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.

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!

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!

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!).

This was a fun read. Darkly comic with a hint of sadness. A few surprises along the way made for a fun time. If you like books about serial killers that are filled with satire, then give this a go.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for a honest option. 3.5⭐️

This book was really gooodddd I went in not expecting it and it def surprised me and it was a for sure page turner! this book was darky and creepy but in the best best best way!

This story follows Clare following the passing of her father. Clare didn’t grow up in the most normal way, and her extracurricular activities have kind of gotten her into a situation.

This was a nice, quick read with a great twist!!

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.

This was dark humor, sarcastic, witty and did I say dark? I enjoyed it, found it really well written, but I am not sure I am the right demographic for a dark humor vibe.