Finally! That’s what I exclaimed when I was done with this book. If you’ve been following my book reviews you would see that this book has sat in my e-library for the longest time and after eventually getting to read it, I stopped halfway because the protagonist was not particularly a likeable person to me at the time and also because she made a wrong turn that left me completely disenchanted from the novel, until...
How To Kill Men and Get Away With It - Katy Brent
This book was originally published on 12th October, 2022. It features genres of dark comedy, thriller, suspense, mystery, among others. It’s about 384 pages on paperback. The book is written in first person point of view.
Summary of the Novel
Kitty Collins is a very rich and privileged social media influencer. She grew up in a household that had an abattoir so it’s no surprise to see that she is vegan. She is loved by her friends and thousands of Instagram followers. But Kitty has a deadly secret. She’s got a taste for killing men. And so far, she’s gotten away with it.
It all started one night at a club where a lecherous man tries following her home. Said man is pissed off and disgruntled to have his advances rejected by Kitty and so to salvage his hurt ego, determines to get even. There’s a struggle and Kitty kills him. Accidentally. However, Kitty is thrilled that she was able to get away with it and begins plotting.
She goes on a vengeful hunt for sexual predators and after each killing where she successfully gets away with it, she becomes bolder. But in the sloppy way of a careless killer, she makes a mistake and kills a wrong person. Can Kitty Collins get away with this murder as well as prevent the kind hearted, charismatic Charlie who has become the love of her life from finding out?
My Review and Rating
Hmmmm ...another book where I wonder how to begin. I love dark humour. I love psychological thriller and it’s even better when there’s a witty, sarcastic, flawed protagonist to go with it in the form of Kitty Collins. I think this book is one of those where I almost completely detest the protagonist and the decisions they make, especially when said protagonist is a spoiled, rich girl who doubles as a social media influencer with practically nothing impactful to offer.
Nevertheless, there was some intrigue to Kitty Collins. No matter how hard-core you claim to be, you just can’t be stable after taking a life howbeit accidentally set off curious bells in my head to find out more about her past, background and whatever experience she may have had that made her the way she was. I loved her sarcasm as well as the love and loyalty she had for her friends.
I loved the issues presented in the novel like the falsehood that’s associated with social media and also with relatable scenarios that Kitty faces like being called foul names because you reject a male’s advances, catcalls, exploitation and everything in between that women are made to endure in the world we find ourselves. There were a lot of reviews by men who consider this book as an abject showcase of misandry and how the author would have been cancelled if it was, *"how to kill women and get away with it," but frankly, wouldn't that work be a non-fiction?
However, as most people who read this book would realize, it was incredibly unrealistic. No, I don’t think a little woman would be able to pull off decapitating and disposing not one man but several and go scot free. Of course she’d be caught. What happened to DNA, digital footprints, CCTV, heck, even common sense? But I don’t think the author herself did not realize this. So is it a satire of some kind or did the author just want to whip up a witty, fun read where reality could be suspended for a little bit? I think the latter would be most likely.
I found the ending parts mostly disagreeable, even though there was indeed a shocking plot twist and villain reveal. Without giving away spoilers, I don’t think things should have ended that way for Kitty. It just seemed so odd that with everything that happened in the story, including the eyebrow quirking moments, that the protagonist seemed to be in a better place than she was in the beginning of the novel. There should have been consequences but then again that’s why it’s twisted comedy right?
All together, How To Kill Men And Get Away With It was not a bad read. I laughed in some places, hissed in some and nogot choked with trepidation in some. As far as macabre comedies go, this wasn’t bad at all. Giving it a 3.9/5 rating. If you’re a fan of dark comedies and not-so-likable characters, this is for you.
Jhymi🖤
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