brookey8888's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Child death, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Torture, Violence, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Murder, and Grief
jessgj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The book took a little while to really get started for me. Fortunately, I was listening to the audiobook and I quite liked the narrator, both the voice actor and Ernest. Ernest breaks the fourth wall quite often but not in an obnoxious way that I've seen other people do and I appreciate his efforts to be honest to the readers. It's definitely a book that rewards its reader for paying attention as I was able to keep up with the big reveal and didn't feel cheated. 4.5 stars for me
Graphic: Death and Police brutality
Moderate: Child death, Abandonment, Car accident, Gun violence, Murder, Death of parent, Infertility, Blood, and Infidelity
Minor: Kidnapping and Vomit
random_reader's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.5
Moderate: Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Child death, Death, Violence, Murder, Suicide, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Vomit, Drug abuse, Infertility, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Alcohol, Cursing, Addiction, and Infidelity
mnek's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Violence
Minor: Mental illness, Vomit, Drug abuse, Addiction, Grief, Infertility, and Suicide
sphinxofblackquartz's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Murder and Child death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Drug use
emilywemily6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment, Child death, Addiction, and Kidnapping
Minor: Car accident, Vomit, Blood, Medical content, and Alcohol
missrosymaplemoth's review against another edition
4.75
☀️8/20
Graphic: Blood, Suicide, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Vomit, Addiction, Car accident, Confinement, Infertility, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
cartridgepink's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Last year I went to a Melb Writers Festival event where Ben was a speaker. I hadn't read the book but was a fan of him + his brother's musical comedy. Panel goes well, Ben cracks jokes all the way through, then they open it up to Q&A and an elderly lady in the front row says, "Are you actually a comedian?" Honestly as brutal as some of the murders in the book. Gotta respect it.
Graphic: Grief, Vomit, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Blood, Body horror, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Blood, Car accident, Medical content, and Infertility
Minor: Pregnancy and Emotional abuse
mrigbybarington's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Addiction
Minor: Drug use and Fire/Fire injury
imo_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Plus points for: the original, entertaining and witty narrative voice; the meta-ness of it all (this is supposedly the book the protagonist wrote about the events that happened to him, a trope I love); the complexity of the characters that was slowly revealed over the book; and the excellent shock factor of many of the reveals and killings, which was very well handled.
Minus points for: it was just a little too grisly for my taste (the killer’s method is slow and drawn out); a little convoluted in places, like the author could feel the plot getting away from him a bit; and a somewhat weak killer’s motive.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Suicide, Police brutality, and Infidelity
Minor: Infertility, Vomit, Child abuse, and Car accident