while heroes and villains duke it out. I also love stories that dare to suggest that the "good guys" might not be all that different from the "bad guys." STRICTLY NO HEROICS finds teenage Riley drawn to the "Dark Side" after an unpleasant encounter with a handsy superhero. Radley grounds this fantastical story in a realistic and vivid world, and expertly depicts daily survival in late capitalism. This engaging story with a diverse cast and cutting social commentary was a great read!

This review is based on an ARC. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review it. Riley just wants to earn money so she can pay for therapy for her PTSD, following the accident that killed her mother and permanently disabled her younger sister. Getting to hang out with her best friend and crush is a bonus. Except that when she stands up to one of the neighborhood superheroes in training after he sexually harrasses and gropes her friend, she gets fired. After responding to a job flyer at 7-11, she joins "Hench", the group of "normies" who provide back up and support for the supervillains (and try to keep the bystander down during the inevitable conflicts between heroes and villains). While doing so, she discovers environmental contamination, government conspiracies, labor relations, and, basically, a whole world that needs to be changed.

This book is a nice look at the superhero genre from a new point of view. It would work very well on screen and would appeal to teens who enjoy the superhero genre. It is one of the most realistic demonstrations of long term PTSD I've seen, I hope the author revisits this world down the road so I can see what happens next.

Please note that this book has a content warning for a reason, I would not recommend shelving it in the library for students below high school age, although some middle schoolers may be able to handle the content. It's not more graphic than, say, "Arrow", but it is more "The Dark Knight" than Lego Batman.

This was a really great book! I hope it finds its audience and earns the attention it deserves!

I loved the representation. The mc is a plus-sized lesbian struggling with untreated PTSD, her little sister is an amputee, her love interest is bi, and all the main characters were POC. Even though this book falls into the category of scifi/fantasy, the depiction of a crumbling American city suffering from late-stage capitalism felt realistic and modern. That’s impressive considering that the author admits to never having visited the US!

I loved the romance in this story. My one complaint is that I would have liked to see a better payoff for all that sexual tension. Instead we got a lot of emotional payoff, but nothing very hot, even though the potential was certainly there. I also felt like the plot could have been a bit tighter and cleaner with a stronger resolution. The way this book ended felt like things were possibly being left open for a sequel, though I’m not sure if that’s the case. If there is a future book set in this world, I will definitely read it!