Reviews with content warning for Stalking - My Murder

Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

My Murder by Katie Williams

20 reviews

breanneporter's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

This is fun and extremely engrossing; I read as often as I could until I finished, and I thought about it in between reading sessions. It follows a woman and young wife/mother, Louise, in a technologically-advanced future where she has recently been murdered and brought back to life by a corporation that clones you and reuploads your consciousness and memories into the new version of your body. It’s mysterious; about half way through, she learns something new about the circumstances of her murder and starts a search for understanding. It’s riveting and thought-provoking, dealing head on with various conceptions of the self.

I’m knocking off just half a point because of how I’m left feeling after the ending.

It answers the most pressing questions in a fairly surprising reveal but I’m still left wanting at the end, mostly due to the tone/what felt like an over-the-top desire to force a happy ending. There’s a lot of build up to not a lot of action, and I just think our narrator’s perspective, which had felt complex and relatable throughout thr novel, got suddenly clear and confident and optimistic in a way that belayed very little residual trauma from finding out you were a clone of a person who faked their own murder and still exists on the world. The last few chapters just felt like a voiceover at the end of a romcom where, after previously having many complicated feelings, the main character lays out a simplified version of her happily ever after. I mean I really need to know more about Silas. How in the world is he seemingly unencumbered by the fact that the woman he’s with now is the clone of the woman who faked her own murder in order to leave him and their baby, like?? Overall as a character Silas was a bit half-baked (really nice guy and good dad is basically all we got?) and the reveal really highlights that for me. I wish we had gotten more of his and Odd’s perspectives because what an utterly insane situation that they were both in. Anyway I think I just wanted more!

Overall, highly recommend for a very fun and interesting reading journey!

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queenie_nyc's review against another edition

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dark funny hopeful mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

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room334's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Holy shit this book. Perfectly fit the exact type of sci-fi, Black Mirror-esque book I’m always chasing. No notes.

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knikchevich's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

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katie_killebrew's review

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dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

Fast-paced and entertaining. The narrator’s droll observations add levity to an otherwise grim serial killer-focused plot line. Most enjoyable for me (maybe because it was unexpected) was the author’s imagined not-so-distant future when the story takes place. Self-driving “autos,” VR second skins, and ultra high-tech screens and specs gave it an unexpected sci-fi spin.

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aliciavalenski's review

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dark funny mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

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tigger89's review

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dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

I don't typically read domestic thrillers, in part because I have a distaste for some of the tropes common in recent years. I picked this one up because of the sci-fi twist, but I wasn't sure how well I'd like it. I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed it! The front half of the novel is a medium-pace set up, introducing the characters, the world — it's futuristic, but in an everyday sort of way — and the crime; the second half is a page-turner, accelerating through the mystery as the stakes get higher.

What I loved the most is how the story examines victimhood in our society, questioning the fairness of people — especially women — being expected to conform to a narrow range of acceptable recovery behaviors. I also appreciated the parts dealing with true crime voyeurism, explored both traditionally through an amateur detective society and experimentally through a virtual reality game allowing you to step into the shoes of the victim.

All in all, I think this is very readable for both people who don't typically read domestic thrillers — though it might not hit the same way if you're not familiar with common tropes — and for people who don't read speculative fiction.

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scifi_rat's review

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-the most obnoxious prose. ex: describing her baby's gums as a wet pink secret
-i spoiled myself and the ending is wack af
-characters are annoying
-the pace is really slow for something advertised as thriller

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saraperdue01's review against another edition

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mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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allshewrotebks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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