Member Reviews

Okay, well this book was delightful (and I realize how weird that is to say about a book where the MC is a serial killer.) Claire was a hoot and so hard not to root for even though she had some serious issues. I liked the blackmail mystery and was totally wrong as to who the culprit was. Claire’s backstory was fascinating and added an extra layer to her character. The ending was so fitting and I hope I get to see more of Claire in a second installment.

Was this review helpful?

A serial killer walks into a bar…

After the death of her father, Claire takes on a few targets that didn’t meet her usual standard of cleanliness and in-depth research. The struggle of juggling grief and meeting your own needs, am I right? Claire journeys thru her grief and all of the twists and turns that follow her murder all with dark humor to make you giggle inappropriately!

Was this review helpful?

this was a brilliant debut. not a perfect one, but still it was solid

for the entire length of the story I didn’t really know where the story was going, it felt very unsure and as a result got made me lose focus in the story more often than I wanted

the writing it was exceptional, in a very singular way, where you feel the talent behind the words. not everybody is capable to write such captivating, singular main character. and I applaud it

claire was such an interesting psychological profile, she was the center and most intriguing thing about this book. I honestly could have read more about her bc of how much she was fascinating me

the plot itself was captivating and I was very focus for the first and last 30%. the in between kinda made me lose interest. the unraveling tho? amazing!!! didn’t see it coming and too me by surprised for sure

my favourite part beside navigating claire’s psyche was for sure the flashbacks. I LOVED THEM. they were delightful in their content

a solid debut but unfortunately the gap in the middle of the story lowered my enjoyment

rating: 3.5⭐️

Was this review helpful?

A quick and entertaining read!

I love finding new books to read that include female serial killers. Claire was definitely a very complex individual, but she also had some heart and wasn’t just a “psycho killer”. I found myself justifying her actions multiple times throughout the book. Maybe not something I should be stating publicly but OH WELL. She seemed to be annoyed by most things that “normal” people do and it was funny and relatable.

This book had a pretty quirky plot and overall just felt silly and unserious. In the best of ways of course.

Claire + her hammer = you better run

Was this review helpful?

4.5 Stars
Genre - mystery with thriller elements
Tone - introspective, sardonic, witty
Tropes & devices - multiple murders (lol), blackmail, (view spoiler)
Reps - FMC appears to have ASPD (antisocial personality disorder), migraines, claustrophobia, panic disorder; minor characters with dementia
CW - A LOT OF THEM: child abuse (forced confinement, emotional/verbal, neglect), suicidal ideation, drinking, sexual content, death of a parent, involuntary psychiatric hospitalization, explicit language, drug addiction (and some demonization of drug users).

Claire's clearly been killing for a while when we first meet her, emotionally wrecked by her father's death after a long period of devastating dementia. But grief clouds judgement, and Claire isn't as carefully as she's always been - someone's blackmailing her after her latest impulse kill got her tangled up into someone else's scheme. Could it be someone from her grief support group, where she's been learning to meditate and avoid her impulsive urges? Or someone from the dementia ward she's been visiting? Will the killer - the MC - strike again, or will she be able to keep her cool, despite her constant frustration with the boring, nonsensical nature of "ordinary people" and their stock phrases and niceties?

I almost DNF'd this book in the first few chapters because it was pretty gruesome. I'm really glad I kept reading, because Claire (this will sound literally insane) is very relatable. A lot of her observations about people made me laugh out loud. Even if I didn't agree with all her opinions on "ordinary people", or her decision to uh, kill people, I still liked her and wanted her to succeed. I don't know if that's a testament to the writing or my mental state (or both), but I found the character endearing by the ending and was sad to see it all over. I was told the storyline sounded a bit like Dexter, and I couldn't help to see that throughout. But I struggle to make comparisons to other books I've read - maybe Bored Gay Werewolf for a morally grey MC with a lot of snarky cultural criticism.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely enthralling! The tone, the setting, the mystery are in perfect proportion to unveil the underlying story and entrance the reader. I was ugly cackling while reading the entire book and don't care one jot who saw me. I was enjoying this so much I actually stopped reading because I didn't want it to end. Reminds me of "My Sister the Serial Killer." Excellent and enjoyable work.

Was this review helpful?

What a great debut! I really enjoyed "You'd Look Better as a Ghost" - about a female serial killer and I found it full of black humor & easy to read, although it is a bit gory. Very reminiscent of another title or two, yet the look at the childhood trauma & relationship with the MC's late father did set it apart for me. Also, this has a serious "Dexter" type of vibe (and that was a favorite show til the last season). This also flowed very nicely & was a fairly quick read. I will look for the author's next release, for sure! My thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for my review copy - a pleasure to read it!

