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A review by thesehauntedshelves
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
How to Kill Your Family is a dark yet funny thriller following a young woman Grace Bernard, who after losing her mother sets out to enact revenge on her estranged father and his family who refused to acknowledge her existence in their lives. The story is narrated from the point of view of Grace, who is writing her memoir whilst being in prison for a murder that she didn't actually commit, whilst the ones that she did remain undiscovered.
Grace is a sarcastic and funny protagonist, but she is also judgemental, completely ruthless and extremely calculating. Despite her obvious character flaws I found myself liking Grace because of her dark wit and acerbic tone, and wanting her to succeed with the murders of her father and the rest of the Artemis family who are truly unlikeable characters.
I found some of Grace's commentary throughout to be acerbic and blunt yet very relatable, in particular her comments referring to London life. She somehow managed to say what people are thinking but don't say out loud for fear of seeming too judgemental.
The plot was decently paced throughout, moving between Graces current day boredom in prison and the past where she carefully planned and carried out each murder. It did sometimes feel a little slow in places however I liked the way that the run up to each brutal murder was laid out and showed the meticulous planning and attention to detail.
The twist at the end was shocking, like a harsh full stop in Graces story and I definitely didn't see it coming! Although I didn't necessarily like the ending because I rooted for Grace throughout, I think it served to show that eventually consequences will catch up with you no matter how clever you think you are.
Overall, I found I really enjoyed this book. It kept me hooked throughout and I found it to be witty and darkly humorous.
Grace is a sarcastic and funny protagonist, but she is also judgemental, completely ruthless and extremely calculating. Despite her obvious character flaws I found myself liking Grace because of her dark wit and acerbic tone, and wanting her to succeed with the murders of her father and the rest of the Artemis family who are truly unlikeable characters.
I found some of Grace's commentary throughout to be acerbic and blunt yet very relatable, in particular her comments referring to London life. She somehow managed to say what people are thinking but don't say out loud for fear of seeming too judgemental.
The plot was decently paced throughout, moving between Graces current day boredom in prison and the past where she carefully planned and carried out each murder. It did sometimes feel a little slow in places however I liked the way that the run up to each brutal murder was laid out and showed the meticulous planning and attention to detail.
The twist at the end was shocking, like a harsh full stop in Graces story and I definitely didn't see it coming! Although I didn't necessarily like the ending because I rooted for Grace throughout, I think it served to show that eventually consequences will catch up with you no matter how clever you think you are.
Overall, I found I really enjoyed this book. It kept me hooked throughout and I found it to be witty and darkly humorous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Suicide