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katwritesandreads7's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
...look... I wanted to love this so much. I really did. But it dragged on and the serial killer character had no redeeming qualities. Very few of the characters were loveable and I really wish the author had taken this in another direction. One of the characters gets betrayed and we never find out why and never see that character again. I was just so frustrated with the missed potential of this read. It was by no means a BAD book... It was comprehensive and had a good plot... But for me, it was missing so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
desiderium_incarnate's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
There are millions of men out there who want to hurt women - people seem to think that Ansel Packer is extraordinary, because he actually did.
This book was amazing! Yes it's incredibly dark and it hurts but it is so skillfully written and immersive and makes so much sense, I am pretty much in awe. The cover also makes so much sense when you read it and that's really cool. I didn't give it 5 stars because of a principle I have, if animals get unnecessarily hurt or die in a story, it isn't 5 stars,but yeah otherwise I fully recommend it. It really gives you a new perspective on the obsession people have with murderers or serial killers specifically - is the murderer really the most important thing about that? Is it most interesting, what made them like this? How their psyche works? What would be if they wouldn't have made those decisions? How they impacted the people around them and vice versa?
The book is not pro death penalty or police it shows flaws in the system, it also isn't against reporting on serial killers, it is just in some ways a comfort, hope, warning and another perspective from death row as well as from impacted outsiders left behind and I think that is all it should be.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail