I read Hench just a few days ago and liked it so much I wanted to tell everyone about it. I flipped to the beginning, checked the first sentence, and then reread the whole book. Natalie Zina Walschots crafted this book well from beginning to end.
Her first sentence falls naturally into three parts. The first part, "When the temp agency called," sets the time and situation. The second part, "I was struggling" gives us a character, "I" with a problem, "struggling." The third part, "to make the math work," adds more detail both to the problem and the world.
(Why three parts? The comma and the word "to." The one comma separates the first two parts of the sentence. The word "to" – a single, hard-working syllable often used to relate some words to others – starts the third part.)
Let's dig into each section a little more. "When the temp agency called" starts the story at a precise moment – as the phone rings. "Temp" is a modern, informal word. It suggests the speaker is someone contemporary. It also suggests that the narrator needs work – any work – as temp agency jobs are less prestigious than, say, headhunted jobs. The call may bring an opportunity. So right away, the narrator faces a choice.
"I was struggling" – this means "I" was having a hard time. "Struggling" is also what we call people who are unemployed and desperate for income. With "temp agency," "struggling" picks up both those meanings.
The last part, "to make the math work," is another way we talk about too little money for expenses. It also gives a sign that "I" thinks in terms of math and making things work. The narrator, while struggling, does have some skills and education and willingness to try. Most of us have been there or can imagine being there. So we empathize with the narrator's situation and begin to feel drawn to their side.
It turns out that Hench takes place in a world where superpowers exist, and there are many systems to manage them. This first sentence doesn't clue us in on the story taking place in an alternate world. That information follows quickly on the page and the cover art and book descriptions also show it. For anyone counting, this is one vote against having your first sentence signal that the story takes place in an alternate world.
Don't blame Ken Silbert for the Comics Sans font, shading, or color choices. He designed the frame and "First Sentences" cartouche. The rest is on me.