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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
sad
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
challenging
dark
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
“Deceit is really the true crime of humanity”
This book wrecked me in the best way! It was devastating, horrifying and a lot of parts were hard to read, but I found myself not pulling away! Samantha did a great job with this debut novella!
I gotta share a spoiler-
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-
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Dogs die.
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I think it’s funny, I enjoy reading horror. I’m used to reading about rape, murder, etc etc. I always come back for more.
A dog dies though and I lose my mind. Normally that makes me DNF. but Samantha had me so emotionally involved I couldn’t give up. I had to see it through. I’m soooo glad i did!
This book wrecked me in the best way! It was devastating, horrifying and a lot of parts were hard to read, but I found myself not pulling away! Samantha did a great job with this debut novella!
I gotta share a spoiler-
-
-
-
Dogs die.
-
-
I think it’s funny, I enjoy reading horror. I’m used to reading about rape, murder, etc etc. I always come back for more.
A dog dies though and I lose my mind. Normally that makes me DNF. but Samantha had me so emotionally involved I couldn’t give up. I had to see it through. I’m soooo glad i did!
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
True Crime follows Suzy, a true crime enthusiast & her brother, Lim, who both suffer from emotional, physical and sexual abuse by the hands of their mother. After a major change in the family home, Suzy and Lim embark on a cross-country road-trip that will leave readers feeling raw & emotionally compromised.
Kolesnik, especially with the fact this was their debut, literally did not hold back. She’s managed to set such a high-bar for what I’ll be looking for in novels, and I’m not sure if any will hold up to how harrowing, upsetting and brutal this novella is.
I’m not easily upset or affected by horror, but this book managed to dig deep and personal, to the point where I actually started to tear up (which is a really rare occurrence) and had to put the book down for a little bit to compose myself. True Crime deals with a lot of things that are very real and very important, and I personally, as someone who is afab, related heavily to how Suzy views herself. It was a surreal feeling reading that type of content and being able to understand it.
It’s a brutal book. I mean it. Five pages in and I knew I wouldn’t be getting to sleep anytime soon because the writing instantly pulls you in & keeps you tied there. The constant battle of good vs evil, the deep impact of making you question your morals, it will leave you feeling uncomfortable and empty. I was not expecting such heavy and intense themes, and even with the fact it’s half off page (at some points) I still felt my stomach growing heavy and my chest tightening. Even for seasoned horror readers (which I like to class myself as) there are things in this book that will haunt you.
Samantha Kolesnik is an author that’s going to be continuously on my radar. Her works are absolutely captivating and mesmerising, and for this being her debut, I can’t wait to see what else she’ll have in store for us.
BLOG | INSTA | TWITTER
Kolesnik, especially with the fact this was their debut, literally did not hold back. She’s managed to set such a high-bar for what I’ll be looking for in novels, and I’m not sure if any will hold up to how harrowing, upsetting and brutal this novella is.
I’m not easily upset or affected by horror, but this book managed to dig deep and personal, to the point where I actually started to tear up (which is a really rare occurrence) and had to put the book down for a little bit to compose myself. True Crime deals with a lot of things that are very real and very important, and I personally, as someone who is afab, related heavily to how Suzy views herself. It was a surreal feeling reading that type of content and being able to understand it.
It’s a brutal book. I mean it. Five pages in and I knew I wouldn’t be getting to sleep anytime soon because the writing instantly pulls you in & keeps you tied there. The constant battle of good vs evil, the deep impact of making you question your morals, it will leave you feeling uncomfortable and empty. I was not expecting such heavy and intense themes, and even with the fact it’s half off page (at some points) I still felt my stomach growing heavy and my chest tightening. Even for seasoned horror readers (which I like to class myself as) there are things in this book that will haunt you.
Samantha Kolesnik is an author that’s going to be continuously on my radar. Her works are absolutely captivating and mesmerising, and for this being her debut, I can’t wait to see what else she’ll have in store for us.
BLOG | INSTA | TWITTER
This is without a single doubt, one of the most disturbing and traumatizing fictional books I have ever read. Word of warning, this book is not for the faint of heart and there are A LOT of potential triggers especially at the beginning. It feels weird giving such a book 5 stars because I wouldn’t really say I enjoyed it in the typical sense you normally enjoy a book. My skin was crawling at the beginning and I often had to pause to collect myself while reading that part because I was just so disturbed and horrified by what I was reading, I just couldn’t fathom the thought. The depravity that humans can inflict on each other is truly terrifying and the things it leads to are even more horrifying. After the beginning it was a little less heavy for me and got easier to read but the events that follow are still brutal and absolutely chilling and scarred my soul to the core. While it is a short novel, it packs SO much horror into so few pages and really hits you where it hurts. I highly recommend any horror or true crime fan read this, but be warned, it’s BRUTAL.
Suzy and her older brother Lim live a life that no one should. They’re under the thumb of their abusive mother who truly is a monster. The sexual abuse that they suffer from is horrific and disgusting.
Until one day, Suzy ends up snapping. She can’t bear the abuse any longer.
Lim and Suzy know that they can’t stay and end up on the run. However, the trauma they endured isn’t left behind with their mother, in fact, it follows them.
The trip turns into something more as their trauma influences their actions.
The story is told from Suzy’s perspective, so you really get a good look into her mind and how she’s doing mentally.
Now, I haven’t read Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, but I’ve seen the movie, and a lot of people make some comparisons between this book and his. I can’t really say since I haven’t read it.
The first couple chapters of this book are very hard to read. If you are triggered by sexual abuse, especially involving children or young people, be wary.
There is also violence on animals involved, so be mindful of that.
After Suzy snaps, which is pretty quick into the story, it’s a lot easier to digest and move forward. Thankfully this is a novella and only 143 pages, so the really horrible parts are over pretty quickly.
After Suzy and Lim make a run for it, you really get a peak at how trauma affects someone.
Since Suzy is the main narrator of the book, you get a look inside her head and how she’s digesting everything she’s gone through and how she thinks.
Lim’s outward actions and behavior displays his own way of dealing with trauma, but the author really focuses on Suzy.
The rest of the book really deals with Suzy’s internal struggle of good vs bad and how her life will end up turning out. Will her mothers actions have a hold on the rest of her life?
I thought the author did a really good job at showing Suzy’s way of processing and her emotional scars.
The writing is very deep and raw, but also so beautifully grim. I couldn’t put it down, it was so capturing.
Then ending is surprising and unsurprising at the same time. It’s almost like I knew it would happen, but I didn’t want to entertain it.
Can’t wait to read more from Samantha Kolesnik!
Until one day, Suzy ends up snapping. She can’t bear the abuse any longer.
Lim and Suzy know that they can’t stay and end up on the run. However, the trauma they endured isn’t left behind with their mother, in fact, it follows them.
The trip turns into something more as their trauma influences their actions.
The story is told from Suzy’s perspective, so you really get a good look into her mind and how she’s doing mentally.
Now, I haven’t read Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, but I’ve seen the movie, and a lot of people make some comparisons between this book and his. I can’t really say since I haven’t read it.
The first couple chapters of this book are very hard to read. If you are triggered by sexual abuse, especially involving children or young people, be wary.
There is also violence on animals involved, so be mindful of that.
After Suzy snaps, which is pretty quick into the story, it’s a lot easier to digest and move forward. Thankfully this is a novella and only 143 pages, so the really horrible parts are over pretty quickly.
After Suzy and Lim make a run for it, you really get a peak at how trauma affects someone.
Since Suzy is the main narrator of the book, you get a look inside her head and how she’s digesting everything she’s gone through and how she thinks.
Lim’s outward actions and behavior displays his own way of dealing with trauma, but the author really focuses on Suzy.
The rest of the book really deals with Suzy’s internal struggle of good vs bad and how her life will end up turning out. Will her mothers actions have a hold on the rest of her life?
I thought the author did a really good job at showing Suzy’s way of processing and her emotional scars.
The writing is very deep and raw, but also so beautifully grim. I couldn’t put it down, it was so capturing.
Then ending is surprising and unsurprising at the same time. It’s almost like I knew it would happen, but I didn’t want to entertain it.
Can’t wait to read more from Samantha Kolesnik!