Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

218 reviews

laurataylor's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Blood, Death, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, and Body horror

atomicsushi's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Abandonment and Domestic abuse

Minor: Animal death and Child abuse

thebookishbunny's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Animal death, Murder, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, and Animal cruelty

daepyonimst's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Murder, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

Minor: Addiction

autumnwhite's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Child death, Blood, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Death, Confinement, Addiction, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Gore, Gaslighting, Torture, Sexual content, Grief, Kidnapping, and Emotional abuse

scifi_rat's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Stalking, Sexual assault, Violence, Animal death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Grief, Murder, Animal cruelty, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Police brutality, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

baileyanabella's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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

Absolutely stunning writing by Danya Kukafka. What could have been an incredibly confusing mixture of stories from the perspective of four different people in completely different time frames, were masterfully written and intertwined with one another. You begin the story knowing its ending, but the ride there with the characters is what keeps you in your seat. Also features a diverse cast, including POC and LGBTQQ+ main characters. Their representation never feels forced, it is intrinsically involved in the plot and their personal development. I ate this up, and I can't think of anything I didn't like about it. Kukafka doesn't miss a beat!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Blood, Death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

Minor: Cancer and Death of parent

Maybe to no one's surprise because of the title, but there is a detailed first-person description of an execution, of the desire to stay alive but being forced to die. I've never read anything like it, so it's something to be aware of when going in. Ansel is pathetic and dies pathetically.

archer3's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was beautiful and superbly written. The organizational structure of character perspectives and chronology was not necessarily unique, but it was done very well and fit the story wonderfully. Kukafka's goal when writing this was to put the narrative into the hands of the women affected by serial killers, as compared to the stories that glorify white, male murderers; I think she accomplished this and so much more. Her evaluations of humanity, motherhood, fear, love, and so much more were integral to the completeness of the story. I am very glad to have read this work. 

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Content Warnings

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

desiderium_incarnate's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-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

4.75

There are millions of men out there who want to hurt women - people seem to think that Ansel Packer is extraordinary, because he actually did. 

This book was amazing! Yes it's incredibly dark and it hurts but it is so skillfully written and immersive and makes so much sense, I am pretty much in awe. The cover also makes so much sense when you read it and that's really cool. I didn't give it 5 stars because of a principle I have, if animals get unnecessarily hurt or die in a story, it isn't 5 stars,but yeah otherwise I fully recommend it. It really gives you a new perspective on the obsession people have with murderers or serial killers specifically - is the murderer really the most important thing about that? Is it most interesting, what made them like this? How their psyche works? What would be if they wouldn't have made those decisions? How they impacted the people around them and vice versa? 
The book is not pro death penalty or police it shows flaws in the system, it also isn't against reporting on serial killers, it is just in some ways a comfort, hope, warning and another perspective from death row as well as from impacted outsiders left behind and I think that is all it should be. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Alcohol, Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Car accident, Confinement, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Violence, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

lau_leo's review against another edition

challenging reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Animal death, Abandonment, Death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Stalking, Suicide, and Toxic relationship