"this book was honestly me when i’m struggling to reach the word count on an essay.

i don’t have the energy to write out a full rant review, so here’s some ranty bullet points:

� the book had a strong premise and good start, which is what made me purchase the £15(!!!) hardback bc i read the sample of the first chapter and enjoyed it, but unfortunately from then on it went completely off track

� the entire book was FAR too long-winded, full of so many unnecessary details/stories of the protagonist rambling on. i wanted to print out the manuscript and cross out paragraphs/pages with a red pen.

� it was trying too hard to sound funny/witty - mostly with a lot of millennial humour, and constant snipes at influencers and internet-obsessed young people (ok boomer)

� i thought it was going to follow the protagonist plotting all the different murders - but that was barely focused on at all. instead of focusing on the story/plot, the protagonist goes on irrelevant rants about social/cultural observations which were clearly made by the author e.g. there was a big passage about the dangers of smart devices and smart homes. if the author wanted to write about these observations.......just write an essay collection???

� it was trying too hard to come across as feminist - but then it also wasn’t very feminist at the same time?? it had an air of a circa 2010 ‘pick me� feminist who particularly hates women who get lip fillers

� one of the main themes of the book was about class, but it wasn’t really discussed in any profound or nuanced way, and it actually became quite trite after a while. basically the whole book involved snipes at the rich/the upper classes (which i’m usually here for bc i am for the people) but THEN i discovered that the author of this book is alan rusbridger’s daughter and her grandfather is a baron�.so she clearly moves in some privileged social circles herself, not exactly a working class hero. after that little discovery, the constant digs at privileged white people prompted a few eye rolls from me

� i was attracted to this book bc of the anti-heroine promise as i love an unlikeable, morally grey female character - but grace as a character was far too muddled, and it was clear that the author still hadn’t fully fleshed her out. she was clearly meant to be a character in the vein of villanelle from ‘killing eve�, but she was nowhere near as interesting nor compelling

� the ‘twist� ending was disappointing to me, and basically rendered the whole book pointless"