Sara

Disappointing narration

Revisado: 04-26-23

The book was good, although it skipped around a bit. I’m a huge Dolphins fan, and so also interested in Garo.

However I was very disappointed in the narrator, who kept mispronouncing everyone’s name

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Where is the critical thinking?

Revisado: 06-03-17

Oh this book! I wanted to really delve in but it's impossible. The author is the worst kind as McElhinney and McAleer have an agenda that they are selling. It is written so poorly it feels like listening to a lecture not a nonfiction account. Ugh, so frustrating as there is so little written on Gosnell. It's all emotional and sentimental not objective or intelligent! Worst!! Interestingly, they reference Helter Skelter but fail to be dynamic or cerebral. Instead it's like "mom" schooling you on the evils of something....zzzzzz. Too bad since it had big shoes to fill. And still, the Gosnell story goes really untold.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Worst true crime text--ever!

Revisado: 04-27-16

I enjoy reading true crime and am always on the lookout for something new. This book was especially appealing because it covers so many people and crimes.The organization of the book is interesting and the author has conducted a couple of person-to-person interviews with a few killers. However, where the author goes terrible wrong is in how he writes about the crimes. Mr. Tucker has no reverence for the dead. This is the most unethical reporting I've ever come across. He talks about how Ted Bundy "F*cks" his victims or the "tightness" of a certain child's "a**hole." This book should never have been published. Tucker is the measure of an insensitive reporter. The book's cover is cheesy/tacky and the writing style and language is elementary and sleazy. I wish I could give this book ZERO stars. Simply a waste of time.

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A whole look at the Jonestown nightmare

Revisado: 01-15-16

There aren't many first-hand accounts of what life was like in Jonestown so this book is much more than a a memoir but a portal that takes us to the everyday life of a people and way of life that faded away in just one afternoon. With that said, this book is haunting in its details. Even for those who frequently read "true crime" books or the like may struggle to finish this book, I know I did...
The author takes very hard looks at Jim Jones, cult madness and herself/ mother in an attempt to explain how something like this did happen. I do recommend but beware it's a gripping and heartbreaking story that will stay with you like it or not.

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Interesting but...

Revisado: 12-25-15

At times a little predictable. The characters where dynamic, flawed but still mostly good people. This is a book almost anyone could/would enjoy!

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Poor writing worse narration!

Revisado: 12-21-15

You could rip out every other page of this book and still probably not miss anything of substance. MacLean's writing style was dizzying and told the story as a watery soup more full of contradicting opinions than facts. It isn't the worst true crime novel but it's not good either. The narration was truly awful! What were they thinking?! Almeida sounds grandmotherly and every time she said something obscene (which is frequently) I truly cringed! I'm sure she could pull off many books very well as a narrator and she did do a fantastic southern drawl for the killers voice, but she was honestly a very very poor choice for this book! I cannot recommend, nor will I ever re-read.

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Truth or Tale?

Revisado: 04-01-15

Many people love this book and I agree that Musser is a very talented writer.

However, it lacked an element of humanity on Musser's end. As the story unfolds you get the feeling that this isn't the whole story. It seems very one-sided as she has practically nothing good to say about anyone in her community (other than her full-blooded siblings and mother).

So, I did a little digging and found that her brother, a main player in the story "Cole" has also written a book (available on kindle) recounting much of his sister's book. I haven't read it but it is clear by the description that he thinks his sister isn't being truthful in her portrayal of events. That along with the fact the Musser paints herself as Miss Perfect (having never even lied in her whole life) it smacks of "to-good-to-be-true." Again, the story is a good read...but again the reader has to decide how much of this is truth or tale.

Musser also lost MANY points with me when she shares her devastation when her daughter is born with a dark birthmark on her face. She goes on and on about it and for the most part her devastation has to do with vanity. Later, she reveals that it can become cancerous and even then the emotions she shares wasn't as profound as how she went on and on about the "look" of it. I was appalled as I too have a child with a large, dark facial birthmark. And the day he was born I wept with the beauty and miracle of his birth not because he had a facial birthmark. She on the other hand, wept over it and she even shares that her husband was upset with her reaction--I could't agree more. Additionally, I was disgusted even if she did feel that way she'd put that in print!!!! It matters that this is her character and this is her story. I felt for her, she has been through a lot but she has a level of immaturity that makes me have misgivings for her story as a whole.

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Meh

Revisado: 01-10-15

I purchased this book on preorder so excited was I about its release. However, it is extremely dry. I don't mind that too much but I won't rave about it either. I much prefer someone who discussed the "what ifs" and "speculates" (just a little) about the endless possibilities based on documentation. This enriches the text and requires more than a "history lesson." Borman does neither. What you'll get here is is facts layed one atop the other until the end. If you read Wolf Hall and just want to fact check then this will give you that...but if your looking for something exciting like "The Creation of Anne Boleyn" then keep moving on.

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esto le resultó útil a 18 personas

A Bizarre "Reader's Digest" Version of History...

Revisado: 01-06-15

This book is written in a very distinctive style that limits the content and the enjoyment.

Falconer's writing style is rushed and goes from one event to another without any content in-between. We have all seen this before, and in many texts it helps move the story along. However, Falconer abuses this method and skips years with no pause to develop the players in the story. This makes the courtship with the characters stunted and you end up not caring what happens to them. Isabella had many children, but other than a line or two we know nothing other than their names and order of birth. Who writes about a queen without discussing their children?! This is extremely careless writing! I kept thinking at some point Falconer would stop racing through the years and give these people life but he never did. Instead, Falconer relies on the seedy nature of the king to carry the story. We get it, he was gay, woohoo. That alone, with no additional substance, is NOT enough to carry an entire novel...

If you are a huge history buff (as I am) then maybe you will want to read this book simply because there are few historical fictions from this period. But be warned--don't expect too much.

Happy Readings!

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esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

Good True Crime

Revisado: 12-21-14

Many of the current reviews kept me from picking this book. This book is a great read with lots of detail. Several reviewers mention the parts about BTK's pastor as boring or distracting and I'd argue the opposite is the case. BTK was very devoted in his Christianity. The author, clearly intrigued by this, delves into how BTK was able to kill 10 people without remorse and still call himself a man of God.

I really enjoyed this book and I bet you will too!

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