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lezreadalot 's review for:
Midnight Son
by Isaac Kestenbaum, Josephine Holtzman, James Dommek Jr.
You're not supposed to wake a sleepwalker; they freak out. And that's what's happening to Teddy.
3.5 stars. This was really interesting! Kinda like dipping my toes into true crime, though I wouldn't say that that's something I have any real interest in doing. An Inupiaq storyteller recounts the crimes of Teddy Smith, an actor turned fugitive, a bit about his life before, what demons might have plagued him and what might have driven him to his actions. We're also sorta looking into the myth of the Iñukuns, a mythic tribe even further north that Teddy claims to have encountered while on the run. It's a pretty short narrative, but it's one of those things that's really improved by the way it's told. I loved all the music, and it's was super interesting having like, recordings of phone calls and interviews with all the people concerned and the court proceedings. It felt super casual but really really immersive. Maybe that's common for true crime stuff, but it felt new and innovative to me. Dommek as an interviewer is a good mix of sombre and charismatic, and it helps that he's part of this community, and knows or has connections to a lot of the people he's interviewing. Honestly, that was my favourite part of this, learning a bit about Dommek and Smith's shared Inupiaq heritage, all the community and folklore.
Listened to the audiobook/interviews as conducted by the author, which is, again, what makes it a great experience. This was really fascinating and pretty emotionally compelling; I'm glad I gave it a listen. Still don't think I could ever really be a true crime girlie.
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