Reviews tagging 'Violence'

I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

122 reviews

erikawynn's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious tense slow-paced

1.0

This is alllllllll about the cops on the case and not at all about the victims and it’s entirely uncritical about the policing involved, even when describing some disturbing victim-blaming. In the afterword, Patton Oswald even writes that Michelle McNamara had “a true cop’s heart and mind.” I’m not a big true crime fan but have been impressed by some victim-centered takes on the genre (like the podcast Truer Crime) and this book was everything I dislike about the genre.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Death, Blood, Violence, Rape, Murder, Torture, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Stalking

Moderate: Racism

jrmrf's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Murder, and Sexual violence

citrinuke's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Murder, Violence, Torture, and Stalking

Moderate: Blood and Child death

sydneybedell's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Sexual violence, and Violence

librarymouse's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

Michelle McNamara's work to hunt down the Golden State Killer is exceptional. Her dedication to the work and her writing style make the book an engaging read that made me want to keep reading long into the night despite the content. The sections compiled after her death were done with so much respect for her and her work show how much she meant to her friends, loved ones, and colleagues.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Gun violence, Body horror, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual harassment

bkmckown's review against another edition

5.0

I really enjoyed all the read watch involved in this. It’s really heartbreaking to know she died before her book was published or they caught him.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, and Physical abuse

moto1480's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

4.25

While this book is mostly a set of loose essays about McNamara's research into whom she later dubbed the Golden State Killer, what struck me the most was how much I felt I got to know her. If this is her literary legacy, it's a good one. That being said, folks hoping for closure to the case or to her life won't find it here. Although the edition I read had updates from 2018 detailing the Golden State Killer's capture, those parts feel a lot like the way that McNamara's death is treated: brief and curt, broken up into small pieces to consume. True crime aficionados will like this book for sure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Sexual violence, and Violence

adinacassandra's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, and Rape

eve_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.5

Overall Thoughts:
⁕ A lot of true crimes focus on the gravity of the culprit's actions. McNamara places more emphasis on the lives of the survivors and victims, as well as the experiences of those trying to hunt down the Golden State Killer. It was a fresh perspective to the true crime genre and a more empowering narrative for all those affected, which I very much appreciated.

⁕ McNamara was unable to finish the book before her passing. The final chapters were completed by her husband and fellow researchers. The change in narrative from a memoir-type recounting to a detailed analysis of maps, numbers, and charts is very abrupt and jarring.

⁕ I read the updated version of the book, which was published after the capture of the Joseph DeAngelo, and there is surprisingly little detail on how he was finally arrested. If this is something that interests you, I recommend also watching the HBO documentary series which has much more information in that regard.

To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online
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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Gore, Stalking, Violence, Grief, Death, and Rape

rebb003's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Rape, Violence, Sexual violence, and Murder