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Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
18 reviews
reddeddy's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Torture, Violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Child abuse, Gore, Child death, Death, Drug use, Body horror, Confinement, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Infidelity
Moderate: Abandonment, Abortion, Animal death, Blood, Terminal illness, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Classism, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, and Gun violence
smkelly1997's review
3.5
Graphic: Death, Torture, Child abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Infidelity, Abandonment, Classism, Murder, Child death, Chronic illness, and Colonisation
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Dementia
librarymouse's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Gore, Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Suicide, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, and Misogyny
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Xenophobia
mgoodwin's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, and Child death
jcburcham's review against another edition
3.0
This book came highly recommended, and I knew one of the main plot lines followed the history of Herman Webster Mudgett (alias H. H. Holmes and many, many others), a serial killer whose true victim count will never be known. The other plot line is the creation of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.
The author, Erik Larson, is a master of investigative research and his books are written in a compelling, almost novel-like fashion. So even though there is a small amount of speculation infused in his descriptions of how Holmes killed a few of his victims, the much more horrific aspect for me was learning that this man, who appeared so charming and likable, conducted his business under the guise of a hotel, complete with at least one airtight, vault-like bedroom that could be infused with deadly gas, and what was essentially a crematorium furnace. How he was able to run this operation for <i>years</i>, with various guests or employees just "disappearing" and no investigation by the police, haunts me.
But what really made me sick to my stomach was Larson's descriptions of victims (almost exclusively young women and children) before their unexpected and absolutely terrifying final moments. For the most part, the reader is spared graphic detail, and the author certainly handles the subject with genuine respect and no sensationalism, but the implication of what happened--what is left unsaid--is just as horrifying. There are descriptive images in this book that I will never be able to erase from my memory.
Reading about the 1893 World's Fair held in Chicago offered a welcome relief from the horror depicted in the story about Holmes. Although heavy with facts and details, one can feel the excitement building and the reader wonders if everything will come together! I really enjoy this sort of historical storytelling, and it's why I'm such a fan of Erik Larson. I learned so much!
Rating this book is not easy...the pain and sadness I feel for Holmes's victims is genuine, and learning of his story has cost me much sleep. I understand why some like this book and others do not, and I think one should consider carefully before diving into this piece of history, despite being well written and accurately portrayed by the talented Erik Larson.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Murder, and Torture
emmacjmeyer's review
3.5
Moderate: Abortion, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, and Violence
cupofbooksreviews's review against another edition
Graphic: Abortion, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
alliemikennareads's review against another edition
4.0
Bullet point review:
- I forgot how much the book discusses architecture; this got tedious at times.
- I loved the rich detail about the Chicago worlds fair and the way the book splices the fair, its history, and HH Holmes’ evil deeds together.
- I still found it a great form of true crime/ nonfiction that reads like fiction.
TW for some really graphic descriptions of a slaughterhouse, gas chambers, suicide, murder of women and children and dead body discovery.
If you can get past the graphic parts and like historical fiction, I’d definitely recommend this one!
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Child death, Child abuse, Body horror, Confinement, Death, and Medical trauma