A review by bookish_magpie
The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch, Volume One: At the Edge of Empire by Daniel Kraus

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 This book is absolutely NOT for 14 year olds- I don't know who said it was ok to print that on the bottom of the back cover, but clearly they didn't read it. 

This book is meant to make you uncomfortable. If you read it and recoiled, then Kraus did his job as an author. There were many instances where I found myself shaking my head in horror and/or disbelief. "The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch, Vol. 1" is not a pretty book. It's a tragic, gory story about a dead teen walking through life, passing through the centuries. 

I give it a 4/5. It was a masterclass in abjection, but I'll need a few days before reading the sequel. This one stays on the shelf. 

Content Warnings (in no particular order): Gore, Death, Sex, Derogatory Language (aka slurs), Self Harm, Suicide, War, Murder, Violence 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings