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chloesbookshelf21's review
5.0
My word what a story. I'm usually good at reading about things like this and they don't generally phase me, but this had me, a seasoned true crime reader, queasy.
Ryan Greens descriptive powers are something else and his command of the written word gave this story even more of a shock factor.
To think, this really happened is a terrible thought, and the fact that someone, somewhere is enduring similar torture is horrific.
Another thing I liked about this account of Katherine's atrocious crimes, was how Ryan touched on how it affected the officers that attended the scene. It shows the true, and devastating effects of witnessing a crime scene, especially one as gruesome this.
A harrowing book, a brilliant author, and a person as cold, cruel and calculating as Katherine, makes for a compulsive and disturbing read.
Ryan Greens descriptive powers are something else and his command of the written word gave this story even more of a shock factor.
To think, this really happened is a terrible thought, and the fact that someone, somewhere is enduring similar torture is horrific.
Another thing I liked about this account of Katherine's atrocious crimes, was how Ryan touched on how it affected the officers that attended the scene. It shows the true, and devastating effects of witnessing a crime scene, especially one as gruesome this.
A harrowing book, a brilliant author, and a person as cold, cruel and calculating as Katherine, makes for a compulsive and disturbing read.
jnguyen428's review
5.0
Crazy
This was hard to stop reading! I felt like I really got to know Katherine and the other main people. This was very well written and kept my attention. The details really made you visualize the scenes and feel like your right there.
This was hard to stop reading! I felt like I really got to know Katherine and the other main people. This was very well written and kept my attention. The details really made you visualize the scenes and feel like your right there.
redwrapped's review
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
2.0
Things about the book I like:
• that the author pulled no punches in the beginning of the book, saying that this is constructed by facts but characters, dialogue, and events are sometimes fictionalized;
• the short length and readability, because the way the book is written is rather smooth and as readable as a novella;
• and the focus on the pre-murder life of Katherine Knight, when so many books begin with the murder.
Things I did not like:
• there is not an addendum mentioning WHAT parts were fictionalized;
• that there were no citations, sources, or photographs to substantiate various details;
• that there were no interviews with people that had been personally involved with the case and the people therein;
• that the book opened so unnecessarily with what is essentially smut and had several more scenes like it, when honestly, there is no way to confirm those details and in either case, Knight's sexual proclivities are not valuable to the story;
• that so many of the people mentioned in the book, particularly David Price, were like empty shells with little humanity shown;
• and maybe worst, there was a rush at the end to get the book finished, so many details were left out, such as the criminal and forensic process, the trial, and the aftermath of the case on Australian culture.
Ultimately, it worked fine under the lens of a fictionalized and sensationalist novella, but crumbled apart when looking at it as a true crime entry, which ought to have much higher standards than this book to retain credibility, simply because after finishing it, I could not say without third sources like the internet whether anything I read was *absolutely* true or not due to the lack of citations and interviews.
• that the author pulled no punches in the beginning of the book, saying that this is constructed by facts but characters, dialogue, and events are sometimes fictionalized;
• the short length and readability, because the way the book is written is rather smooth and as readable as a novella;
• and the focus on the pre-murder life of Katherine Knight, when so many books begin with the murder.
Things I did not like:
• there is not an addendum mentioning WHAT parts were fictionalized;
• that there were no citations, sources, or photographs to substantiate various details;
• that there were no interviews with people that had been personally involved with the case and the people therein;
• that the book opened so unnecessarily with what is essentially smut and had several more scenes like it, when honestly, there is no way to confirm those details and in either case, Knight's sexual proclivities are not valuable to the story;
• that so many of the people mentioned in the book, particularly David Price, were like empty shells with little humanity shown;
• and maybe worst, there was a rush at the end to get the book finished, so many details were left out, such as the criminal and forensic process, the trial, and the aftermath of the case on Australian culture.
Ultimately, it worked fine under the lens of a fictionalized and sensationalist novella, but crumbled apart when looking at it as a true crime entry, which ought to have much higher standards than this book to retain credibility, simply because after finishing it, I could not say without third sources like the internet whether anything I read was *absolutely* true or not due to the lack of citations and interviews.
bucketofentrails's review
1.0
Reads like an article in one of those trashy magazines with headlines like "Stabbed By A Ghost...On My Wedding Day!".
Just read the wikipedia article about Katherine Knight instead, at least that's free.
Just read the wikipedia article about Katherine Knight instead, at least that's free.
smortnerd's review
2.0
First, Katherine Knight wasn't a cannibal. Idk why this might be a spoiler, but if you really don't know, she only cooked John Price, there's no evidence that she actually ate him. The title is sensationalized, as many authors, podcasters, whathaveyou have done, as is the rest of the book. It's unclear how much is conjecture because Katherine Knight says she doesn't remember her crimes, didn't do it, a variety of other excuses, etc., and so the author's portrayal of the mental process that might have gone into Katherine's rages is pure imagination. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy the book. It was fine. It induced the appropriate amount of rage and disbelief. Honestly, though, the Last Podcast on the Left series was better.