What do you think?
Rate this book
Of Vengeance
“Let’s be honest: Who hasn't fantasized about shooting someone in the face with a hunting rifle?”
One day, a thirteen-year-old girl decides to startle a classmate. Instead, she accidentally kills him.
And she likes it.
Over the years, she begins experimenting with murder. Her victims are, of course, people that deserve it: a careless driver, a CEO of an energy corporation that is destroying the planet, a rapist. Every crime scene is flawless — untraceable and made to look like an accident or suicide. But, as she sleepwalks through her day job and lives in a crummy apartment, one thing becomes increasingly clear: she needs more.
Because nothing compares to the thrill of violent retribution.
One day, a thirteen-year-old girl decides to startle a classmate. Instead, she accidentally kills him.
And she likes it.
Over the years, she begins experimenting with murder. Her victims are, of course, people that deserve it: a careless driver, a CEO of an energy corporation that is destroying the planet, a rapist. Every crime scene is flawless — untraceable and made to look like an accident or suicide. But, as she sleepwalks through her day job and lives in a crummy apartment, one thing becomes increasingly clear: she needs more.
Because nothing compares to the thrill of violent retribution.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
About the author
J.D. Kurtness
7 books30 followersBorn in Chicoutimi (when the town still went by that name), baptized in Pointe-Bleue (when the reserve still went by that name), J.D. Kurtness came to Montreal to study microbes and ended up writing emails for an obscure non-profit organization. She also writes books and computer software // Née à Chicoutimi, J.D. Kurtness est venue à Montréal avec l'intention d'étudier les microbes. Elle a plutôt bifurqué vers la littérature et l'informatique. Elle écrit des romans et des logiciels.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
January 19, 2023
Book Blog | Bookstagram
*shakes fist* THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD! I’m disappointed that I’m disappointed in this story.
Of Vengeance starts with an unnamed female narrator telling the reader she sees a cold-blooded killer every day when she looks in a mirror.
Oh really?! Do go on….
She targets anyone she deems a waste of oxygen based on how cruel they are to animals or people, and details for the reader how she tracks a victim for weeks or months waiting for the perfect time to strike, always with a different M.O. to stay off of police radar.
It’s very obvious why there are so many comparisons to Dexter, but it completely lacks the same stabby-stabby-oomph and well-articulated personality disorder.
She’s fully aware of right and wrong and experiences empathy at such a high level that it’s partly what drives her murder sprees; repeatedly telling the readers how much she loves animals and nature. It’s really just the human species she can’t stand because they are cruel, acting as though they have a right to rule over nature and other beings.
But then, what does she think she’s doing? For someone claiming to be so self-aware, she’s a turd of a hypocrite.
As a reader, there is a point where you might actually be rooting for the Narrator as a very interesting anti-hero - because who doesn’t want to kill the guy who leaves his dog chained up outside 24/7? Unfortunately, not even a female dog-avenging killer (that would totally be my killer shtick, FYI,) could really save this story for me. Especially when the Narrator uses her disgust with most human beings to be borderline racist and cruel to people who have done nothing but exist in fat bodies or with faces that don’t fit conventional beauty standards.
I don’t know if it’s because it’s translated from French, or because it’s so short (under 200 pages,) but the story is vague, sometimes confusing with clunky prose, and lacked the depth that would have made this kind of vigilante killer story really gripping. Instead of feeling like a novella, it read more like a narcissistic monologue. The plot needed more levels to make this truly dynamic.
It’s not terrible, but it’s not good either.
⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded down
*shakes fist* THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD! I’m disappointed that I’m disappointed in this story.
Of Vengeance starts with an unnamed female narrator telling the reader she sees a cold-blooded killer every day when she looks in a mirror.
Oh really?! Do go on….
She targets anyone she deems a waste of oxygen based on how cruel they are to animals or people, and details for the reader how she tracks a victim for weeks or months waiting for the perfect time to strike, always with a different M.O. to stay off of police radar.
It’s very obvious why there are so many comparisons to Dexter, but it completely lacks the same stabby-stabby-oomph and well-articulated personality disorder.
She’s fully aware of right and wrong and experiences empathy at such a high level that it’s partly what drives her murder sprees; repeatedly telling the readers how much she loves animals and nature. It’s really just the human species she can’t stand because they are cruel, acting as though they have a right to rule over nature and other beings.
But then, what does she think she’s doing? For someone claiming to be so self-aware, she’s a turd of a hypocrite.
As a reader, there is a point where you might actually be rooting for the Narrator as a very interesting anti-hero - because who doesn’t want to kill the guy who leaves his dog chained up outside 24/7? Unfortunately, not even a female dog-avenging killer (that would totally be my killer shtick, FYI,) could really save this story for me. Especially when the Narrator uses her disgust with most human beings to be borderline racist and cruel to people who have done nothing but exist in fat bodies or with faces that don’t fit conventional beauty standards.
I don’t know if it’s because it’s translated from French, or because it’s so short (under 200 pages,) but the story is vague, sometimes confusing with clunky prose, and lacked the depth that would have made this kind of vigilante killer story really gripping. Instead of feeling like a novella, it read more like a narcissistic monologue. The plot needed more levels to make this truly dynamic.
It’s not terrible, but it’s not good either.
⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded down
June 5, 2019
This book was first published in 2017 in French and won the Indigenous Voices Award for prose. The English version is due to be released in September 2019. I wish to thank NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the advanced copy of the book in return for an honest review.
This work of literary fiction appears to be flawlessly translated into English. It is told in a non-linear fashion, and descriptions of the outdoors and nature are lyrical. It also delves deep into the mind of a young female psychopath.
It is narrated by the young woman in a stream of consciousness. She comes from a loving family and describes herself as being average and with innocuous features, solitary, and unlikely to be noticed. She enjoys nature walks, picking berries, stealthily walking neighbourhood dogs, and watching or spying on people. One day when she was aged 12, she was watching an unpleasant classmate from a concealed position and decided to scare him. She accidentally killed him and was never suspected. She decided she liked the thrill it gave her, and from this point decided to become a murderer. She employs careful planning and patience and her cold-blooded killings are untraceable.
She is proud of what she is doing, but regrets that she is unable to brag about her cleverness, thus winning the admiration of others for her crimes. She rationalizes she is doing the world a favour by ridding it of people that don’t deserve to take up air or space. Among her victims are a reckless driver, a man just released from prison for rape, and the CEO of an energy company causing environmental degradation.
In closing, she describes a startling and horrific scene with such calmness and detachment that I was futilely hoping it was just her dream. In my opinion, I might have enjoyed the book more if it had been presented in a more traditional, linear structure, with supporting characters more developed. Nevertheless, I feel that the author achieved her goal in telling this dark, well-written tale about the making of a cold-hearted killer and in describing her thought processes.
This work of literary fiction appears to be flawlessly translated into English. It is told in a non-linear fashion, and descriptions of the outdoors and nature are lyrical. It also delves deep into the mind of a young female psychopath.
It is narrated by the young woman in a stream of consciousness. She comes from a loving family and describes herself as being average and with innocuous features, solitary, and unlikely to be noticed. She enjoys nature walks, picking berries, stealthily walking neighbourhood dogs, and watching or spying on people. One day when she was aged 12, she was watching an unpleasant classmate from a concealed position and decided to scare him. She accidentally killed him and was never suspected. She decided she liked the thrill it gave her, and from this point decided to become a murderer. She employs careful planning and patience and her cold-blooded killings are untraceable.
She is proud of what she is doing, but regrets that she is unable to brag about her cleverness, thus winning the admiration of others for her crimes. She rationalizes she is doing the world a favour by ridding it of people that don’t deserve to take up air or space. Among her victims are a reckless driver, a man just released from prison for rape, and the CEO of an energy company causing environmental degradation.
In closing, she describes a startling and horrific scene with such calmness and detachment that I was futilely hoping it was just her dream. In my opinion, I might have enjoyed the book more if it had been presented in a more traditional, linear structure, with supporting characters more developed. Nevertheless, I feel that the author achieved her goal in telling this dark, well-written tale about the making of a cold-hearted killer and in describing her thought processes.
July 30, 2020
This wasn’t perfectly for me, but it has good bones.
March 20, 2022
Such a good book about an unnamed narrator and her stream of consciousness as a murderer first at 12/13, and then how she kills as she grows up. It’s definitely perfect for those looking for something different!
October 22, 2019
She starts by telling the reader that she sees a cold-blooded killer every day .. just by looking in the mirror.
Starting when she was young child of 12 years, she found a way of dealing with people she has targeted as problematic.... and she's' very inventive. She hones her craft of killing so that no one would ever look at her and suspect that she has a black heart.
This author's debut novel is a short read ... less than 200 pages, and translated from the French.
The book is told entirely in the killer's voice. It was like sitting down with someone over a cup of coffee and them telling me their entire life story. I did not find it enjoyable at all. Maybe it was just the translation didn't cross over for me. I found myself skipping pages just to get to the end. I wish I could have liked it.
Thanks to the author / Dundurn Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
January 16, 2018
Ce livre commence a être passionnant à l’endroit exact où il se termine. Dommage.
July 1, 2019
This is a peculiar tale about a young girl/woman who gets her kicks out of exacting retribution on those she thinks deserve it. It starts with what was meant as a prank. She throws a rock at a schoolmate who is defecating by a river. The rock startles him and he falls in the river and drowns. But this is merely the beginning of series of acts of retribution which become more serious as the story progresses. She sees people indulging in acts that she deems inappropriate or harmful to others and she decides to punish them in subtle ways which culminate in an act of murder.
What is most interesting about this novel is not the plot per se but the artful way the story unfolds under the skillful brush of the author..
What is most interesting about this novel is not the plot per se but the artful way the story unfolds under the skillful brush of the author..
June 5, 2024
3.5⭐️
Read
March 15, 2022Ce roman est bien particulier. J’ai de la misère à le classer.
On suit cette protagoniste avec un sens du bien et du mal unique. Certains comportements égoïstes ou égocentriques envers l’environnement, les animaux ou les humains sont inacceptables pour elle et elle ressent le besoin de leur faire payer d’une manière ou d’une autre.
C’est une protagoniste isolée, sans cercle d’amis ou de bulle familiale, par choix. Ça m’a un peu fait penser à Furie de Myriam Vincent. Par contre il y a quelque chose de plus atmosphérique parce que la protagoniste n’est pas dans une quête personnelle. C’est simplement une vision de son “day to day” et de comment tout à commencer.
Y’a une belle loop malgré tout qui relie le début à la fin du livre.
J’ai apprécié l’expérience.
On suit cette protagoniste avec un sens du bien et du mal unique. Certains comportements égoïstes ou égocentriques envers l’environnement, les animaux ou les humains sont inacceptables pour elle et elle ressent le besoin de leur faire payer d’une manière ou d’une autre.
C’est une protagoniste isolée, sans cercle d’amis ou de bulle familiale, par choix. Ça m’a un peu fait penser à Furie de Myriam Vincent. Par contre il y a quelque chose de plus atmosphérique parce que la protagoniste n’est pas dans une quête personnelle. C’est simplement une vision de son “day to day” et de comment tout à commencer.
Y’a une belle loop malgré tout qui relie le début à la fin du livre.
J’ai apprécié l’expérience.
April 8, 2023
Un roman dont j'adore le concept et qui s'enlignait pour être pas mal mieux noté. Je suis toutefois restée sur ma faim par rapport à la finale qui m'a laissée en plan. Par contre, un personnage psychopathe, une vraie méchante à la Dexter, ça me plait!
December 28, 2021
Review en Français • en Español • in English
J'ai du lire ça pour un cour, je n'y ai rien trouvé d'interessant, même après l'analyse donnée par le prof.
—
Tuve que leer esto para un curso, no encontre nada de interés, mismo después del analysis del maestro.
—
I had to read this for a class, I didn't find anything of interest in this book, even after the teacher's analysis.
J'ai du lire ça pour un cour, je n'y ai rien trouvé d'interessant, même après l'analyse donnée par le prof.
—
Tuve que leer esto para un curso, no encontre nada de interés, mismo después del analysis del maestro.
—
I had to read this for a class, I didn't find anything of interest in this book, even after the teacher's analysis.
September 6, 2019
More of a novella than a full novel, the end seemed to come on very abruptly. I appreciated the female anti-hero sociopath protagonist and her stance on the jerks of the world, but I wish it had had more space to breathe.
October 21, 2022
beat rowan’s challenge 🤣🤣‼️‼️‼️👍
April 5, 2024
Glad she did not have a death note I guess!
She’s hilarious tho, this book was a pleasure to read!
She’s hilarious tho, this book was a pleasure to read!
