andmingmingtoo's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

4.75

This book sets itself apart from most other "true crime" by going beyond the who+what+where+when to ask why-- instead of just focusing on one tragedy, this book asks how the setting and history surrounding what happened led to it occurring.
(Also bonus points to this book for making me hyperfixate on mormonism. It's so hard to explain to my friends that I'm having a mormon phase but not in a religious way, it's in a learning about neat history way)

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lmsokol18's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark informative fast-paced

5.0

Fascinating book that tells the story of the Lafferty murders and Mormon fundamentalism alongside the history of the Mormon religion. This book is enraging and devastating. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

gwynian's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

fiveredhens's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

5.0

i think it's time to admit to myself i would read practically anything jon krakauer writes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

qog's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

_fallinglight_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

nicjmorrow's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

3.5

A well written and informative book about a much more violent history than I new the morman history to be. I didn't know as much as I thought I did about their history or current beliefs. I also didn't know that polygamy was not widely practiced due to the media portrayal of them as a whole.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

jazzreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Under the Banner of Heaven is a deeply disturbing examination of the history of the Mormon Church. As hard as it is to read, this book is incredibly well written and well researched. If you’re interested in learning about Mormonism, its place in American history, or just cults in general, you’ll get a lot of this book. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

miblette's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark informative tense medium-paced

3.5

This was part history part true crime. It jumped around between timelines, and while I appreciate the author trying to make connections from the past to the present, I think I personally prefer chronological nonfiction. Overall, it was fascinating, tragic, heartbreaking, and informative.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

paguroidea's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark informative slow-paced

3.75

Learned a lot more about the LDS history than I was expecting to, and this religion is even more bananas than I could’ve imagined. Interesting overall, occasionally dry, definitely disturbing not just because of the murders, but the beliefs and delusions that lead up to them.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings