Book Review: Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock by Maud Woolf

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock by Maud Woolf is a quirky, futuristic science fiction book that is a quirky, poignant depiction of the trouble that comes with having to juggle multiple facets of life.

You know that meme that’s doing the rounds, about how adults feel like they’re constantly sinking while trying to get a lot done, but can barely do some of them well before getting exhausted? I feel like that very often. I need to workout, rest to recover from it, deliver things on time at my job, hydrate, eat well, stretch, talk to my loved ones, do my errands, keep the house running, read, blog, look like I have it together, and the list goes on. I can do a few of them on a certain day, it’s just a lot for me to do. I’m just one person! Maybe having more time or clones would help, as long as each of me could focus on a minimal number of regularly doable things. It’s hard right? That’s pretty much what Lulabelle Rock, movie star and celebrity, wanted. Thanks to advances in science, she can legally make clones/portaits of herself to help her stay in all these roles she needs to function and stay relevant. The story begins with her creating a thirteenth portrait of herself, tasked with assassinating the others.

However, things get complicated quickly as the assassin develops a conscience and gets to experience a few pleasures in life. As with a lot of books I’ve lately enjoyed, it has a simple, easy-to-follow linear narrative as we follow her through Bubble City on their task. The book started off quirky and had me interested in the setting, but I gradually got more and more invested in the portraits, and how deeply sad their lives were, in different ways. At the same time, despite Lulabelle’s limited on-page time, I deeply sympathised with the pressure she had to constantly do multiple things and remain in public eye, whether drained or not. At the same time, it is interesting to be acquainted with the quirky fashion and strange lives of those in this futuristic world. There’s also just enough detail about the legislations surrounding portrait making, as well as the constraints placed on them, but no deep discussions of the technical aspects, making this a good entry point for rookies looking to try reads from the genre.

Thematically, the book is full to the brim with the concepts of individuality, purpose, as well as the idea of having downtime. Initially, the task seems simple, get to know where a portrait is found, and the assassin is even given details of why they were created. They could be the strangest of reasons, but extremely relatable, like maybe how you decided you could have some representation to attend a certain social gathering you just don’t feel like attending at the last minute, maybe because you were too exhausted. I wish I could do that from time to time. As simple as the narrative is, there’s a lot of depth to the things hinted at within the story – the pressure that we feel throughout our lives to fit into multiple roles, juggle them all successfully, and yet find some time for self-care, or our personal interests. This is definitely a debut that invites the readers to take. hard look at all the commitments they place on their limited time.

CONCLUSION: Have I reconsidered a lot of things as I read this book? Absolutely. Gentle and dark in equal parts, Woolf’s debut highlights the importance of balance, rest, and asking just enough of oneself. A riveting read.