NOTES ON AN EXECUTION BY DANYA KUKAFKA

Synopsis: Notes on an Execution is written by Danya Kukafk

His name is Ansel Packer a serial killer and he is waiting for his scheduled execution. But the women he left behind are the real main characters of this book. The story starts in 1973’s America.  Lavender, Ansel’s mom who was only 17 years old when she had Ansel was in an abusive and tormenting relationship with the boy’s father. Basically trying to survive every day in a literal way. Saffy the detective, knows more about the real Ansel than maybe anyone. She is persistent about catching him and stopping him from hurting more people. Jenny, his wife who Ansel met during his college years, seemed like the only person who could reach him, and Hazel her twin sister has to watch as their relationship burns down everyone and everything around them.The book revolves around the women in Ansel’s life showing the reader what lies behind the scenes. 

People are suffering due to one person’s inability to perceive, understand, and live life as it is. 

Structure: The book is 306 pages long and has medium-long chapters. It was easy to read, and although we have several different viewpoints and jumps in time and place, it is well structured enough not to lose the story’s main thread. The characters are remarkably well thought out, it felt like the author has been not just writing about them but at the same time observing and studying them before she decided to introduce them to the readers. The language of the book was easy to understand and I could confidently read and enjoy it even late at night when my brain was just half-awake. The cover design of the book is definitely one of my favourites.  It is haunting and clever at the same time. Strong enough to leave a mark on me way after finishing this spectacular book.

My take on it: This book was haunting me before I read it and changed something inside me after I finished it.

For me, what kept me up at night was the thought of our obsession with serial killers or crime stories in general.  How serial killers are being put on a pedestal, receiving all the attention and focus that they always wanted and how the victims (who are mostly young girls) are being forgotten or diminished into nothing more than a name or an object. How people would like to find all the answers to the big question: Why? when even the killer  doesn’t know anything about it either.

Probably what I found the most interesting about this book was how it was in a way completely neutral, therefore extremely lifelike. How it takes the veil called ‘special’ off and shows the real face of people like Ansel.

How absurdly nonsensical serial killers are. 

This book was thought-provoking and definitely an emotional read especially if you are sensitive to violence in any form. I would definitely highly recommend it to anyone who likes to read about serial killers or just crime stories in general. As it can be an exciting journey to learn about not just the victims, serial killers or the police involved but our own perception and/or obsession about this topic.