March 23, 2024
The fact that this book exists in English saved my French grade
June 17, 2023
What a book! I just wish it was longer but always best to leave the reader wanting more.
July 6, 2019
I should have loved this book. Horror and thrillers are my favorite genres. I like true crime. I enjoyed the Dexter series (books and show). But I just couldn’t get into Of Vengeance. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t even bring myself to finish this very short book. And I’m breaking my rule about not posting a review for unfinished books (I did make it halfway) because this one is so problematic.
My problems with the book have nothing to do with the narrator’s choice of hobbies. I’m not squeamish. And I almost gave this book 2 stars instead of 1 because it includes environmental commentary and the author does have talent. But I absolutely hated the main character.
Yes, I know that some of her awful thoughts were there to show us her psychopathic mind. But Dexter accomplished this same thing without being full of fat shaming, racism, and ableist comments.
I mean, does the author really think that babies are only switched accidentally in Latin American hospitals? Or that all bad guys are dark-skinned? And that reality shows about autism and Down’s syndrome would be humorous fodder for the lowest common denominator?
The note in the front of the book said readers would be rooting for the narrator on page 10. Despite being a victim of bullying during childhood, I still found nothing to cheer for when the bully was taken out. The narrator’s take on him was just too cruel to support, and it made me wonder who was really the bully.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion. And to the author, I’m sorry. I know how much it sucks to get a negative review. I hope to encounter a future book of yours that showcases your writing talent instead of problematic content.
My problems with the book have nothing to do with the narrator’s choice of hobbies. I’m not squeamish. And I almost gave this book 2 stars instead of 1 because it includes environmental commentary and the author does have talent. But I absolutely hated the main character.
Yes, I know that some of her awful thoughts were there to show us her psychopathic mind. But Dexter accomplished this same thing without being full of fat shaming, racism, and ableist comments.
I mean, does the author really think that babies are only switched accidentally in Latin American hospitals? Or that all bad guys are dark-skinned? And that reality shows about autism and Down’s syndrome would be humorous fodder for the lowest common denominator?
The note in the front of the book said readers would be rooting for the narrator on page 10. Despite being a victim of bullying during childhood, I still found nothing to cheer for when the bully was taken out. The narrator’s take on him was just too cruel to support, and it made me wonder who was really the bully.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion. And to the author, I’m sorry. I know how much it sucks to get a negative review. I hope to encounter a future book of yours that showcases your writing talent instead of problematic content.
March 9, 2020
What a weird little book. I think the supposed charm is the nonchalant tone and descriptions as a chance accident leads to the development of a psychopath. It is the story of a clearly morally deranged person but who approaches her "hobby" as if it was hiking or a competitive sport. Not sure I see the appeal. Sure, everyone has had the urge to get revenge on the jerks and inconsiderate among us but reading about how a person might go about building a life around living out such a choice is unsettling and dark. Maybe that was the point...
February 12, 2020
First, it's an excellent translation that captures the cold, calculating narrative of the main character. It's a refreshing take on senseless violent behavior from childhood through young adulthood, told with a woman's voice. I found myself studying the words and phrases again and again. To be savage and brutal, it's also filled with beauty.
March 20, 2018
La narratrice de J.D. Kurtness s'inscrit dans la lignée de "L'avalée des avalés" (Ducharme) et de "Martel en tête" (É. Simard) : une soif de liberté vorace, sans merci et sans fin. C'est l'histoire éclatante de vengeance à prendre sur le monde. J'ai beaucoup aimé.
August 15, 2024
✿ Overall Thoughts
I thought that this story had a lot of potential, but ultimately failed to follow through with it in the end. The narrator was interesting at first, but her character didn't make much sense and was very self-contradictory. However, the descriptions of nature and reflections on humanity featured within this novel are very compelling and challenged my initial views on particular stances.
✿ Positive Aspects
1. The prose and voice of the narrator is very engaging, and reads just like a real-life conversation. The narration is skilled in maintaining a casual but simultaneously unpredictable and tense atmosphere, as you could be reading about the narrator liking jujubes in one second and talking about how she loves the thrill of murder in the next.
2. The main character is written in a unique way that forces you to try and see things through a different kind of moral perspective: for example, re-evaluating one's relationship with nature, or the relativity of good and evil.