Was this review helpful?

This was so fun and unique! I love how unhinged Claire was as a main character. Usually when most of the main characters are meant to be unlikeable, I don't really vibe with the book, but this was too good. I enjoyed the twists and turns and seeing how everything fit together in the end!

Was this review helpful?

This is one of those stories that makes you look at yourself and wonder "What the heck is WRONG with me??? I love a serial killer character and I'm not afraid to shout it out to the world." This was so much fun to read. I really enjoyed Claire and her escapades. It is dark and funny and downright mysterious at times, and there probably isn't a person here who I wouldn't have been happy to take out of this world on my own. If you don't mind questioning your own sanity to sympathize with a killer, you should check this one out!

Was this review helpful?

I’m genuinely not sure what I think about this book (I know, this review is starting so strong 😂). It’s basically as if someone wrote a cozy mystery and said, “you know what would make this better? A serial killer!” Overall, I think I liked it, but what a weird book.

This writing was fine, if a bit kitchy at times. The premise and all of the characters were completely bonkers. The mystery was surprisingly well thought out and plotted. When it all came together, I was surprised by what happened and how it all worked seamlessly. This was quirky and kind of funny and dark and uncomfortable and had some moments of tenderness throughout. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something unique to read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Books for this ARC. You’d Look Better as a Ghost is out this Tuesday, 3/26!

3.5/5

Was this review helpful?

When Claire meets Lucas, he doesn’t know she’s a killer. She takes him home and before she even cuts him into pieces, the night is wrong.. someone is close to her secret.

I love dark and disturbing books that are also humorous. Claire was such a great character. All the typical things that annoy me on a daily basis about people, also annoyed Claire. The difference? Instead of my complaining in my head, she takes it a few steps further and fantasizes about killing them.. often times actually doing so. This also had a mystery plot behind it, and it was fun getting to know the characters who were involved.

You’d Look Better as a Ghost comes out 3/26.

Was this review helpful?

Dexter meets Killing Eve in Wallace’s dark comic thriller debut.

While accepting condolences following her father’s funeral, 30-something narrator Claire receives an email saying that one of her paintings is a finalist for a prize. But her joy is short-circuited the next morning when she learns in a second apologetic note that the initial email had been sent to the wrong Claire. The sender, Lucas Kane, is “terribly, terribly sorry” for his mistake. Claire, torn between her anger and suicidal thoughts, has doubts about his sincerity and stalks him to a London pub, where his fate is sealed: “I stare at Lucas Kane in real life, and within moments I know. He doesn’t look sorry.” She dispatches and buries Lucas in her back garden, but this crime does not go unnoticed. Proud of her meticulous standards as a serial killer, Claire wonders if her grief for her father is making her reckless as she seeks to identify the blackmailer among the members of her weekly bereavement support group. The female serial killer as antihero is a growing subgenre (see Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer, 2018), and Wallace’s sociopathic protagonist is a mordantly amusing addition; the tool she uses to interact with ordinary people while hiding her homicidal nature is especially sardonic: “Whenever I’m unsure of how I’m expected to respond, I use a cliché. Even if I’m not sure what it means, even if I use it incorrectly, no one ever seems to mind.” The well-written storyline tackles some tough subjects—dementia, elder abuse, and parental cruelty—but the convoluted plot starts to drag at the halfway point. Given the lack of empathy in Claire’s narration, most of the characters come across as not very likable, and the reader tires of her sneering contempt.

Squeamish readers will find this isn’t their cup of tea.

Was this review helpful?

Claire tells her own story in this darkly (and occasionally cringey) tale of an unlikable woman who becomes a serial killer of people who are rotten to her and others. But here's the thing- someone knows what she's doing and that sets up a dance of cobras. No spoilers from me. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. It's an entertaining read that might make a good movie.

Was this review helpful?

I love comic thrillers. In accordance with family tradition, about 30% of my sense of humor is set aside specifically for dark and morbid humor. When an invite to read this book came along you can bet I accepted it right away. Come on, look at that cover! The title! Like I had a chance. I knew I was going to enjoy it, but enjoy it I did.

