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sjeffreads's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting take on true crime. I love that it was set in Frederick.
bethanyprideaux's review against another edition
3.0
I finished it rather quickly but didn't feel particularly interested or shocked by any of it. It does raise interesting questions though.
swalloh's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
While I find the overall look at the true crime phenomenon and potential impacts it may have interesting, I was not a fan of the book overall. I liked the concept and idea of execution bur overall, it was unbearably slow and boring. The conclusion was kind of meh.
thegingerchronicles's review against another edition
4.0
I got this ARC from the bookstore I work at yesterday and finished it today.
This is an incredibly unique tale of the “true crime” (fictional) case of Sara Parcell who goes missing in 2013 and how, at the time, it was turned into a reality show as a way to help find her. This book is “written” ten years later and is comprised of interviews from all the main players of the original case.
I have consumed true crime media in various forms for years, so this sparked my interest. This book creates a fascinating perspective of true crime issues that arose as the genre started to take off; who tells these stories, is it really theirs to tell, who gets caught up in the trauma of rehashing cases, who profits, and how the stories are passed through podcasts, tv shows, tiktok etc.
While I enjoy the genre of true crime, I struggle with coming to terms with these issues while also still wanting to consume this type of media. What I found most interesting about this book is how the author examined them intricately, in specific sections, and woven, more generally, throughout the story. It was more about the hindsight and the impact of telling true crime stories and less about the actual case—that’s what kept me reading.
This is an incredibly unique tale of the “true crime” (fictional) case of Sara Parcell who goes missing in 2013 and how, at the time, it was turned into a reality show as a way to help find her. This book is “written” ten years later and is comprised of interviews from all the main players of the original case.
I have consumed true crime media in various forms for years, so this sparked my interest. This book creates a fascinating perspective of true crime issues that arose as the genre started to take off; who tells these stories, is it really theirs to tell, who gets caught up in the trauma of rehashing cases, who profits, and how the stories are passed through podcasts, tv shows, tiktok etc.
While I enjoy the genre of true crime, I struggle with coming to terms with these issues while also still wanting to consume this type of media. What I found most interesting about this book is how the author examined them intricately, in specific sections, and woven, more generally, throughout the story. It was more about the hindsight and the impact of telling true crime stories and less about the actual case—that’s what kept me reading.
amyhatch's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
that_naaat's review against another edition
3.0
A really interesting concept but just didn’t feel fully realized the way it was presented - something just felt missing to me!!
angelinalaramie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sarawisdom's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
msoh's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved where this story went and how it looked at our true crime mania in a different way. There were quite a few characters but it was easy to follow along thanks to the character key at the start and restating of each characters role in the story (which was organic to the story itself due to its format at exploring events through a documentarian lens). The twists here were both unexpected but also made sense in the frame of the story. It’s not for everyone, I understand that the format may not work for those who would like to experience the original conflict first hand versus through the retelling, but at the end of the day that isn’t what the book advertises itself to be and due to that it stood out amongst other titles I’ve read with similar premise. If you have the cash to purchase this or are looking for unique mysteries or thrillers, this is worth the investment.
Deducted one star as there were just a few aspects of the story that I thought could have been been written or explored in such a way to better understand the characters’ actions (can’t get into this more without potentially spoiling the plot).
Deducted one star as there were just a few aspects of the story that I thought could have been been written or explored in such a way to better understand the characters’ actions (can’t get into this more without potentially spoiling the plot).