Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

22 reviews

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

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

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

nplunkie's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-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

3.5

There are elements of this book I really loved but there are parts that really took away from my overall enjoyment of the book. The protagonist not being particularly likeable and really a bit of a “pick-me” was something I just accepted as the book went on. I didn’t love how the chapters were structured, often very long but then with the real event of the chapter only taking up a handful of pages. 
The ending was what really took away from the story for me.

The whole long lost half brother who had managed to infiltrate the family is the one that ruins her plan (but also means Simon is dead without her struggling to figure out a way) just feels like a way out of coming up with an ending. It is mentioned that she feels as though she’s being watched but that is quickly brushed off and she goes about another 3 killings - hard to believe she could get away with all of those without leaving evidence but not notice a man following her

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Overall it feels like the book had real potential but just fell a bit flat especially in the last 50 pages or so for me - interested to read more books from this author!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Infidelity, Death, Abandonment, and Death of parent

Moderate: Car accident, Stalking, Terminal illness, Grief, and Drug use

junglejelly's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

The beginning and end of the book are great but I found the middle to be formulaic with the same structure

this is how I killed X member of the family

. I enjoyed the start and finale immensely with the writing being so captivating and entertaining.

The ending is definitely a satisfying one and one I will remember for a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Sexism, Fatphobia, Bullying, Drug use, and Infidelity

georg_11's review against another edition

Hardly any dialogue and super long chapters 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Stalking, Death, Drug use, Car accident, and Terminal illness

robin_reads's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.0

The first third was really good, the next part dragged on forever and the last bit was pretty interesting and a plot twist I didn't quite expect.
Pretty sure the ending is left this vague because there will be a sequel? Who knows.

The audiobook narrator for Grace's part made me furious at times. They would take a breath or swallow in the middle of the sentence, take odd breaks and so on. It was really annoying. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexism, Eating disorder, Torture, and Terminal illness

introverted_reads's review against another edition

dark funny 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Infidelity, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Murder, Death, Cursing, Car accident, Cancer, Body shaming, Abandonment, Death of parent, Violence, Terminal illness, Stalking, Misogyny, Mental illness, Classism, and Child death

sorcha's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Death

Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, Abandonment, Sexual content, Mental illness, Cancer, and Death of parent

Minor: Terminal illness, Blood, Alcohol, Addiction, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Drug use