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evarano's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this was great! Really well done, well written. My only experience with this story is through Serial, which I thought was great, I was completely hooked. This is so much more in depth, I couldn’t believe the details they uncovered. I think my only complaint would be we don’t get to find out what happened in the end-because it’s still ongoing, which is mind blowing. This really opened my eyes to a lot of injustices that occurred surrounding this case and it was very interesting and sad. I really recommend this!
As I didn’t have a fav book of this year, this is one of my Top 10 of 2023! ⭐️
As I didn’t have a fav book of this year, this is one of my Top 10 of 2023! ⭐️
librarygurl's review against another edition
5.0
If you listen to the audiobook, this is like a 13 hour episode of Undisclosed. I came to Serial at the end of the podcast's first season. I came to Undisclosed about half way through the first season. I have kept up with this case since. I listened to the reviews on the PCR hearing and I bought the audiobook as soon as it was released. I don't really read their blogs, follow people on Twitter, or get deep into Reddit's theories. Chaudry has done a deep dive into the case including Adan's childhood, what it is like to be a Muslim American, her own life, and Adnan's life in prison. Yes, she is biased and I felt she was unapologetic about that, but acknowledged.
I thought she did a great job framing the story. All the things she learned for the podcast are put to use here. I liked having context. I often wondered why this case seemed to only be something white people (as an idea) cared about. She explains her own struggle with Muslim American leaders that has impacted their interest in vocally supporting her. I also really liked the handful of reveals that she saved for this book. No, I am not going to mention them here. Yes, those who are fully engaged in this may already know, but those of us who just know the podcasts may only just learn.
What I struggled with was how much was repeated from the podcasts in the second half. I am not sure if they are marketing to people coming into this having only listened to Serial or another group, but I knew a lot of this already. This was especially true for the PCR hearing that happened this year. I, personally, felt the religious explanations and repeated dream commentary was heavy handed, but not enough to ruin how much I enjoyed it. I kept reminding myself that this is just because of my own personal experiences.
I hope other readers enjoy this as much as I did.
I thought she did a great job framing the story. All the things she learned for the podcast are put to use here. I liked having context. I often wondered why this case seemed to only be something white people (as an idea) cared about. She explains her own struggle with Muslim American leaders that has impacted their interest in vocally supporting her. I also really liked the handful of reveals that she saved for this book. No, I am not going to mention them here. Yes, those who are fully engaged in this may already know, but those of us who just know the podcasts may only just learn.
What I struggled with was how much was repeated from the podcasts in the second half. I am not sure if they are marketing to people coming into this having only listened to Serial or another group, but I knew a lot of this already. This was especially true for the PCR hearing that happened this year. I, personally, felt the religious explanations and repeated dream commentary was heavy handed, but not enough to ruin how much I enjoyed it. I kept reminding myself that this is just because of my own personal experiences.
I hope other readers enjoy this as much as I did.
emrodav's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a super in-depth look at the case from the perspective of Adnan Syed’s closest supporters. I thought it was really interesting that Chaudry included actual documents from the case. The only negative comment I have is that often the amount of detail is overwhelming, the multiple stories and possibilities confusing. Maybe it’s just the nature of the case, though. Overall, I think this is an interesting and thought provoking read for anyone interested in the case because of Serial or the HBO show.
chelseatm's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great book for any fan of Serial, the podcast. It adds extra information that you may have been unaware of and provides different insights into the publicly known evidence.
Obviously, Rabia is biased so you will have to read the book with a critical mind. I found that the moment her subjectivity showed was obvious so you don't need to be cynical. The riskiness, of course, is that Rabia thinks she is being objective when she is being subjective.
You won't walk away with a definitive answer but I certainly had to shift some of my beliefs regarding the case. Highly recommended for any one already familiar with the Serial case.
Obviously, Rabia is biased so you will have to read the book with a critical mind. I found that the moment her subjectivity showed was obvious so you don't need to be cynical. The riskiness, of course, is that Rabia thinks she is being objective when she is being subjective.
You won't walk away with a definitive answer but I certainly had to shift some of my beliefs regarding the case. Highly recommended for any one already familiar with the Serial case.
iceangel32's review against another edition
4.0
Very late to Serial and this story, but after hearing about it in another book and remembering it from a friend's review I thought why not. It is just so sad about today's court system and the corruption in Baltimore. I know that there are other places that are also corrupt but Baltimore gets a lot of heat and it seems they deserve it. It is sad that Don was never investigated and the racial profiling that to this day continues and even in a place that seems so diverse. Hopefully the true story will come out and this not only sheds light on Adnan's story but the broken system we live by and in.