Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy, Updated and Expanded Edition

Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy, Updated and Expanded Edition by Elizabeth Kendall

16 reviews

likeagilmoregirl's review

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

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sarah_hutchins's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective tense slow-paced

2.75

Didn't really love the way it felt like it was trying to make me empathize with a serial killer. Idk what message she was going for but still interesting and relatively well written.

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jennaslaney_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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ilana_pop's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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happilywilted's review

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

4.5

This book was the epitome of my fears of reentering the dating scene as someone in their mid-twenties.
I know that the possibility of finding a serial killer is low, but clearly not that low, if Elizabeth found it.
It's easy to look down on Elizabeth and say that you don't understand why she stayed so long, but I think it was entirely human and something that we all do much too often: overlook things and try so hard to get this image of our perfect future that we have wanted since childhood.
While reading, I recognized how easy it would be to ignore red flags and trying to see past the negative personality traits of someone because you care deeply and just want this perfect life that you imagined yourself having. It would've been weirder if her mind went to serial killer immediately instead of infidelity or just seeing him as stringing her along (what would've been more plausible? Definitely cheating, yet that wasn't all that was happening, obviously). But Elizabeth didn't ignore nothing, she did everything that she could possibly do, and was told that he was clear and not guilty.
My ex was also a confusing, sometimes mean, red flag flying thief. When he said he didn't know if a relationship was for him and backed off, a day later he was then crying to me that he loved me so much. I stayed on that rollercoaster for no reason other than I cared for him, even if it wasn't in my best interest. So I understand Elizabeth in that instance.
Elizabeth and Molly are survivors, and I'm so glad that they are here to tell their stories. I've always believed that family and loved ones of these killers are victims in their own way, because they lost the person that they believed the individual to be. It's just a sad situation all around.

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lets_book's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

3.0

Oof. Disturbing to say the least, particularly when Liz mentions news stories of women disappearing or found murdered while she carries out her day-to-day life with Ted completely unaware that the perpetrator is her most intimate companion. To learn of Ted Bundy as one of the country’s most notorious serial killers is one thing, but to glean the same truth from the perspective of someone who once loved him is another matter entirely. It’s a gut-wrenching reminder how extremely difficult it is to leave an abusive situation, especially when a partner is violent and/or emotionally manipulative. There were moments throughout the book when it felt like I was reading a fictional horror, only to have the chilling realization that there were real victims and real survivors, one of whom gave us this chilling memoir.

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