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vintage_b's review against another edition
3.0
I did not know much about Bonnie and Clyde going into this read. I was a bit shocked as some of the things discussed in the book were aimed at the YA crowd, but it was done tastefully and with great educational backing. The writing style though aimed at younger readers was not juvenile which I appreciated. I did feel the headings of the chapters with place and date while helpful did not match up at times with the timeline we were in. There were many instances where the timeline was well before the heading of the chapter was meant to take place. This caused a bit of confusion and I needed to go back a few times to place myself at the right time. I learned a lot and felt Karen Blumenthal did a wonderful job at the end explaining sources.
brandinh's review
4.0
This well-researched account of the criminal careers of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow not only provides a thorough and factual look at two of America’s most famous outlaws, it also takes a hard glance at why exactly their story has garnered such fascination.
stenaros's review against another edition
5.0
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A great example of why people of all ages should be reading nonfiction books written for a young adult audience. From the first first sentence, this book is readable and engaging. I loved how it translated things of yesterday into today's terms. This happens most often with prices of things, but also now I know that a Model A car was approximately the same width as a Ford Focus.
Bluemnthal carefully illustrates the outlaws' story from different angles, taking time to pick through what details probably stem from legend rather than truth. The book also takes time to recognize the people who were murdered during Bonnie and Clyde's crime spree and they present their story as a complex one, rather than just a tale of bad criminals.
One small quibble. Given the attention to translating early-20th century things into modern day, I would have expected Bluemnthal to do the same thing when she mentions people's weight. Bonnie, Clyde, and their associates all grew up in extreme poverty at a time when Americans were smaller from birth to death. Currently, there is a lot of pressure for women and girls to obtain an extremely low body weight, so some context of why a historical figure weighed 81 pounds, and why that would not be the case today, would have been welcome.
Aside from that, this was another great example of the golden age of children's nonfiction we are living in.
A great example of why people of all ages should be reading nonfiction books written for a young adult audience. From the first first sentence, this book is readable and engaging. I loved how it translated things of yesterday into today's terms. This happens most often with prices of things, but also now I know that a Model A car was approximately the same width as a Ford Focus.
Bluemnthal carefully illustrates the outlaws' story from different angles, taking time to pick through what details probably stem from legend rather than truth. The book also takes time to recognize the people who were murdered during Bonnie and Clyde's crime spree and they present their story as a complex one, rather than just a tale of bad criminals.
One small quibble. Given the attention to translating early-20th century things into modern day, I would have expected Bluemnthal to do the same thing when she mentions people's weight. Bonnie, Clyde, and their associates all grew up in extreme poverty at a time when Americans were smaller from birth to death. Currently, there is a lot of pressure for women and girls to obtain an extremely low body weight, so some context of why a historical figure weighed 81 pounds, and why that would not be the case today, would have been welcome.
Aside from that, this was another great example of the golden age of children's nonfiction we are living in.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
Although at times this feels a little repetitive, it is because that's the story of Bonnie and Clyde. Blumenthal offers up the history of both of these infamous criminals, but she does so with the backdrop of why it is they've gained such infamy and acclaim while committing heinous crimes. Interspersed are not only photos and other artifacts, but there are excellent pulled out short bios of those who were murdered by the duo. The book isn't sensationalized and that's a topic addressed right in the text; that might also be why the book as a whole felt a little stiff and repetitive. I don't think that's a bad thing, especially as it makes readers -- like me! -- pause and consider what the expectations are going on and what the response is when exiting the book.
Good, solid YA nonfiction from an author who is excellent at writing them.
Good, solid YA nonfiction from an author who is excellent at writing them.