Reviews tagging 'Death'

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

221 reviews

bubblybelle's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

1.25

this was just so not what i wanted it to be. i am not in favor of the death penalty, especially given the state of our current justice system. however, i also simply am not going to pity a serial killer who feels absolutely NO remorse for the lives he’s taken. i feel bad for what Ansel endured as a child, but that does not excuse his behavior as an adult. 

there was way too much romanticizing and pitying for a violent criminal throughout this book despite the blurb implying that it would do the opposite. it was only in the last few chapters that it would try to switch that narrative, but by that point it was frankly too little too late for me. 

the fact that Ansel’s pov was in 2nd person was also just annoying. all of his narration made me feel icky and gross. also, the first half of the book had so much random, unnecessary smut. it didn’t really fit in with the story and again just felt icky. i almost dnf’d so many times and frankly i wish i had. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, and Murder

Minor: Drug abuse and Death of parent

prinzesstephi's review

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment

jennyf1sh's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Alcoholism

booksbri's review

dark informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Alcohol

katwritesandreads7's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

2.75

...look... I wanted to love this so much. I really did. But it dragged on and the serial killer character had no redeeming qualities. Very few of the characters were loveable and I really wish the author had taken this in another direction. One of the characters gets betrayed and we never find out why and never see that character again. I was just so frustrated with the missed potential of this read. It was by no means a BAD book... It was comprehensive and had a good plot... But for me, it was missing so much. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

santaggy's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

One of the best books I've ever read in my life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Mental illness, and Murder

Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Excrement

ricedeveloper13's review

dark mysterious reflective tense 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

5.0

the fact that they’re preserving packer’s thesis by thinking of alternate realities of themselves and others, critiquing though that they don’t get different realties because of packer but instead become people consumed by packer, yet they’re reflecting the thoughts made by packer only extending packer’s legacy without his knowledge past death, while still criticizing him having a legacy at all is just so absolutely insane and sick and twisted and i’m dead 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Abandonment

lit_as_fakh's review against another edition

dark

• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death

Moderate: Domestic abuse

hilivingston7's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was pretty unsettling at the beginning as I waited for the shoe to drop. I appreciated that the author kept the murders off the page and really gave a non biased perspective from each character. I think the ultimate ending and build up to the execution highlight the performative nature of executions 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Murder

fbzreadswhatever's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder