A review by emilyinherhead
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

No one is all bad. No one is all good. We live as equals in the murky gray between.

I read this novel for Nerdette podcast’s book club—I’m not sure if I would have heard about it or picked it up otherwise. And I’m so glad I did. The story drew me in immediately and kept me turning pages to see what would happen.

And the writing! is! gorgeous! It’s tough subject matter, but the prose is just perfectly, heartbreakingly poignant. For example, this passage about grief:

Grief was a hole. A portal to nothing. Grief was a walk so long Hazel forgot her own legs. It was a shock of blinding sun. A burst of remembering: sandals on pavement, a sleepy back seat, nails painted on the bathroom floor. Grief was a loneliness that felt like a planet.

Also, I guess I should mention what the book is about: a person who has done some horrible things and ended up sentenced to death, and the various other people whose lives he has affected, both negatively and positively. There are multiple points of view, and a timeline that is moving in two directions at once, one chronological starting from the prisoner’s childhood and one counting down until his execution.

This novel pulled my brain apart and filled me with every emotion. I would think I felt one way about this main character and his crimes, but then I would find myself softening, and then  questioning myself for changing my mind.

If you like wrestling with the good/bad dichotomy and exploring all facets of messy, complicated people, definitely give this book a try.