Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

53 reviews

vaykay's review

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

I read this because I watched @newlynova's YouTube reading vlog "until she read a five star book," and wow... she was right. I sobbed, and I slobbered into my pajama shirt.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Police brutality, and Car accident

klandry98's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood, Medical content, Stalking, and Pregnancy

Minor: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Alcohol

jellyfists's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

mmmsnacks's review

dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism

riexy's review

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

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

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

chels_ro's review

challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

a beautifully written story on the nature of a serial killer through the lens of the women across his life. Kukafka questions how an individual’s choices make up their morality, the hopeful and obsessive idea of parallel universes, and the damage of making serial killer stories so consumable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Abandonment

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, Racism, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, and Death of parent

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

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