Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - How to Kill Your Family

If I was being generous, I would describe this book as unintentionally funny. And that is unfortunately the only thing it has going for it.
We follow Grace, the protagonist, as she narrates how she successfully killed several members of her family over the course of, I would say, about a year or two but was imprisoned for a murder she claims she did not commit.

The plot, while based on an exciting premise reminiscent of the tv series Revenge (if you haven't seen it, I can recommend it far more than this book), was sorely lacking in consistency in tension-building as well as planning and follow-through of the murders. The non-chronological storytelling definitely didn't do it any favours either.
From an editing perspective, I found the present-day prison chapters added nothing to the story and should have been omitted entirely. Would have been the same story but snappier if we had followed along as the crimes unfolded. That would even have given the chance for some insight into impulsive feelings and frantic thoughts that could have humanized the protagonist/narrator a lot.

Instead we got detached, brain-rottingly sarcastic misanthropy and fatphobic pick-me girl behaviour. After 200 pages she still keeps it up; we get it, you like nothing and nobody. Can we please. move. on. now. Sure, the author succeeded in creating an unlikable character but not in writing one I'd actually want to listen to.

All that is made worse by Grace thinking she's the smartest person in any room while behaving so dumb it hurts. She plans to murder her whole family but calling it a plan is a definitive overstatement.

She more so lucks into chance encounters and opportunities (even saying herself that she doesn't have a clue how to go about the murders beyond a vague idea) all while putting herself in immediate danger - driving headfirst towards another car on a cliff at full speed? Big brain energy right there. And then she takes keepsake trophies off her first few victims - a habit that is neither explained nor continued after a while nor has any consequences. It's not even mentioned after I believe the second death. Not even when she thinks about the police raiding her apartment.

Also, and this is definitely a petty one, she refuses to use the word whom. Sure, it's a nitpick but when a character is so convinced they are better and smarter than all the peasants around her, missed details like that only serve to make her look pathetic. Grace's stupidity is unfortunately what made me the most invested in this story.
The ending felt completely out of left field too. I was convinced for the longest time that

Kelly, Grace's cellmate, was an undercover PI hired by Simon Artemis (who had faked his own death) to dig up anything connecting Grace to the murders of his family. But no, instead we get the surprise long lost sibling arc within the established long lost daughter arc. Some long-winded explanation of family ties written by a self-righteous, kinda sexist asshole that makes Grace look even more naive and careless. A cliffhanger so bad you want to jump over the edge right alongside the characters.

It's not cozy, not intelligent, not suspenseful, and definitely not a good set-up for the sequel that the ending seems to lead into. Can't recommend it to anyone, really.

Content Warnings

buecherdiebin's review

Go to review page

medium-paced

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

2.5

Content Warnings

georgiesutton's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

This was a distinctly bang average read. It was good but wasn’t worth the hype. I found some of the chapters too long and after a while you get the idea, and it didn’t feel particularly suspenseful because nothing really went wrong or setback the plot.

Content Warnings

zara89's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

More...