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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Bella Mackie serves up a bold, unhinged, and hilariously disturbing tale of revenge, privilege, and moral ambiguity in How to Kill Your Family. With a protagonist who's equal parts savage and smart, this book pulls you into a twisted journey of justice… one corpse at a time.
⠀
Grace is the illegitimate daughter of Simon Artemis - a ruthless, image-obsessed billionaire who coldly abandoned her mother. After her mother dies penniless and heartbroken, Grace is left abandoned by the family who should have helped her. She’s not asking for pity - she wants revenge. And she gets it, by methodically killing off six members of the Artemis family.
⠀
One by one, she kills them - six members of the Artemis family - with jaw-dropping creativity and stone-cold precision. From “accidents” to “freak mishaps,” Grace spares no detail in her confessional journal written from prison.
The twist?
She’s not imprisoned for any of the murders she actually committed.
She’s in for one she didn’t do.
⠀
Do the victims deserve it?
Well… mostly.
Each of her targets is selfish, cruel, or corrupt - the kind of people you'd cheerfully see fall. Except for Andrew. That one hurt. He was decent. And even Grace knows it.
When you think it’s over. You think she’s free. You think she’s won.
And then...
Another secret child of Simon Artemis emerges - a boy this time.
Just like Grace. Abandoned. Forgotten. Furious.
But unlike her, he’s been watching.
Watching everything she did. Every murder (except first one). Every move.
And when he finally reveals himself, it’s more than a plot twist.
I felt a bit bored in some middle parts - but I’m not sure if it was the pacing or just my mood. Regardless, the payoff was worth it.
Grace Bernard is a morally grey icon -a sharp-tongued anti-heroine who turns trauma into vengeance and somehow still makes you root for her.
⠀
It’s dark, it’s funny, it’s messed up - and I loved every second of it.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
White men ruin everything
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I nearly DNF'd this at 1/3.
I am glad I didn't but mostly because it just backed up what I was already feeling.
I HATED the main character Grace and not in the "oh yeah, the writer is wanting me to hate her", no just in the "she's annoying, nasty and unbelievably stupid".
I agree with the sentiment this book needed to be edited down. I would also argue, who am I meant to be rooting for? There is no one in this book I want to root for.
Maybe I am being an arse but just nah.
There were some scenes I enjoyed so I have rated it for that but I would rarely recommend this to someone.
I am glad I didn't but mostly because it just backed up what I was already feeling.
I HATED the main character Grace and not in the "oh yeah, the writer is wanting me to hate her", no just in the "she's annoying, nasty and unbelievably stupid".
I agree with the sentiment this book needed to be edited down. I would also argue, who am I meant to be rooting for? There is no one in this book I want to root for.
Maybe I am being an arse but just nah.
There were some scenes I enjoyed so I have rated it for that but I would rarely recommend this to someone.
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a favourite this year. I can't believe it took me so long to read this. Harry is probably proof that what goes around comes around. He did have better cards. Hopefully this turns into a series
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3
This was a cool concept for a thriller and I liked how non-serious it was but I just wasn't obsessed with it. There were some scenes I really enjoyed but overall I don't think this'll be a book I'll come back to. I think the main character was a bit all over the place - she's clearly insane but we never really find out why? We know her backstory but that alone doesn't justify her wanting to kill her entire family. I think it would have been interesting to dig a bit deeper into what was actually driving this revenge plot.
An easy read though and definitely a unique story with some satirical moments!
This was a cool concept for a thriller and I liked how non-serious it was but I just wasn't obsessed with it. There were some scenes I really enjoyed but overall I don't think this'll be a book I'll come back to. I think the main character was a bit all over the place - she's clearly insane but we never really find out why? We know her backstory but that alone doesn't justify her wanting to kill her entire family. I think it would have been interesting to dig a bit deeper into what was actually driving this revenge plot.
An easy read though and definitely a unique story with some satirical moments!