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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
I first became aware of Samantha Kolesnik’s True Crime on Twitter. I’d seen a couple tweets of the excellent cover and was further drawn in by the blurb from Brian Keene. I reached out to the author in hopes of being able to get my hands on a review copy. Shortly thereafter, the copy came in, along with a note from the author, part of which stated she hopes the book leaves and impression. After finishing the book, it’s safe to say it did a lot more than leave an impression.
True Crime is the story a girl named Suzy. Suzy lives at home with her brother Lim, and their mother, who is abusive to both of the siblings. The two flee home and embark on an adventure filled with murder and mayhem.
I had a blast reading True Crime, but at the same time I’ve got to mention this book was truly disturbing. There is a lot of mental and sexual abuse within this book. I’m not the type of reader to be disturbed by much of anything, but what’s in these pages really made a mark on me. On more than one occasion I put the book down to take a breather before continuing on. That being said, this book was well written and fascinating to read. As the blood spills within these pages, I was intrigued to see what was going to happen to Suzy. Did her upbringing make her a monster? In time, could she be healed? Suzy isn’t sure of this herself and as the story continues she becomes more detached and cold. From the get go, Lim strikes me as empty, likely because of the abuse suffered, but we don’t get to see what’s in Lim’s head because the narrative is in first person and Suzy isn’t exactly sure of what’s going on in Lim's mind.
True Crime is an exceptional book. It’s filled with abuse, brutality, murder, and psychosis. This is the type of book that sits with you long after you finish. If reading about sexual abuse isn’t something that you can stomach, this may not be for you, otherwise I’d highly recommend True Crime.
5/5
True Crime is the story a girl named Suzy. Suzy lives at home with her brother Lim, and their mother, who is abusive to both of the siblings. The two flee home and embark on an adventure filled with murder and mayhem.
I had a blast reading True Crime, but at the same time I’ve got to mention this book was truly disturbing. There is a lot of mental and sexual abuse within this book. I’m not the type of reader to be disturbed by much of anything, but what’s in these pages really made a mark on me. On more than one occasion I put the book down to take a breather before continuing on. That being said, this book was well written and fascinating to read. As the blood spills within these pages, I was intrigued to see what was going to happen to Suzy. Did her upbringing make her a monster? In time, could she be healed? Suzy isn’t sure of this herself and as the story continues she becomes more detached and cold. From the get go, Lim strikes me as empty, likely because of the abuse suffered, but we don’t get to see what’s in Lim’s head because the narrative is in first person and Suzy isn’t exactly sure of what’s going on in Lim's mind.
True Crime is an exceptional book. It’s filled with abuse, brutality, murder, and psychosis. This is the type of book that sits with you long after you finish. If reading about sexual abuse isn’t something that you can stomach, this may not be for you, otherwise I’d highly recommend True Crime.
5/5
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
Minor: Infertility
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
challenging
dark
tense
Dark and emotionally (and physically at times) brutal story. Very well-written. It's not the kind of book that will leave you with warm and fuzzy feelings, that's for sure, but I couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting.
I’d like to keep the spotlight on True Crime in this review, but before I do so, I need to tell you a short tale from my past. It may seem irrelevant at first, but stick with me, as I think it’s important to understanding the effect this book had on me. When I was in college, I overheard a group of students in one of my classes discussing the film “Requiem for a Dream”. One guy said, “Man, I felt so depressed after seeing that movie. You’ve got to watch it.” Well, that’s all I needed to hear to pique my interest, and I rented the movie shortly after. I watched it, and sure enough I felt some kind of way afterward. Call it depression, melancholy, whatever you will—all I know was that it had a major effect on me. I found that story impactful because I felt like I had gone through it with the characters, experiencing the highs and the lows, and ultimately arriving at an end with no hope. There were times I wanted to turn away, but I couldn’t tear my eyes from the screen. I’m telling you this because I often think of that film when I’ve finished a book that hit me like a ton of bricks. True Crime is one of those books.
To me, some of the best books are those that leave an impact—you’re left feeling something, no matter the emotion. Samantha Kolesnik has created this type of story with True Crime. The writing in this novel puts you inside the main character’s physical and mental experience, and it leaves a mark. I felt so much empathy for these characters, especially Suzy, despite never going through the same trauma myself. The descriptions of Suzy’s abuse and of its effects on her mind really got under my skin, especially when it came to her feelings of worthlessness.
There are no words wasted in this book. It’s less than 150 pages, without added fluff. To-the-point, but never bland. The writing is so well done that I could fill at least a page of this review with profound quotable lines from this novel. I’m not going to lie, this story is bleak, but that’s part of what makes it so impactful on the reader. Each time I thought there might be a ray of sunshine about to peak through the clouds, that moment of hope or redemption never came.
The story within these pages is a shining example of the horror found in humanity. There are no supernatural monsters here, nor are they necessary to make this tale frightening. Sometimes the scariest stories are those based on the evil found in everyday life. True Crime is a powerful debut—a punch to the gut that left me in stunned silence by the end. I’ve seen so many 5-star ratings for this one, so I trust that I’m one among many who anticipate this author’s next release.
To me, some of the best books are those that leave an impact—you’re left feeling something, no matter the emotion. Samantha Kolesnik has created this type of story with True Crime. The writing in this novel puts you inside the main character’s physical and mental experience, and it leaves a mark. I felt so much empathy for these characters, especially Suzy, despite never going through the same trauma myself. The descriptions of Suzy’s abuse and of its effects on her mind really got under my skin, especially when it came to her feelings of worthlessness.
There are no words wasted in this book. It’s less than 150 pages, without added fluff. To-the-point, but never bland. The writing is so well done that I could fill at least a page of this review with profound quotable lines from this novel. I’m not going to lie, this story is bleak, but that’s part of what makes it so impactful on the reader. Each time I thought there might be a ray of sunshine about to peak through the clouds, that moment of hope or redemption never came.
The story within these pages is a shining example of the horror found in humanity. There are no supernatural monsters here, nor are they necessary to make this tale frightening. Sometimes the scariest stories are those based on the evil found in everyday life. True Crime is a powerful debut—a punch to the gut that left me in stunned silence by the end. I’ve seen so many 5-star ratings for this one, so I trust that I’m one among many who anticipate this author’s next release.
I loved the writing of this book, it was super engaging and very thought out. Whenever I read short novels/novellas I always come out wanting more and never truly feeling resolved about the story and characters BUT True Crime was wrapped up and packaged all the way through-I finished the story satisfied. “Like all good monsters, I came not by force, but by invitation.”
This is a hard read (especially in the beginning, when I nearly quit), but wow, what an accomplishment. Searingly told, pulls no punches; the psychology of Suzy is exquisitely done. The rare book where I had absolutely no idea how it might end. I'll be thinking about this one for awhile.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment