Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

13 reviews

bedtimesandbooks's review

dark sad 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Sexual content and Cancer

lapuce1006's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, Addiction, Stalking, Blood, Violence, Alcohol, Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Body horror, Death, Abandonment, Grief, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Child abuse

Minor: Cancer and Suicide

lyshbish's review

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

This book is not your typical crime novel. There aren't any shocking twists or big breakthroughs. It's just sort of... sad. Oh, the tangled webs we weave... only some webs are more tangled than others. Every character in this book has suffered at the hands of another, and caused suffering for another in turn. Obviously, some crimes are worse than others (like... murder, lol) but I couldn't help but wonder if A didn't happen would B have happened, and so on.  I think anyone who liked "Disappearing Earth" will really enjoy this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, and Pregnancy

Minor: Blood, Police brutality, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death of parent, Addiction, Drug use, and Suicide

wholesomeghost's review

dark sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Violence, Murder, Sexism, and Stalking

Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Addiction, Confinement, Death, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, and Emotional abuse

baileyanabella's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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

Absolutely stunning writing by Danya Kukafka. What could have been an incredibly confusing mixture of stories from the perspective of four different people in completely different time frames, were masterfully written and intertwined with one another. You begin the story knowing its ending, but the ride there with the characters is what keeps you in your seat. Also features a diverse cast, including POC and LGBTQQ+ main characters. Their representation never feels forced, it is intrinsically involved in the plot and their personal development. I ate this up, and I can't think of anything I didn't like about it. Kukafka doesn't miss a beat!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Blood, Death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

Minor: Cancer and Death of parent

Maybe to no one's surprise because of the title, but there is a detailed first-person description of an execution, of the desire to stay alive but being forced to die. I've never read anything like it, so it's something to be aware of when going in. Ansel is pathetic and dies pathetically.

desiderium_incarnate's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-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

There are millions of men out there who want to hurt women - people seem to think that Ansel Packer is extraordinary, because he actually did. 

This book was amazing! Yes it's incredibly dark and it hurts but it is so skillfully written and immersive and makes so much sense, I am pretty much in awe. The cover also makes so much sense when you read it and that's really cool. I didn't give it 5 stars because of a principle I have, if animals get unnecessarily hurt or die in a story, it isn't 5 stars,but yeah otherwise I fully recommend it. It really gives you a new perspective on the obsession people have with murderers or serial killers specifically - is the murderer really the most important thing about that? Is it most interesting, what made them like this? How their psyche works? What would be if they wouldn't have made those decisions? How they impacted the people around them and vice versa? 
The book is not pro death penalty or police it shows flaws in the system, it also isn't against reporting on serial killers, it is just in some ways a comfort, hope, warning and another perspective from death row as well as from impacted outsiders left behind and I think that is all it should be. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Alcohol, Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Car accident, Confinement, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Violence, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

charlereads's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, Death, Addiction, Medical content, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body horror, Murder, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Domestic abuse

literaryliaisons's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

Minor: Cancer, Addiction, and Drug abuse

risemini's review

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

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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

_nessa_'s review

dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

This is such an amazing book. It’s incredible how the author frames the story through the eyes of the women affected and how alternative realities are explored. Making Ansel be the reader is also an interesting choice and love how she never romanticized his actions. 

Saffy is such a badass i love her

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Violence, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Sexism, Rape, and Racism

Minor: Cancer, Alcohol, and Drug use