Reviews with content warning for Suicide - How to Kill Your Family

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.

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apollos_shelf's review

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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lesemaresi's review

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dark mysterious tense 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

4.5

Loooved it. I had a lot of expectations because I heard a lot of good things about it so I was weary .. buuut it was great! Easy to read and lot of twist and turns (Basically it was like watching a tv series)

I don’t want to spoil anything but I didn’t like any of the characters in the book and still I felt sorry for the main character in the end …

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billub's review

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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? Yes

1.25

(This review has no spoilers, but do not read it if you want to go into the book completely blind.)

Not to be rude but I am convinced the only people that have enjoyed this book either agree with Grace's terrible views or are so boring that any rude comment made in a book is the funniest thing they have ever read. But let's make one thing clear; this is not a "good for her" revenge story or even complex criticism of the current state of society. This book reads like an insecure teen making crude and edgy jokes to fit in with the cool kids and fails miserably even in that attempt.

I understand people that overlook the main character's many flaws because she is meant to be unlikeable and a murderer. I love a complex narrative with unlikable characters, but not if it means I have to subject myself to reading a self-centered, self-righteous asshole be rude and bigotted for 300 pages. And the book tries so hard to make us root for her, which is really painful to read.

In the worst way possible, this book reminds me of Fight Club (the book). I can't call rude statements made by a main character with a superiority complex good criticism of society.

As a young, painfully queer feminist, I am definitely not the target audience. Good for you if you are and if you enjoyed the book.

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fairy_internet's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

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bethanstanleyy's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

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thesehauntedshelves's review

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dark funny sad medium-paced

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

4.5

How to Kill Your Family is a dark yet funny thriller following a young woman Grace Bernard, who after losing her mother sets out to enact revenge on her estranged father and his family who refused to acknowledge her existence in their lives. The story is narrated from the point of view of Grace, who is writing her memoir whilst being in prison for a murder that she didn't actually commit, whilst the ones that she did remain undiscovered.
Grace is a sarcastic and funny protagonist, but she is also judgemental, completely ruthless and extremely calculating. Despite her obvious character flaws I found myself liking Grace because of her dark wit and acerbic tone, and wanting her to succeed with the murders of her father and the rest of the Artemis family who are truly unlikeable characters.
I found some of Grace's commentary throughout to be acerbic and blunt yet very relatable, in particular her comments referring to London life. She somehow managed to say what people are thinking but don't say out loud for fear of seeming too judgemental.
The plot was decently paced throughout, moving between Graces current day boredom in prison and the past where she carefully planned and carried out each murder. It did sometimes feel a little slow in places however I liked the way that the run up to each brutal murder was laid out and showed the meticulous planning and attention to detail.
The twist at the end was shocking, like a harsh full stop in Graces story and I definitely didn't see it coming! Although I didn't necessarily like the ending because I rooted for Grace throughout, I think it served to show that eventually consequences will catch up with you no matter how clever you think you are.

Overall, I found I really enjoyed this book. It kept me hooked throughout and I found it to be witty and darkly humorous.

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