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thatsillygoose 's review for:
How to Kill Men and Get Away With It
by Katy Brent
dark
funny
tense
fast-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
I almost DNF'd this book several times in the first 30%. After finishing, I wish I hadn't wasted my time.
Pros: At its core, this book has some good feministic thoughts and feelings. Some of the quotes are great. I didn't predict who the stalker was which made the last part of the book interesting. Unfortunately, that's about it.
Cons:
1) The main character, Kitty, might be the worst main character I've ever read. She is extremely privileged, yet complains about EVERYTHING. Kitty mentions several times how vapid and shallow she finds influencing - yet continues to do it. She commits murder with zero remorse. Later, she describes horrifically and sadistically torturing a man before murdering him. Which leads to #2...
2) The general theme of the book is that Kitty kills men who "deserve it", i.e. are sexual predators, convicted rapists, etc. For a fun fictional book that could be good. But this book has SO much general man hate, it really wore on me. In Kitty's eyes, a man is bad just for existing. She preaches how men need to do XYZ to be a good partner, but at one point in the book she deletes a guy's texts and voicemails without reading/listening to them, and then proceeds to be mad on the next page because the guy didn't text or call her anymore. Seriously?
3) Veganism. I'm fine if someone is a vegan. However, this book shoves it down your throat. At one point, the author equates veganism with being skinny, mentioning the three other main female characters in the book have to a) be bulimic; b) do hard drugs; or c) use medical injections in order to be skinny like the main female vegan character. It's ridiculous. Add on top nonfactual statements about how slaughterhouses operate, and it was a big pile of "no" for me.
And one last minor complaint - Kitty describes that she isn't strong enough to move dead bodies or, at one point, put a body overboard a boat. However, she routinely snaps femurs with no problem. Femurs are the largest and strongest bones in the human body. If you're not strong enough to move a 200 lb. body, you're certainly not strong enough to snap femurs.
Characters = 1
Setting = 2
Writing = 2
Plot = 1
Intrigue = 2
Enjoyment = 2
(Overall 1.7/5.0)
Pros: At its core, this book has some good feministic thoughts and feelings. Some of the quotes are great. I didn't predict who the stalker was which made the last part of the book interesting. Unfortunately, that's about it.
Cons:
1) The main character, Kitty, might be the worst main character I've ever read. She is extremely privileged, yet complains about EVERYTHING. Kitty mentions several times how vapid and shallow she finds influencing - yet continues to do it. She commits murder with zero remorse. Later, she describes horrifically and sadistically torturing a man before murdering him. Which leads to #2...
2) The general theme of the book is that Kitty kills men who "deserve it", i.e. are sexual predators, convicted rapists, etc. For a fun fictional book that could be good. But this book has SO much general man hate, it really wore on me. In Kitty's eyes, a man is bad just for existing. She preaches how men need to do XYZ to be a good partner, but at one point in the book she deletes a guy's texts and voicemails without reading/listening to them, and then proceeds to be mad on the next page because the guy didn't text or call her anymore. Seriously?
3) Veganism. I'm fine if someone is a vegan. However, this book shoves it down your throat. At one point, the author equates veganism with being skinny, mentioning the three other main female characters in the book have to a) be bulimic; b) do hard drugs; or c) use medical injections in order to be skinny like the main female vegan character. It's ridiculous. Add on top nonfactual statements about how slaughterhouses operate, and it was a big pile of "no" for me.
And one last minor complaint - Kitty describes that she isn't strong enough to move dead bodies or, at one point, put a body overboard a boat. However, she routinely snaps femurs with no problem. Femurs are the largest and strongest bones in the human body. If you're not strong enough to move a 200 lb. body, you're certainly not strong enough to snap femurs.
Characters = 1
Setting = 2
Writing = 2
Plot = 1
Intrigue = 2
Enjoyment = 2
(Overall 1.7/5.0)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Medical content, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism