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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
funny
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:
Complicated
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this book, listened to it on audio which I would highly recommend
Best for:
People who don’t mind reading about horrible people, and who like a bit of schadenfreude.
In a nutshell:
Anthony - a very rich finance dude - dies at his 60th birthday gala. Was he murdered? Did he take his own life? Is something else going on?
Worth quoting:
“He’d always thought I was an idiot. It’s a mistake men often make, thinking their wives are stupid when they’re actually just full of rage.”
“Who are these people who walk through the world with such little interest in what’s really going on?”
Why I chose it:
I enjoyed her previous book “How to Kill Your Family.”
Review:
MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
Really no one in this book is super-likeable. Even the character we are probably meant to relate to most - ‘the sleuth’ trying to solve the possible murder of Anthony - is somewhat annoying and kinda unremarkable. But I still enjoyed it once I realized I wasn’t actually rooting for anyone. To use a sports analogy: you know when both the teams playing each other are teams you don’t like and you’re like ugh, why can’t they both lose? Well, that’s sort of how this book goes - everyone loses!
The minor spoiler here is that while Anthony dies at the start of the book, we still get his perspective because he goes to purgatory to try to remember how he died. In this version of reality, people who die go to a holding center where they need to recall their death before they move on to whatever comes next. And while there, they can actually watch their family members. Wild, eh? So while we only get point of view chapters from three characters, we still can see what others are doing if they are family members.
Anthony’s wife Olivia is another vile character. Anthony and Olivia actually quite deserve each other - they’re both genuinely horrible people who delight in the misery of those who don’t have their wealth or status, playing games with peoples lives. Gross, right? They feel like caricatures but for some reason, for me at least, it totally works. Anthony and Olivia also have four kids, ranging in age from 17-28, and there are various partners and other side characters we follow along as well to try to sort out why Anthony died.
I know the world is an absolute dumpster fire right now, and sometimes to offset that I look for a book that really explores how complex the world is, and how people can be so good. But sometimes I also just want to lean into it and hate on the super wealthy. This book scratches that itch,
People who don’t mind reading about horrible people, and who like a bit of schadenfreude.
In a nutshell:
Anthony - a very rich finance dude - dies at his 60th birthday gala. Was he murdered? Did he take his own life? Is something else going on?
Worth quoting:
“He’d always thought I was an idiot. It’s a mistake men often make, thinking their wives are stupid when they’re actually just full of rage.”
“Who are these people who walk through the world with such little interest in what’s really going on?”
Why I chose it:
I enjoyed her previous book “How to Kill Your Family.”
Review:
MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
Really no one in this book is super-likeable. Even the character we are probably meant to relate to most - ‘the sleuth’ trying to solve the possible murder of Anthony - is somewhat annoying and kinda unremarkable. But I still enjoyed it once I realized I wasn’t actually rooting for anyone. To use a sports analogy: you know when both the teams playing each other are teams you don’t like and you’re like ugh, why can’t they both lose? Well, that’s sort of how this book goes - everyone loses!
The minor spoiler here is that while Anthony dies at the start of the book, we still get his perspective because he goes to purgatory to try to remember how he died. In this version of reality, people who die go to a holding center where they need to recall their death before they move on to whatever comes next. And while there, they can actually watch their family members. Wild, eh? So while we only get point of view chapters from three characters, we still can see what others are doing if they are family members.
Anthony’s wife Olivia is another vile character. Anthony and Olivia actually quite deserve each other - they’re both genuinely horrible people who delight in the misery of those who don’t have their wealth or status, playing games with peoples lives. Gross, right? They feel like caricatures but for some reason, for me at least, it totally works. Anthony and Olivia also have four kids, ranging in age from 17-28, and there are various partners and other side characters we follow along as well to try to sort out why Anthony died.
I know the world is an absolute dumpster fire right now, and sometimes to offset that I look for a book that really explores how complex the world is, and how people can be so good. But sometimes I also just want to lean into it and hate on the super wealthy. This book scratches that itch,
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
dark
emotional
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
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes