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You'd Look Better as a Ghost
A comic thriller following the trials and tribulations of Claire, a part-time serial killer, who is keen to keep her favorite hobby a secret—despite the efforts of a determined blackmailer
The night after her father's funeral, Claire meets Lucas in a bar. Lucas doesn't know it, but it's not a chance meeting. One thoughtless mistyped email has put him in the crosshairs of an extremely put-out serial killer. But before they make eye contact, before Claire lets him buy her a drink—even before she takes him home and carves him up into little pieces—something about that night is very wrong. Because someone is watching Claire. Someone who is about to discover her murderous little hobby.
The thing is, it's not sensible to tangle with a part-time serial killer, even one who is distracted by attending a weekly bereavement support group and trying to get her art career off the ground. Will Claire finish off her blackmailer before her pursuer reveals all? Let the games begin . . .
The night after her father's funeral, Claire meets Lucas in a bar. Lucas doesn't know it, but it's not a chance meeting. One thoughtless mistyped email has put him in the crosshairs of an extremely put-out serial killer. But before they make eye contact, before Claire lets him buy her a drink—even before she takes him home and carves him up into little pieces—something about that night is very wrong. Because someone is watching Claire. Someone who is about to discover her murderous little hobby.
The thing is, it's not sensible to tangle with a part-time serial killer, even one who is distracted by attending a weekly bereavement support group and trying to get her art career off the ground. Will Claire finish off her blackmailer before her pursuer reveals all? Let the games begin . . .
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2023
About the author
Joanna Wallace
2 books120 followersJoanna Wallace studied law at Birmingham University before working as a commercial litigation solicitor in London, during which time she represented litigants in many fascinating cases and became remarkably proficient at unjamming photocopiers.
Joanna lives near London with her husband, four children and two dogs.
Joanna lives near London with her husband, four children and two dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,265 reviews
October 24, 2023
This one certainly had an original premise, I'll give it that. I love, love, love dark humor and quirky anti-heroes so it seemed like You'd Look Better as a Ghost would be right up my alley, but ultimately it fell a bit flat for me. I mean, don't get me wrong – it wasn't a terrible read by any means, but I just didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I'd expected to.
I think that most of my issues with this book revolve around the fact that all the characters were tremendously unlikable. I don't necessarily need characters to be personable, but just a faint glimmer of anyone without a personality disorder would have made things so much more palatable. And Claire, the main character, is particularly awful and not just because she's a serial killer. I guess the reader is supposed to feel sorry for her because she had a crappy childhood, but there are lots of people who grow up in less than ideal circumstances and somehow manage to not become complete and total asshats, much less serial killers who bump off anyone who looks at them sideways. Her mother was a truly evil character, however, and I can't say that I was entirely disappointed about how that storyline ended.
It also would have helped if there had been more humor to offset all of the awful people in this story. Based on the blurb I expected this to be a laugh-out-loud funny read, but the humor was really rather sparse.
With all of my griping aside, I can't really say that I disliked this book. The premise is fantastic, and Joanna Wallace is obviously a talented writer. It was well-written and the mystery (who is watching Claire?) was entertaining. I also really enjoy first-person narratives so that was an added bonus.
This book also tackles some difficult subjects – child abuse (particularly of the emotional sort), elder abuse, grief, suicide … and, of course, murder. Certainly not what I was expecting from a “lighthearted” book about an unrepentant serial killer, but it wasn't unwelcome.
Overall, while this book wasn't my favorite, it was also a fairly entertaining read … even if the characters should have all been in jail and/or a psychiatric ward. Final rating: 3.45 stars, rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
I think that most of my issues with this book revolve around the fact that all the characters were tremendously unlikable. I don't necessarily need characters to be personable, but just a faint glimmer of anyone without a personality disorder would have made things so much more palatable. And Claire, the main character, is particularly awful and not just because she's a serial killer. I guess the reader is supposed to feel sorry for her because she had a crappy childhood, but there are lots of people who grow up in less than ideal circumstances and somehow manage to not become complete and total asshats, much less serial killers who bump off anyone who looks at them sideways. Her mother was a truly evil character, however, and I can't say that I was entirely disappointed about how that storyline ended.
It also would have helped if there had been more humor to offset all of the awful people in this story. Based on the blurb I expected this to be a laugh-out-loud funny read, but the humor was really rather sparse.
With all of my griping aside, I can't really say that I disliked this book. The premise is fantastic, and Joanna Wallace is obviously a talented writer. It was well-written and the mystery (who is watching Claire?) was entertaining. I also really enjoy first-person narratives so that was an added bonus.
This book also tackles some difficult subjects – child abuse (particularly of the emotional sort), elder abuse, grief, suicide … and, of course, murder. Certainly not what I was expecting from a “lighthearted” book about an unrepentant serial killer, but it wasn't unwelcome.
Overall, while this book wasn't my favorite, it was also a fairly entertaining read … even if the characters should have all been in jail and/or a psychiatric ward. Final rating: 3.45 stars, rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
March 27, 2024
4 solid stars. "You'd Look Better as a Ghost" is a bit different, a look at a young, British, female serial killer. Claire, our killer did remind me a lot of "Dexter" though not a super-vigilante, she does have her own code, "Dark Passenger" and childhood & parental issues. She's a different monster though & her inner monologues are often frantic and reckless as she deals with a mystery involving an upscale care-home involving some recent victims of hers. It's fast-paced & I had a hard time putting this down, but I think a lot of readers could be triggered by the content, so if gore & serial killers gone wild isn't your thing, pass on this one.
March 2, 2024
OMG what a great debut!! 👏👏 Guys… this book is FUN!!! Thank you so much to @penguinbooks for sending me this gorgeous gifted copy!! 🥰🥰🥰 I mean I was SOLD at the cover alone!! 😉 🔨 🔨
Claire has an interesting hobby… she’s a serial killer…😳… but only part time… so that is why it’s a hobby.. 😉… No worries.. she only kills people that have really done horrible things… or pissed her off… 😂🙄… Drinks 🥂 with our girl Claire… umm 🤔 no thank you…😬
This was SO much fun… in a murdery kind of way..😁… She vowed to quit… but could she?? 🤔🤫🤐
Okay my favorite part was the flash backs to Claire’s childhood… 😳… let’s just say.. it definitely explains ALOT!!
This was a fun… snarky.. sassy 💁♀️ little murder book!! I would LOVE to see a series… you know like Finlay… but CLAIRE…. 🥳… Claire Kills AGAIN?? Oh yes please!! 😍🔨🔨 Grab your hammers as this one comes out March 26th!! 🥳🥳🥳
🔨🔨🔨 Is this on your TBR?? I mean… THIS COVER!! Hellooo hammer time!! 😳… What are you reading today bookish peeps?? 🔨🔨🔨
Claire has an interesting hobby… she’s a serial killer…😳… but only part time… so that is why it’s a hobby.. 😉… No worries.. she only kills people that have really done horrible things… or pissed her off… 😂🙄… Drinks 🥂 with our girl Claire… umm 🤔 no thank you…😬
This was SO much fun… in a murdery kind of way..😁… She vowed to quit… but could she?? 🤔🤫🤐
Okay my favorite part was the flash backs to Claire’s childhood… 😳… let’s just say.. it definitely explains ALOT!!
This was a fun… snarky.. sassy 💁♀️ little murder book!! I would LOVE to see a series… you know like Finlay… but CLAIRE…. 🥳… Claire Kills AGAIN?? Oh yes please!! 😍🔨🔨 Grab your hammers as this one comes out March 26th!! 🥳🥳🥳
🔨🔨🔨 Is this on your TBR?? I mean… THIS COVER!! Hellooo hammer time!! 😳… What are you reading today bookish peeps?? 🔨🔨🔨
May 7, 2024
3.5 stars Loved the sharp, subversive humor and atypical serial killer female protagonist. But the plot needs a little punching up, as it meanders a bit in the middle.
Bumping stars up because it made me laugh aloud a few times, though, especially as she takes tea and limits herself to a shortbread cookie instead of the slice of cake she wants, since she did just kill the woman's son.
Will be keeping an eye on this author.
Audio Notes: Audiobook is very fun. Fiona Hardingham ratchets up the ridiculous with enjoyable precision, only occasionally teetering on being a little too shrill—but that’s probably due in part to the text in need of light editing.
Bumping stars up because it made me laugh aloud a few times, though, especially as she takes tea and limits herself to a shortbread cookie instead of the slice of cake she wants, since she did just kill the woman's son.
Will be keeping an eye on this author.
Audio Notes: Audiobook is very fun. Fiona Hardingham ratchets up the ridiculous with enjoyable precision, only occasionally teetering on being a little too shrill—but that’s probably due in part to the text in need of light editing.
September 8, 2023
The night after her father's funeral, Claire meets Luca in a bar. Lucas doesn't know it, but it's not a chance meeting. One thoughtless mistyped email has put him in the crosshairs of an extremely put-out serial killer. But before they make eye contact, before Claire lets him bur her a drink, even before she takes him home and carves him into little pieces, something about that night is very wrong. Because someone is watching Claire. Someone who is about to discover her murderous little hobby.
This is a story of murder, kidnap, grief, lies and abuse. I never thought I'd find myself rooting for a protagonist not to get caught. Claire is a likeable character, even though she is a serial killer. She's heartbroken from the death of her father. The story is told from Claire's perspective. We also learn of the time when she was a child. There's a lot of humour to this story. This is an easy to read book and I quite enjoyed it.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #SeroentsTailViperProfileBooks and the author #JoannaWallace for my ARC of #You'dLookBetterAsAGhost in exchange for an honest review.
This is a story of murder, kidnap, grief, lies and abuse. I never thought I'd find myself rooting for a protagonist not to get caught. Claire is a likeable character, even though she is a serial killer. She's heartbroken from the death of her father. The story is told from Claire's perspective. We also learn of the time when she was a child. There's a lot of humour to this story. This is an easy to read book and I quite enjoyed it.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #SeroentsTailViperProfileBooks and the author #JoannaWallace for my ARC of #You'dLookBetterAsAGhost in exchange for an honest review.
August 29, 2023
2.5 stars
Unfortunately this book was a struggle for me to enjoy.
At first I had high hopes that it was going to be filled with dark humour and the main character would have me cheering her on. But this wasn't the case.
Whilst there is some dark humour in this, it is sprinkled very lightly throughout but is never a main component to the book.
The plot and writing style didn't grab me at all and I wasn't invested throughout. I had no interest in what was going to happen, mainly because I was finding the whole thing so dull, boring and flat.
There was no tension or intrigue to the plot and it did feel a bit drawn out.
The main character Claire only became 3D because of the flash back chapters, which I found the most interesting thing in the whole book.
In my opinion this needed something more, maybe different POV's? That might have added more depth to the story.
The background characters also felt like a let down, there could have been more done with them.
I'm not sure what I was expecting going into this, but it was a big disappointment. If this hadn't been an ARC I might have DNF
Thanks to Viper Books and Netgalley for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review
Unfortunately this book was a struggle for me to enjoy.
At first I had high hopes that it was going to be filled with dark humour and the main character would have me cheering her on. But this wasn't the case.
Whilst there is some dark humour in this, it is sprinkled very lightly throughout but is never a main component to the book.
The plot and writing style didn't grab me at all and I wasn't invested throughout. I had no interest in what was going to happen, mainly because I was finding the whole thing so dull, boring and flat.
There was no tension or intrigue to the plot and it did feel a bit drawn out.
The main character Claire only became 3D because of the flash back chapters, which I found the most interesting thing in the whole book.
In my opinion this needed something more, maybe different POV's? That might have added more depth to the story.
The background characters also felt like a let down, there could have been more done with them.
I'm not sure what I was expecting going into this, but it was a big disappointment. If this hadn't been an ARC I might have DNF
Thanks to Viper Books and Netgalley for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review
September 14, 2023
You’d Look Better as a Ghost is an entertaining English crime story about a charming serial killer whose hobby comes under threat when she learns that someone has been watching her. I was beguiled by the title, and liked the sound of the premise, despite generally trying to avoid serial killer plot lines. I agree with other reviewers who have compared Claire to Dexter and Villanelle from Killing Eve, and enjoyed the irreverent black humour that lightened the tone.
Claire is an aspiring artist, who works out her impatience with people who upset or annoy her by murdering them. Her father, who she adored, has recently died, and to help manage her grief she joins a support group, but when one of the other members shows an unhealthy interest in her, Claire must protect her secrets at all costs.
This is a wickedly fun thriller told in Claire’s sardonic first person present voice (yes I still hate it but it works better than usual here), with flashbacks to her childhood with the selfish narcissistic mother who turned her into a psychopath. Despite describing some of her kills, it’s surprisingly ungory and she manages to convince us that her victims all deserved their fates (arguably some do, but most actually don’t!) In spite of the title, there are no supernatural elements, and it’s a quick easy read, but does tackle some serious and sad topics, including bereavement and child neglect.
There’s definitely potential for a sequel, but even if there isn’t to be one, I’ll be looking out for more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
#YoudLookBetterasaGhost is published on September 20th.
Claire is an aspiring artist, who works out her impatience with people who upset or annoy her by murdering them. Her father, who she adored, has recently died, and to help manage her grief she joins a support group, but when one of the other members shows an unhealthy interest in her, Claire must protect her secrets at all costs.
This is a wickedly fun thriller told in Claire’s sardonic first person present voice (yes I still hate it but it works better than usual here), with flashbacks to her childhood with the selfish narcissistic mother who turned her into a psychopath. Despite describing some of her kills, it’s surprisingly ungory and she manages to convince us that her victims all deserved their fates (arguably some do, but most actually don’t!) In spite of the title, there are no supernatural elements, and it’s a quick easy read, but does tackle some serious and sad topics, including bereavement and child neglect.
There’s definitely potential for a sequel, but even if there isn’t to be one, I’ll be looking out for more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
#YoudLookBetterasaGhost is published on September 20th.
February 13, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
You'd Look Better as a Ghost.
If the premise wasn't available for review, I still would have requested this based on the title alone.
This is right up my alley; a female serial killer doing serial killer-y things.
** Minor killer-y spoilers ahead **
Claire is a serial killer, but like most serial killers in novels, she's not a true serial killer.
She's mourning the loss of her father, the only person she's ever cared about, and the only person who ever loved her.
She even contemplates taking her own life, not something a sociopath would ever think about.
Claire is an unlikable serial killer, and that's not a joke.
Not every character is likable in a book.
But Dexter, one of the most famous literary serial killer was likable, maybe because he only killed bad people.
Or it's the way the author wrote Dexter Morgan, the tone and inherent empathy in describing Dexter.
Claire puts people on her hit list simply because...they cut in front of her on line. They're annoying. They have no fashion sense. They irritate her.
She's constantly monologuing about how irritating people are, how she's fed up with them, how it would be kind of her to put them out of their misery.
I think the author wanted these monologues to sound amusing, darkly comedic, but instead the tone was off and Claire sounded...rude? Self centered? Snotty?
When a murder puts her in the crosshairs of the wrong people, Claire must figure out how to extricate herself from a mess she's created for herself and get back to her solitary life of serial killing.
There's plenty of violence, physical abuse involving children and the elderly, and some readers may find these themes very triggering.
Despite Claire being in trouble, there's very little urgency and suspense in the narrative; there's plenty of monologuing about the support group, which I find tiresome and boring.
There's plenty of background about Claire visiting the care home, which factors into the story but even these scenes were boring.
The narrative features a serial killer, a hammer and plenty of murder, blood and violence, but it's not thrilling or exciting.
There's a couple of revelations at the end, but even those come off as anti-climatic because readers are forced to suspend disbelief.
I was already having trouble at this point because I was having difficulty believing Claire was a serial killer.
Dexter Morgan isn't a true sociopath, but you liked him and believed in him because of the way he was written.
Claire sounds like a spoiled child who kills because she has nothing else to do with her life; no friends, no family, no ambitions or career.
She's a nobody and killing makes her feel like a somebody. Claire isn't interesting. She's a loser.
I didn't care about Claire or the story.
Wait, does that make me a serial killer? 😆
If the premise wasn't available for review, I still would have requested this based on the title alone.
This is right up my alley; a female serial killer doing serial killer-y things.
** Minor killer-y spoilers ahead **
Claire is a serial killer, but like most serial killers in novels, she's not a true serial killer.
She's mourning the loss of her father, the only person she's ever cared about, and the only person who ever loved her.
She even contemplates taking her own life, not something a sociopath would ever think about.
Claire is an unlikable serial killer, and that's not a joke.
Not every character is likable in a book.
But Dexter, one of the most famous literary serial killer was likable, maybe because he only killed bad people.
Or it's the way the author wrote Dexter Morgan, the tone and inherent empathy in describing Dexter.
Claire puts people on her hit list simply because...they cut in front of her on line. They're annoying. They have no fashion sense. They irritate her.
She's constantly monologuing about how irritating people are, how she's fed up with them, how it would be kind of her to put them out of their misery.
I think the author wanted these monologues to sound amusing, darkly comedic, but instead the tone was off and Claire sounded...rude? Self centered? Snotty?
When a murder puts her in the crosshairs of the wrong people, Claire must figure out how to extricate herself from a mess she's created for herself and get back to her solitary life of serial killing.
There's plenty of violence, physical abuse involving children and the elderly, and some readers may find these themes very triggering.
Despite Claire being in trouble, there's very little urgency and suspense in the narrative; there's plenty of monologuing about the support group, which I find tiresome and boring.
There's plenty of background about Claire visiting the care home, which factors into the story but even these scenes were boring.
The narrative features a serial killer, a hammer and plenty of murder, blood and violence, but it's not thrilling or exciting.
There's a couple of revelations at the end, but even those come off as anti-climatic because readers are forced to suspend disbelief.
I was already having trouble at this point because I was having difficulty believing Claire was a serial killer.
Dexter Morgan isn't a true sociopath, but you liked him and believed in him because of the way he was written.
Claire sounds like a spoiled child who kills because she has nothing else to do with her life; no friends, no family, no ambitions or career.
She's a nobody and killing makes her feel like a somebody. Claire isn't interesting. She's a loser.
I didn't care about Claire or the story.
Wait, does that make me a serial killer? 😆
June 8, 2024
am I allowed to say that a book about a serial killer is fun, because this was fun
August 12, 2023
I seem to be drawn to bonkers books about young female serial killers. I certainly enjoyed the Sweet Pea series and then along comes Claire.
Claire is mourning the loss of her dad but is cheered by the fact that her art has been shortlisted for a prize. However it's not quite that simple when it transpires that it's all been a mix up and Lucas Kane, who rang the wrong Claire, has to fess up and tell her that she hasn't been shortlisted at all. What Lucas isn't aware of is that Claire does not take rejection or stupidity in others particularly well. In fact she takes it very badly.
What follows is an absolutely crazy journey that even Claire wasn't expecting because once you've got rid of one problem another one or two are just bound to pop up.
In Joanna Wallace's very funny debut we get a seriously engaging murderer, a lot of very bad people just begging for some comeuppance and a lot of surprises. It's well written, great fast-paced plot and some interesting characters.
Definitely recommended for fans of Sweet Pea or not. It's a great debut that will make you laugh.
Thanks to Netgalley and Viper Press for the advance review copy.
Claire is mourning the loss of her dad but is cheered by the fact that her art has been shortlisted for a prize. However it's not quite that simple when it transpires that it's all been a mix up and Lucas Kane, who rang the wrong Claire, has to fess up and tell her that she hasn't been shortlisted at all. What Lucas isn't aware of is that Claire does not take rejection or stupidity in others particularly well. In fact she takes it very badly.
What follows is an absolutely crazy journey that even Claire wasn't expecting because once you've got rid of one problem another one or two are just bound to pop up.
In Joanna Wallace's very funny debut we get a seriously engaging murderer, a lot of very bad people just begging for some comeuppance and a lot of surprises. It's well written, great fast-paced plot and some interesting characters.
Definitely recommended for fans of Sweet Pea or not. It's a great debut that will make you laugh.
Thanks to Netgalley and Viper Press for the advance review copy.
May 30, 2024
Absolutely positutely delightful!
It takes a talented author/creator to write a character that is not just totally prickly & unfriendly but diabolical…& oh ya, a serial killer too…& make the reader somehow root for that prickly, unfriendly, diabolical serial killer.
Likable unlikable characters for me come few and far between. I have a tendency of not liking unlikable people. It’s a lot easier to do when it’s a movie bc we already like the actors, so when an author manages to somehow write a character that has nearly nothing warm, or friendly or compassionate or endearing & somehow I still root for them, I consider that a serious feat. And that is definitely what happened here. Call it the character, or the tone, or the authorial voice, but somehow Claire, our MC, had me rooting for her to successfully kill people, & do it while managing to avoid being ousted or found out by the cops, or the shaken up grieving sister of a victim, or any other well intentioned (or not so well intentioned) person.
So basically we are let in on the fact that Claire is a serial killer almost immediately. The way she approaches her killing is so dry, removed, & methodical, her reasoning seemingly based on her knee-jerk reaction to annoying people, it winds up being like half comical & the other half perfectly logical. She is pretty much going about her life, indulging her Dexter-like dark passenger whenever she sees fit, but her life is more or less turned upside down when her Dad dies (whom she seemed to have had a authentic attachment & genuine love for) and she begins going to a grief counseling group. Completely by accident she stumbles into a world of small time crooks (or smaller time than a serial killer anyways) & is essentially forced into all kinds of shenanigans in order to keep her murderous secret a secret. We do get a few flashbacks into her past which serve more so as context than any sort of actual justification.
I loved it! Not quite loves-of-my-life shelf, but close. 4.5 rounded UP. This was exactly what I was looking for, something with a good hook early on that maintains a steady pace till the end. This was such an fun & easy read while managing not to detract from it’s quality…it was well written & clever but still accessible, funny without trying too hard, dark without ever feeling TOO dark. It was great! And a debut too! Magnifico, chef’s kiss, muah! I will most definitely be following this author’s career! Very much looking forward to the follow up!!!
It takes a talented author/creator to write a character that is not just totally prickly & unfriendly but diabolical…& oh ya, a serial killer too…& make the reader somehow root for that prickly, unfriendly, diabolical serial killer.
Likable unlikable characters for me come few and far between. I have a tendency of not liking unlikable people. It’s a lot easier to do when it’s a movie bc we already like the actors, so when an author manages to somehow write a character that has nearly nothing warm, or friendly or compassionate or endearing & somehow I still root for them, I consider that a serious feat. And that is definitely what happened here. Call it the character, or the tone, or the authorial voice, but somehow Claire, our MC, had me rooting for her to successfully kill people, & do it while managing to avoid being ousted or found out by the cops, or the shaken up grieving sister of a victim, or any other well intentioned (or not so well intentioned) person.
So basically we are let in on the fact that Claire is a serial killer almost immediately. The way she approaches her killing is so dry, removed, & methodical, her reasoning seemingly based on her knee-jerk reaction to annoying people, it winds up being like half comical & the other half perfectly logical. She is pretty much going about her life, indulging her Dexter-like dark passenger whenever she sees fit, but her life is more or less turned upside down when her Dad dies (whom she seemed to have had a authentic attachment & genuine love for) and she begins going to a grief counseling group. Completely by accident she stumbles into a world of small time crooks (or smaller time than a serial killer anyways) & is essentially forced into all kinds of shenanigans in order to keep her murderous secret a secret. We do get a few flashbacks into her past which serve more so as context than any sort of actual justification.
I loved it! Not quite loves-of-my-life shelf, but close. 4.5 rounded UP. This was exactly what I was looking for, something with a good hook early on that maintains a steady pace till the end. This was such an fun & easy read while managing not to detract from it’s quality…it was well written & clever but still accessible, funny without trying too hard, dark without ever feeling TOO dark. It was great! And a debut too! Magnifico, chef’s kiss, muah! I will most definitely be following this author’s career! Very much looking forward to the follow up!!!
April 6, 2024
I really enjoy books with an antihero as the main character, particularly from that character's first-person point-of-view, so I thought You'd Look Better as a Ghost would be right up my alley. Maeve Fly was one of my most memorable reads of last year, after all. But something about the tone of the book just didn't work for me. It wasn't funny enough to be a truly comic thriller, and some of the more serious topics (child abuse and elder abuse in particular) were handled in a way that felt too lighthearted. It felt like a book with a bit of an identity crisis.
Our narrator, Claire, definitely doesn't have an identity crisis, though: She knows she's a killer, and she has no worries about it. That is, until she's captured on film at the location of her latest murder and finds herself being blackmailed to avoid the risk of exposure.
I liked how Joanna Wallace integrated the grief process into the novel, as Claire is dealing with the recent loss of her beloved father on top of the blackmail situation. Her inner monologue is at turns sarcastic, apathetic, and thoughtful, which made being in her head darkly entertaining at times, pretty bleak at others. Other reviewers have called Claire a "vigilante" serial killer a la Dexter Morgan, but I'm not sure I necessarily agree. Claire seems to kill for more selfish reasons.
I found the plot to be a bit unnecessarily convoluted, meandering down random paths until it found its way to the conclusion (which I did find to be surprising and well-executed). It took me forever to get through, because the narrative just didn't hook me the way I had hoped it would. There are some superfluous characters and a few too many red herrings. I did enjoy the flashbacks from Claire's childhood, although I found the portrayal of her mother to be unsubtle and lacking in nuance. The flashbacks made me understand the motivations for Claire's behavior, but just raised more questions about her mother's.
Overall, You'd Look Better as a Ghost reads like a quirky-but-also-kind-of-sad violent serial killer cozy mystery, but without the charm of a cozy mystery. Definitely ambitious, but it missed the mark for me in the execution.
Our narrator, Claire, definitely doesn't have an identity crisis, though: She knows she's a killer, and she has no worries about it. That is, until she's captured on film at the location of her latest murder and finds herself being blackmailed to avoid the risk of exposure.
I liked how Joanna Wallace integrated the grief process into the novel, as Claire is dealing with the recent loss of her beloved father on top of the blackmail situation. Her inner monologue is at turns sarcastic, apathetic, and thoughtful, which made being in her head darkly entertaining at times, pretty bleak at others. Other reviewers have called Claire a "vigilante" serial killer a la Dexter Morgan, but I'm not sure I necessarily agree. Claire seems to kill for more selfish reasons.
I found the plot to be a bit unnecessarily convoluted, meandering down random paths until it found its way to the conclusion (which I did find to be surprising and well-executed). It took me forever to get through, because the narrative just didn't hook me the way I had hoped it would. There are some superfluous characters and a few too many red herrings. I did enjoy the flashbacks from Claire's childhood, although I found the portrayal of her mother to be unsubtle and lacking in nuance. The flashbacks made me understand the motivations for Claire's behavior, but just raised more questions about her mother's.
Overall, You'd Look Better as a Ghost reads like a quirky-but-also-kind-of-sad violent serial killer cozy mystery, but without the charm of a cozy mystery. Definitely ambitious, but it missed the mark for me in the execution.
March 16, 2024
This was an absolute delight. I picked it up expecting a “fluffer” during a very busy week and found, instead, that I thought about it every time I put it down.
Genuinely funny and fresh as f*ck!
Genuinely funny and fresh as f*ck!
November 25, 2023
You’d Look Better As A Ghost is the first novel by British author, Joanna Wallace. The only bright spot in Claire’s life as she accepts condolences at her beloved father’s funeral is the news that her entry into the Keiver Emerging Artist prize has been shortlisted. When she gets an apology email telling her that was in error, she veers between anger and wanting to swallow a handful of pills. Impulsively, she stalks the sender, Lucas Kane from his office to a nearby pub.
Pleased to have pulled an attractive blonde, Lucas willingly goes home with Claire, who has decided his sincerity is lacking and punishes him accordingly, then disposes of his remains in her back garden. He’s not the first, and won’t be the last, although she hasn’t taken her usual level of care. Claire is a serial killer with no tolerance of those who try her patience. She always feels her art is much better when she’s meticulously planning a murder
Attending a Bereavement Support Group at the suggestion of her GP demonstrates for Claire that each person handles grief differently. Quite a quirky bunch, they are: a Robust Welshman, a Camilla Parker-Bowles imitation, a relentless note-taker, and a weirdly-dressed hoarder, with an overweight touchy-feely facilitator. One of them latches onto Claire for an unexpected and alarming reason.
It turns out that someone knows about her occasional pastime, and intends to profit from it. But is it a good idea to blackmail a serial killer? At one stage, Claire muses “I thought it would be difficult killing someone as pleasant as XXX, but it turned out to be just as easy as killing all those people I didn’t like.”
What a brilliant debut! Wallace’s plot twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing right up to the final reveals. The narrative occasionally slips into Claire’s youth, giving a bit of background to her unusual tendencies. Wallace gives the reader laugh-out-loud dialogue with a good helping of (often delicious) irony.
For all their funny ways, her characters have depth and appeal, and are endowed with some insightful observations: “…having the word ‘care’ in a job title is not necessarily indicative of a caring nature” and “I’ve never given grief the respect it deserves. Drawing no distinction between strong, weak, rich or poor, it ploughs through everyone’s lives the same, leaving identical mounds of emotional debris behind.”
This is a clever, blackly funny and highly irreverent read, and more from Joanna Wallace is eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail/Viper.
Pleased to have pulled an attractive blonde, Lucas willingly goes home with Claire, who has decided his sincerity is lacking and punishes him accordingly, then disposes of his remains in her back garden. He’s not the first, and won’t be the last, although she hasn’t taken her usual level of care. Claire is a serial killer with no tolerance of those who try her patience. She always feels her art is much better when she’s meticulously planning a murder
Attending a Bereavement Support Group at the suggestion of her GP demonstrates for Claire that each person handles grief differently. Quite a quirky bunch, they are: a Robust Welshman, a Camilla Parker-Bowles imitation, a relentless note-taker, and a weirdly-dressed hoarder, with an overweight touchy-feely facilitator. One of them latches onto Claire for an unexpected and alarming reason.
It turns out that someone knows about her occasional pastime, and intends to profit from it. But is it a good idea to blackmail a serial killer? At one stage, Claire muses “I thought it would be difficult killing someone as pleasant as XXX, but it turned out to be just as easy as killing all those people I didn’t like.”
What a brilliant debut! Wallace’s plot twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing right up to the final reveals. The narrative occasionally slips into Claire’s youth, giving a bit of background to her unusual tendencies. Wallace gives the reader laugh-out-loud dialogue with a good helping of (often delicious) irony.
For all their funny ways, her characters have depth and appeal, and are endowed with some insightful observations: “…having the word ‘care’ in a job title is not necessarily indicative of a caring nature” and “I’ve never given grief the respect it deserves. Drawing no distinction between strong, weak, rich or poor, it ploughs through everyone’s lives the same, leaving identical mounds of emotional debris behind.”
This is a clever, blackly funny and highly irreverent read, and more from Joanna Wallace is eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail/Viper.
February 10, 2024
Books like this are so hard to explain! Quirky books lead to quirky reviews, so with this book, I’m just going to tell you a few facts. We know from the synopsis that Claire is a “part time” serial killer; here are a few other things that are in the book:
Claire met Lucas in a bar, and Lucas was annoying. Claire didn’t like that, so she rectified the situation.
Claire’s father had dementia and recently died in a memory care facility. After killing Lucas she began visiting his mother, Kathleen, at the same facility.
Claire found out some of the caregivers in this facility do everything BUT care. The things they’ve done are unacceptable to Claire.
Claire starts going to a group for the grieving, and meets Jemma, who has just lost her mother. Claire immediately can’t stand Jemma.
Claire can see some people look like ghosts, as if they can almost be seen through. Those people need to die.
This was odd, discordant, and rumors of a lot of dark humor are greatly exaggerated. It was more funny the more I got to know Claire, but it took awhile to get there. The ending was the best part - I was blindsided by who knew Claire’s secrets and how everything ended. Overall, this was darkly cute, engaging and creative. 3.5 stars, rounded up for being a debut!
(Thank you to Viper Books, Joanna Wallace and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
Claire met Lucas in a bar, and Lucas was annoying. Claire didn’t like that, so she rectified the situation.
Claire’s father had dementia and recently died in a memory care facility. After killing Lucas she began visiting his mother, Kathleen, at the same facility.
Claire found out some of the caregivers in this facility do everything BUT care. The things they’ve done are unacceptable to Claire.
Claire starts going to a group for the grieving, and meets Jemma, who has just lost her mother. Claire immediately can’t stand Jemma.
Claire can see some people look like ghosts, as if they can almost be seen through. Those people need to die.
This was odd, discordant, and rumors of a lot of dark humor are greatly exaggerated. It was more funny the more I got to know Claire, but it took awhile to get there. The ending was the best part - I was blindsided by who knew Claire’s secrets and how everything ended. Overall, this was darkly cute, engaging and creative. 3.5 stars, rounded up for being a debut!
(Thank you to Viper Books, Joanna Wallace and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
April 25, 2024
This was such a unique and strange book! Claire is a part-time serial killer with her moral compass, but when it seems that someone discovers her "hobby," Claire is determined to figure out who knows her secret. This story was bizarre, funny, and so so strange, but I devoured this book in two sittings. I found Claire's inner monologues to be quite entertaining and definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for something unique.
June 13, 2024
{4.25 stars}
"I’m beginning to realize I’ve never given grief the respect it deserves. Drawing no distinction between strong, weak, rich or poor, it plows through everyone’s lives the same, leaving identical mounds of emotional debris behind."
This book was a really good time.
Claire, our main character and resident sociopath (-ish), is hilarious. Her reflections on "ordinary people", as she calls them, are very entertaining.
An aspiring artist, all she wants is to get some validation for her art and overcome her grief about her father's death. It's not really her fault that she gets wrapped up in this murder and disappearance case... Well, she technically did kill some people and began the chain of events. But can we really blame her?
I also enjoyed the mystery and thought the reveal was pretty cool, although part of it was a bit predictable.
I'm glad I read this. So far, I haven't really regretted the books I've picked up on a whim. They've been pretty good picks.
"I’m beginning to realize I’ve never given grief the respect it deserves. Drawing no distinction between strong, weak, rich or poor, it plows through everyone’s lives the same, leaving identical mounds of emotional debris behind."
This book was a really good time.
Claire, our main character and resident sociopath (-ish), is hilarious. Her reflections on "ordinary people", as she calls them, are very entertaining.
An aspiring artist, all she wants is to get some validation for her art and overcome her grief about her father's death. It's not really her fault that she gets wrapped up in this murder and disappearance case... Well, she technically did kill some people and began the chain of events. But can we really blame her?
I also enjoyed the mystery and thought the reveal was pretty cool, although part of it was a bit predictable.
I'm glad I read this. So far, I haven't really regretted the books I've picked up on a whim. They've been pretty good picks.
June 5, 2024
Claire has just lost her father, following a battle with dementia, and is seeking closure and direction with a bereavement group. She's especially upset by a recent issue regarding a piece of artwork. First it was accepted into a gallery showing, and the next minute she's received an "oops, wrong Claire" email, which is an unfortunate problem for the sender, because Claire's other hobby — besides art — is murder.
As a part-time serial killer, Claire suddenly finds herself in a strained game of hunting down a blackmailer and any accomplices, before she's exposed. To add insult to trickery, grief seems to be hampering her normally meticulous ... executions.
Alongside her normal day-to-day activities, we get glimpses into young Claire and her relationship with her doting father and poor-excuse-for-a-human mother. Wallace stays away from blame here and rides the line between nature and nurture (or lack thereof) being the culprit for Claire penchant for killings.
With a wicked combination of some of the darkest and driest humor I've read, Wallace delivers a delightful wallop with this unique and twisted page-turner. Her characters are spot on, and Claire is the most enchanting villain protagonist I've encountered. I inhaled this book and had the best time with poor Claire, the woebegone serial killer. I cannot WAIT to see what Wallace does next.
As a part-time serial killer, Claire suddenly finds herself in a strained game of hunting down a blackmailer and any accomplices, before she's exposed. To add insult to trickery, grief seems to be hampering her normally meticulous ... executions.
Alongside her normal day-to-day activities, we get glimpses into young Claire and her relationship with her doting father and poor-excuse-for-a-human mother. Wallace stays away from blame here and rides the line between nature and nurture (or lack thereof) being the culprit for Claire penchant for killings.
With a wicked combination of some of the darkest and driest humor I've read, Wallace delivers a delightful wallop with this unique and twisted page-turner. Her characters are spot on, and Claire is the most enchanting villain protagonist I've encountered. I inhaled this book and had the best time with poor Claire, the woebegone serial killer. I cannot WAIT to see what Wallace does next.
February 13, 2024
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Mar. 26, 2024
Fans of “Dexter” will devour “You'd Look Better as a Ghost”, the debut novel by author Joanna Wallace. Sharp, creative and deliciously twisted, this five-star read introduced me to another great protagonist!
After the death of Clare’s father, she finds solace in one thing- the knowledge that she has been shortlisted in an exclusive art competition. But she soon finds out that the was shortlisted in error, and she did not truly earn a spot, as a judge had sent her an acceptance email in error. Determined to make it right, Clare meets Lucas in a bar and they quickly hit it off, and Clare seeks revenge with the help of her trusty hammer. Now, Lucas won’t be able to crush some other aspiring artist’s dreams. Although Clare has gone throughout her entire life without being caught, it seems someone saw what she did, and is willing to talk about it. In order to save her reputation and her freedom, Clare needs to find out who knows the truth, and stop them.
Perhaps this says something about me, but I adored Clare as a character. A serial killer from an early age, she kills as a means of vigilante justice, seeking revenge and retaliation, her targets appearing to her as almost “ghost-like” entities, indicating that they will be next to die. Clare tells the story entirely from her perspective and my favourite parts were the snippets from Clare’s past, when she was being raised by an emotionally absent mother and a devoted father. It was fascinating learning about Clare’s motivations, and these facts helped me ally with the deeply strange and dark main character.
There are many twists and turns in Wallace’s novel, and although some of the connections between the characters toward the end seemed rather forced and loose, I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. As the story unfolds, there is constant tension as to whether or not Clare will be caught and, against my moral judgment, I did not want her to!
I thoroughly hope Wallace will bring Clare back again, and soon. “You’d Look Better as a Ghost” is a dark and engaging read that is easily going to make my top-reads list!
Expected publication date: Mar. 26, 2024
Fans of “Dexter” will devour “You'd Look Better as a Ghost”, the debut novel by author Joanna Wallace. Sharp, creative and deliciously twisted, this five-star read introduced me to another great protagonist!
After the death of Clare’s father, she finds solace in one thing- the knowledge that she has been shortlisted in an exclusive art competition. But she soon finds out that the was shortlisted in error, and she did not truly earn a spot, as a judge had sent her an acceptance email in error. Determined to make it right, Clare meets Lucas in a bar and they quickly hit it off, and Clare seeks revenge with the help of her trusty hammer. Now, Lucas won’t be able to crush some other aspiring artist’s dreams. Although Clare has gone throughout her entire life without being caught, it seems someone saw what she did, and is willing to talk about it. In order to save her reputation and her freedom, Clare needs to find out who knows the truth, and stop them.
Perhaps this says something about me, but I adored Clare as a character. A serial killer from an early age, she kills as a means of vigilante justice, seeking revenge and retaliation, her targets appearing to her as almost “ghost-like” entities, indicating that they will be next to die. Clare tells the story entirely from her perspective and my favourite parts were the snippets from Clare’s past, when she was being raised by an emotionally absent mother and a devoted father. It was fascinating learning about Clare’s motivations, and these facts helped me ally with the deeply strange and dark main character.
There are many twists and turns in Wallace’s novel, and although some of the connections between the characters toward the end seemed rather forced and loose, I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. As the story unfolds, there is constant tension as to whether or not Clare will be caught and, against my moral judgment, I did not want her to!
I thoroughly hope Wallace will bring Clare back again, and soon. “You’d Look Better as a Ghost” is a dark and engaging read that is easily going to make my top-reads list!
December 9, 2023
After reading the other reviews for this book, I once again wonder if I might have read a different book than everyone else (my experience with Sally Rooney's books) . The premise was good but only after a couple of pages I found the story about Claire to be boring and predictable, ironically still too unrealistic. The actions of all the characters are difficult to understand. Especially concerning Claire, it's not clear to me what's motivating her. Even the flashbacks to her past do not explain why she became a serial killer. Does she have a personality disorder? Possible, but it is not further addressed. The superficial and easy explanation that it all comes from her mother is just not enough. The dialogues and monologues are long and tedious and some of them don't add anything important to the plot. Unfortunately I couldn't discover the dark humour in the story either. Instead its superficial and full of platitudes about life. Also its full of body shaming people that are not looking according to society's beauty standards. Is this really necessary? Her narcisstic traits could've been represented differently in my opinion. I expected more.
May 5, 2024
Grief makes you a sloppy serial killer.
April 20, 2024
5 star title, two star read. No one was likable and their unlikability was not entertaining.
April 3, 2024
This was just simply unhinged in the best way. What even was this book oh my god.
I think my best comp for this book would be You by Caroline Kepnes but following a charming female serial killer that is also struggling with grief for her father. It really does stand on its own though and was so fresh and unique. I truly did not know what was going to happen next. Like I was simply staring wide eyed at the page half the time I was reading it. This book was also genuinely hilarious and was full of dark humor that actually made me laugh. I think I’m going to think about this one for a long time.
