If you go into Cutthroat expecting anything other than extreme dark humor and a purposeful cringe-factor, you are probably going to be disappointed. This book is outrageous. It is absolutely unbelievable. And somehow… it still holds your attention and keeps you on your toes. I finished it quickly because it is one of those “what on earth is going to happen next?” reads, even when you are kind of laughing to yourself because there is no way this would play out like this in real life.

The vibe is basically: revenge, chaos, and the protagonist taking things way further than a reasonable person ever would. If you like watching characters go completely ham on payback when they feel wronged, this is your kind of book. Personally, I kept thinking she would have done better for herself by simply moving on and living her life, but no. She has to twist the knife. Again and again. People who “did her dirty” get targeted, and other people end up as collateral damage along the way. It crosses a lot of lines, and it is definitely one of those books where you are like, “Girl… PLEASE stop.” (But you keep reading anyway.)

I also want to talk about the editing for a second, because it is hard to ignore. I actually listened to the audiobook first and then looked at the printed text afterward, and… yeah. The book is littered with misspellings and messy punctuation. Even in the back matter, it has stuff like “Cutthroat , written by Octavia Grant.” It is not just one or two typos. It is a pattern. I say that gently, because I genuinely appreciate self-publishing as an outlet, and I am not trying to trash it. This just needed another proofread (or three) to feel smoother and more immersive.

All that said, I do not want to come off like I hated it, because I did not. It was quick, entertaining, and honestly kind of amusing in a “what did I just read?” way. It just is not necessarily my style of thriller/drama. Some readers are going to live for the audacity. Others are going to be like… no thank you. Either reaction makes sense.

And yes, I will give it this: it is absolutely befitting its name. Cutthroat is cutthroat.

Spoilers (ending talk): The twist at the end only adds another layer of disbelief and ick-factor. The narrator basically plays with the reader’s suspicion outright: “I’m sure you’re wondering if I killed my sister… The short answer would be, no,” and then follows it with, “Am I the reason that she’s dead? Of course.” That pretty much sums up the ending energy: dark, smug, messy, and designed to make you feel a little gross about what you just witnessed.