Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

You'd Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace

14 reviews

haileyhardcover's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Claire sees people as ghosts before they die. That’s how she knows it’s time for her to kill them. Claire has been getting away with murder (literally) for years, but now, someone knows her secret…

I absolutely loved every page of this book. Never has a serial killer been funnier! Claire quickly became one of my favorite book characters of all time. I don’t know that you’re supposed to love a serial-killing sociopath, but in Claire’s defense, they were bad people! …mostly 👀 

I had no idea how this book was going to end! Wallace did a fantastic job of not revealing too much too early so you didn’t figure it all out before Claire did and the book was gripping the whole way through. 

If you love a thriller and deadpan British humor, this is the book for you!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Dementia, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Torture, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Vomit

Minor: Ableism, Miscarriage, and Racism

elizabethbest's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

justagir1's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

Minor: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

bridge_to_narnia's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Why? 

The actual prose of the book was flowed well and was easy to read. Plus, until the last third of the book, the plot was a fairly straightforward mystery, while ignoring the ghost thing the title and summary referred too. 

This is not a funny book, all the characters are irritating (which when you are killing them is probably good?), and the plot twist x3 comes out of nowhere, making their payoff feel unearned. The character developement is a full circle and the character of the protagonist is the problem. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

badgerceereads's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

It was enjoyable read I found it funny not in a laugh out loud way but entertaining and few laughs along the way. I never would have guessed the end I couldn’t guess honestly. It was great writing and I can’t wait to read more of this authors books. I’m truly delighted I only had one minor issue and it was personal so otherwise great read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

Minor: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Stalking

ninahuynh's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The main reason why this is not a 5/5 stars even though I enjoyed the book is that

there is all this build up to Claire setting up the perfect revenge kill for Deb and Vampire Smoker/Gary yet nothing happens with it and instead, they are taken to the court system for trial. THAT felt anti-climatic and out of character for her... unless she is planning on offing them later somehow when they are inside..??

It was interesting to feel sympathy for her and root for her as she is mowing down all these people, yet it gives a comforting relief when the ugly characters get the hammer to the head (figuratively-and literally for some-).

I wonder if we got a chapter with the pov of the dad, like an epilogue or something,  what his thoughts on Claire would be.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

juanat77's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

uranaishi's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual content, Excrement, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

bmulford's review

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, and Death of parent