Honey

by Imani Thompson

A wickedly funny, adrenaline-rush of a novel about a graduate student who murders bad men and justifies it in the name of feminism, by a bold new voice in fiction

Yrsa is in a funk. She’s bored of her PhD program, bored of her research on Afropessimism, bored of the entitled undergrads she has to cater to. But most of all, she’s bored of the men in her life—especially the bad ones.

When her best friend, Nina, confesses to having an affair with her professor, and that he’s stolen her research, Yrsa is mad. On the quad, Yrsa bumps into the professor and witnesses his an unfortunate incident involving his San Pellegrino and a bee allergy. What she sees that afternoon awakens something in a taste for murder.

Emboldened, Yrsa decides to chase that high, and soon, no sexist, misbehaving man within commuting distance is safe.

With each murder, Yrsa feels a greater sense of meaning and purpose—finally, her doctoral research feels useful. But how long can killing in the name of feminist and racial solidarity justify her actions? Will her rampage ever assuage her feelings of rage and revenge? And how long until her actions—and buried family secrets—come back to haunt her?

Genres: Thriller, Contemporary

384 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication May 5, 2026

Reviews

[Liv Kaelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a smidge confused with this one. This is described as "wickedly funny", but I'd argue it's more serious in tone and academic than that would lead you to believe. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the more serious topics surrounding racial justice and inequality more than the otherwise silly thriller that this is pitched to be.

Unfortunately, the writing here didn't really work for me. If this had been a general fiction novel surrounding race, afropessimism, and revenge as a concept I think it would've worked a bit more for my personal taste. However, I feel like we were trying to dive so much into those topics that the thriller plot points would just kind of fall off and never be fully developed, and because we were trying to make this a thriller, it didn't dive into other topics as thoroughly as I felt like I wanted it to. A classic case of trying to do so many things that it didn't really commit to any of them.

Unfortunately, 2.75 stars rounded up from me. I look forward to seeing what else this author writes in the future!

Thanks so much to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published May 5, 2026.

3 stars

Yrsa is a PhD student writing her dissertation on Afropessimism. Her best friend, Nina is having an affair with her professor and he steals Nina’s research. Yrsa is furious. Then Yrsa gets to watch him die due to his allergy to bee stings and it changes something in her…she starts chasing that high.

Feminist and fun, I enjoyed this dark academia thriller (though it bothered me throughout that I have no idea whether I’m pronouncing “Yrsa” correctly in my head.). No idea whether it will stick with me though (and, now, I mere two weeks later it’s already pretty fuzzy.)

[Ashlee Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yrsa is certainly a morally grey and interesting character, and this novel spent a lot of time providing context for her motivation to kill. This was a twisty, funny read, and I liked the tie to her research with Afropessimism and the nuance of her being a Black woman seeking retribution. I was puzzled at her choice to constantly engage and spend time with problematic men, even in pursuit of kills, and personally found her inner monologue a bit aggravating. The ending felt rushed and I would've liked to see some threads further fleshed out. Nonetheless, this a strong debut. This will appeal to readers who enjoy diverse, feminist suspense and eccentric character studies. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

[Eve L. Fell · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨Releasing May 5th, 2026✨

4/5 🍒

Yrsa is a professor for a college in the UK. She is passionate about the content of her work and the trouble that women of color go through in today’s society. She begins her descent into madness because of men.

Men who she has a tendency to sleep with. She gets pleasure out of using them to fill her desires and not be used herself. She has a hard time developing feelings for people period. Whether it be men, her friends or her family. Early on it’s pretty safe to assume that she is mentally unstable, possibly sociopathic.

As the book progresses we see her snap. She is done being nice to men. Especially men who are pieces of crap in her eyes. She makes a silent vow to herself to do something about these men who she knows. In her mind they don’t deserve to live for one reason or another. Even though to a normal person those wouldn’t be reasons to murder someone.

She starts on a killing spree. Slowly she becomes a serial killer. In her mind she has a good reason as to why she’s killed each person and nothing can change that. But will she eventually feel bad for what she’s done? Or will she full steam ahead and continue her spree?

So this is the authors debut novel. I agreed to read this in exchange for an honest review through Net Galley and Random house publishing company. I think some of the chapters fell a tad flat for me. I also don’t understand this being advertised as a “funny” book. It’s not funny at all and touched on a lot of racial issues within our society in present day.

This book was dark, serious and at times disturbing. Nothing about it was comical to me. I also wished certain characters and relationships were fleshed out more. But I did enjoy Yrsa and everything she had to offer in the book. I will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors work.

[Jen G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deranged yet funny. Sadistic yet sweet. I predict Yrsa is going to become one of the decade’s most controversial characters. I found the last quarter particularly powerful, especially once readers learn the back story of Yrsa's relationship with her grandmother and estrangement from school friends. This is a real sensation, particularly for a debut novel. I predict that a movie adaptation will arrive shortly.

Favorite quotes:

"DNA. Trace it back and her lines become crossed, polluted and pollinated. An Irish man and an enslaved woman, some say. The Sargasso Sea and hot work. Body work. Oranges and tobacco. A mistress, a master, a boy who decided to take a boat. Others say Egypt and the Nile to Calcutta. But it's hard to know. Back when they drew maps for the world they wanted to see. Then back before, when color wasn't color and the gods were closer to the earth. Imprints in the red soil. In land spoiled and unspoiled and spoiled again. When tongues spat different syllables and all the patterns, all the shapes, were newfound. Cinnamon to the bark. Where is she in this, in lines twisted and sequenced to their double helix. Because the dead aren't dead, they carry. Bone lines, blood lines. The bodies that the sea swallowed and dissolved and turned to sand. Is she, the maternal, stronger? Back before it was women and women and men. When it was finding feet and star worlds. Was it built on violence—or love—in the nucleus, in the chemical base of this, here, her."

"In a moment, she stands, watching the bottom of the elevator as it climbs the shaft, her mind full of men who think the entire world belongs to them. They are like dogs, marking everything in sight, and the minute a woman claims something for herself, they piss on it, too."

Thanks NetGalley and Random House for eARC.

[Trisha]

oooh this sounds so good! I'm in!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look at Yrsa, a PH.D. student who meets Ethan online and hopes it goes somewhere. But things soon spiral out of control and there are bees, poison,, murder plans, and so much more! It's wacky and often unbelievable, but it's a hoot and unlike anything else I've ever read! Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Adelina · Rating 5 out of 5]

October 2025:
Publishing date: May 2025
Reviewed by @literary.listener

Wowza. I got this ARC from @netgalley and I am so thankful!! @_imani_thompson_ hit it out of the park. What a well written and interesting story.

The story follows the female main character in her exploration of violence. She is currently doing her doctorate at the University and struggling to find a way to finish her dissertation. She also is dealing with the complex relationships between friends, family, and exes. When the buzz (🐝) of an opportunity comes, she takes it. And the reader gets to follow her linking the past to the present.

Really think this a great quick read that explores a lot about not only being a woman, but a Black Jamaican young woman trying to find a place in this world that fits their mold. Beautiful!

[Briana Shuman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story about a woman named Yrsa who kills a man with a bee. That’s how it starts, anyway. But really, it’s a book about control who has it, who’s taken it, and how far one woman is willing to go to reclaim it. Yrsa’s voice is sharp, academic, and restless. She is not here to be liked. She is here to think, rage, dissect, and dismantle and she invites you to watch.

The themes of Afropessimism and justice, intellectual theft and power, are heavy and rich. The book hums with ideas. But often it hums louder than it speaks. Yrsa’s inner monologue, while intellectually charged and fiercely singular, sometimes feels like trying to listen to a symphony while assembling IKEA furniture you know something important is happening, but you're not entirely sure where to put the screws.

Some plot threads start with intrigue but fade rather than resolve. And while the narrative voice is undeniably bold, the emotional core felt distant at times.

I appreciated the academic lens, especially the exploration of Afropessimism and justice, but the pacing and dialogue often left me disengaged. Some plot threads felt underdeveloped, and the emotional core didn't quite land for me. Still, Imani Thompson is clearly a bold new voice, and I'm curious to see where she goes next.

Readers drawn to character studies over clean plots, and to questions over answers, may find more sweetness in the sting than I did.

2.5/5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Imani Thompson for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Haleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC review! :)

This book is a solid 3 stars for me. I think, for me, it took almost half the book to get really interested in it. Outside of the actual killings and oddly enough, the relationship with her mother, I find that it fell flat and hard to keep my attention. The dialogue was extensive and while it was realistic and easy to read, it just really did not keep me interested and at times it felt more like a chore to get through the conversations and the reward was the little bit of action we got with each kill. The men in this book also…. while written accurately, it just annoyed me that we had SO much time with them. I really loved the premise of the book, I love feminine rage, I love realistic and complicated relationships, and I loved the view point this book offers of feminism and a women of color seeking revenge. It just felt boring at times.

[whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I breezed through this wonderful novel, not just because it is good but because I was ridiculously invested and stressed out over Yrsa’s circumstances. I ended up rating this one a 4.5 because it was truly just so much fun.

Honey is about a PhD student named Yrsa who goes on a killing spree, which she justifies both for feminism and research purposes. A decent amount of her dissertation is building off of theory by Saidiya Hartman, describing the ways that violence is repeated by oppressed peoples—Yrsa specifically talks about Black people/descendants of slaves. She claims that it is her methodology, therefore, to repeat violence against (mostly) white men who have horrific ideas about race and women. While this may sound strange and easy to mess up, Thompson makes Yrsa a truly compelling character in how she works out her ethical logic. Also, the novel is ridiculously funny and I found myself laughing out loud by the end. Thompson is a terrific writer and has elevated a simple archetype of a serial killer into a provoking novel that is incredibly fun to read.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

[Cindy (leavemetomybooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

* thanks to Random House for the NetGalley review copy (pub date: May 5, 2026)

Review TK

[Miss Murder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yrsa is in a funk. She’s bored of her PhD program, bored of her research on Afropessimism, bored of the entitled undergrads she has to cater to. But most of all, she’s bored of the men in her life—especially the bad ones.

When her best friend, Nina, confesses to having an affair with her professor, and that he’s stolen her research, Yrsa is mad. On the quad, Yrsa bumps into the professor and witnesses his death: an unfortunate incident involving his San Pelligrino and a bee allergy. What she sees that afternoon awakens something in her: a taste for murder.

Emboldened, Yrsa decides to chase that high, and soon, no sexist, misbehaving man within commuting distance is safe.

This was a unique and fascinating read. I was expecting some comedic, half-assed “thriller” that leaned in on tropes I’ve seen before. Instead, I got a surprisingly academic and morally gray story about an intelligent woman who gets herself into trouble by testing her hypothesis that killing “bad men” can release Black women from oppression.

Maybe it’s because I’m a sociologist myself, but I loved the interwoven academic theory and discussion that was key to Yrsa’s development. Although I can’t say Afropessimism is something I’m familiar with, it provided a unique plot device that kept me coming back for more.

I do think there were some storylines that felt unfinished, and the ending itself was a little abrupt. But all in all, I loved the change of pace this book had in comparison to my usual books - I am sure this is just the beginning in Imani Thompson’s writing career.

Thanks to NetGalley/Random House Publishing for the ARC!

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so looking forward to reading this book, described as “wickedly funny”. Unfortunately, I found this unusual tale to be more sad than funny, as the main character seemed depressed and dissatisfied with her life. The story started out very slowly, but picked up significantly at about 50%. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

[MundiNova · Rating 5 out of 5]

You gotta love an evil antihero to enjoy this book

If you like Ottessa Moshfegh, Mona Awad, or Agustina Bazterrica, be prepared to add Imani Thompson to your must read list.

This book is 100% my jam!
I love villains. I think they're infinitely more interesting than heroes. A good person doing good things is boring! It's so much more satisfying to try and understand why villains do the things they do. That's what I want to read. And Yrsa is an amazing villain/antihero I could empathize and understand even when I didn't agree with her reasoning.

It took me a little while to get into this book, but all the little set-ups led to an amazing mystery with literary reveals that provided many emotional 'gut punches' along the way. I think that's what I'm so impressed by, that Thompson was able to leverage mystery genre elements to layer into a literary novel to utilize red herrings and trauma backstory 'clues' along the way (like eating sweets after a kill). It made the story structure solid and impressive. I had theories about who was sending the blackmail emails--because several possibilities were set up beautifully to be suspects--but was still surprised in the end. Then the whole mystery with the grandma paid off brilliantly and added depth and meaning to the overall story.

But let's talk about the gem of this novel: Yrsa. I've never read a character like her. She makes choices I think are crazy, but the choices all make sense in who Yrsa is as a person and her past experiences. Her choices drive the story to it's inevitable conclusion. Literally :-) But more importantly, I could understand her pain, her mania, her ennui, and her anger. I didn't agree with it, but it made sense within the context of her character and that's why I love villains! Yrsa isn't a true, mustache-twirling villain, but killing that many people for the reasons she did definitely puts her in that category. I wanted her to succeed in her endeavors, even when it meant innocent people had to die.

What more can I say? I loved this and ended up staying up too late at night reading because I had to know how it all ended.

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Story: 5 stars
Character Development: 5 stars
Writing: 4 stars

[Stephanie Kollgaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny, feminist novel about murdering terrible men sounded so intriguing and promising, yet unfortunately this novel didn’t quite deliver. Yrsa is a graduate student at Cambridge pursuing a PhD and doing her thesis on Afropessimism. After a chance opportunity to kill a professor who harms one of her friends, Yrsa becomes addicted to the concept of killing awful men and begins to not only deliberately seek them out to kill, but connects it to her thesis work.

Rather than being funny, this novel felt very awkward and cringe with many of the interactions and Yrsa was draining rather than being an energizing, feminist vigilante. Her interactions with basically everyone are primarily negative and the plot became repetitive with her barely being able to function in her daily life and then going on the hunt for men who definitely were bad, but also just pathetic.

Yrsa has a secret which partially explains her penchant for killing, which was an interesting reveal, however a lot of the other exploration into Yrsa’s life seemed only superficially explained. The drama around a variety of her friendships was also ultimately not that interesting.

This book really picked up toward the end when a mystery that’s been present throughout the book is solved and also when some of the positive relationships in Yrsa’s life collapse. I felt like the last part of the book really captures what it’s like when a situation truly spirals out of control. I also appreciated the larger philosophical questions that this book raises about violence and power structures.

I don’t think this book came across as funny at all, but it’s an interesting read for those who are interested in dark and uncomfortable books that raise interesting questions and topics.

Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion

[alyssa]

Honey by Imani Thompson is a dark, unsettling, and at times funny novel that sits somewhere between dark academia, satire, and thriller. We follow Yrsa, a PhD student whose boredom with her dissertation and academic program morphs into vigilante justice against the men who wrong her and her friends. What seemingly begins as revenge quickly becomes an intoxication with power itself: “To kill and get away with it. There is something spectacular to it.”

Thompson complicates the story by tying Yrsa’s choices to her academic work on Afropessimism, leaving the reader to puzzle over what is part of her narrative and what is a larger critique. I loved puzzling over how the book was in conversation with some of the very same ideas Yrsa was toying with in her thesis. In my opinion, the book is at its best when it leans into this ambiguity and explores Yrsa’s morally gray psychology. Yrsa's inner narrative is captivating and I appreciated how the novel wrestled with themes of feminism, race, power, and vengeance in complicated, even messy ways. Though the pacing occasionally dragged for me, especially in long stretches of dialogue or time spent with the very men Yrsa targets, I felt that overall the book was a quick and compelling read, and took a series of unexpected twists that were fun for the reader.

Honey won’t be for everyone, but for other readers drawn to feminist thrillers, academic satire, and at times erratic protagonists, it’s a bold debut worth picking up.

Thank you to Imani Thompson, Random House, and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

(ARC - out 05/05/26 via Random House) I cannot wait to get a physical copy of this so I can write and highlight to my heart’s delight. What a debut. Yrsa is feeling bored. The man she’s seeing isn’t worth her time, her work as a doctoral student studying afropessimism has her feeling apathetic, the students she interacts with are entitled and frustrating. After finding out that her friend Nina has not only been left by her boyfriend, but said boyfriend is also her supervisor and is stealing her research, Yrsa “accidentally” kills the supervisor with the help of a bee, an allergy, and a lemon sanpellegrino. Then Yrsa finds that she has a taste for dispatching shitty men. This is such a prescient story. Thompson elides so clearly the ways racism and sexism impact women of color, from the quiet insidiousness of white people who believe they’re progressive to the overt, casual racism of people who have no issue with being openly racist. Intersectionality is presented in a way that makes it obvious how different aspects of a person’s identity overlap - Yrsa is a Black woman and those two parts of her identity inform each other and the way that other people treat her. The writing is in this so sharp, and the humor, which is definitely there, is pitch black. The story is painful and speaks so keenly to our current moment, but Thompson writes in such an engaging way that I had trouble putting this down, even when it was anxiety-inducing. I will seek out everything Thompson writes and I loved, loved, loved this.

[adina ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a little hard to gauge my feelings on Honey. On the one hand, when I’d read it before bed, I’d have a hard time putting it down - the events go together well, though the timeline can be a touch confusing sometimes until Yrsa gives us context to the timeframe. I had a difficult time with the first 40% and flew through the last 60% as the events of the book started to heat up.

Pros:
-Yrsa was an interesting protagonist to follow, and her thought processes were both clear and frenetic - super interesting to work out her motivations
-Some of the writing, especially two sections in the latter half of the book (in my copy, they were separated by a large black dot) were beautifully written, and talk about very real frustrations and realities
-I was very entertained! I needed something to keep me engaged and this was perfect.

Cons:
-I had some personal issues with the writing as it sometimes felt stilted/awkward or too ‘literal’ (ex. “She does things. Doing that, she does this.” or purposeful lack of punctuation)
-Things go from 0 to 100, fast
-Some things are left hanging at the end, which is fine, but some parts were frustrating
-Again more personal, it seems like every single person except for one or two are shit, or we’re led to believe they’re shit, and so many characters blended into one another that I really couldn’t tell certain ones apart

I’m rounding this one up to a 3 because I did have a good time and felt how propulsive the energy was once things really got started. But it’s closer to a 2.5 as a whole. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC.

[C.Z. Munu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just wow. This book completely blew me away! An absolute 5-star read!

Honey follows a brilliant but deeply broken woman pursuing her PhD in Afropessimism, while quietly spiralling into the life of a serial killer. It’s dark, emotional, and shockingly sharp. The author explores childhood trauma, addiction, academia, and the intersections of identity in ways that feel both brutal and brilliant.

The main character is so messed up and somehow, you can’t look away as she becomes even more unhinged. The book takes you on a wild emotional ride through her relationships with friends, family, and men (oh, the men...), all while she’s trying to maintain control over her life and her mind.

I loved how Imani Thompson wove in real academic tension, the intellectual rigor, the self-doubt, the unraveling that can come from trying to make sense of pain through theory. The line between coping and collapsing blurs beautifully here.

If I had one small critique, it’s that the prose was sometimes simpler than I usually prefer but that didn’t take away from how powerful and addictive this story was.

Dark, disturbing, and utterly captivating! Honey is one of those reads that lingers long after you finish.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of Advance Reader’s Copy

Yrsa, planning a meal for Ethan and wondering if she ought to consider calling him her boyfriend, gets stood up [he claims to have the flu]. Her co-workers at Cambridge think she should dump him.

Yrsa, working on her PhD dissertation, is researching racism, violence, and societal views of aggressors and victims. But she gets sidetracked by a friend who had an affair with her married professor. When he dies [from a bee allergy], she’s discovered a calling.

She sets out on a quest to rid the world of bad men.

=========

Grim, mildly disturbing, and darkly humorous, this unfolding story reveals Yrsa’s relationships with her family, her friends, and the men around her. Self-doubt plays a role in her actions as does the academic rigor she faces.

Some plot twists keep readers guessing as Yrsa pursues vengeance and, despite the implausibility, the telling of this tale is sure to keep readers intrigued and turning pages as fast as possible.

Readers who enjoy controversial characters, morally questionable tales, and intriguing stories are sure to find “Honey” a treat.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#Honey #NetGalley

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

** Thank you NetGalley and Random House for a digital copy of this book.

I wanted to love this book so much.

This book explores themes of feminism, race, and power through a bored PhD student who becomes a self-proclaimed vigilante after accidentally killing a "bad man" on campus. What begins as a darkly humorous critique of gender dynamics and race soon spirals into something much darker and more unsettling.

While I found the concept compelling, I struggled to stay engaged with the execution. The synopsis set me up for a story about empowerment and justice, but the main character's choices and mindset often felt contradictory -- at times more self-destructive than strong. I had difficulty connecting with her, which made the story emotionally challenging to follow.

That said, the novel raises important questions about morality, rage, and what it means to take control in an oppressive system. The writing is sharp, and the themes are ambitious. I think some readers will find it provocative and powerful, but it simply didn't resonate with me in the way I hoped. Still, I appreciate the creativity behind the premise and the striking cover design. I may revisit this one later to see if my perspective changes.

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to The Borough Press for the proof copy of this book that we hadn't even asked for, but I'm more than happy we received it!

When Yrsa takes her first life, it isn't by intention, but like Honey, you never forget your first taste...

I picked this one up on a whim, a proof came to our store, and everyone unanimously decided that I'd be the one to enjoy it. I was struck by the premise, and once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down!

This book spends a lot of time focusing on Yrsa as a person and her internal dialogue, how her killings affect her as opposed to spending too much time focusing on the killings themselves. I thought this was a fantastic decision as Yrsa herself is such an interesting and entertaining protagonist to follow.

I was utterly hooked by the trails of deceit and the meticulous planning that Yrsa put into her new pastime, as well as her descent into her murderous addiction. There were even a few twists that I didnt NOT see coming and caught me completely off guard.

Honey was exciting and super entertaining throughout, and it's earned itself and easy 5 stars from me, and I will be waiting eagerly to see what Imani Thompson writes next!

[Gabriella Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Random House reached out via NetGalley about reading and reviewing Honey by Imani Thompson, I was thrilled! This is Thompson’s debut novel — and what a debut it is.

Yrsa, a PhD student with a fierce sense of justice, finds herself drawn into chaos when her friend Nina’s affair with an older professor takes a dark turn. The manipulative mentor not only betrays Nina but also tries to steal her academic ideas. When Yrsa witnesses his death in a situation she could have prevented, something inside her shifts. What begins as an accident sparks a dangerous idea: what if she could rid the world of exploitative, sexist men — one by one?

Darkly funny, sharp, and wickedly clever, Honey had me laughing out loud more than once. Yrsa’s voice is both biting and relatable — unsure of her place in the world but unafraid to act on her convictions. I also loved the depth Thompson brings through cultural insight and Yrsa’s research into Afropessimism, which adds a rich layer of meaning to the story.

I’m so grateful to Random House for the opportunity to read and review this incredible debut. Imani Thompson is absolutely one to watch.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jason Lavoie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of Honey by Imani Thompson. This book is to be published on May 5, 2026.

Yrsa, 23, is working at the university and working towards her PHD with the thesis being on Afro-pessimism. It’s the story of a slave being repeatedly raped by an owner that starts Yrsa on her dark path. It’s an ethical dilemma whether or not murdering bad people is justifiable. That’s Yrsa’s journey.

This is perfect novel for a book club to generate lively discussions. The entire concept is something that is not only dark but taboo. Why aren’t more bad people killed for their transgressions? Why aren’t more people getting away with it? Maybe if there were more Yrsa’s in the world, there would be positive changes.

The dark humour in this is very subtle. Imagine being responsible for someone’s death and treating yourself to an ice cream as a reward. Dark and funny. Some of the academia was too intelligent for someone like myself but that’s a reflection of myself as a white, saltine cracker.

With the ending, make up your own conclusion.

[Ladiami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was exactly the kind of unhinged dark satire I didn’t know I was craving. Yrsa’s burnout in school, in her relationships, and in the world around her felt painfully real, which made her pivot into murder both shocking and oddly understandable. The author blends that “I cannot believe she just did that” energy with sharp commentary on sexism, academia, and who gets to take up space without consequence.

What surprised me most was how funny parts of this were. I caught myself laughing at scenes I probably shouldn’t have, and then sitting with the discomfort that followed. As the body count rises, you can feel Yrsa gaining clarity and purpose in a way that is morally deranged, and I loved that tug-of-war between wanting her to stop and wanting to see what she would do next. The family secrets that surface add more weight and keep the book from being pure shock value.

This book is great for readers who enjoy stories that make you laugh, cringe, and think all at once.

Thanks Netgalley and Random House for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

[Sahar Afshari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I debated on rating this book as 3.75 or 4 stars and I landed on 4. Here’s why:
I read this in 3 day, would have been 2 if I didn’t have a headache. So clearly I enjoyed reading it.
I felt the writing jumped situation to situation at times.
a tad more character driven, than plot driven. i wish there was more I could find out about the mom/Candice. Her character was so multilayered and fascinating. Definitely knows more than she’s telling.
would have enjoyed the book as 1st person to get deeper into Yrsa’s state of mind.
lots of academic writing from the social sciences, which is related to the character being a phd student. However, I can see some readers feeling that it’s takes away from the main murder plot.
The ending gave me mixed feelings. I felt there was still some loose ends (trying not to give spoilers). But after giving myself the day to sit with it, I understood where the author was coming from, that there is no liberation from the FMC’s inevitable future.
would I recommend? Yes.

[whereissara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a little torn on this one. The book is based around Yrsa’s inner monologue and is an interesting take on revenge and what justice could look like from a woman’s perspective. I really liked the academic angle as Yrsa’s research relates to Afropessimism which ties into her actions and you see her thoughts pivot wildly as her research is challenged by external and internal factors.

There were quite a few plot threads that felt unresolved or not fully explained, which left me a little confused by the end. The pacing is quick, the twists are great, and the writing kept me hooked. It's a bold debut that might resonate more with readers who enjoy character studies and morally complex narratives rather than straightforward crime thrillers. Imani Thompson is clearly a talented writer and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Horror Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This debut novel is a banger of a story featuring a black feminist serial killer.

Yrsa is working on her PHD and her paper is about racism, violence, and how society views victims and aggressors through this lens. But when one of her friends gets her heart crushed by a married professor, Yrsa decides to take matters into her own hands. But, oh, did she love it! And now she plots various ways to murder men based on her PHD paper and the philosophies therein. There will be more blood.

Of course, the more she kills, the more complicated things are going to become and she can only hope it doesn't all unravel.

This book is fantastic. Great interesting characters, a dead black sense of humor, and an increasingly tense narrative that draws you into this twisted web. I highly recommend it.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This debut novel is smart, thought-provoking, and sometimes funny, with a wild and unsettling premise. It follows Yrsa, a disillusioned PhD student, who goes from feeling stuck in her studies to committing murder. While the satire is sharp, the story occasionally loses focus on the side characters.

Yrsa has a twisted sense of right and wrong. She attempts to justify her actions by referencing her research on Afropessimism and a vague connection to her grandmother’s past. However, her violence seems more like a reflection of her true self than a political statement. This lack of clarity makes it hard to connect with her.

The writing has some brilliant moments, but the flow can be bumpy, and some parts of the story feel underdeveloped. Overall, it’s a solid debut—ambitious, darkly funny, and willing to challenge readers. I’m curious to see what this author will write next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.