//
Please note there’s mentions of and on page elderly abuse in here by caregivers along with just a lot of messed up stuff like child abuse and suicide ideation.
I think my best comp for this book would be You by Caroline Kepnes but following a charming female serial killer that is also struggling with grief for her father. It really does stand on its own though and was so fresh and unique. I truly did not know what was going to happen next. Like I was simply staring wide eyed at the page half the time I was reading it. This book was also genuinely hilarious and was full of dark humor that actually made me laugh. I think I’m going to think about this one for a long time.
//
Please note there’s mentions of and on page elderly abuse in here by caregivers along with just a lot of messed up stuff like child abuse and suicide ideation.
March 8, 2024
Few books have felt more grating than this dialogue heavy, repetitive, and unamusing novel. It was supposed to be funny and suspenseful. It apparently did not know that.
I found this thriller was a reckless arrangement of “all tell, no show” with incredibly low stakes. At slightly over the 60% mark, an actual threat was established and tension finally surfaced. Until then, I found everything rather dull and annoying, and I cannot say that this late addition vastly improved things.
I will acknowledge that there were times when the dark humor was on point, but it mostly felt less like dark humor and more like judgmental mockery. Now I DO know that I need to consider the source. The snark was all delivered by a serial killer narrator. That doesn’t change the fact that it was meant to elicit laughter, while I just found myself cringing over the body shaming, “dress your age” absurdity, and other distasteful diatribes. I’m also not sure if the author intended Claire’s disgusting perspective on a person struggling with addiction to be humorous, but I sure hope not. In a thriller that’s supposed to shock with a twist, THAT criticism was the part that made my jaw drop.
It seems like “The Next Dexter” is a bit of a trend these days, so Claire had some noble motivation behind some of her kills. It was not enough for me to see her as I see Mr. Morgan, and she was not interesting enough as a character to charm me in any other way.
The author attempted to give us a childhood backstory with hints of nature versus nurture, but I found the depiction of a narcissistic mother to be quite forced. There were no true subtleties that made me believe in this, nor did it build a sympathetic understanding within me.
Another thing that frustrated me was Claire’s occasional insights on human beings and society. Perhaps the author intended these glimpses of wisdom to be ironic, but the stark contrast just didn’t work. There needs to be a better blending of characteristics for something like this to succeed.
These were not my only grievances, but some constitute as spoilers, and the others don’t seem worth adding to this review’s length. Let me just say I rushed through the second half of this, not because I was eager to see how it ended, but because I wanted it to be over. Even though the conclusion did come as a surprise, it was still on par with the long winded, poorly executed narrative I’d already suffered through. I did not discover anything redeemable in this novel, and found my disdain bloating with the turn of every page.
I am immensely grateful to Penguin Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.
I found this thriller was a reckless arrangement of “all tell, no show” with incredibly low stakes. At slightly over the 60% mark, an actual threat was established and tension finally surfaced. Until then, I found everything rather dull and annoying, and I cannot say that this late addition vastly improved things.
I will acknowledge that there were times when the dark humor was on point, but it mostly felt less like dark humor and more like judgmental mockery. Now I DO know that I need to consider the source. The snark was all delivered by a serial killer narrator. That doesn’t change the fact that it was meant to elicit laughter, while I just found myself cringing over the body shaming, “dress your age” absurdity, and other distasteful diatribes. I’m also not sure if the author intended Claire’s disgusting perspective on a person struggling with addiction to be humorous, but I sure hope not. In a thriller that’s supposed to shock with a twist, THAT criticism was the part that made my jaw drop.
It seems like “The Next Dexter” is a bit of a trend these days, so Claire had some noble motivation behind some of her kills. It was not enough for me to see her as I see Mr. Morgan, and she was not interesting enough as a character to charm me in any other way.
The author attempted to give us a childhood backstory with hints of nature versus nurture, but I found the depiction of a narcissistic mother to be quite forced. There were no true subtleties that made me believe in this, nor did it build a sympathetic understanding within me.
Another thing that frustrated me was Claire’s occasional insights on human beings and society. Perhaps the author intended these glimpses of wisdom to be ironic, but the stark contrast just didn’t work. There needs to be a better blending of characteristics for something like this to succeed.
These were not my only grievances, but some constitute as spoilers, and the others don’t seem worth adding to this review’s length. Let me just say I rushed through the second half of this, not because I was eager to see how it ended, but because I wanted it to be over. Even though the conclusion did come as a surprise, it was still on par with the long winded, poorly executed narrative I’d already suffered through. I did not discover anything redeemable in this novel, and found my disdain bloating with the turn of every page.
I am immensely grateful to Penguin Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.
July 14, 2024
This was a fun twist on the thriller genre. I love the comedic undertones in this book, really fun to read.
July 17, 2024
I knew I should have not bought something with a Goodreads rating of below 4⭐.
------Stat Score------
Plot/Content: 4/10
Characters/POVs: 6/10
Prose/Style: 5/10
Themes/Messages: 5/10
Enjoyability/Impact: 6/10
OVERALL RATING: 5/10 (Mediocre)
Synopsis and/or Premise:
What if it's a crime-mystery, but the main character is the grief-stricken, psychopathic killer?
Claire lost her dad recently. He's the only person who understands her 'unusual' demeanors. She's a killer in heart, and she saw her victims' ghost before committing the hobby. A little mistake on her email led her to kill Lucas, but it seemed like someone caught her. And the moment she probes into this assumption, she immediately started peeking into the lives of others.
The Good and The Bad:
I personally like books that dives into the thought processes 🧠 of its protagonist. Some examples are Yellowface and Convenience Store Woman. This, despite me rating it much lower, still belonged to those types of books; A novel which personalized its portrayal of the main character. In turn, it's easier for the readers to understand them on a deeper level. And I do understand Claire despite her not thinking like a normal person. She's a twisted manipulator with artistic affinity. Indeed, a great canvass to portray grief from someone who doesn't understand it. I enjoyed her moments of being too observant and internally commenting on every little petty dialogues. A worthy, unlikable main character. Unfortunately, I wished she had some character development.
Speaking of Claire's sardonic comments, this book had some jerking sense of humor. This type of comedy was effective due to how the author placed her in some mundane social settings. Knowing how meticulous and wry Claire's mind work, the flow of conversations shot up to being hilariously self-critical for readers. I also liked how some scenes produced conflicting mixed emotions (at least for me.) There were definitely times where I can't decide whether to laugh or be tensed...so I did both. No idea how's that possible 😅.
The book tried to include some substance within. There were topics such as abuse, grief, parenthood, authenticity, dementia, paranoia, camaraderie, and conscience. But notice that there's a 'tried', because in my opinion not many of them were handled well. The best, by a sliver, were those from the bereavement group. At least the members were peculiar enough to pique interest. The rest weren't the worst portrayals (that's why this book wasn't a complete waste of time 😌), but they could be better as they're either shoehorned or superficial.
