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margo_lopez297's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
bntyle01's review against another edition
4.0
This true crime read takes you on a journey. The author tells the story of the woman who would’ve been her step-sister. This brings a personal element, yet the author remains focused on the finding the truth and not letting personal stories impact where this story leads.
She tells the honest story of Stephanie. And like many of us there are many places to look at the time of her disappearance. With so many possible leads and a police unit that had issues of their own, this case makes you wonder what is next and will this family ever get answers?
She tells the honest story of Stephanie. And like many of us there are many places to look at the time of her disappearance. With so many possible leads and a police unit that had issues of their own, this case makes you wonder what is next and will this family ever get answers?
vanillafire's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
sarahdenn27's review against another edition
5.0
I read a lot of true crime, but have never read any about the city I grew up in. It was so weird to see names of people in Rochester I’m familiar with and places I’ve been playing central roles in this story. It was fascinating how Rachel Rear never knew her stepsister but researched her and her death in such a way that she could learn more about her and make sure she wasn’t forgotten. This was more sensitive and thoughtful than much of the true crime I read. I was reminded constantly throughout of Stephanie’s humanity and vibrancy in life, which is something true crime can tend to fail in - the victims are often simply named and listed without making readers remember that they’re humans too.
ellekeene's review against another edition
5.0
As a true crime reader, I'm always looking for that certain something that pulls beyond the facts of the case. Sparrow has so much bittersweet dimension, excellent research for a book so brief, and is so worthwhile.
townofherons's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
4.0
Emotional, compelling, insightful. This is a fast-paced memoir about the ramifications of a small town murder, the past bleeding into the present, and the forgotten memories of women lost to male violence.
Negative reviews lament that this isn’t a graphic true crime depiction with lots of gory details or a mysterious whodunnit style thriller.
It’s a memoir about grief, loss, memory, and all the things that surround this case rather than the case itself.
As a bereaved sibling myself I found it sensitive and informative, doing justice to all the victim’s involved. I’m not a true crime enjoyer and find the genre mostly exploitive and voyeuristic. This book is not that at all. The explicit details are kept to a short paragraph towards the end along with some very fair justification for putting it there. Some of these low reviews say more about the readers than the book in my opinion.
Negative reviews lament that this isn’t a graphic true crime depiction with lots of gory details or a mysterious whodunnit style thriller.
It’s a memoir about grief, loss, memory, and all the things that surround this case rather than the case itself.
As a bereaved sibling myself I found it sensitive and informative, doing justice to all the victim’s involved. I’m not a true crime enjoyer and find the genre mostly exploitive and voyeuristic. This book is not that at all. The explicit details are kept to a short paragraph towards the end along with some very fair justification for putting it there. Some of these low reviews say more about the readers than the book in my opinion.