arfog's review against another edition
dark
funny
4.0
Very unique, funny but dark. McMasters is kind of like Hogwarts for murderers, where they teach you all the arts needed to complete a "deletion." Has you rooting for the students!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Racism
drastichopeful's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really, really liked this book! The characters were funny, the plotting was tense, and the ending was fantastic. Saying too much more would spoil things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Classism, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Grief, Death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexism, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Medical content, Racism, Suicide, and Police brutality
Minor: Transphobia and Homophobia
cozyscones's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Racism and Transphobia
toffishay's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I liked this book well-enough, but I definitely wanted to like it more. The premise is so fun: a school that teaches you how to murder is ripe for puns and gags and you definitely get plenty of those. It still has adult subject matter though, so you get the vibes of a Series of Unfortunate Events or Truly, Devious, but with a mature element that really serves as a strong suit. The pacing is a little off for me. <SPOILER> The first part of the book centers around getting us acclimated to McMasters Academy, but then in the middle of the book the characters leave to carry out their "theses". At that point things slow down a lot of the three characters that we follow end up being so spread out that it can be a little bit of a slog to get through. I think that this isn't helped by the fact that even though we are following three main characters, the stories of Gemma and Dulci/Dorie felt way underdeveloped compared to Cliff's. Gemma is portrayed in a very middling way that makes you sympathetic to her, but she isn't very interesting to follow. Dulcie/Dorie is more interesting, but her ending falls so flat that it feels like the narrative is trying to punish her in a way that it isn't doing with Gemma and Cliff. And in both the cases of Gemma and Dulcie/Dorie, there endings feel rushed and incomplete, like all the attention was on Cliff and then the author remembers that they have to wrap up the other stories too. The romance between Cliff and Gemma felt weird too. He spends all of their interactions idolizing her for seeming nicer than other students and also being upset with her for her assignment with another character, Jud, because she is spending time with a man. And then at the end, it picks back up insinuating that they will get togehter? It feels underdeveloped. Ultimately, I think that this books could have been better served by focusing on Cliff's story, since that is the one that the author seemed the most attached too. <END SPOILER> I only have so much to say because I really wanted to love this book! It does hit on a lot of things that I like with a fun tongue-in-cheek framing, interesting mystery elements, a anti-hero stance that sides with the underdogs. All of that is great. But the characters, the length, and the division of the action/plot really drag this one down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexism, Alcohol, Homophobia, Death of parent, Transphobia, Classism, Racism, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Gun violence
In addition to listed content warnings, story also contains mention of "Gambling/Gambling Addiction"honeyenbee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Racism
Minor: Chronic illness, Animal death, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Homophobia, and Grief
chocolate_pondue's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
5.0
As a mystery fan, this book sank its hooks into me from the very beginning. The world-building, fascinating information, and characters are so in-depth, they drew me in as if I was really there. I'd never commit murder, but it was such fun being immersed into the world and learning along with the students that I really wanted to study at the school. And though all the characters we follow are planning for and enacting murders, I couldn't help but root for them when the time came. I loved this book and I am very excited to know that there will be more to come!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Minor: Racism and Homophobia
purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Wryly humorous, darkly satisfying, and only a bit too clever for it's own good, MURDER YOUR EMPLOYER is an ambitious and entertaining murder mystery turned inside out. Readers of this case study guide to homicide follow three would-be student assassins in the 1950s as they study, train, and enact their final murderous theses to successfully matriculate from McMasters Conservatory of the Applied [Homicidal] Arts. McMasters is a [poison] Ivy League-calibre "finishing school for finishing people off." The course work is high stakes but each student has such a deserving thesis subject that we can't help but root for high marks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Infidelity, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Suicide
Minor: Racism and Pregnancy
Blackmail, assisted suicide, organized crime, vigilante justice, and a scene that plays too dangerously close to homophobic/transphobic for Reasons (those being context, motivation, and era)
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