Now, here were my main problems:
1. Obvious debut qualities 😶 - Of course, being a debut novel means it's far from the most finesse. However, it is still subjected to the same standards as of any novel in general. And yeah....the prose could be improved, the pacing could be finer, and the themes could have been explored deeper. The book could be better.
2. Unbelievable 🤔 - I'm not saying that the narrative should be realistic (since this is fiction), but what's in should 'feel' real. You get what I mean, right? Things should be presented as believable, and sadly some parts failed to do so. The mother of Claire was too cartoonish, and some murders were uncannily less inconsequential outside of Claire.
3. Not satisfying 🫤 - I don't know why the ending was a disappointment, especially for Claire's character. Being unlikeable doesn't mean you should not be compelling. When the mystery was answered, it was done in such abrupt, arbitrary, and in an 'info-dump' way. The middle of the book also suffered from a lack of interesting events. Yes, there were fun parts like Will's birthday and the elevator scene, but those got drowned by the overall monotony that its humor can't even save. It doesn't act like a thriller even though it's being marketed as.
Final Thoughts:
Despite being a debut novel, You'd Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace will not be exempted from criticisms. This is a subtly vicious, dark crime-mystery and contemporary tale within the viewpoint of a psychopathic serial murderer, who due to grief, reactively tangled herself in the lives of her most current victims. The flashback scenes, done in the opposite writing POV, were a delightful divergence from its format. Strangely, the book was almost some sort of a social study; enunciating how no one is invisible in life, and that most people subconsciously repeat themselves and pretend often. The climax/final act, unfortunately, was a tad convoluted for my taste (at least comparatively from the rest of the book.) It might just be me though, since I had little experience with its genres.
--------------------
Links to my ratings and reviews:
Goodreads reviews
The StoryGraph
------Stat Score------
Plot/Content: 4/10
Characters/POVs: 6/10
Prose/Style: 5/10
Themes/Messages: 5/10
Enjoyability/Impact: 6/10
OVERALL RATING: 5/10 (Mediocre)
"Is it possible that a person can present an image to the world that is so completely at odds with who they truly are?"
Synopsis and/or Premise:
What if it's a crime-mystery, but the main character is the grief-stricken, psychopathic killer?
Claire lost her dad recently. He's the only person who understands her 'unusual' demeanors. She's a killer in heart, and she saw her victims' ghost before committing the hobby. A little mistake on her email led her to kill Lucas, but it seemed like someone caught her. And the moment she probes into this assumption, she immediately started peeking into the lives of others.
The Good and The Bad:
I personally like books that dives into the thought processes 🧠 of its protagonist. Some examples are Yellowface and Convenience Store Woman. This, despite me rating it much lower, still belonged to those types of books; A novel which personalized its portrayal of the main character. In turn, it's easier for the readers to understand them on a deeper level. And I do understand Claire despite her not thinking like a normal person. She's a twisted manipulator with artistic affinity. Indeed, a great canvass to portray grief from someone who doesn't understand it. I enjoyed her moments of being too observant and internally commenting on every little petty dialogues. A worthy, unlikable main character. Unfortunately, I wished she had some character development.
Speaking of Claire's sardonic comments, this book had some jerking sense of humor. This type of comedy was effective due to how the author placed her in some mundane social settings. Knowing how meticulous and wry Claire's mind work, the flow of conversations shot up to being hilariously self-critical for readers. I also liked how some scenes produced conflicting mixed emotions (at least for me.) There were definitely times where I can't decide whether to laugh or be tensed...so I did both. No idea how's that possible 😅.
The book tried to include some substance within. There were topics such as abuse, grief, parenthood, authenticity, dementia, paranoia, camaraderie, and conscience. But notice that there's a 'tried', because in my opinion not many of them were handled well. The best, by a sliver, were those from the bereavement group. At least the members were peculiar enough to pique interest. The rest weren't the worst portrayals (that's why this book wasn't a complete waste of time 😌), but they could be better as they're either shoehorned or superficial.
Now, here were my main problems:
1. Obvious debut qualities 😶 - Of course, being a debut novel means it's far from the most finesse. However, it is still subjected to the same standards as of any novel in general. And yeah....the prose could be improved, the pacing could be finer, and the themes could have been explored deeper. The book could be better.
2. Unbelievable 🤔 - I'm not saying that the narrative should be realistic (since this is fiction), but what's in should 'feel' real. You get what I mean, right? Things should be presented as believable, and sadly some parts failed to do so. The mother of Claire was too cartoonish, and some murders were uncannily less inconsequential outside of Claire.
3. Not satisfying 🫤 - I don't know why the ending was a disappointment, especially for Claire's character. Being unlikeable doesn't mean you should not be compelling. When the mystery was answered, it was done in such abrupt, arbitrary, and in an 'info-dump' way. The middle of the book also suffered from a lack of interesting events. Yes, there were fun parts like Will's birthday and the elevator scene, but those got drowned by the overall monotony that its humor can't even save. It doesn't act like a thriller even though it's being marketed as.
Final Thoughts:
Despite being a debut novel, You'd Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace will not be exempted from criticisms. This is a subtly vicious, dark crime-mystery and contemporary tale within the viewpoint of a psychopathic serial murderer, who due to grief, reactively tangled herself in the lives of her most current victims. The flashback scenes, done in the opposite writing POV, were a delightful divergence from its format. Strangely, the book was almost some sort of a social study; enunciating how no one is invisible in life, and that most people subconsciously repeat themselves and pretend often. The climax/final act, unfortunately, was a tad convoluted for my taste (at least comparatively from the rest of the book.) It might just be me though, since I had little experience with its genres.
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Links to my ratings and reviews:
Goodreads reviews
The StoryGraph
June 8, 2024
3,5 stars.
The story is far from perfect and I didn't enjoy some of the scenes from the bereavement group.
But I found this quite entertaining and quite easy to read. I didn't guess who was behind the whole thing until the last moment. I was probably as surprised as Claire.
In the end, reading this book was a nice surprise.
I'll look forward to reading more from Joanna Wallace.
The story is far from perfect and I didn't enjoy some of the scenes from the bereavement group.
But I found this quite entertaining and quite easy to read. I didn't guess who was behind the whole thing until the last moment. I was probably as surprised as Claire.
In the end, reading this book was a nice surprise.
I'll look forward to reading more from Joanna Wallace.
May 28, 2024
i have so many dislikes and too few likes, will update later with a full review 😤
April 21, 2024
Never would have guessed it's a debut! A quirky and fun twist on the typical serial killer book.
May 3, 2024
I loved the idea behind this book but it fell short. The author writes what feels like paragraphs after paragraphs of questions to provoke the reader to think a certain way, and to establish the paranoia of the MC, but I just found it annoying. This approach also failed at building suspense for me. Also, I could not root for a single character. They were all depicted as very self-centered people, in my opinion. Lastly, I felt like the book was missing details, or depths, on why/how the MC sees the living as their ghost-selves. This was the main appeal for reading this book (for me), so although the author gets the point across, it read like a cliff note version and left me disappointed.
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