Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Behold the Monster: Confronting America's Most Prolific Serial Killer by Jillian Lauren

4 reviews

alexisgarcia's review

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

2.5

i think this book wasn’t executed quite right. i don’t totally agree with adding a bunch of details about the actual crimes when there was no actual evidence of them happening. while it has the ability to make the story more compelling and “atmospheric”, it always feels a little disrespectful and fake. idk. and the way the information is presented is super disjointed and confusing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Blood, Rape, Body horror, Death, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail

yalibrarianjen's review

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Murder, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Torture, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

willa_reads_books's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

i think that this book was really well written. due to the victims and how recent all of these things were discovered, i have not seen much press on these cases and this killer. this is a comprehensive look into his crimes, his victims, and his trial. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, Racism, Blood, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Drug use, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, and Drug abuse

sleepysadpoet's review against another edition

dark informative inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

Disclaimer: I received a gifted copy of this book via netgalley and in exchange I'm leaving an honest, thorough review. All opinions are my own.
When I requested this book, I knew absolutely nothing about Samuel Little. I just knew it included interviews with a serial killer, and as someone who listens to true crime podcasts and stuff, I was intrigued by that. Now that I've read it, I'm furious. He got away with so fucking much and it's terrifying. 
Not because of the writer, she's talented and thorough. I don't typically read crime novels, though this isn't my first time reading one. Most of the ones I read are fiction.
This isn't fiction, it's reality and it's absolutely fucking terrifying that this man got away with so much. This is in part due to the fact that he targeted women who wouldn't be prioritized--sex workers, addicts, women of color. One was trans. And there were write ups saying "no humans involved." What the actual fuck?
I appreciate the fact that the writer focused on the victims and telling their stories. A lot of true crime experts focus on the criminal and his story, and that always gives me the ick. Because how can you be comfortable doing that, giving the murderers screen time? It isn't about THEM, it's about their victims.
This book is absolutely heartbreaking and it really made me think. He was one of the most prolific serial killers, and the reason he got away with it is because these women weren't viewed as human beings.
It's cathartic that he died of covid--he often told his victims to 'take his breath.' and at the end? He died from an illness that stole his breath. 
This book was really intense, but those victims' stories should be told.

Thank you again to netgalley, and Jillian, for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault