A review by tyreadsbooks_
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

✦ synopsis 
Ansel Packer, a serial killer on death row, is scheduled to die in 12 hours. But this is not his story. 
Told through the eyes of 3 women in his life - a mother, a sister, & a detective - we discover the choices that culminate in tragedy & the impact on those in his wake.
This is the story of the women who survive.

✦ Read if you like :
-complex, thought provoking reads 
-character driven stories 
-multiple POVs
-books you’ll want to binge read
-audiobooks with multiple narrators
-true crime/detective stories 

✦ my thoughts 
I was utterly captivated from start to finish, I could not put it down. I read this book cover to cover in one day.

Given the subject matter, I was surprised how beautifully & emotionally written it was. It was poetic, insightful, & gracefully done. A compelling, unsettling, thought provoking work of literary suspense that challenges the sensationalism of serial killer stories by putting the focus on the women’s voices.

Notes on an Execution would make for a great book club read. The themes in the book beg for a discussion - the death penalty, redemption, sympathy, nature vs nurture, inherent good vs evil, the glorification of serial killers. I could go on & on.

This is one of those books that will stay with you for a very long time. I highly, highly recommend it! And if you do, read the author notes. It added a whole extra layer of insight.

★★★★★ 5/5 stars
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