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bludgeoned_by_hail's review against another edition
3.5
It conjures a story, characters and themes from a list of facts and testimonies, while still managing to refrain from sensationalism and approaching the events with a surprising degree of empathy and tact. Its style of oral history/mosaic/reconstruction amalgam feels surprisingly current (no doubt because of its impact) and clearly recognizable in the thousands of hours of true crime mini-series and documentaries on any given streaming service nowadays.
Unfortunately, just like many of its inferior successors, it also feels a bit repetitive, stretched thin or unable to prioritize some content over other at points. I understand that if you conducted this much independent investigation, cutting things must feel like pulling teeth, but that doesn't make segments like the in-depth description of the crimes of each inmate who happened to be on death row alongside Dick and Perry or the endless circumstantial opinions of the locals any less excrutiating to read. On the other hand, this "boring" meticulousness is also one of the biggest strengths of the book, especially when bringing the killers' portraits to life without leaning into voyeurism or romanticization.
Not the quickest or most fun read, but still timeless and fascinating nontheless.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual violence, and Suicide
Minor: Religious bigotry
awalsh1212001's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and War
nicoleisalwaysreading's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
kate001's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Suicide and Car accident
ibby2's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
matcha_cat's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Gore, Sexual content, Suicide, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Pedophilia, Racism, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and War
emy_clemy's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
soswiin's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Homophobia
ashwaar's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Car accident
jbrown1120's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Car accident, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail