pabloandres's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
moragab's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5 stars
I haven't read a play in this format before but I really liked it. I was surprised by how interesting and fast paced it was. I like how they included the interviews ten years after the death. It was nice to see how Laramie and its community changed and how it didn't. I remember hearing about Matthew Shepard when I was younger but I never knew the details of his death until now. I recommend this book for everyone and especially if you like reading nonfiction with LGBTQ+ themes and topics.
I haven't read a play in this format before but I really liked it. I was surprised by how interesting and fast paced it was. I like how they included the interviews ten years after the death. It was nice to see how Laramie and its community changed and how it didn't. I remember hearing about Matthew Shepard when I was younger but I never knew the details of his death until now. I recommend this book for everyone and especially if you like reading nonfiction with LGBTQ+ themes and topics.
lelex's review against another edition
4.0
Reading this was a whole lot in every single way. It made me real emotional in ways I both expected and didn't, but it was masterfully done. I'd love to see it in actual play version at some point in my life. I'm glad I read the 10 years later version too, because that was revelatory. Especially in the folklore sense of how rumors about terrible small town events morph and change over the years.
*
"If that's where you want to live, do it. I mean, imagine if more gay people stayed in small towns."
"Unitarians are by and large humanists, many of whom are atheists. I mean - we're, you know, we're not even sure we're a religion."
"Like people say things to me like "Why do you wear that thing on your head? Like when I go to the grocery store, I'm not looking to give people Islam 101, you know what I mean? So I'll be like, We'll it's a part of my religion and they'll be like - this is the worst part 'cause they're like, "I know it's part of your religion, but why?" And it's - how am I supposed to go into the whole doctrine of physical modesty and my own spiritual relationship with the Lord, standing there with my pop and chips? You know what I mean?"
"My secret hope was that they were from somewhere else that then of course you can create that distance. We don't grow children like that here. Well, it's pretty clear that we do grow children like that here."
"When we got to the Albany Country Courthouse, Fred Phelps was already there." "But so was Romaine Peterson."
"Yeah, this twenty one year old little lesbian is ready to walk the line with him."
Aaron McKinney: He is gonna die for sure?
Rob Debree: There is no doubt that Mr. Shepard is going to die.
"May you live a long life, and may you thank Matthew every day for it."
Greg Pierotti: Well, Aaron, you brutally murdered her son.
Aaron McKinney: (Conceding) Yeah, I know.
*
"If that's where you want to live, do it. I mean, imagine if more gay people stayed in small towns."
"Unitarians are by and large humanists, many of whom are atheists. I mean - we're, you know, we're not even sure we're a religion."
"Like people say things to me like "Why do you wear that thing on your head? Like when I go to the grocery store, I'm not looking to give people Islam 101, you know what I mean? So I'll be like, We'll it's a part of my religion and they'll be like - this is the worst part 'cause they're like, "I know it's part of your religion, but why?" And it's - how am I supposed to go into the whole doctrine of physical modesty and my own spiritual relationship with the Lord, standing there with my pop and chips? You know what I mean?"
"My secret hope was that they were from somewhere else that then of course you can create that distance. We don't grow children like that here. Well, it's pretty clear that we do grow children like that here."
"When we got to the Albany Country Courthouse, Fred Phelps was already there." "But so was Romaine Peterson."
"Yeah, this twenty one year old little lesbian is ready to walk the line with him."
Aaron McKinney: He is gonna die for sure?
Rob Debree: There is no doubt that Mr. Shepard is going to die.
"May you live a long life, and may you thank Matthew every day for it."
Greg Pierotti: Well, Aaron, you brutally murdered her son.
Aaron McKinney: (Conceding) Yeah, I know.
hannah215's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
feeohnaemily's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Hate crime, Homophobia, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Violence
Minor: Lesbophobia, Outing, and Torture
clayslibrary's review
challenging
reflective
sad
4.0
I remember seeing a highly protested production of this as a teenager in the next town over from us in the mid 2000s. As a gay teen it was terrifying to see the hate so concentrated, even though I experienced it every day at school too. I remember joining a group of queer counterprotestors standing across the street from the Westboro Baptist church people with their “kill gay kids” signs with cops between us. I remember wondering if anyone would get shot. I cried a few times reading this, remembering everything I felt that day. For years after I would find myself thinking about the signs they held. Literal children holding signs about killing children. This book was really interesting to read as a now 32 year old and reflect.
cooperlentz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0