Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Mi amigo Dahmer by Derf Backderf

6 reviews

spookynerd's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

3.5

I do very much appreciate the author's initial note and viewpoint in that Dahmer could have received help when he was young, and the adults in his life failed him, BUT his choices were his own and absolutely horrific - "Pity him, but don't empathize with him." 

Being a true crime buff, I know a lot about Dahmer already. He's...accessible, as far as serial killers go. It's a bit interesting seeing the view from kids who grew up with him, but still feels a little exploitative. 

Nonetheless, I do appreciate the fact gathering  from multiple sources, as well as personal memories. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Mental illness

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Murder

princessdana36's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, and Blood

nicmedia123's review against another edition

dark informative sad tense fast-paced

3.0

Review:
This was a disturbing portrait of the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer as a middle and high school kid in the 70s. He lived with combative parents, and his mother also suffered from mental illness. There was no intervention made by any adult at either school Dahmer attended, but it was also a different time.
Dahmer had few friends, and he lived a very isolated life. He became an alcoholic in high school.

The drawings evoke his robotic and wooden personality as well as his dark inner thoughts.

This is an important read, especially for adults who work with kids, so that we can recognize the signs of mental illness, depression and alcoholism so interventions can happen, but there is no guarantee that these may have helped. This might also help kids to say something when they see something.

Read this if you enjoy true crime, criminal psychology, work with teens or tweens.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Bullying

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence

amarj33t_5ingh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

4.0

An insightful gaze into Dahmer's past to argue he wasn't born evil but made evil by his dysfunctional family. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol

kashby's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

msradiosilence's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

1.5

I was really expecting more. An insight into his background would’ve been interesting, but not this apologetic work. I understand it’s a memoir, and cheers to Backderf for finding it in his heart to feel sympathy for Dahmer, but you won’t find any from me, and it makes me a little sick that Backderf tried to explain that Dahmer’s issues were a result of a bad home life, intrusive thoughts, bullying, and the like. Plenty of other people have had one of more of those things happen and didn’t stalk and murder other people. This books reads a lot like the news reports of (TW!!)

school shootings,

where they try to make it out like the perpetrator was also a victim, but like I said, there are people who are going through the same things, or worse, and aren’t unaliving other people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, and Alcohol