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lauraisabeldp's review
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
corriejn's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.25
I don't actually think I've read anything else by John Grisham, so can't compare style/voice/etc. to his novels; this one is a nonfiction true-crime/criminal justice system story. It's pretty straightforward and dry, nothing remarkable about the structure or how the events are conveyed.
At times I found it a tad hard to keep straight who all was who (as it's mainly about one accused murderer, but also features a second main story of another person accused of a crime-- or... two other people? I legitimately never got it all fully sorted) plus just a lot of additional people (relatives, friends, lawyers, witnesses, others incarcerated with them, etc.) to keep track of. I got the sense that folks with the Innocence Project were actually fairly influential in these cases, but they were mentioned fairly in passing.
In short, it's not the greatest writing/storytelling; if you're interested in reading about miscarriages of justice or work to exonerate wrongly-convicted folks, I'm confident there exists more compelling coverage of those topics.
I was also not a fan of the amount of really ableist language the author used in regards to mental illness.
At times I found it a tad hard to keep straight who all was who (as it's mainly about one accused murderer, but also features a second main story of another person accused of a crime-- or... two other people? I legitimately never got it all fully sorted) plus just a lot of additional people (relatives, friends, lawyers, witnesses, others incarcerated with them, etc.) to keep track of. I got the sense that folks with the Innocence Project were actually fairly influential in these cases, but they were mentioned fairly in passing.
In short, it's not the greatest writing/storytelling; if you're interested in reading about miscarriages of justice or work to exonerate wrongly-convicted folks, I'm confident there exists more compelling coverage of those topics.
I was also not a fan of the amount of really ableist language the author used in regards to mental illness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Confinement, Murder, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Blood, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Cancer and Excrement
lorraine19's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
Very in-depth look into this case (along with glances into connected or similar cases) and the issues of the legal system. It also emphasizes the importance of the discovery of DNA evidence. Reads allot like a true crime documentary and draws you in frequently. That being said, some of the language is outdated in regards to mental health and race (can't really fault the author too much - it was 2006) and a little too much god talk for my liking. Bottom line, you're a true crime fan this is a must read despite my minor complaints.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Alcohol, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Classism, and Grief
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Police brutality, Bullying, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
Minor: Excrement
Injustice, false conviction, manipulation
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