Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

60 reviews

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

maikepdf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Grief, Emotional abuse, Death, Misogyny, Animal death, Alcoholism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, and Murder

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Sexual violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Grief, Rape, Violence, Stalking, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse

hazel_lee's review

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Abandonment, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism

haileymundell's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Animal death, Murder, and Animal cruelty

agnela's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Medical content, Violence, Death, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Murder, Sexual content, Alcohol, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Abandonment, Blood, and Grief

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

queenbookbuff's review

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

This book is a study on why humans do what the do and the impossibility of truly understanding why people do what they do. How sometimes the  person who commits horror doesn’t even know why the did it.
I only felt sadness reading this book.  This book gives a bleak look at why the death penalty is seen as futile. In the end I didn’t have pity for Ansel. I didn’t find any redemption in his end and I’m not sure his victims did  either. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Murder, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism

sweetbean's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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 book deserves a 5 star for the ending alone. So often we focus on men who commit crimes, ignoring the woman and people they harm and their perspectives. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Animal death, and Murder

Minor: Sexism and Racism

ember_is_gay's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This was amazing, one of the best books I have read this year. I cannot wait to reread it. 

I really liked the focus on the women from throughout his life. I think they are so often forgotten; even when they have been the direct victims of the crime. They easily slip away into just another women who was killed by a man while a lot of serial killers became infamous and who we see movies made about and who people obsess over and fall in love with. But then there are the women we don't even think about who have been impacted by these men. And to see and hear from them (even fictional) was so amazing and so insightful. 

I also found the chapters about Ansel so well written and pieced together. They were such a good look into his brain and the way he thought about things. He was not just reduced to being a serial killer and I think it was a nice touch for exploring the complexity of humans.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Grief, Murder, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Violence, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse

laurataylor's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Blood, Death, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, and Body horror