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rahanahava's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5 stars
This book has a great premise, but I feel like the execution was a little off. Millie has good intentions, but we all know where those lead you. Her quest is noble and the path she's on was truly an accident and she ran with it. I get it.
She's tunnel-visioned with her quest and is bound to make some mistakes. However, the mistakes she DOES make legitimately are huge. Like she should've been caught a long time ago. She's also a person who I couldn't really connect with. She's a Debbie Downer. She's a pessimest. She hates EVERYONE (minus her sister and bff and possibly her new potential boyfriend). Like, I don't even understand why the love plot line was even in the story. I guess to create tension about getting caught for the murders, but it felt unnecessary for me. I just got mad because he's the only one (besides Katie) that I had any sort of feelings for one way or the other.
Make sure to check trigger warnings because there's some dark topics being discussed and talked about (child abuse, child molestation, rape, murder, sexual assault, to name a few).
It was a rough read for me (not because of the TW, I don't have any that I know of) because the first like 2/3 of the book I just was trudging through. The last like 6 chapters I was fully invested and things started to really pick up. Millie was no longer complaining. No longer drowning and we'd finally reached the top of the roller coaster and it was all downhill from there (finally). The ending made up for it a bit, so I gave back some points.
Thank you, NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC. These are my honest opinions.
This book has a great premise, but I feel like the execution was a little off. Millie has good intentions, but we all know where those lead you. Her quest is noble and the path she's on was truly an accident and she ran with it. I get it.
She's tunnel-visioned with her quest and is bound to make some mistakes. However, the mistakes she DOES make legitimately are huge. Like she should've been caught a long time ago. She's also a person who I couldn't really connect with. She's a Debbie Downer. She's a pessimest. She hates EVERYONE (minus her sister and bff and possibly her new potential boyfriend). Like, I don't even understand why the love plot line was even in the story. I guess to create tension about getting caught for the murders, but it felt unnecessary for me. I just got mad because he's the only one (besides Katie) that I had any sort of feelings for one way or the other.
Make sure to check trigger warnings because there's some dark topics being discussed and talked about (child abuse, child molestation, rape, murder, sexual assault, to name a few).
It was a rough read for me (not because of the TW, I don't have any that I know of) because the first like 2/3 of the book I just was trudging through. The last like 6 chapters I was fully invested and things started to really pick up. Millie was no longer complaining. No longer drowning and we'd finally reached the top of the roller coaster and it was all downhill from there (finally). The ending made up for it a bit, so I gave back some points.
Thank you, NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC. These are my honest opinions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment
mosreads's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Incest and Sexual assault
kimwritesstuff's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book is like a combination of You by Caroline Kepnes and the movie Promising Young Woman. Which in concept would be perfect for me, but I just couldn't love this book. Don't get me wrong, the sarcastic, emotionally closed-off Millie is a good main character, but I had so many issues with the plot and writing style. The author uses the same phrases over and over, which made Millie seem neurotic in not a loving way.
In the beginning of the book, we discover that Millie started Message M because her sister was raped on New Year's. Message M is a way for Millie to help other women and young girls from predators. When Millie gets a text from a girl who has been drugged and is trapped, she rushes to the rescue. After knocking on the wrong door, Millie finally arrives to rescue the drugged girl. Millie breaks into a strange man's home to find the girl unconscious and with the creep in question taking staged nude photos. In the process of rescuing the girl who messaged, Millie lets her rage take over and kicks the perv down the stairs, resulting in his death.
At first, Millie is disgusted by her actions and she's sure she's going to be caught. She calls in sick to work and searches the local news, waiting for the police to arrive at her doorstep. When the police don't arrive, she settles into the resolve that the creep deserved it and, better yet, she can get revenge for her sister. She just needs to find her rapist and end him.
Obviously, this book deals with very dark subject matter with very real statistics. Millie not only wants to get revenge for her sister, but also for herself. Her dad was a vicious drunk - emotionally, physically, and sexually abusive. As a result, Millie has few friends and only one family member she really cares about. Honestly, I'm surprised it took this long for her to snap.
Of course, the love interest in this book is a detective who is obsessed with these "accidents" that are murders. Millie finally finds a guy she likes and of course he's a detective, and she's a murderer. Such star-crossed lovers. I hated this plot point; it just seemed so convenient and also kind of dumb. If you were a vigilante, why would you date a cop?? I could understand most of the character motivations, but this just seemed like such a bonehead move.
