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A review by icedpinecones
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways by Eve Kellman
slow-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
2.75
I don't know what to say. I suppose a full warning would be: the protagonist is deeply unlikeable, and the ending left me absolutely fuming 😠this is a well written book if you're aching to have a dislikeable, corrupt & female rage centred story. I just couldn't condone the behaviour of the main character, and the actions at the end of this story is unforgettable and unforgivable. A car crash you can't look away from.
Characters:
So the main character here is Millie, who hates everyone and everything especially dodgy men which is perfectly valid. But she also finds a way to hate coworkers who are just looking out for her, longtime friends, sheep and people who make boomerang videos on their instagrams. To cut it short: she will find a way to complain about anyone and anything. I knew I was getting into a murderer, but I did not think I was getting into someone who is so angry at the world. I couldn't root for her! I enjoyed all the side characters and that just made the fact that we're in her perspective the entire book so much worse!
Atmosphere:
Can't say one was created? The tale is supposed to be an audio recording for about 80% of the book but isn't written like that narratively at all. I much more enjoyed the way this kind of telling the tale was done in books such as 'the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo' so this book just kind of read as a normal story in that sense, and I knew there was gonna be murdering so it kinda dragged 😅 I didn't feel gripped, didn't feel myself desperate to see the story play out. It doesn't really get engaging til about the 70% mark of the story.
Writing:
Like I mentioned briefly, despite supposedly being an audio recording this book isn't written that way at all, like someone speaking their tale. The chapters felt too long and the writing didn't engage me so I did have to switch to an audiobook and have it on as I went about my day as it was so hard to focus given that the book doesn't really get good til the third act.
Plot:
After her sister is raped, Millie is hellbent on vengeance (notably, not for her sister but much more so for herself). She runs a phone line where people can contact her if they're in dodgy situations, and begins murdering people who are causing the biggest issues. You're listening to a tape recording of her recounting her crimes as the walls close in.
Intrigue:
I was really hoping for girlboss vengeance, but it's hard for me to get behind a main character who hates every other woman in her life? It was giving internalised mysoginy and on a worse day for me I wouldn't have been able to finish it. I can't really stand main characters who hate everyone around them, and the fact that she doesn't grow at all through this is worse.
Logic:
Erm... Many many times in this story did I have to go 'you can't really avoid a murder charge like that'. Not only does the main character make several dumb choices with her murders that leave you wondering how she ever got as far as ten in the first place, but her logic on evading being caught is flawed. She just deletes her messages to clear tracks and it's like... Girl that's not how that works please 😠it gets really annoying eventually
Enjoyment:
I was so excited to read this. It wasn't what I expected, I was so excited for girlboss murder revenge fantasy but I got a girl who hates every other woman around her & repeatedly makes the dumbest choices. The ending as well ruined it for me. It just feels uncalled for, unjustified, fucked up. I can't reccomend this book, I like my murderers compassionate to the victims and this was not it
Characters:
So the main character here is Millie, who hates everyone and everything especially dodgy men which is perfectly valid. But she also finds a way to hate coworkers who are just looking out for her, longtime friends, sheep and people who make boomerang videos on their instagrams. To cut it short: she will find a way to complain about anyone and anything. I knew I was getting into a murderer, but I did not think I was getting into someone who is so angry at the world. I couldn't root for her! I enjoyed all the side characters and that just made the fact that we're in her perspective the entire book so much worse!
Atmosphere:
Can't say one was created? The tale is supposed to be an audio recording for about 80% of the book but isn't written like that narratively at all. I much more enjoyed the way this kind of telling the tale was done in books such as 'the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo' so this book just kind of read as a normal story in that sense, and I knew there was gonna be murdering so it kinda dragged 😅 I didn't feel gripped, didn't feel myself desperate to see the story play out. It doesn't really get engaging til about the 70% mark of the story.
Writing:
Like I mentioned briefly, despite supposedly being an audio recording this book isn't written that way at all, like someone speaking their tale. The chapters felt too long and the writing didn't engage me so I did have to switch to an audiobook and have it on as I went about my day as it was so hard to focus given that the book doesn't really get good til the third act.
Plot:
After her sister is raped, Millie is hellbent on vengeance (notably, not for her sister but much more so for herself). She runs a phone line where people can contact her if they're in dodgy situations, and begins murdering people who are causing the biggest issues. You're listening to a tape recording of her recounting her crimes as the walls close in.
Intrigue:
I was really hoping for girlboss vengeance, but it's hard for me to get behind a main character who hates every other woman in her life? It was giving internalised mysoginy and on a worse day for me I wouldn't have been able to finish it. I can't really stand main characters who hate everyone around them, and the fact that she doesn't grow at all through this is worse.
Logic:
Erm... Many many times in this story did I have to go 'you can't really avoid a murder charge like that'. Not only does the main character make several dumb choices with her murders that leave you wondering how she ever got as far as ten in the first place, but her logic on evading being caught is flawed. She just deletes her messages to clear tracks and it's like... Girl that's not how that works please 😠it gets really annoying eventually
Enjoyment:
I was so excited to read this. It wasn't what I expected, I was so excited for girlboss murder revenge fantasy but I got a girl who hates every other woman around her & repeatedly makes the dumbest choices. The ending as well ruined it for me. It just feels uncalled for, unjustified, fucked up. I can't reccomend this book, I like my murderers compassionate to the victims and this was not it