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savvyrosereads 's review for:
Notes on an Execution
by Danya Kukafka
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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
Updated for April 2025 reread:
This was every bit as phenomenal the second time around. A top tier read.
Original review (July 2022):
Rating: 5/5 stars
Told in alternating POVs, Notes on an Execution is the story of Ansel Packer, a convicted killer on death row, and of the women whose lives he impacted, both directly and indirectly.
I don’t say this often, but this novel is a work of art. In the beginning, I found it to be a bit of a slow read, but I was pretty quickly drawn in by the beautiful writing and masterful way the plot unfolded. Towards the end there were so many lines that were absolutely heartbreaking and brutal to read, and I loved the themes of justice, memory, morality, and perspective that were woven throughout an already captivating narrative. This is the kind of book I’d love to analyze formally or teach as part of a class, because there are so many small but meaningful aspects that deserve thoughtful attention.
As a full disclaimer, I don’t know that this book will be for everyone—it is definitely literary fiction, which simply doesn’t land with every reader (I have to be in the right headspace for it, personally), and it is definitely an extremely difficult set of topics to read about. But personally, I’m so glad I read it, and will definitely be revisiting it again in the future.
Recommended if you like: literary-fiction-meets-murder-books; reflections on the meaning of justice; multiple interwoven POVs and timelines.
CW: Death/murder; domestic violence; abandonment; child abuse/neglect; animal death/cruelty; drug use/abuse.
This was every bit as phenomenal the second time around. A top tier read.
Original review (July 2022):
Rating: 5/5 stars
Told in alternating POVs, Notes on an Execution is the story of Ansel Packer, a convicted killer on death row, and of the women whose lives he impacted, both directly and indirectly.
I don’t say this often, but this novel is a work of art. In the beginning, I found it to be a bit of a slow read, but I was pretty quickly drawn in by the beautiful writing and masterful way the plot unfolded. Towards the end there were so many lines that were absolutely heartbreaking and brutal to read, and I loved the themes of justice, memory, morality, and perspective that were woven throughout an already captivating narrative. This is the kind of book I’d love to analyze formally or teach as part of a class, because there are so many small but meaningful aspects that deserve thoughtful attention.
As a full disclaimer, I don’t know that this book will be for everyone—it is definitely literary fiction, which simply doesn’t land with every reader (I have to be in the right headspace for it, personally), and it is definitely an extremely difficult set of topics to read about. But personally, I’m so glad I read it, and will definitely be revisiting it again in the future.
Recommended if you like: literary-fiction-meets-murder-books; reflections on the meaning of justice; multiple interwoven POVs and timelines.
CW: Death/murder; domestic violence; abandonment; child abuse/neglect; animal death/cruelty; drug use/abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Murder