Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Notes on an Execution

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

49 reviews

kuroislittle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I would like to give this a 4.8 or 4.9, but since it's .25 increments, I'm rating it a 4.75.
I thought this was a very interesting and thought-provoking book. It really explored the concept of justice and what feeling there is left from human justice. I also thought this was an overall exploration of the feelings we don't always talk about, the murky, hard to pin emotions that can't easily be named. It made me feel empty and hollow, but not from dissatisfaction. I really enjoyed this read. No, the empty hollow feeling came from what they wrote and the characters themselves. When you run after something for so long, to the point that you've lost yourself completely, that's the feeling I feel the author invoked.
I only take a few points off since it lagged at times, but I was really rushing through this read because it gave me a lot of questions.
I also think this was a lot more realistic and I think that added to the emotions. I feel like a lot of times events can take on this almost fable-like quality where it never seems real, but in this book you see a man. Not a "serial killer", but a man who may or may not have feelings and if he does (I read it as he does), then he doesn't know how to use them, what to do about them, and was just unlucky in his life situation. His mother's choices were shocking, but also not really. In some ways, her choices almost seemed too normal, yet those choices still helped create the "monster" who is just as weak and helpless as anyone else. Killing people doesn't put him on mythic levels in this book. To be able to look at a murderer and see how pathetic he is, I think that's powerful and I'm pretty sure that was the author's intention too if you look it up. Americans really glorify serial killers and this does (almost entirely) the opposite.
Highly recommend.

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_bookishbella's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This book took me ages to read and had a very slow start but once I’d properly given it a chance I was hooked. I’ve never really read anything like it, it’s extremely thought-provoking and pretty devastating. Written really well, it does not excuse him at all, and makes you feel all sorts of things. An emotional rollercoaster for sure! Definitely one to pick up if you’re interested - I read the last 200 pages in almost one sitting, I couldn’t put it down.

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alexisgarcia's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i absolutely loved this. it was so introspective, i loved how the author did not lead you to believe one way or another. they simply told a story, and you can take it as you want. i loved the multiple POV’s and how they all related to the death row inmate. the ending was so beautiful.

Content Warnings