A review by gwendolyn_kensinger
The Monsters We Make by Kali White

4.0

A gripping thriller with convincing elements of real horror. 

Based on the real-life Des Moines Register paperboy kidnappings in the early 1980's--The Monsters We Make explores the effects of one crime exposing another and the secrets people keep hidden from friends, families, and sometimes, even themselves. There are no shocking plot twists, no big reveals, no graphic scenes, but the action is more realistic and downbeat. It taps into the reader’s anxiety and the pain of the characters involved. 

Following the disappearance of paperboy Christopher “Chris” Stewart in August 1984, we follow three contrasting perspectives who are all connected to the case: 12 y/o Sammy who is also a paperboy, his 17 y/o sister Crystal, and Officer Dale Goodkind. On the morning of the disappearance Sammy is seemingly running for his life. At first, he dips into a church to hide and then once the coast is clear he runs home using another longer route, he feels is safer. He’s sweating, and has peed himself, and you can feel his fear and stress bleeding off the page, but we don’t know what he’s scared about or fearful of. Then we cut to Crystal who overhears the news of Chris’s disappearance on the police scanner in the family’s kitchen while she should be washing dishes. As a budding journalist she begins her own investigation. She’s quite smart and makes many connections over the course of the story. Officer Dale Goodkind is just about to clock out for the night when Chris’s case is handed over to him. It’s a race against the clock and a battle of Goodkind’s own demons that propels him forward in the investigation. There may be some inaccuracies for the time period, but unless you’re looking for them or those things bother you in general, I don’t think they mess with the overall intent. 

I was immediately immersed in the story and it had my attention from beginning to end. For me personally I think it could have been darker, with more on page scenes, but I think this is a good compromise for someone who doesn’t like super dark stuff to still be completely disturbed and chilled to the core. 

Content warning(s): child abuse, pedophilia