Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

32 reviews

claytonator90's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Murder

myretromeltdown's review against another edition

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Death, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Rape, and Physical abuse

kananineko's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I think this book was very well written and very well done, if a little shallow. Every perspective felt necessary and added to the story, and I really enjoyed the focus on victims and women in the story of a male serial killer, but... I feel like it could've dived deeper into the themes, and honestly, not much happened. Dare I say it was a little boring and forgettable... Keep in mind that crime/thriller isn’t my usual genre (I don’t enjoy these types of books as much as other people do). However, it was still an important book. I did shed a tear in the last chapter, which is rare. I also wish Lavendar had more chapters. Overall, I'd consider it a good book, though. The writing was phenomenal as well. I'm glad this book was written but it wasn't anything out of this world. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Sexual content, Grief, Abandonment, Murder, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Racism, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Incest, and Xenophobia

mementowori's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Misogyny

Moderate: Animal death, Murder, and Animal cruelty

mariecaat02's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Animal death, Murder, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Mental illness, Death, and Abandonment

Moderate: Violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, Drug abuse, Addiction, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

might_be_may's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

take the content warnings seriously

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Confinement

Moderate: Violence, Grief, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Death, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Murder, Domestic abuse, and Rape

Minor: Stalking

risemini's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Racism, Animal death, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Violence, Murder, Sexual content, and War

snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Murder, Suicide, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Violence, Misogyny, and Sexual violence

myrtosfullybooked's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

 The book was an okay read but I was not blown away. The writing is good, even beautiful at points and the plot is to some extent interesting. Though I'm not a fan of true crime as a genre, I've enjoyed seeing more works reclaiming victims' voices and critiquing the romanticisation of serial killers. Allegedly, this book aimed to do the same by focusing on the narratives of three women associated in different ways with Ansel Packer, a serial killer awaiting execution. This goal, for me, was not really reflected in the actual story. Yes, we read about the three women and they each have a number of chapters focused on them but Ansel always feels like the main character. For me the chapters focusing on him, his thoughts, and his struggles end up overshadowing the female characters in the story. I liked the fact that Kukafka didn’t seek to pass moral judgment on Ansel, who clearly struggled with developmental trauma and a sociopathic lack of empathy; someone who could have had a different life with the appropriate support in place. She didn’t make him outright evil, a reminder that serial killers can look completely ordinary, charming even, as we well know from real-life cases. I will acknowledge that the way Ansel is written serves as a great reminder to stop glorifying or looking for meaning in horrific acts of violence -primarily perpetrated by men. All that said, I did not love the writing in Ansel’s chapters and struggled to remain interested in the storyline. The story is overall character-driven but there is no major character development in case that is what you are after. Also, I read that the author wanted the book to be a statement against the US penal system and the death penalty. I 100% support that agenda. People like Ansel most of the time just need more appropriate support; simply killing instead of rehabilitating them just feels like a weird cheat for any justice system. Yet, I am not sure how (if at all) such a topic can be compatible with the goal of not focusing on Ansel and emphasising the women characters' narratives. I felt that this attempt ended up spreading the book a bit too thin with both aspects ending up weaker for it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Violence

Moderate: Murder, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, and Death of parent

dazzle_spider_reader_1212's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Death, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Murder, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Classism, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Self harm, and Toxic relationship