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challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Sexual content
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Alcohol
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow, where to even start.
Every aspect of this was written phenomenally. It’s obvious Danya Kukafka feels greatly about the issues in this book and honestly just everything she hits in this book was done exceptionally well.
This is not a story about a serial killer; this is the story about the women and what they are or could have been because of Ansel’s actions.
Kukafka writes this story in a way that makes the reader realize they too have fallen victim to the remorse towards and glorification, no matter the morals towards him, of a serial killer. I think writing Ansel’s 2019 POV in second person is a great strategy that helped with that. But it shows that people just like us try to find a reason to find guilty men innocent in some way— and that we are fascinated by these vicious men and don’t justify the women who are victims, and those that are affected by this violence that do survive.
I truly do think this story will stick to me forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I listened to the audiobook, only because it was more readily available for me. I often struggle to focus when attempting audiobooks, but this one grabbed my attention right from the beginning. Jim Meskimen was phenomenal in his narration –the perfect portrayal of arrogance and smugness, then disbelief and fear.
Overall I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters, which I found shockingly appealing. Every character was so authentic in their imperfections and insecurities. Each one of their stories had so many different layers. In the beginning of the book, I felt that the story focused a little more heavily on Ansel than what I was expecting. But as it progresses, there is far more depth and feeling through the perspective of the women. The story didn’t focus on the dead victims, but the living ones – and it was brilliant.
Without going into a whole summary of the book, I’ll just say this book made me feel such a range of emotions. I was so angry with Lavender. I was so disgusted by Hazel and Jenny both. I pitied Saffy. I raged about Ansel.
There were so many different aspects to this story, I could go on forever. The last chapter put the “multiverse theory” into perspective so well, without overly complicating it. At different moments of the book, it made me pause and reflect on my impact as a mother. And then immediately I would be baffled and even enraged at how easy it was to deflect blame from the true wrongdoer. And then noted so perfectly in the last chapter, there was the aspect of how our society tends to focus more on the criminals than the victims. We don’t typically watch documentaries on TV about victims crimes, but the perpetrators.
“The tragedy is that she is dead, but the tragedy is also that she belongs to him. The bad man, who did the bad thing.”
5 stars, hands down.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is easily one of the best books I’ve ever read.
The way the author weaves the most basic human behaviors into complex narratives that explore good vs. evil makes the existential aspect completely relatable, and the language she uses to do it is stunning.
The author doesn’t present Ansel in a sympathetic light, but it’s not all blatant vilification. She allows him to reveal himself through his own words and actions, shining a light on the thought processes of violent men and their perceived sense of control over the women they harm.
The multiple POVs - particularly the second-person perspective of Ansel that puts the reader inside his mind - are critical to the story’s power and the different ways each character understands, processes, and addresses what it means to be good.
This book will stick with me for a long time, and I’ll be recommending it to all of my reader friends.
The way the author weaves the most basic human behaviors into complex narratives that explore good vs. evil makes the existential aspect completely relatable, and the language she uses to do it is stunning.
The author doesn’t present Ansel in a sympathetic light, but it’s not all blatant vilification. She allows him to reveal himself through his own words and actions, shining a light on the thought processes of violent men and their perceived sense of control over the women they harm.
The multiple POVs - particularly the second-person perspective of Ansel that puts the reader inside his mind - are critical to the story’s power and the different ways each character understands, processes, and addresses what it means to be good.
This book will stick with me for a long time, and I’ll be recommending it to all of my reader friends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Grief, Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexism, Violence
Minor: Cancer
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the author's aim of making a story focused on the women victims of a serial killer versus glorifying the killer definitely comes through, but it felt a little navel gazey at times. still a solid book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder
dark
medium-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
The book is well-written, but I found it difficult to keep up with who was who. The characters weren’t well-developed. Toward the end, I got bored and just wanted the book to be over with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Physical abuse, Murder, Abandonment
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Blood