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kncarter's review
4.0
This book is less about Dahmer than it is about the media storm that surrounded and him and the responsibility we all hold in turning a man into a myth and into a monster. Schwartz does not neglect her personal role in the reporting of the case, and I think that’s admirable. A difficult but engrossing read.
cashleykate's review against another edition
4.25
I found this novel incredibly interesting, not only because of the subject but also because of how Schwartz handled it. Dahmer is a lesser written on serial killer from what I've found, and of the sources there are that recount his crimes, not all of them are respectful to the victims / victims families (I'm looking at you Netflix). This author is an amazing source. Not only was she working the case from hour one, but she also focuses a lot on the victims throughout the book and even recounts the thoughts of their families, who she spoke to along the way. A good amount of this book is focused on them which certainly isn't always the case when it comes to talking on true crime.
shereadsbecause's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
reading_under_covers's review
4.0
Being born and raised in Wisconsin and then living in Milwaukee specifically for nearly a decade, Jeffrey Dahmer was a household name, and I thought this book brought a new perspective on it - namely, the media.
Anne E. Schwartz was the reporter to break this story making it an extremely unique viewpoint. She talks about how much the Dahmer story and murders evolved as the case was cracked open (there were instances where her story didn’t match with the story I’ve heard throughout my life, and it made me question whose truth was the actual truth??), and the twisted routes the media would take to be the first to break the next nugget.
My biggest qualm is that Schwartz is a bit too pro-cop in her telling, despite the clear evidence that the MPD was operating with racism and homophobia at their core, and had ample time to intervene sooner had they even considered the situations brought to them.
Anne E. Schwartz was the reporter to break this story making it an extremely unique viewpoint. She talks about how much the Dahmer story and murders evolved as the case was cracked open (there were instances where her story didn’t match with the story I’ve heard throughout my life, and it made me question whose truth was the actual truth??), and the twisted routes the media would take to be the first to break the next nugget.
My biggest qualm is that Schwartz is a bit too pro-cop in her telling, despite the clear evidence that the MPD was operating with racism and homophobia at their core, and had ample time to intervene sooner had they even considered the situations brought to them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Cannibalism
zoey222's review
4.0
A pretty interesting look into Dahmer, who I knew almost nothing about. There were a couple dry sections in the middle, mostly about the mob mentalities of the public and general gnashing of teeth from various groups.
The author missed an important discussion, which bothered me greatly. Judge Gardner's ruling on Dahmer was disgustingly lenient. Anne makes only a side note about this, even mentioning that no one seemed to think Gardner's involvement mattered as much as the general concept of racist cops-- so why is Anne Schwartz ignoring the snake in the room? Gardner's choice was horrifically I'll informed. Who the hell let's a child sexual predator-- caught twice-- free with just 10 months????!?!???
The author missed an important discussion, which bothered me greatly. Judge Gardner's ruling on Dahmer was disgustingly lenient. Anne makes only a side note about this, even mentioning that no one seemed to think Gardner's involvement mattered as much as the general concept of racist cops-- so why is Anne Schwartz ignoring the snake in the room? Gardner's choice was horrifically I'll informed. Who the hell let's a child sexual predator-- caught twice-- free with just 10 months????!?!???
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