allegra_j's review against another edition
2.0
It was ok. I think to enjoy this book, you need to be aware of the Serial podcast, and appreciate legal analysis, and have a tolerance for a slanted take on the story.
I met two of those criteria, but I found I did not meet the third. I enjoyed Serial because all sides of the story were told, exactly this author's problem with Serial. This author is convinced Adnan was given a mistrial the first time (I agree with that), convinced he didn't do it (I need more evidence either way), and inherently biased. And that's not something bad I'm saying about her. If it were my cousin, I would be biased as well. My default tends to be "I don't know" so I was uncomfortable with the sometimes very biased tone of this book. But I should have understood that would exist going into it.
One thing that is true is that "Innocent until proven guilty" is dead. I agree with that point. It's become "guilty until proven innocent".
I met two of those criteria, but I found I did not meet the third. I enjoyed Serial because all sides of the story were told, exactly this author's problem with Serial. This author is convinced Adnan was given a mistrial the first time (I agree with that), convinced he didn't do it (I need more evidence either way), and inherently biased. And that's not something bad I'm saying about her. If it were my cousin, I would be biased as well. My default tends to be "I don't know" so I was uncomfortable with the sometimes very biased tone of this book. But I should have understood that would exist going into it.
One thing that is true is that "Innocent until proven guilty" is dead. I agree with that point. It's become "guilty until proven innocent".
katiez624's review against another edition
5.0
My journey to reading this book is multifaceted and seemingly predestined. My very first foray into listening to a "podcast" during my daily commute, rather than music or the radio, was This American Life, a captivating journalistic program with a weekly theme and a plethora of true stories. When Sarah Koenig, a producer for This American Life, started the show Serial in 2014, I jumped on the bandwagon immediately. I didn't know what to expect going in, but I quickly was sucked into the heartwrenching story of Hae's murder and Adnan's conviction. Every week, I learned more about the threadbare evidence, the contradictory witness accounts, and the questionable trial that played out. I was astonished at the terrible hand Adnan had been dealt and was convinced of his innocence, but since Serial ended, I had not thought about Adnan or his case for many years.
Toward the end of last year, I stumbled upon a memoir with an interesting name [b:Fatty Fatty Boom Boom: A Memoir of Food, Fat, and Family|59892260|Fatty Fatty Boom Boom A Memoir of Food, Fat, and Family|Rabia Chaudry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1653065920l/59892260._SY75_.jpg|94307446] centered around Pakistani food and culture, and it blew me away (review). I delved deeper into the works of this amazing writer and saw that she had devoted herself to Adnan's cause because of her personal connections to him and his family and using her law background. Her commitment to righting wrongs in the court of law extends further than just Adnan's case, and she produced an entire podcast called Undisclosed devoted to this effort.
The more I read this book, the more impressed I was with the maturity and character of Adnan, as well as Chaudry's storytelling abilities. The combination of documents, witness statements, and personal narratives tell a compelling story of the events that transpired after Hae's disappearance. The amount of anti-Muslim sentiment that permeated this case and its verdict was astounding and eye-opening. Not only must Muslim people in America contend with bigoted people and ideologies on a daily basis, but the indictment of Adnan in the murder of Hae was also predicated entirely on his ethnic and religious background.
The only criticism I have for this book is that some of the scanned letters included in the text were difficult to read. I wish these letters were transcribed or if they were just there for visual effect, that that was indicated. Aside from that minor critique, this book is a beautifully written work of art. It reveals an abundance of research and expertise that was done by the author, as well as her own personal experience with Adnan and his family and being part of the Muslim community.
I am elated with the recent developments of Adnan's conviction being overturned. Despite the injustices he suffered, he is still ceaselessly gracious and positive, which is incredibly admirable.
Toward the end of last year, I stumbled upon a memoir with an interesting name [b:Fatty Fatty Boom Boom: A Memoir of Food, Fat, and Family|59892260|Fatty Fatty Boom Boom A Memoir of Food, Fat, and Family|Rabia Chaudry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1653065920l/59892260._SY75_.jpg|94307446] centered around Pakistani food and culture, and it blew me away (review). I delved deeper into the works of this amazing writer and saw that she had devoted herself to Adnan's cause because of her personal connections to him and his family and using her law background. Her commitment to righting wrongs in the court of law extends further than just Adnan's case, and she produced an entire podcast called Undisclosed devoted to this effort.
The more I read this book, the more impressed I was with the maturity and character of Adnan, as well as Chaudry's storytelling abilities. The combination of documents, witness statements, and personal narratives tell a compelling story of the events that transpired after Hae's disappearance. The amount of anti-Muslim sentiment that permeated this case and its verdict was astounding and eye-opening. Not only must Muslim people in America contend with bigoted people and ideologies on a daily basis, but the indictment of Adnan in the murder of Hae was also predicated entirely on his ethnic and religious background.
The only criticism I have for this book is that some of the scanned letters included in the text were difficult to read. I wish these letters were transcribed or if they were just there for visual effect, that that was indicated. Aside from that minor critique, this book is a beautifully written work of art. It reveals an abundance of research and expertise that was done by the author, as well as her own personal experience with Adnan and his family and being part of the Muslim community.
I am elated with the recent developments of Adnan's conviction being overturned. Despite the injustices he suffered, he is still ceaselessly gracious and positive, which is incredibly admirable.
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
3.0
Worth checking out if you are a fan of Serial and/or anything tangentially related. Chaudry does a good job filling in the blanks on the personal side to help complete the full picture and providing updates on the case, some of which are quite intriguing. Occasionally Chaudry's bias toward Syed becomes very obvious in her zealous assessments, and she comes down a little too harshly on Koenig, who may not have performed exactly as anticipated, but did have a hand in bringing Syed's story into the public eye. Although a different narrator could have elevated the occasionally dry material, this audiobook nicely complimented the experience that I had with the podcast.
nikkiole's review against another edition
2.0
Couldn't quite finish this. Was a avid listener of Serial and Undisclosed podcasts as each delved into Adnan's case. Rabia is obviously quite passionate about this, but the writing style was hard for me to follow and maintain focus. One minute we are talking about the events of the day or days leading up, and then we are taking a whole tangent on Muslim teenage culture. Which, to be honest, was still interesting... I just wish the chapters had been better organized.
nerdyrev's review against another edition
3.0
Like many, I got caught up in this story from the Serial podcast. I pick this up knowing the HBO series was also coming. With all this stated, I am going to comment on the book itself. The book is setting out to prove:
1. Adnan was innocent
2. The police handled Adnan’s case incorrectly
3. Adnan’s lawyer didn’t fight hard enough.
As a book it did a fine job of laying that out. The problem was in her desire to see Adnan free, there is no credible alternative really presented.
At one point she says Don wasn’t really looked into, his mother was his manager, and... It just kind of ends there.
The same with Jay. She sets out to prove Jay is unreliable, but doesn’t really give a reason as to why Jay points to Adnan or had the knowledge he had. How did Jay know so many crucial details.
The book lays out the mistakes, but doesn’t strongly give an alternative narrative as to who may have committed the crime, which is typical in a true crime book. It was a good read, but way too much of tossing things against the wall.
1. Adnan was innocent
2. The police handled Adnan’s case incorrectly
3. Adnan’s lawyer didn’t fight hard enough.
As a book it did a fine job of laying that out. The problem was in her desire to see Adnan free, there is no credible alternative really presented.
At one point she says Don wasn’t really looked into, his mother was his manager, and... It just kind of ends there.
The same with Jay. She sets out to prove Jay is unreliable, but doesn’t really give a reason as to why Jay points to Adnan or had the knowledge he had. How did Jay know so many crucial details.
The book lays out the mistakes, but doesn’t strongly give an alternative narrative as to who may have committed the crime, which is typical in a true crime book. It was a good read, but way too much of tossing things against the wall.
elisacrln's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, just wow. This book was so amazing. So detailed and full of information. A must read for anyone truly interested in Adnan's case. I had so many questions left after Serial and this book along with Undisclosed and the HBO documentary have allowed me to understand the case better. It has inspired me to join the fight for Adnan.