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jas_kv's review
challenging
reflective
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
4.0
zreadz's review
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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Abandonment
noniko's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lottie1803's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
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
3.75
jeskajulianna's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
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
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
kaedau's review
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
⭐️ 4 stars ⭐️
This was a harrowing read, and I know that this will stick with me for a long time. I’m angry and sad and utterly stupefied. I don’t think there are any words that could properly convey how I’m feeling after finishing this book. What an important voice Kukafka contributes to the narrative of serial killers. Almost feels like something that should be required reading in the U.S. An exquisitely crafted novel that deliberately makes you uncomfortable and forces you to sit with your own distress, to face how dismissive American culture is to victims (especially female victims) of murder and the lives and the people they were forced to leave behind.
P.S. Ansel and all men like him can choke 😌
dana_sg's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
reallyrawson's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25