✿ Negative Aspects
1. While I was initially fascinated by the narrator, her character becomes self-contradictory near the end of the book. She talks about loving animals and nature, and casually proceeds to ignore an injured cat in an alleyway or a man strangling a cat to death. She hates people for endangering the environment and the living creatures within, and proceeds to callously walk over snails because they're in her way. Her main motive for murder seems to be her concept of righteous vengeance, delivered in a PROPORTIONATE manner, such as not killing the old man for failing to pick up dog crap but rather mailing it back to him - and at the end of the book, goes on a mass murder spree for pretty much zero reason.
2. There was a lot more that could have been done with her character. She demonstrates empathy and arguably remorse throughout the beginning of the story when she describes her dog-saving efforts, or how she realized that all teenagers were stupid and Fiset was just another silly kid who didn't really deserve to die. How she sometimes thought of universes where she was loving and gentle instead of the person she is now. There was a lot more depth to be added to her character, but in the end, she was turned into the generic archetype of "bloodlust is my sole personality trait".
3. Equally, there was a lot more that could have been done with the moral themes in the book, such as an exploration of vigilantism. But in the end, I felt like the book had zero real theme or message, because it culminates in a pointless rampage.
I thought that this story had a lot of potential, but ultimately failed to follow through with it in the end. The narrator was interesting at first, but her character didn't make much sense and was very self-contradictory. However, the descriptions of nature and reflections on humanity featured within this novel are very compelling and challenged my initial views on particular stances.
✿ Positive Aspects
1. The prose and voice of the narrator is very engaging, and reads just like a real-life conversation. The narration is skilled in maintaining a casual but simultaneously unpredictable and tense atmosphere, as you could be reading about the narrator liking jujubes in one second and talking about how she loves the thrill of murder in the next.
2. The main character is written in a unique way that forces you to try and see things through a different kind of moral perspective: for example, re-evaluating one's relationship with nature, or the relativity of good and evil.
✿ Negative Aspects
1. While I was initially fascinated by the narrator, her character becomes self-contradictory near the end of the book. She talks about loving animals and nature, and casually proceeds to ignore an injured cat in an alleyway or a man strangling a cat to death. She hates people for endangering the environment and the living creatures within, and proceeds to callously walk over snails because they're in her way. Her main motive for murder seems to be her concept of righteous vengeance, delivered in a PROPORTIONATE manner, such as not killing the old man for failing to pick up dog crap but rather mailing it back to him - and at the end of the book, goes on a mass murder spree for pretty much zero reason.
2. There was a lot more that could have been done with her character. She demonstrates empathy and arguably remorse throughout the beginning of the story when she describes her dog-saving efforts, or how she realized that all teenagers were stupid and Fiset was just another silly kid who didn't really deserve to die. How she sometimes thought of universes where she was loving and gentle instead of the person she is now. There was a lot more depth to be added to her character, but in the end, she was turned into the generic archetype of "bloodlust is my sole personality trait".
3. Equally, there was a lot more that could have been done with the moral themes in the book, such as an exploration of vigilantism. But in the end, I felt like the book had zero real theme or message, because it culminates in a pointless rampage.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2020
I don’t think I liked this book. It was certainly an interesting concept - a young woman who terrorizes or murders people who bring harm to others (or just piss her off), but it felt too short to actually give justice to the “interesting” parts. Besides her first “accidental” kill, all of the action comes more than halfway through the book.
Things escalated from shooting a beer bottle held by a noisy neighbour with an air rifle, to a mass shooting of some young adults who like to race cars out in the country (stupid, but not really harmful to other’s) in less than 100 pages. It felt rushed for her to put an envelope full of dog shit into the mailbox of a guy who doesn’t clean up after his pet, and then shortly after, leave the CEO of a problematic company locked up in his basement to die of dehydration with a bottle of water + gasoline as his only option for fluids to drink.
The prose was interesting enough, the scenes and descriptions of characters and relationships were well-written, and the protagonist had the potential to be really intriguing. It just felt like it was missing something to me. Could be just my own personal preference - the book was loaned to me by a friend, who bought it at a bookstore where the salesperson said it was his favourite book of the year.
Things escalated from shooting a beer bottle held by a noisy neighbour with an air rifle, to a mass shooting of some young adults who like to race cars out in the country (stupid, but not really harmful to other’s) in less than 100 pages. It felt rushed for her to put an envelope full of dog shit into the mailbox of a guy who doesn’t clean up after his pet, and then shortly after, leave the CEO of a problematic company locked up in his basement to die of dehydration with a bottle of water + gasoline as his only option for fluids to drink.
The prose was interesting enough, the scenes and descriptions of characters and relationships were well-written, and the protagonist had the potential to be really intriguing. It just felt like it was missing something to me. Could be just my own personal preference - the book was loaned to me by a friend, who bought it at a bookstore where the salesperson said it was his favourite book of the year.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2019
“It takes a stroke of luck to find your vocation. I might have spent my whole life searching. Hare Krishna? Hairdressing? Water polo? But the universe blessed me with a taste of the perfect crime.”—from Of Vengeance.
Welcome to the mind of an unnamed sociopath, who is also a thirteen-year-old Canadian girl. Beginning with a prank gone wrong, the unnamed narrator grows into a woman as her misanthropy and killing skills also grow. She judges her neighbors for minor wrongs. Don’t scoop up your dog’s poo? Congrats, you’re on her radar. As she herself states, “when I seek vengeance, it’s rarely for a crime against my own person.” She sees herself as a righter of wrongs.
I loved the narrator’s voice. You could feel her disassociation from society clearly through her words. She is an invisible wraith sleepwalking through her regular life while relishing her role as a vigilante. That makes her fascinating, but not very relatable to most readers. However, the disappointing conclusion of the book makes Of Vengeance a three-star read for me.
Thanks to Dundum Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Welcome to the mind of an unnamed sociopath, who is also a thirteen-year-old Canadian girl. Beginning with a prank gone wrong, the unnamed narrator grows into a woman as her misanthropy and killing skills also grow. She judges her neighbors for minor wrongs. Don’t scoop up your dog’s poo? Congrats, you’re on her radar. As she herself states, “when I seek vengeance, it’s rarely for a crime against my own person.” She sees herself as a righter of wrongs.
I loved the narrator’s voice. You could feel her disassociation from society clearly through her words. She is an invisible wraith sleepwalking through her regular life while relishing her role as a vigilante. That makes her fascinating, but not very relatable to most readers. However, the disappointing conclusion of the book makes Of Vengeance a three-star read for me.
Thanks to Dundum Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 3, 2023
I did not like this book. I was expecting something much more grim. Maybe something got lost in translation or maybe my life in a violent society has left me desensitized. The MC is annoying and has such a sense of superiority that she’s not relatable even when I find myself in agreement (yeah, it is annoying when people don’t pick up after their dogs).
Of Vengeance never feels tense or “chilling” - like star fishing with a bad lover, I just kept waiting for it to be over and hoping the end would be satisfying. It never was. Two pages after the climax, the book ends, a jarring and unsatisfying experience in this instance.
The thing that drives the MC to kill is a sense of righteous indignation and revenge for committing crimes (some innocuous, some horrific) against society. But by the end I’m not sure why she’s killing except for self-gratification.
On the whole, I was left wondering “why did I keep reading this?” And I really don’t know.
Two stars because the beginning, like an aesthetic stranger buying you a drink in a bar, is inciting and daring. But by the end the mystery has rotted away and you’re left doing the walk of shame wondering if you need to get tested.
Of Vengeance never feels tense or “chilling” - like star fishing with a bad lover, I just kept waiting for it to be over and hoping the end would be satisfying. It never was. Two pages after the climax, the book ends, a jarring and unsatisfying experience in this instance.
The thing that drives the MC to kill is a sense of righteous indignation and revenge for committing crimes (some innocuous, some horrific) against society. But by the end I’m not sure why she’s killing except for self-gratification.
On the whole, I was left wondering “why did I keep reading this?” And I really don’t know.
Two stars because the beginning, like an aesthetic stranger buying you a drink in a bar, is inciting and daring. But by the end the mystery has rotted away and you’re left doing the walk of shame wondering if you need to get tested.
June 17, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of
Of Vengeance.
I had no idea what to expect but I'm always happy when a request is granted.
Of Vengeance is told from the POV of an unnamed female narrator, who accidentally killed a well known bully in her school.
She discovers, much to her growing surprise, how much she enjoyed the murder, and makes it her mission to target those she deems unworthy.
In this regard, she is very much like Dexter. No one would ever suspect her. She is pleasant to look at. She is educated. She has a decent job, a few friends. She blends in.