You’d Look Better as a Ghost walks down the middle of road somewhere between two of my favorite comic thrillers: Sascha Rothschild’s Blood Sugar and Katy Brent’s How to Kill Men and Get Away With It. Wallace’s writing is more irreverent and sly than Rothschild, but has more of a sense of self and less sociocultural satire than Brent. Wallace likes her humor drier than bones in a desert and dark as a cave, her inner narratives extensive and hyper-critical, her plotting full of little unexpected twists and turns, and her protagonist (Claire) is a delightful serial killer to read as she tries to play catch up with a tiny mistake, understand the process of grieving, and play the unexpected role of vigilante (even if it’s only a means to an end, really).

On a personal note: Even though I’m not a serial killer, I appreciated reading a book with a protagonist who doesn’t grieve in the manner which people are accustomed to, because I don’t and I never have. I don’t go to funerals or memorial services anymore because of the looks I get at my lack of grief when people pass away. Nothing happened to me or anything–I have Alexithymia, and the way in which it presents itself is that my sadness meter isn’t there most of the time. I’m either mildly sad or I’m having a complete depressive breakdown. There’s no in between. It’s either shallows or an abyss. I’ve been like this my entire life. It’s led to everything from me being called a sociopath or narcissistic to being accused of not loving those who have passed away or not missing them.

The protagonist in this book, Claire, is grieving her father. She’s just grieving him in her own way. The only way a person like her can. Just because she’s not crying her eyes out or drinking her nights away doesn’t mean she’s not grieving. Everyone grieves differently. Sure, she chooses to take out her grief with a hammer at first, but no one can accuse of her of not caring for her father in her own way.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Dark Comedy/Murder Thriller/Psychological Fiction/Serial Killer/Suspense Thriller

Was this review helpful?

This wasn't good or bad, really. It was definitely an interesting concept and kept me entertained, but I don't know that it will be one that immediately comes to mind when someone asks for a recommendation.

Was this review helpful?

This one is dark, sometimes funny, over the top, and strains credulity- but it's a really enjoyable read. It's irreverent and Claire is absolutely a character I'll remember.

Was this review helpful?

YOU'D LOOK BETTER AS A GHOST is a fun, refreshing, laugh-out-loud serial killer story. If DEXTER and FLEABAG had a baby, this book would be it. Claire was a fun and hilarious MC and I was rooting for her the whole time. The supporting cast was also great. I wish we got more of Claire's killings and her methods - other than a knife and hammer. I thought the backstory was really good. Really good twists and turns.

Was this review helpful?

Lucas made the mistake of sending a mistyped email to Claire during her father’s funeral, so when she’s sitting next to him at a bar; wearing a wig and asking him to come home with her, it’s not by chance. And it’s certainly not by chance that Lucas is never seen again. It’s only when Claire finds out that she’s not the only one who knows Lucas left with her that night that things start to take a turn from murder to mystery.

I was drawn in by the title, and I was not let down! Wallace gave the MC, Claire, such a distinct voice that this book felt like nothing I’d read before. The stream-of-conscious writing style definitely helps the audience understand Claire and her motivation, and it’s totally appropriate for this novel. Claire is 100% a sociopath (psychopath? I should google the difference), but you still ~kinda~ end up rooting for her. Or at least turning the page to see if she’ll get caught. I thought it was really interesting how Wallace gave insight into Claire’s background with flashback chapters, and definitely gave depth to Claire’s character, especially her grief.

10/10 recommend, and I can’t wait to read Wallace’s next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC

Was this review helpful?

2.75/5 stars

You'd Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace is an interesting story that follows a modern-day serial killer as she tries to eliminate people in the wrong. Throughout her whole life Claire has always tried to understand the darkness in her - mostly stemming from poor parenting and abuse as a child. As she ventures into adulthood, the darkness follows while she tries to be the judge of right and wrong and eliminate the evil from the world. Will someone ever uncover her secrets and how will she handle it? Pick up this read to find out!

Unfortunately for me, this book was a bit boring. The last 20% really were interesting and made it a worthwhile read. I enjoyed the humor that was brought into the main character thought process, but the story really was dragging for the majority of the book. Overall, it was a fun read, and I would be interested another release from this author.

Was this review helpful?

A joyfully dark, irreverent take on the serial killer genre! You'd Look Better as a Ghost might not have had me howling with laughter as much as it had me snickering, if not snorting, at some of the edgy humor (I like a little dark humor here and there). Joanna Wallace takes a genre and subculture around serial killer books and media and turns it rightfully on its head. I can't recommend this enough for readers looking for a different kind of thriller/literary take on the serial killer genre and who don't mind something a little different and edgy. What really works is that though humorous/satire in places, there are also moments that weave in bigger themes; Wallace does this in a balanced way that made me eager for her next work (is there a sequel questions abound at the end in a good way... let's go back to this world!).

Was this review helpful?