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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I think the text I sent to my friend after finishing sums up my feelings well:
Bruh this book rocked me.
I feel sick.
But it was so good.
I liked that the focus of this book was the stories of the women left behind. The way the story and mystery unfolded was really well done and Kukafka’s prose was really well done. This was a really propulsive read. I love a book that makes me FEEL. And even though I felt unsettled reading this, it was powerful bc it was intentional. A result of good writing.
Comparisons to Bright Young Women immediately come to mind but I think this book does it better and IMO deserves more of a spotlight. Ironic that the book about Bundy is the one that got all the publicity.
Bruh this book rocked me.
I feel sick.
But it was so good.
I liked that the focus of this book was the stories of the women left behind. The way the story and mystery unfolded was really well done and Kukafka’s prose was really well done. This was a really propulsive read. I love a book that makes me FEEL. And even though I felt unsettled reading this, it was powerful bc it was intentional. A result of good writing.
Comparisons to Bright Young Women immediately come to mind but I think this book does it better and IMO deserves more of a spotlight. Ironic that the book about Bundy is the one that got all the publicity.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5. Couldn’t put it down. Lots of humanity in here. And lots of sadness.
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What about the women?
This novel is simply perfect. The prose is simple and beautiful, and it’s so person-centred that each character seems to live and breathe on the page. Kukafka gives humanity to each of her women, and she gives them hopes and fears and desires and flaws. They have whole lives outside of Ansel Packer and his violent crimes. I liked that as the recurring theme of the book - he did not define them. True Crime so often centers the man, but Kukafka is right when she argues that it doesn’t matter why men hurt women. It only matters that they want to, and will, and women then become swallowed inside of it, their memory shrunk to just that violent moment. This book was thought-provoking, empathetic, and so important. For every Ansel, there are thousands of affected women who have their own lives and stories and feelings, and they deserve to be heard.
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced