adventuresbetweenpages's review against another edition
4.0
It was a good book but hard to read. I kept thinking about my own kids. I love the genre of true crime but since becoming a mom it's hits close to home when it comes to the murder of kids
thereadingknitter's review against another edition
2.0
I liked this book okay. But some of the details made me cringe and I’d have to skim places. Probably wasn’t a good book to read with my already anxiousness with my 8 year old. Haha
ashlyn_f_stel's review against another edition
4.0
Probably 3.5 stars but rounding up because I was so intrigued to read to the end eventually. This book was fascinating and so sad, although I know that’s what I was getting into. I honestly would’ve rated it a full 5 stars if not for editing errors that could’ve easily been fixed and that it took me a good while to fully get into. Penton is an absolutely despicable creature who did deserve the death penalty. He had a propensity for so-called “throwaway” kids which basically meant any child who was not white. I’m glad I finally finished this!
hillarynguyen's review against another edition
5.0
WOW, what a journey The Bogeyman brought. I couldn't turn the page quick enough. I've never heard of the sicko David Penton ever before until this book. Steve Jackson's writing is brilliant and the case shook me to the core. The 23-year investigation started in the 80's was intricate with so many twists and turns bringing tragedies to not only the victims' families but also everyone else whom was directly involved in this case.
My eyes were teary at some parts of the book. Steve tied everything so well together by weaving the plots with well-versed psychological and emotional elements. I was indulged in the fact that he managed to avoid injecting his subjective personal opinions into the stories so his readers wouldn't be steered away from the characters and the events that took place. This is how true crime should be written!
My eyes were teary at some parts of the book. Steve tied everything so well together by weaving the plots with well-versed psychological and emotional elements. I was indulged in the fact that he managed to avoid injecting his subjective personal opinions into the stories so his readers wouldn't be steered away from the characters and the events that took place. This is how true crime should be written!
kellyhager's review
5.0
As you know, I don't read very much nonfiction. This book makes me want to change that.
Before reading this, I hadn't heard anything about David Penton, who is the titular Bogeyman. I feel like now I know almost too much. I don't want to get melodramatic, but he's one of those people who is just pure evil.
You should know that bad things happen throughout the course of the book but that Steve Jackson doesn't really go into detail. I mean, you know what happens, but it's not gone into in lurid detail.
It's obvious that Steve Jackson did a great deal of research into this, and that he talked to a lot of people. While it seems that we hear about things mainly from the police officers' perspective, we also hear from the victims' parents and from a few people who had seen Penton and were nearly abducted but got away. (Unfortunately, there aren't many of them; he was able to take almost every child he came across.)
This book is not for the easily disturbed, but I found it fascinating. Also, given all the smears that police officers are facing now, it was nice to read about these officers who went through so much to find this man who was preying on and killing children. There were a lot of repercussions for them---mainly emotionally, although some marriages suffered as well---and they just would not stop until he was found, apprehended, tried and jailed.
Highly recommended.
Before reading this, I hadn't heard anything about David Penton, who is the titular Bogeyman. I feel like now I know almost too much. I don't want to get melodramatic, but he's one of those people who is just pure evil.
You should know that bad things happen throughout the course of the book but that Steve Jackson doesn't really go into detail. I mean, you know what happens, but it's not gone into in lurid detail.
It's obvious that Steve Jackson did a great deal of research into this, and that he talked to a lot of people. While it seems that we hear about things mainly from the police officers' perspective, we also hear from the victims' parents and from a few people who had seen Penton and were nearly abducted but got away. (Unfortunately, there aren't many of them; he was able to take almost every child he came across.)
This book is not for the easily disturbed, but I found it fascinating. Also, given all the smears that police officers are facing now, it was nice to read about these officers who went through so much to find this man who was preying on and killing children. There were a lot of repercussions for them---mainly emotionally, although some marriages suffered as well---and they just would not stop until he was found, apprehended, tried and jailed.
Highly recommended.
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