afreema3's review against another edition
5.0
I feel really weird rating this book. What R. Kelly did to countless Black women and girls over a few decades is horrific, abhorrent, and beyond despicable, nd rating this story just does not serve any justice to this story or the women and young girls.
While reading this book I thought back to R. Kelly in the 2000's when I was growing up, and while I remember listening to "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Ignition" on the radio or on tv, I do not remember being aware who R. Kelly was. The infamous tape that initially saw Kelly arrested was not only filmed before I was born, but was not seen in by the public until I was a baby, and this would never have been discussed by my parents around me at any young age. R. Kelly to me growing up was an unknown entity, until I saw the Boondocks episode about R. Kelly, and it was then that I learned who he was. After I learned who R. Kelly was I never listened to his music or any media he was associated with. For me as a a young tween R. Kelly was a dangerous man that countless adults had warned me about over the years, and so he became a nonentity throughout the rest of that time.
When in January of 2019 the first episode of Surviving R. Kelly came out, I remember discussing the docuseries with someone who had watched it and we both had been horrified. I only got to watch the docuseries a year or two ago when it came on Netflix, and I remember staying up all night to watch it and did the same when the second Surviving R. Kelly series came on Netflix too. There is something about this story that just hits me like a ton of bricks everytime I hear it, and I'm not sure why. While reading the book I had to keep reminding myself that this story is nonfiction because you almost want to believe this could never happen to someone. Jim DeRogatis describes how the public and the industry, especially the industry, knew who R. Kelly was for decades, but sat by and almost let it happen as long as R. Kelly created good music.
How could the people around him let it continue? Why did we let this continue?
While reading this book I thought back to R. Kelly in the 2000's when I was growing up, and while I remember listening to "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Ignition" on the radio or on tv, I do not remember being aware who R. Kelly was. The infamous tape that initially saw Kelly arrested was not only filmed before I was born, but was not seen in by the public until I was a baby, and this would never have been discussed by my parents around me at any young age. R. Kelly to me growing up was an unknown entity, until I saw the Boondocks episode about R. Kelly, and it was then that I learned who he was. After I learned who R. Kelly was I never listened to his music or any media he was associated with. For me as a a young tween R. Kelly was a dangerous man that countless adults had warned me about over the years, and so he became a nonentity throughout the rest of that time.
When in January of 2019 the first episode of Surviving R. Kelly came out, I remember discussing the docuseries with someone who had watched it and we both had been horrified. I only got to watch the docuseries a year or two ago when it came on Netflix, and I remember staying up all night to watch it and did the same when the second Surviving R. Kelly series came on Netflix too. There is something about this story that just hits me like a ton of bricks everytime I hear it, and I'm not sure why. While reading the book I had to keep reminding myself that this story is nonfiction because you almost want to believe this could never happen to someone. Jim DeRogatis describes how the public and the industry, especially the industry, knew who R. Kelly was for decades, but sat by and almost let it happen as long as R. Kelly created good music.
How could the people around him let it continue? Why did we let this continue?
theremightbecupcakes's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, and Pedophilia
srash's review against another edition
5.0
A harrowing read--but an important one and an excellent example of investigative reporting done right.
Former Chicago Sun-Times music critic Jim DeRogatis has spent nearly 20 years reporting about R. Kelly's troubling relationships with underage girls and abusive relationships with women in general, ever since he was tipped off to it through an anonymous fax, but it's only been recently that anyone has taken the reports seriously.
Kelly's preference for teens--and grooming of them--was well-known not only in his inner circle but within the music industry at large. However, Kelly's proven ability to generate hit songs outweighed people's consciences.
DeRogatis is a good writer and a good journalist, and though he was the driving force behind this story, he doesn't arrogantly position himself as the hero of this story, which I appreciated.
Fair warning, though the accusations detailed against Kelly in this book was stomach-turning.
Former Chicago Sun-Times music critic Jim DeRogatis has spent nearly 20 years reporting about R. Kelly's troubling relationships with underage girls and abusive relationships with women in general, ever since he was tipped off to it through an anonymous fax, but it's only been recently that anyone has taken the reports seriously.
Kelly's preference for teens--and grooming of them--was well-known not only in his inner circle but within the music industry at large. However, Kelly's proven ability to generate hit songs outweighed people's consciences.
DeRogatis is a good writer and a good journalist, and though he was the driving force behind this story, he doesn't arrogantly position himself as the hero of this story, which I appreciated.
Fair warning, though the accusations detailed against Kelly in this book was stomach-turning.
vanillafire's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.0
I remember R Kelly being very popular when I was in school, especially with the Ignition Remix came out. I also remember the urination tapes and all the jokes about it on other television shows. I never really thought much about it because I was probably about 13 or something. As an adult, I really understand how vile he is and how gross the people joking about it and participating in it are as well. I watched the Surviving R Kelly documentary, which is why I picked up this book. This was well written and horrific. It followed the entire timeline up to pretty much present day. I thought it was very informative, and would suggest the book to anyone interested in this case.
itsgg's review against another edition
I’m glad this book was written, to serve as the definitive record of the many lives destroyed by R. Kelly. But if you’ve read all of Jim DeRogatis’ other reporting on the topic, and watched the “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary, this book doesn’t add much. It’s padded out with a lot of factual information that isn’t particularly interesting, like the backstory of every single character and the stories of getting the prior pieces of journalism published, but the meat of the book is information you’ve probably already read or seen elsewhere.
puglover's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, and Misogyny
Moderate: Violence, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Torture and Abortion