And she finds victims based on how cruel they are to animals and people, ignorant and baseless behavior, and plain despicableness.
On the other hand, she is not a sociopath, like Dexter.
She knows full well what she is doing is wrong, yet she is not void of complete empathy.
She mentions her parents, who provide her with unconditional love and says she does not want to hurt them in any way, which is why she is so careful when she does what she does.
She tells the readers, briefly, of how she works; how she tracks her victims for weeks, even months, her vigilance and dedication to monitoring unsuspecting individuals; how she remains off the radar of Big Brother; how much people (in general) annoy her, how she prefers the company of animals and nature to loud, obnoxious, noisy people who disrespect the environment and the world in which we live in.
You can't help but like her; she's not afraid to speak her mind, and what some of us (most of us, perhaps) sometimes think about of the people we meet or read about in the papers or see on television.
The writing is straightforward; the tone dark, but not bloody or graphic.
This is worth a read for fans of Dexter or immoral characters.
My only caveat: too short a read.
I had no idea what to expect but I'm always happy when a request is granted.
Of Vengeance is told from the POV of an unnamed female narrator, who accidentally killed a well known bully in her school.
She discovers, much to her growing surprise, how much she enjoyed the murder, and makes it her mission to target those she deems unworthy.
In this regard, she is very much like Dexter. No one would ever suspect her. She is pleasant to look at. She is educated. She has a decent job, a few friends. She blends in.
And she finds victims based on how cruel they are to animals and people, ignorant and baseless behavior, and plain despicableness.
On the other hand, she is not a sociopath, like Dexter.
She knows full well what she is doing is wrong, yet she is not void of complete empathy.
She mentions her parents, who provide her with unconditional love and says she does not want to hurt them in any way, which is why she is so careful when she does what she does.
She tells the readers, briefly, of how she works; how she tracks her victims for weeks, even months, her vigilance and dedication to monitoring unsuspecting individuals; how she remains off the radar of Big Brother; how much people (in general) annoy her, how she prefers the company of animals and nature to loud, obnoxious, noisy people who disrespect the environment and the world in which we live in.
You can't help but like her; she's not afraid to speak her mind, and what some of us (most of us, perhaps) sometimes think about of the people we meet or read about in the papers or see on television.
The writing is straightforward; the tone dark, but not bloody or graphic.
This is worth a read for fans of Dexter or immoral characters.
My only caveat: too short a read.
June 24, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn for the eARC.
A thirteen-year old girl who's a bit of a loner is annoyed by a couple of bullying brothers. When she sees one as she's hiding in a tree, she accidentaLly kills him with a flying rock. It feels fantastic and she never gets caught. Thereby begins her career as a vengeance killer. She goes after people who are cruel to animals, the CEO of a company that is harmful to the environment, people she seems hazardous to humanity and the environment.
This is a surprising novella, quite different. I agreed with a lot of her musings about the state of the world, but where will it end...is she going to stick to her principles or become a thrill.killer? She's obviously very smart, very patient and knows how to evade justice, but my slight empathy started to take a hit towards the end. Some of her ideas about
where we as a people are heading for were quite thoughtful. A very interesting book, I definitely recommend it.
A thirteen-year old girl who's a bit of a loner is annoyed by a couple of bullying brothers. When she sees one as she's hiding in a tree, she accidentaLly kills him with a flying rock. It feels fantastic and she never gets caught. Thereby begins her career as a vengeance killer. She goes after people who are cruel to animals, the CEO of a company that is harmful to the environment, people she seems hazardous to humanity and the environment.
This is a surprising novella, quite different. I agreed with a lot of her musings about the state of the world, but where will it end...is she going to stick to her principles or become a thrill.killer? She's obviously very smart, very patient and knows how to evade justice, but my slight empathy started to take a hit towards the end. Some of her ideas about
where we as a people are heading for were quite thoughtful. A very interesting book, I definitely recommend it.
July 5, 2023
Of Vengeance follows a young woman who is a closeted murderer and sociopath. Starting with her accidental murder of a classmate in grade school, murder, psychological warfare, and torture become a casual hobby of hers.
My Review: An okay read! This book's main focus was the inner-workings of our protagonists mind, her cynical commentary on human life, her false empathy, and... casual racism?
Yeah, there were certainly some problems with this book. There were quite a few microagressions that were just scattered in. Maybe it was to reassure that the protagonist isn't supposed to be likeable, but idk, not executed well.
On the postive side of things I think the translator did a great job. There were certainly things I enjoyed like some thought provoking commentary on who deserves murder and such. It reminded me of Death Note, sorta, in that aspect of having a protagonist who believes it's their job to deliver justice.
Fine read, good if you want a short, slightly disturbing book.
My Review: An okay read! This book's main focus was the inner-workings of our protagonists mind, her cynical commentary on human life, her false empathy, and... casual racism?
Yeah, there were certainly some problems with this book. There were quite a few microagressions that were just scattered in. Maybe it was to reassure that the protagonist isn't supposed to be likeable, but idk, not executed well.
On the postive side of things I think the translator did a great job. There were certainly things I enjoyed like some thought provoking commentary on who deserves murder and such. It reminded me of Death Note, sorta, in that aspect of having a protagonist who believes it's their job to deliver justice.
Fine read, good if you want a short, slightly disturbing book.
September 23, 2019
Thank you to Dundurn Publishers and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a dark and disturbing read, particularly because it was written as one long inner monologue, with an almost child-like tone. Maybe not so surprising, because our protagonist began her auspicious career dispatching people she found disagreeable at the tender age of 12 years old (that first episode was actually accidental death, not intended on her part) and found it suited her, so carried on into young adulthood (which is when the story ends).
This novella is well-written and gives us a look into the protagonist's thought processes - and I have to admit, her musings on life, humanity and the world around us were oddly gripping, although I could never be as dispassionate and at a remove from it all as she seems to be. I would love to read more from this author!
This was a dark and disturbing read, particularly because it was written as one long inner monologue, with an almost child-like tone. Maybe not so surprising, because our protagonist began her auspicious career dispatching people she found disagreeable at the tender age of 12 years old (that first episode was actually accidental death, not intended on her part) and found it suited her, so carried on into young adulthood (which is when the story ends).
This novella is well-written and gives us a look into the protagonist's thought processes - and I have to admit, her musings on life, humanity and the world around us were oddly gripping, although I could never be as dispassionate and at a remove from it all as she seems to be. I would love to read more from this author!
August 26, 2022
Tout comme la narratrice de ce roman qui nous dit avoir deux visages, je crois qu'il y a deux côtés au cynisme. Celui qu'on utilise pour faire de l'humour (pour camoufler notre découragement ou pour s'éviter d'abandonner complètement) et celui où la haine prend le dessus. Dans ce livre, l'auteure jongle habilement avec ces deux facettes.
"J'ai l'air d'une infirmière, d'une libraire , d'une joyeuse de soccer. Mon visage est mon meilleur alibi."
Comme quoi on a des idées préconçues, même sur les tueuses en série, car je croyais savoir le genre de victimes que cette jeune femme allait choisir ou même les motifs derrière ses gestes, mais dans ce sens, j'ai été prise par surprise par cette histoire. La critique sociale et l'humour aide à compenser ce qui, au final, ne laisse pas avec un sentiment de lourdeur ou de malaise, malgré le propos.
"J'ai l'air d'une infirmière, d'une libraire , d'une joyeuse de soccer. Mon visage est mon meilleur alibi."
Comme quoi on a des idées préconçues, même sur les tueuses en série, car je croyais savoir le genre de victimes que cette jeune femme allait choisir ou même les motifs derrière ses gestes, mais dans ce sens, j'ai été prise par surprise par cette histoire. La critique sociale et l'humour aide à compenser ce qui, au final, ne laisse pas avec un sentiment de lourdeur ou de malaise, malgré le propos.
July 13, 2024
The premise was cool, but overall it just felt kind of boring. Most of the book is the narrator listing off her petty grievances rather than things actually happening, until the last 40 pages or so. I thought the crimes were committed in interesting ways and I liked seeing the thought that was put into pulling them off without getting caught, but for a book that's called "of vengeance", the narrator seemed pretty detached from the killings rather than being emotionally involved. I have to give the writer kudos though because I don't think I've ever read a book where the misanthropic murderous narrator with a grandiose sense of importance is a young girl, so that's an equality win at least. Women wanna kill people too.
I thought it was amusing that the narrator works as a translator, and I too was reading a translation of this book.
I thought it was amusing that the narrator works as a translator, and I too was reading a translation of this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews