Kill Joy (Novella) Book Review
Kill Joy by Holly Jackson book review and recommendation with NO SPOILERS
Date: 4-28-25 Post Written By: MK Overall Rating: 8.0/10
Book Cover Rating: 7.8/10
(My personal opinion)
Title: Kill Joy
Author: Holly Jackson
Pages: 130
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction
Subplots: Mock-Mystery
Romance Level: 0/3
Series: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #0.5
Publisher: Delacorte
Published: 2023
Number of Editions: 37
Formats: Hardover, Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook
Goodreads Rating: 3.75/5
# of Goodreads Ratings: 141,127
Amazon Rating: 4.1/5
# of Amazon Ratings: 4,733
Common Sense Media Age Recommendation: 14+
Movie/TV Show?? : No
Book Type: Novella
POV Type: Single, Third Person
Pacing: Fast
Generally: 1920’s themed party, mock-mystery, friends, a few months before A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
My Review
Main Characters:
Pippa Fitz-Amobi- Pip is the main character of this novella. She is 17 years old. In this book, she is acting out the character Celia Bourne, the governess. She is smart, and always wants to know the truth. She isn’t satisfied with anything less.
Connor Reynolds- Connor is one of Pip’s friends. In this book, he is acting out the character Humphrey Todd, the butler. He is carefree and loyal.
Cara Ward- Cara is Pip’s best friend. In this book, she is acting out Dora Key, the cook. She is easygoing and fun-loving.
Zach Chen- Zach is another of Pip’s friends. In this book, he is acting out Ralph Remy, the son. He is Pip’s neighbor.
Ant Lowe- Ant is another friend. In this book, he is acting out Bobby Remy, the oldest son. He is headstrong and passionate.
Lauren Gibson. Lauren is the final friend invited to this party. She is acting out the wife. She often feels like a third wheel.
I LOVED these main characters. Their interactions felt unique, they went well together, and had fun personalities. I always love groups of friends as main characters, and this was an AMAZING example of why. There wasn’t much character development, but that made sense given the novella format.
Character Rating: 9.6/10
Setting:
This book takes place at Connor Reynold’s house in Fairview, Connecticut.
This was an average setting. I liked the tense atmosphere, but the physical setting itself was nothing special.
Setting Rating: 5.1/10
Plot:
Since this was a novella, there wasn’t much room for an in-depth mystery plot. I would say this was an interesting, enjoyable plot, if you read it in relation to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. But, if you’re reading it as a standalone, it would probably be much more boring.
Plot Rating: 8.1/10
Writing:
Wow! Holly Jackson (no surprise) did an AMAZING job with this book. Even though it was a novella, Holly Jackson packed it with interesting details and fun mock-mystery moments.
Writing Rating: 9.9/10
Ending:
I mean, since there wasn’t too much build up, there wasn’t much room for a strong conclusion. I did like the conclusion there was, and loved to see how this could spark Pip’s behavior in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
Ending Rating: 7.3/10
The Overall:
Overall, I really enjoyed this novella. The characters were amazing, and I LOVED Holly Jackson’s writing. Since this was a novella, there wasn’t much room for buildup or plot-development. But, the plot that was included was well executed and interesting. I loved how this book showed a clear path into the rest of the series. Reading it as a standalone would likely be much more boring, but it was a great intro to the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series.
Overall Book Rating: 8.0/10
I would obviously recommend this book
Buy on Amazon: Kill Joy
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Holly Jackson went to the University of Nottingham
She studied creative writing and literary linguistics
She lives in London
For more information, view Holly Jackson’s website: agoodgirlsguidetomurderpodcast.com
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What did you think of this book??
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