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Reviews tagging 'Death'
The Babysitter: My Summers With a Serial Killer by Jennifer Jordan, Liza Rodman
15 reviews
thislibrarylife's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
4.0
This book has a great narrative feel, and I love the back and forth of perspectives. I was unfamiliar with Tony Costa, and this book has a really well-rounded view of him. TW for murder, rape, dismemberment, abuse, drug use, alcohol use... All the triggers.
Recommend for folx who enjoy true crime, like I'll Be Gone in the Dark (McNamara).
Recommend for folx who enjoy true crime, like I'll Be Gone in the Dark (McNamara).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
taiy's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Interesting format and perspective to tell this story. Definitely a dark one all around.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence
renee_reads_books's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
The Babysitter was part memoir, part true crime story about Liza Rodman's summers in Provincetown as a child. She and her sister, Louisa, were often watched after by other adults working at the local motels or other service industry jobs for the summer, and one of those adults was Tony Costa. Liza adored Tony and loved going on rides to the dump with him because he would frequently stop to buy them popsicles or ice cream, and sometimes he would take them out to his secret garden in the woods so that he could check on things.
Years later, as an adult, Liza learns that Tony was a serial killer, and that the secret garden where he stopped to "check on things" was actually where he was stashing drugs and burying bodies.
It was an engaging read and well-researched. One thing that I struggled with was that it felt like perhaps her fondness for Tony was played up a bit for the purposes of the novel. I could be wrong, but in the grand scheme of things, she wasn't with him that much. So while I believe that she enjoyed going for rides in the summer, I'm not sure if she really thought about the summer babysitters much during the school year, although I suppose it's possible.
The end seemed to drag a bit. It wasn't terrible, but once things sort of wrapped up and the story kept going, it became a little more difficult to stay engaged because I wasn't sure where it was going so close to the end. That's minor and might just be a "me" thing.
TW that there are a lot of graphic details about what Tony Costa did to the bodies and it might be disturbing for some readers.
All in all, I would recommend this, especially if you are a fan of true crime.
Years later, as an adult, Liza learns that Tony was a serial killer, and that the secret garden where he stopped to "check on things" was actually where he was stashing drugs and burying bodies.
It was an engaging read and well-researched. One thing that I struggled with was that it felt like perhaps her fondness for Tony was played up a bit for the purposes of the novel. I could be wrong, but in the grand scheme of things, she wasn't with him that much. So while I believe that she enjoyed going for rides in the summer, I'm not sure if she really thought about the summer babysitters much during the school year, although I suppose it's possible.
The end seemed to drag a bit. It wasn't terrible, but once things sort of wrapped up and the story kept going, it became a little more difficult to stay engaged because I wasn't sure where it was going so close to the end. That's minor and might just be a "me" thing.
TW that there are a lot of graphic details about what Tony Costa did to the bodies and it might be disturbing for some readers.
All in all, I would recommend this, especially if you are a fan of true crime.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Murder, Rape, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
kendallreadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Child abuse
Moderate: Animal death and Sexual assault
lilacsandliterature's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Thank you to Atria books for the advanced copy!
As a huge fan of true crime, I’ve heard of many cases but for some reason had never heard of Tony Costa, The Cape Cod “Casanova” or “Vampire.” This book was my first introduction to the serial killer, and now I’m scrambling to learn everything abut the case.
My two favorite genres are true crime and memoirs, and this book exceeded all expectations on both fronts. Told as a dual perspective between a young girl growing up on Cape Cod with a difficult mother and secrets of her own, but also following along with Tony, a young man newly married with many demons. I was enamored with this story from the very first pages and couldn’t put it down. It’s written so smartly, and keeps you engaged with every page as you clean motel rooms with Liza, jump in a truck with “Tony the handy man” to head to the dump, and dive deep into the life of a horrific serial killer.
If memoirs aren’t exactly your favorite genre but you devour true crime, you won’t be disappointed. The book tells of the graphic crimes of a seriously deranged man. This isn’t written for those who don’t want to know details, as every single one is described to the letter. There is also graphic sexual violence and drug use.
This will be a true crime novel I recommend to anyone interested in the subject. Informative but not written dry or like a text book in any capacity. I applaud both writers for diving deep into secrets and sharing so much with the audience.
As a huge fan of true crime, I’ve heard of many cases but for some reason had never heard of Tony Costa, The Cape Cod “Casanova” or “Vampire.” This book was my first introduction to the serial killer, and now I’m scrambling to learn everything abut the case.
My two favorite genres are true crime and memoirs, and this book exceeded all expectations on both fronts. Told as a dual perspective between a young girl growing up on Cape Cod with a difficult mother and secrets of her own, but also following along with Tony, a young man newly married with many demons. I was enamored with this story from the very first pages and couldn’t put it down. It’s written so smartly, and keeps you engaged with every page as you clean motel rooms with Liza, jump in a truck with “Tony the handy man” to head to the dump, and dive deep into the life of a horrific serial killer.
If memoirs aren’t exactly your favorite genre but you devour true crime, you won’t be disappointed. The book tells of the graphic crimes of a seriously deranged man. This isn’t written for those who don’t want to know details, as every single one is described to the letter. There is also graphic sexual violence and drug use.
This will be a true crime novel I recommend to anyone interested in the subject. Informative but not written dry or like a text book in any capacity. I applaud both writers for diving deep into secrets and sharing so much with the audience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, and Violence
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