Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson

32 reviews

alagasianflame's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

As one who was more interested in H. H. Holmes than architecture history, let me say the high rating is largely due to the fact that Larson manages to make committees and ledgers equally as fascinating as a man who built his own murder castle without anyone noticing. This is accomplished by the extensive backgrounds Larson lays out for practically every major player involved in the designing and building of the Fair. At the beginning, these winding expositions seem extraneous and, at times I’ll admit, perhaps even a little dull, but they serve as a foundation upon which is built the later trials and tribulations of the Fair’s designers, much of which was apparently caused by interpersonal strife and not, necessarily, pure financial or physical deterrents. By turning flat facts into tragic or triumphant events in the personal lives of the men (and occasional woman) involved, they come alive and make this tale something more engaging than a dusty history text book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Racism, Child death, Death, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

kellyofcali's review against another edition

dark informative slow-paced

3.75

This is a well written book that crosses two related subjects - one, the world's fair, and two, a serial killer. I found both interesting, which means he did a good job, though I did find it dragged on a little long towards the denouement of both storylines. It's also a little confusing what is real vs. not, though I know that bothers some people more than others.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Child death

Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Confinement, and Grief

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Sexism

magosti1's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

2.0

Deeply disturbing true crime novel about a serial killer in Chicago while the worlds fair was being built. Too disturbing 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Torture, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping

sopranna's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

3.5

Impressive research, not a good hang. Incredibly dark. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

joviyanna's review

adventurous dark informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Suicide, Torture, Child death, Death, and Mental illness

suzquinn97's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Gun violence, Medical content, Child death, Death, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, and Mental illness

Minor: Abortion

wheelygoodreads's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

1.75

I almost put this book down multiple times, as it's very slow to get going, and even then only half of the story, the serial killer portion, was really keeping me engaged. 

Many parts seemed to drag on, no helped by the formatting—this book really could have used shorter chapters, rather than longer sections. Getting through this felt like work.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Racism, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Gore, and Torture

lauragoldstein's review

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, and Murder

Moderate: Kidnapping and Suicide

headachesince03's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative inspiring mysterious tense slow-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abortion, Alcohol, Misogyny, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Bullying, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Colonisation, Racism, Terminal illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Child death, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, and Murder

beautifulminutiae's review against another edition

dark informative medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Child death

Moderate: Abortion, Terminal illness, and Kidnapping