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courtney_scott1025's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, and Abandonment
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Stalking
wholesomeghost's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Violence, Murder, Sexism, and Stalking
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Addiction, Confinement, Death, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, and Emotional abuse
queenbookbuff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I only felt sadness reading this book. This book gives a bleak look at why the death penalty is seen as futile. In the end I didn’t have pity for Ansel. I didn’t find any redemption in his end and I’m not sure his victims did either.
Graphic: Grief, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Murder, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism
ember_is_gay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I really liked the focus on the women from throughout his life. I think they are so often forgotten; even when they have been the direct victims of the crime. They easily slip away into just another women who was killed by a man while a lot of serial killers became infamous and who we see movies made about and who people obsess over and fall in love with. But then there are the women we don't even think about who have been impacted by these men. And to see and hear from them (even fictional) was so amazing and so insightful.
I also found the chapters about Ansel so well written and pieced together. They were such a good look into his brain and the way he thought about things. He was not just reduced to being a serial killer and I think it was a nice touch for exploring the complexity of humans.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Grief, Murder, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Violence, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse
rebeccadiv's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Child death, Murder, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Grief, Mental illness, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Violence, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
laurataylor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Blood, Death, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, and Body horror
autumnwhite's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Child death, Blood, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Death, Confinement, Addiction, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Gore, Gaslighting, Torture, Sexual content, Grief, Kidnapping, and Emotional abuse
scifi_rat's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Stalking, Sexual assault, Violence, Animal death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Grief, Murder, Animal cruelty, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Police brutality, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Mental illness
desiderium_incarnate's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
There are millions of men out there who want to hurt women - people seem to think that Ansel Packer is extraordinary, because he actually did.
This book was amazing! Yes it's incredibly dark and it hurts but it is so skillfully written and immersive and makes so much sense, I am pretty much in awe. The cover also makes so much sense when you read it and that's really cool. I didn't give it 5 stars because of a principle I have, if animals get unnecessarily hurt or die in a story, it isn't 5 stars,but yeah otherwise I fully recommend it. It really gives you a new perspective on the obsession people have with murderers or serial killers specifically - is the murderer really the most important thing about that? Is it most interesting, what made them like this? How their psyche works? What would be if they wouldn't have made those decisions? How they impacted the people around them and vice versa?
The book is not pro death penalty or police it shows flaws in the system, it also isn't against reporting on serial killers, it is just in some ways a comfort, hope, warning and another perspective from death row as well as from impacted outsiders left behind and I think that is all it should be.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Alcohol, Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Car accident, Confinement, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Violence, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
lau_leo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Animal death, Abandonment, Death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Stalking, Suicide, and Toxic relationship