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A review by lauriereadslohf
The Diary of a Serial Killer's Daughter by L.A. Detwiler
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Serial killing is always dark but when a young child bears witness and thinks it's normal and comforting? That's just wildly disturbing. That's what you'll find here! I will write a real review once I catch up! With even more exclamation points!
Ok, it's later.
When Ruby was a child her daddy told her to stay out of the garage. So at the first opportunity, Ruby snoops in the garage. I mean, come on daddy! What were you thinking?! All you had to do was tell her to go in there and clean it and she would've stayed the heck away from all of <I>that </i>forever, hahaha. But dad doesn’t think things through and Ruby ends up seeing something she doesn’t quite understand as well as a lot of red and because red is her favorite color she is entranced and she stays that way . . .
Ruby is given a diary to help express her feelings and that’s how this story is told. In the beginning, I think Ruby is around 7 or so and her POV is very stream of consciousness and gets a wee bit repetitive. But stick with it because the older she gets, the more interesting the story becomes. Or at least it did for me.
Parts of this book infuriated me. I’m not going to lie. There’s a section where adults talk about Ruby and the tragedy that is her family within hearing distance of Ruby and I just wanted them all to get murdered by the serial killer or by Ruby or a rabid cat who has had ENOUGH. Ugh. Despicable people.
Anyhow, this is an interesting and intimate look at how parents can make anything seem like the norm and how they can really mess you up. Ruby must not only maneuver and attempt to make sense of her dad’s strange proclivities but she also has to deal with all of the horrible kid and teen bullying BS when one is a little different from the rest.
It’s super dark and I think you’ll enjoy it if you’re looking for something a wee bit different than the standard serial killer novel.
3.5 Stars - that means I liked it!
Ok, it's later.
When Ruby was a child her daddy told her to stay out of the garage. So at the first opportunity, Ruby snoops in the garage. I mean, come on daddy! What were you thinking?! All you had to do was tell her to go in there and clean it and she would've stayed the heck away from all of <I>that </i>forever, hahaha. But dad doesn’t think things through and Ruby ends up seeing something she doesn’t quite understand as well as a lot of red and because red is her favorite color she is entranced and she stays that way . . .
Ruby is given a diary to help express her feelings and that’s how this story is told. In the beginning, I think Ruby is around 7 or so and her POV is very stream of consciousness and gets a wee bit repetitive. But stick with it because the older she gets, the more interesting the story becomes. Or at least it did for me.
Parts of this book infuriated me. I’m not going to lie. There’s a section where adults talk about Ruby and the tragedy that is her family within hearing distance of Ruby and I just wanted them all to get murdered by the serial killer or by Ruby or a rabid cat who has had ENOUGH. Ugh. Despicable people.
Anyhow, this is an interesting and intimate look at how parents can make anything seem like the norm and how they can really mess you up. Ruby must not only maneuver and attempt to make sense of her dad’s strange proclivities but she also has to deal with all of the horrible kid and teen bullying BS when one is a little different from the rest.
It’s super dark and I think you’ll enjoy it if you’re looking for something a wee bit different than the standard serial killer novel.
3.5 Stars - that means I liked it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Murder
Minor: Suicide