#not chreon

(Not Resident Evil related but if you are interested in a good read or a book for your summer reading program)

Alright, so, despite not being a Harley Quinn fan myself, I did thoroughly enjoy #MadLove. It was well written and gave us insight on the earlier years of Harleen Quinzel as well as the spiral into the villainous Harley Quinn. I would give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We get to see the moment in her childhood that, in a way, kickstarted her views of the world. Quite literally, her first steps into her becoming the Harlequin of Crime as well as to why she chose Psychiatry of all things. Contrary to what we believe, she DID NOT sleep her way in college (a widely popular and dehumanizing theory of how she became a psychiatrist).

Quite the opposite. She is extremely good at reading people and a master of manipulation and she did it "without even taking her shoes off".

Whether you believe it or not, the Harley written in this book is not at all like what we have seen or believed over the years. Paul Dini and Pat Cadigan add more layers to her character than the ditzy blonde who was madly in love with the Clown Prince of Crime.

Harleen Quinzel does start out with good intentions upon entering Arkham, genuinely wanting to help the inmates, despite her slightly warped views of society and those deemed "normal" (but we learn earlier on why she has those views). She tries to humanize the criminally insane. Thinking that, by doing so, she will earn their respect and push them along with their rehabilitation.

She genuinely was trying to help the Joker, and in the beginning, was wary of his intentions, trying but ultimately failing, not to fall into his games. A part of her mind, the voice of reason, knows it is not love, rather manipulation and his need to control. The starved for love and affection side of her mind, the voice of "insanity", if you will, just wants him to love her as much as she loves him. Again, her childhood tells us why she thinks this way.

We get to see all different types of characters, though briefly, from the infamous likes of Joker and Poison Ivy to the more obscure Mary Dahl and March Harriet. As well as new characters that add to the plot. There are even scenes ripped right from the animated series!

All in all, if you are, or even you aren't, a Harley Quinn fan, I would highly recommend reading this book. It really is an excellent read, so much so I finished it a lot faster than I thought I would because I didn't want to put it down.