Reviews tagging 'Death'

How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

211 reviews

jminaprisc's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Hooked from the beginning and couldn’t stop listening as the story progressed. 
Pace slowed down quite a lot towards the end and I missed Grace’s perspective. Ending felt somewhat rushed after so much build up, and I am left feeling dissatisfied. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Death

that_awkwardpart's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective

4.5

This is a book about a young woman killing her family, so you absolutely get what the title states.

There  are  heavy and dark topics spoken about and in depth detailed murder. But it's done In a lovely way, there is a lightness to the book that makes it a very enjoyable read and makes you root for the murderer.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Abandonment, Car accident, Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

mummamyers's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Vomit, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Torture

stindex's review against another edition

lighthearted slow-paced

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

1.0

The author makes me sad. They’ve apparently tried to push all the things they hate into this book and it just makes this feel like a boomer whining about basically everything. For a ”feminist” main character the mc sure spent a lot of time hating on women in a very pick me -girlish style. Body shaming was also very present whenever describing anyone else but the mc or their love interest. The premise was great but the book is an absolute train wreck from the start.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Stalking, Sexual content, Abandonment, Sexism, Misogyny, Death of parent, Infidelity, Fatphobia, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Bullying, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Torture, Confinement, Car accident, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Grief, and Terminal illness

loy127's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Death

bkyng313's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Suicide, Car accident, Alcohol, Classism, Death, and Sexual content

kathlenenarraga's review against another edition

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

4.0

A book that has finally crossed the 3-star rating I was in deep last month. Do I think killing anyone, even if the said person wronged you big time, is horrible? Yes. Was I rooting for the main character despite her murderous intentions? Also yes.

Grace's way of telling the events matter of fact displayed her indifference to the hideous acts she committed. Her delivery of her plans and how she thought of the people in her list were unhinged it was funny (an adjective I would never use if my name's listed there, obviously)

There was a part in the book where her mom described young Grace to her father which I liked a lot - it showed the humane side of a killer and it was hard to place where it fits in the current narrative.

I was so angry with how this ended. Grace was MAD but what happened to her felt so unfair and terrible - which is insane to feel too because hello??? She murdered people and yet here I am spewing things about fairness? Andddd - that is how you get me to I like a book 🤷‍♀️

Only thing was - there were some passages and narrations I thought were too long or unnecessary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Death

pil4r's review against another edition

funny mysterious slow-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? It's complicated

2.75

Me resulta un poco complejo ubicar el género de esta novela. How to kill your family no responde ni se acerca a los canones de la ficción literaria pero tampoco termina de convencerme como thriller y está muy lejos del universo de la literatura juvenil.
Su historia sigue a Grace quien, desde que empieza este relato, nos cuenta que ha cumplido la meta autoimpuesta de asesinar a miembros de su familia. Mientras nos cuenta cómo, esta protagonista intenta -y algunas veces logra- ser astuta, rencorosa, inteligente y sarcástica; siendo, principalmente, su tono el que sostiene lo gracioso y entretenido de este recorrido.
Sin embargo, considero que esta novela se encuentra con varios problemas a lo largo de su desarrollo. Es un texto bastante largo de más y es esa extensión la que produce que el suspenso ensayado se diluya y, por momentos, tanto la trama como la protagonista pierdan mucho sentido -y ni hablar de verosimilitud-.
La idea central es interesante, aunque realmente esperaba encontrarme con una historia o bastante más entretenida o una tanto más profunda.
Por todo esto, no se me ocurre bien a quien recomendarle este libro. Por otro lado, si buscan obras de ficción que se centren en mujeres complejas cometiendo grandes errores -por no decir crimenes- les recomiendo chusmearse novelas como Big Swiss (del mundo de lo bizarro y lo LGBT), Boy Parts (de lo artístico y oscuro) y Hasta que mueras (de lo argentino y furioso). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Murder

saskiahill's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Death

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Grief, Sexual content, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Alcohol, Blood, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, and Drug use

esv_'s review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Murder, Death of parent, and Child death

Moderate: Cursing, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Violence, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Infidelity, and Blood

Minor: Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Eating disorder, Sexism, Suicide, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Incest, and Mental illness