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Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'
Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green
2 reviews
jmross10's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
I will not be rating this book owing to the subject matter but that is not a reflection of my feelings.
I think it was very well written and does not suffer from timeline confusion many historical nonfiction books do. It follows the narrative in a mostly linear fashion which makes it easier for readers to follow.
Green did a good job of explaining the circumstances around the murders but also, in my opinion, trying to make these men more than just victims. He took the time to tell their life story separate from their tragic deaths which is so important. It forces readers to remember they are people and not just another name on the page.
There is an air of mystery around the outcome which Green handles well. Not for the sake of monopolizing on the unknown but because that’s where it makes the most sense in the narrative. Once they start looking for legitimate suspects, the information about those individuals (including the guilty parties) is revealed.
As a whole, I think it did a good job recounting the events. It had some information about forensics practices but didn’t overwhelm the reader with it. The historical context was helpful for those who didn’t have that information without being dry or feeling alienating. There was discussion of politics and society as well that made the history more fleshed out than just dates. Lastly, the commentary from his interviewees was well used and distributed throughout the book. It felt like a cohesive narrative and not just a hodge podge of other people’s work.
I think it was very well written and does not suffer from timeline confusion many historical nonfiction books do. It follows the narrative in a mostly linear fashion which makes it easier for readers to follow.
Green did a good job of explaining the circumstances around the murders but also, in my opinion, trying to make these men more than just victims. He took the time to tell their life story separate from their tragic deaths which is so important. It forces readers to remember they are people and not just another name on the page.
There is an air of mystery around the outcome which Green handles well. Not for the sake of monopolizing on the unknown but because that’s where it makes the most sense in the narrative. Once they start looking for legitimate suspects, the information about those individuals (including the guilty parties) is revealed.
As a whole, I think it did a good job recounting the events. It had some information about forensics practices but didn’t overwhelm the reader with it. The historical context was helpful for those who didn’t have that information without being dry or feeling alienating. There was discussion of politics and society as well that made the history more fleshed out than just dates. Lastly, the commentary from his interviewees was well used and distributed throughout the book. It felt like a cohesive narrative and not just a hodge podge of other people’s work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Murder, Violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Hate crime, Outing, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Drug use, Grief, Medical trauma, Racism, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Police brutality, and Suicide
shieldbearer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.5
I have to strongly recommend the audiobook, because the author's interview at the end of the book provides so much context with the author's intent upon writing this. It is very clear that this book was written from such a place of empathy for the victims and their loved ones to honor their lives and memories.
Almost every complaint in the reviews stems from completely missing this point.
+ While I agree the use of the n word was not necessary (and is why I have docked the book by half a star for such an egregious oversight) the use of the f-slur are because of the sources the author was utilizing, included to contextualize the sort of environment queer people had to live in, and are direct quotes from people involved in the case. If you do not understand why this contextualization matters, you need to get off twitter.
+ the absolute genius who complained this was a "limited" "exploration of queerness" missed the memo where the author is working to show us the victims and their lives- their specific experiences and histories, and the failures of the system and society that made their deaths possible. This is not a book about "queerness" and furthermore, there is no universal "queerness." again. please get off twitter.
+ the vague "disappointing... not what I was expecting" reviews are almost invariably more interested in the
"glamour" of the killer's motives and the gory details of the case. The author is thoroughly uninterested in the killer, and continually centers the victims and their lives.
This book has ruined all other true crime books for me.
Almost every complaint in the reviews stems from completely missing this point.
+ While I agree the use of the n word was not necessary (and is why I have docked the book by half a star for such an egregious oversight) the use of the f-slur are because of the sources the author was utilizing, included to contextualize the sort of environment queer people had to live in, and are direct quotes from people involved in the case. If you do not understand why this contextualization matters, you need to get off twitter.
+ the absolute genius who complained this was a "limited" "exploration of queerness" missed the memo where the author is working to show us the victims and their lives- their specific experiences and histories, and the failures of the system and society that made their deaths possible. This is not a book about "queerness" and furthermore, there is no universal "queerness." again. please get off twitter.
+ the vague "disappointing... not what I was expecting" reviews are almost invariably more interested in the
"glamour" of the killer's motives and the gory details of the case. The author is thoroughly uninterested in the killer, and continually centers the victims and their lives.
This book has ruined all other true crime books for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Gore, Homophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Chronic illness, Blood, Classism, Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Body shaming
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