This was just an okay read for me, but I think if you like You the book or show, you'd like this novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
In the beginning of the book, we discover that Millie started Message M because her sister was raped on New Year's. Message M is a way for Millie to help other women and young girls from predators. When Millie gets a text from a girl who has been drugged and is trapped, she rushes to the rescue. After knocking on the wrong door, Millie finally arrives to rescue the drugged girl. Millie breaks into a strange man's home to find the girl unconscious and with the creep in question taking staged nude photos. In the process of rescuing the girl who messaged, Millie lets her rage take over and kicks the perv down the stairs, resulting in his death.
At first, Millie is disgusted by her actions and she's sure she's going to be caught. She calls in sick to work and searches the local news, waiting for the police to arrive at her doorstep. When the police don't arrive, she settles into the resolve that the creep deserved it and, better yet, she can get revenge for her sister. She just needs to find her rapist and end him.
Obviously, this book deals with very dark subject matter with very real statistics. Millie not only wants to get revenge for her sister, but also for herself. Her dad was a vicious drunk - emotionally, physically, and sexually abusive. As a result, Millie has few friends and only one family member she really cares about. Honestly, I'm surprised it took this long for her to snap.
Of course, the love interest in this book is a detective who is obsessed with these "accidents" that are murders. Millie finally finds a guy she likes and of course he's a detective, and she's a murderer. Such star-crossed lovers. I hated this plot point; it just seemed so convenient and also kind of dumb. If you were a vigilante, why would you date a cop?? I could understand most of the character motivations, but this just seemed like such a bonehead move.
This was just an okay read for me, but I think if you like You the book or show, you'd like this novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
clarke's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I support women's rights, and more importantly women's wrongs (she did nothing wrong).
I really enjoyed the jovial writing style, and each reveal of information was well done. Whilst some things were predictable and some silly actions, it was relatively realistic and didn't detract from my overall enjoyment. I enjoyed the relationships in the book, especially the "I'd do anything for you" type of love outside of a romantic relationship. Every character had a purpose, even if very minor, and the ending tied everything up well. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would love to read more like it. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.
I really enjoyed the jovial writing style, and each reveal of information was well done. Whilst some things were predictable and some silly actions, it was relatively realistic and didn't detract from my overall enjoyment. I enjoyed the relationships in the book, especially the "I'd do anything for you" type of love outside of a romantic relationship. Every character had a purpose, even if very minor, and the ending tied everything up well. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would love to read more like it. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
schlotte's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.25
Very interesting and suspenseful read. The MC is morally grey and I both liked and disliked her immensely. Very well written.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder
danileah07's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Incest, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
jeannine_'s review against another edition
4.0
It's not often that books about serial killers make you laugh, but How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways had an element of comedy in it that created a unique balance that I liked a lot.
Millie is our main character in this story, and she lives in Bristol working at a picture frame shop. We know from the start that something bad has happened to her younger sister Katie, causing her to stop eating, quit university, and lie in bed all day. Millie also runs a bad-date-rescue service on the weekends called Message M. Guy creeping you out, stalking you, not respecting your 'no'? Message M and she'll come pick you up.
The way this book is written is such that Millie is narrating, and often times done so such that she is speaking to the reader, breaking that wall. I don't find this too often, so I appreciated the approach. The dry British humor is what made this book fun for me.
This was a page turner once I got into it. I didn't know how the story was going to end up, though I knew it must be setting up for a glorious bang at the end. It did not disappoint.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely check out Eve Kellman's next book!
Millie is our main character in this story, and she lives in Bristol working at a picture frame shop. We know from the start that something bad has happened to her younger sister Katie, causing her to stop eating, quit university, and lie in bed all day. Millie also runs a bad-date-rescue service on the weekends called Message M. Guy creeping you out, stalking you, not respecting your 'no'? Message M and she'll come pick you up.
The way this book is written is such that Millie is narrating, and often times done so such that she is speaking to the reader, breaking that wall. I don't find this too often, so I appreciated the approach. The dry British humor is what made this book fun for me.
This was a page turner once I got into it. I didn't know how the story was going to end up, though I knew it must be setting up for a glorious bang at the end. It did not disappoint.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely check out Eve Kellman's next book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Sexual assault
sciencewhizliz's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book was unhinged. It kept me turning the pages and delaying bedtime for way too long to find out what would happen next.
Was the ending realistic? Nope. Did I love the characters? Loved to hate them.
It was a delightfully entertaining read, but dark.
Trigger warnings for rape, murder, child abuse and domestic violence
Was the ending realistic? Nope. Did I love the characters? Loved to hate them.
It was a delightfully entertaining read, but dark.
Trigger warnings for rape, murder, child abuse and domestic violence
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault