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A review by pineconek
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A murderer and the women who met him.
Notice that it's not the women who loved him, although that would be a cliche.
The killer's story is told in a dual timeline: the hours counting down to his execution are narrated to him (in second person), and major events in his life are recounted through the eyes of women he knew. We meet Lavender, his mother, who I remain extremely fond of and who had a truly terrible early adulthood. We meet Saffy, a girl our killer briefly shared a foster home with and who meets him again as an adult. While we don't directly hear from his girlfriend and wife Jenny, her sister's account is equally harrowing. And then there's Blue...
There are portions of this book that, in retrospect, are a little bit clumsy. I've never been a fan of second-person narration, and I don't love how it's used here. Some of the puzzle pieces slot together a little too cleanly, and I had to suspend disbelief in a few moments.
But I love a good character study, and especially when it turns into a character study of half a dozen well crafted characters. The atmosphere was exquisite and there were portions of the book I could hear and smell. It scratched the itch for deep American grit that I've had since reading The Devil All The Time.
Recommended if you're both interested in serial killers and the cult of personality that surrounds them, are interested in how tragedy ripples through many lives, and have mixed feelings about the death penalty. 4.75 stars rounds up for GR.
Notice that it's not the women who loved him, although that would be a cliche.
The killer's story is told in a dual timeline: the hours counting down to his execution are narrated to him (in second person), and major events in his life are recounted through the eyes of women he knew. We meet Lavender, his mother, who I remain extremely fond of and who had a truly terrible early adulthood. We meet Saffy, a girl our killer briefly shared a foster home with and who meets him again as an adult. While we don't directly hear from his girlfriend and wife Jenny, her sister's account is equally harrowing. And then there's Blue...
There are portions of this book that, in retrospect, are a little bit clumsy. I've never been a fan of second-person narration, and I don't love how it's used here. Some of the puzzle pieces slot together a little too cleanly, and I had to suspend disbelief in a few moments.
But I love a good character study, and especially when it turns into a character study of half a dozen well crafted characters. The atmosphere was exquisite and there were portions of the book I could hear and smell. It scratched the itch for deep American grit that I've had since reading The Devil All The Time.
Recommended if you're both interested in serial killers and the cult of personality that surrounds them, are interested in how tragedy ripples through many lives, and have mixed feelings about the death penalty. 4.75 stars rounds up for GR.