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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
My first foray into true crime did not disappoint. The story of the Lost Girls is haunting, and I can't help but hope that this is made into some sort of a "Making a Murderer" series. The entire atmosphere of the book played so well into this creeping mystery about girls that are thrown away by everyone - their families, their boyfriends, the police and finally a closed off community where secrets are hoarded away. Sad, honest and heartfelt, I felt this was a great start for Kolker.
3.5 stars, but I will round up.
I appreciate that the victims were the true center of this story, and their lives were viewed with compassion and truth. It could have been written this way out of necessity, because this is still an unsolved crime, but it made the book work for me in ways it didn't have to.
I appreciate that the victims were the true center of this story, and their lives were viewed with compassion and truth. It could have been written this way out of necessity, because this is still an unsolved crime, but it made the book work for me in ways it didn't have to.
dark
informative
sad
fast-paced
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
3.5 stars. Interesting and well-researched. I was a bit troubled by the lack of an index or a list of sources - I guess I am old school wherein I think a non-fiction title should be supported by facts- but overall this was a good book about a horrible subject.
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
This is one of the most compelling and captivating books I’ve read in a while. Robert Kolker took a true crime story about a potential serial killer on Long Island with all the gory details for the true crime fan, but elevated it to a compelling work of non-fiction detailing the lives of five women who became victims and their families.
One of the unfortunate things about this book is that it highlights how sex workers are viewed by the public and the police. Essentially, they don’t mean anything. Because our criminal justice system perpetuates these notions, sex workers have become extremely vulnerable to abuse, theft and homicide. Homicide is the number one cause of death if you are a sex worker. Because of the stigma of sex work, many turning to it because they have no other choice, or it’s a decision they make and are looked down upon by others, when a prostitute goes missing, people don’t seem to care. This was one of the things that Kolker chose to demonstrate with his research of the victims in this case.
From his meticulous research—gaining first hand accounts of conversations with the victims, those who spent their lives with them—Kolker was able to bring these girls back to life. While the case remains unsolved, Kolker did them some justice; by proving that they were more than their profession—they were sisters, daughters, mothers, friends—they were people just like the rest of us.
One of the unfortunate things about this book is that it highlights how sex workers are viewed by the public and the police. Essentially, they don’t mean anything. Because our criminal justice system perpetuates these notions, sex workers have become extremely vulnerable to abuse, theft and homicide. Homicide is the number one cause of death if you are a sex worker. Because of the stigma of sex work, many turning to it because they have no other choice, or it’s a decision they make and are looked down upon by others, when a prostitute goes missing, people don’t seem to care. This was one of the things that Kolker chose to demonstrate with his research of the victims in this case.
From his meticulous research—gaining first hand accounts of conversations with the victims, those who spent their lives with them—Kolker was able to bring these girls back to life. While the case remains unsolved, Kolker did them some justice; by proving that they were more than their profession—they were sisters, daughters, mothers, friends—they were people just like the rest of us.
Well researched, well reported, and good writing. I just could not get into it. The 'Unsolved' part on the cover intrigued me, because I love to work out a great mystery, but this seems to be worked out already.
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Audiobook - it was interesting, but there were so, so many people the author tried to outline and tell the stories of. It was very easy to get totally lost and confused trying to keep track of everyone.