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mariakureads's review against another edition
3.5
It's been on my TBR since who knows when and after a few starts and stops, I'm done.
Larson wrote a very detailed, and I do mean very, account of the Chicago's World Fair, the atmosphere and history of the time, as well as the serial killer hiding amongst, the glitz, dirt, toils, glamour that the Fair brought to the city at the time.
The book involves a large set of people, all oddly enough interlocked in different ways and avenues and Larson explored and provided so many facts through his meticulous research that at different points were not only quotes provided, but newspaper clippings, menus, images, and witness accounts which some were interesting and others felt staid and dry and I lost interest at different parts of the book.
At times so factual that when the alternative chapters of the serial killer, H.H. Holmes, were introduced, it would sometimes grab my attention for a few pages but it felt odd as I was thrown off a few times by the pacing especially the further I read on to find that while the World's Fair and Holmes were in the same city, there was nothing concrete to tie them together since Holmes was adamant that he didn't do anything or was guilty of such killings—that the disappearances were a happenstance, surely, by his account.
Larson is a great researcher, this I'm sure of, and gave me so much new information specific to the fair and all the people, some later becoming famous in their own right, that all in all, while I had a few disconnects, the book is a solid read.
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Torture, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
megmoo's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Body horror and Torture
star_burstt's review
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, and Murder
sandysawmill's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, Torture, Blood, and Murder
bring_me_a_book's review
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Suicide, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
annabunce's review
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder
rachelsheplak's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Abortion, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
lulugirl297's review
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
ornateapple's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Blood, and Murder
evetoi's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Abortion, Murder, and Colonisation