Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - Notes on an Execution

Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

182 reviews

tm400's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

from the second I picked this book up, it was really hard for me to put it down. this story details the life of a serial killer from multiple different points of view of women in his life affected by his killings. the writing is illustrious and it all played out like a movie in my mind's eye, which i love experiencing when reading. i found it fascinating that the chapters from the killer's pov were written in the second person - it's not something that you see often and i think it was a very interesting choice. i think it was in an attempt to get the reader to *almost* sympathize with the killer but the HUGE GIANT point of the book is that you can't sympathize with serial killers, especially male serial killers that kill predominantly/exclusively women.
plenty of male serial killers have existed in real life, and time and time again, their stories are the ones that are told & remembered instead of the ones of their victims.

i loved that the last chapter of the book served as a sort of dedication to not only the women in this story who were wronged, but the ones in real life who are no longer with us to tell their story or be full humans alongside us.

i loved this story & how it was written. i cried out of anger and frustration more than once, and would recommend to any other thriller enjoyers and anyone else who is sick of the idea of men relishing in fame after their wrongdoings at the hands of a woman's suffering. 5/5 stars for me & would revisit later

Content Warnings

jellyfists's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

zreadz's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Kukafka’s language and prose create a story that’s hard to look away from. What begins as a story about familial abuse and abandonment twists itself into a darker story. This book deals with the philosophical question: Are we inherently good or evil…or is it our choices that make us that way? In addition, it uses the idea of nature vs. nurture to make the reader question your own life and the many different versions of your life that could’ve been. This book leaves you with a feeling that’s hard to describe. These are just a few themes conveyed by this story and there are many more, but I’m glad I picked it up on a blind read.

Content Warnings