Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

9 reviews

atomicbritt's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

m4rtt4's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

The premise was very promising, and I was quite hooked on the story despite it not being as funny as it was said to be. Yes, it was funny at times, but oftentimes the 'humour' relied on (internalized) misogyny and/or fatphobia and/or belittling mental health issues and eating disorders — this is also why I found the book's feminist takes to be quite hypocritical. I hated Grace as a character, she was so insufferable, annoying, petty and too bitter over the smallest of things, but I stuck up with her because — well — you can't quite love a serial killer anyways. I liked the ending, it was justified and fit perfectly with my dislike on Grace, though I also must say that such a plot twist should have been foreshadowed better. A murder mystery is no fun if it doesn't make you feel dumb for not realising the answer earlier; it shouldn't come so out of the blue (as in this case) that it feels literally impossible.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Terminal illness, and Violence

meeklovestoread's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

2.25

The amount of times this book put me to sleep should be criminal. I'm not the type where I have to like the characters to like a book, but my goodness I found Grace to be so intolerable and always constantly overly pessimistic and judgemental of literally everyone. As someone that seems to set on murdering these privileged peoole she seems just as pretentious as they are. The twist at the end still left some unanswered as to what happens to Grace.

And the introduction of Harry felt kinda rushed. I don't know. It just felt pretty random. Him being Simon's son and having him be the one to kill Simon. I don't know how I feel about that considering throughout most of the story we were in Grace's POV.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Sexual content, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Cursing, Sexism, Violence, and Car accident

bmceleney's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

I loved the concept of the book and the writing and dry humour was really good. Also having the unlikable main character was a nice change from the standard books you usually read. However, at times the plot did drag on unnecessarily. And what was that plot twist at the end?! Like I know they should be surprising but it was long and there wasn’t even hints about it throughout the book so it was a plot twist that didn’t even make sense, so the ending really let what should have been a great book down. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent

bloopyfloopy's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexual violence, and Grief

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Stalking, and Car accident

Minor: Eating disorder, Miscarriage, and Fire/Fire injury

kellyloubishop's review against another edition

dark lighthearted medium-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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Torture, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

lthomas's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

I enjoyed reading this book, and thought that the layout of the story telling was really good, it kept me hooked. The idea that she was writing about past events from a prison in the present was very interesting, and helped to make the story very fun. The main character was very funny at times, with her witty comments - some of the writing had me smiling to myself. However, after a while, I thought that her character could be a little insufferable. I was a little disappointed by the ending of the story. I felt that there was a lot of build up for not much of an outcome, however, it was a smart twist and I like how it helped some other parts of the story fall into place. Overall, I thought that the experience of reading this book was very fun, but some parts were a little disappointing.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Alcohol, and Classism

sib_reads's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Drug use, Blood, and Alcohol

onthelam's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I found myself rooting for a murderer.

I was unsatisfied at the end when she didnt receive the money and felt as if she has been further wronged.

Interesting but i felt it could have been more..

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Incest, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Classism