Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

If You Tell by Gregg Olsen

36 reviews

tcrivera12's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

3.0


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bookishwhims's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad fast-paced

5.0

This was perhaps one of the darkest  and most disturbing books I have ever read. What made this book even harder to stomach is that this isn't a work of fiction.
 If you are going into this account of the heinous crimes of Shelly Knotech with the expectation of getting answers as to "why" a person does something like this or what turned her into a person who could do these things, you will be disappointed. The goal of this book is to tell the story of her victims and perhaps her longest-suffering victims, her daughters. This is the story of three sisters' horrific abuse at the hands of the person(s) meant to love and protect them most in the world. I'm not  leaving this book with all the answers I'd like nor am I leaving feeling as though justice was achieved, but that is true with most crimes. 
This book and this story, I fear, is going to stick with me for a very long time.

*Check tw*
*audiobook*

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timikat716's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced

4.0


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goosiana's review against another edition

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dark tense

4.0

*3.5

It was good. I can't believe what this mother and father (if you can call them that) did. It had everything you would need to tell a story.

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nuuamuikkunen's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

2.75

Tykkään siitä miten Gregg Olsen kirjottaa tositapahtumista kuin ne ois fiktiota. Mutta se misogynian ja fat shaming oli ihan överiä tässä kirjassa! Et naiset haluaa vaan olla äitejä ja jos lihot 10 kiloa oot ihan kamalan läski. Yök.

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kahbarrow's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

2.75


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cardlikecredit's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad medium-paced

4.5

This book was intense. Well written so that it flowed more like a narrative than just straight non-fiction. Keeps you hooked until the very end. Read with caution though, the details are really tough.

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oofie's review against another edition

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dark informative sad tense medium-paced

4.25

This book tells the story of the absolute shitbag of a human being that is Shelly Knotek and how she tortured (and, in three cases, murdered) those around her.

Shelly is one of those people who patently proves that not all people are inherently good. She was a terror growing up, and it just got worse when she had children and partners of her own. She is a narcissist and sadist who delights both in wreaking havoc, despair, fear, and pain. 

Shelly mentally, emotionally, and physically abused each of her husbands and three daughters. She gaslit them, made them think that it was their fault, and conscripted them into being co-conspirators. The poor people in her life and circle went through so much literal torture and abuse from living with her. This story is one of the most disturbing I've read due to all the above, and the insane amount of manipulation this woman did to those around her.

This book also hit a little close to home because my own brother is a narcissist. While not being anywhere near Shelly's level (thank god), it was a little shocking reading some of the things she did and realizing that those are things my own brother has and would do to me, my siblings, and my parents. 

Furthermore, I appreciate this book because it goes into victims of abuse. Why didn't those around her just leave? Run away? Why didn't they fight back? When you're a victim of abuse, however, it's never that simple. It is a mindfuck, and no one is immune from it. It is incredible to see the strength Shelly's daughters had, however, in finally escaping from their mother and bringing them to justice. I just wish the courts would have meted out far more justice than they did.

The book is well written, was easy to understand, and fascinating to read. I hope that Shelly's victims can find some measure of peace and be estranged from her even when she's out of prison.

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n_binversie99's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0


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sydneylneel's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

3.5


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