Search
Search results
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated Inside the Mind of Jeffrey Dahmer: The Cannibal Killer in Books
Mar 12, 2022
Jeffrey Dahmer is one of the serial killers that I didn’t know too much about and this book was definitely a revelation. It takes you through from Dahmer being born right up to his death and a lot of the in between.
I’ve never read this author before but am aware of some of his other books and I think that this book was a good one to start with. I liked that we delved into Dahmer’s childhood and found some possible triggers from there but also that the author reinforced that not every child that suffers a specific trauma in their childhood becomes a serial killer, as I think it is important that the reader is reminded of this each time.
I also liked how there was a chapter for each of the victims and also in the appendix there were the charges in more detail for each victim too. Far too often when reading or watching documentaries about serial killers their victims are glossed over and forgotten while their killer’s name is remembered.
There were a few things that I disliked about this book, the main one being the whole chapter that seemed to be dedicated to slagging off psychiatrists and psychologists. While psychology is not an exact science and different people in the profession can come to different conclusions, I feel that the author spent too many pages trying to prove his point. I also felt that a lot of contempt for the profession was coming through in the writing, which, as somebody who wants to become a psychologist, is not something that I appreciated. I understand that everyone has their opinion on it, but I felt that far too much time was spent trying to get his point across.
There were also a few mistakes that made it hard to make sense of a few things, I understand that it has only just been published and there will be a few mistakes (there was a repeated word in a sentence that wasn’t needed) but when it is an obvious mistake with a date (in the Anthony Hughes chapter it says that he was last seen on 24th September 1991 and then 2 chapters below it says that his family were notified of his death on 5th July 1991) it makes for very confusing reading.
I also found that a lot of the time Christopher Berry-Dee referred to the book written by Brian Masters, I’m unsure if this was only because he hasn’t spoken to Dahmer in person while Masters did but at times I felt like I should have just picked up his book instead. I also found that sometimes the author seemed to boast about which serial killers he had met in real life when he didn’t need to.
Overall, I liked the humour in the book and found the writing style easy to get on with. It wasn’t a pleasant book (what book about a serial killer is?) but it was well written. I would pick up other books by this author in the future. Thank you to The Motherload book club on Facebook for the opportunity to win this book in a giveaway and the publisher Ad Lib for my copy!
I’ve never read this author before but am aware of some of his other books and I think that this book was a good one to start with. I liked that we delved into Dahmer’s childhood and found some possible triggers from there but also that the author reinforced that not every child that suffers a specific trauma in their childhood becomes a serial killer, as I think it is important that the reader is reminded of this each time.
I also liked how there was a chapter for each of the victims and also in the appendix there were the charges in more detail for each victim too. Far too often when reading or watching documentaries about serial killers their victims are glossed over and forgotten while their killer’s name is remembered.
There were a few things that I disliked about this book, the main one being the whole chapter that seemed to be dedicated to slagging off psychiatrists and psychologists. While psychology is not an exact science and different people in the profession can come to different conclusions, I feel that the author spent too many pages trying to prove his point. I also felt that a lot of contempt for the profession was coming through in the writing, which, as somebody who wants to become a psychologist, is not something that I appreciated. I understand that everyone has their opinion on it, but I felt that far too much time was spent trying to get his point across.
There were also a few mistakes that made it hard to make sense of a few things, I understand that it has only just been published and there will be a few mistakes (there was a repeated word in a sentence that wasn’t needed) but when it is an obvious mistake with a date (in the Anthony Hughes chapter it says that he was last seen on 24th September 1991 and then 2 chapters below it says that his family were notified of his death on 5th July 1991) it makes for very confusing reading.
I also found that a lot of the time Christopher Berry-Dee referred to the book written by Brian Masters, I’m unsure if this was only because he hasn’t spoken to Dahmer in person while Masters did but at times I felt like I should have just picked up his book instead. I also found that sometimes the author seemed to boast about which serial killers he had met in real life when he didn’t need to.
Overall, I liked the humour in the book and found the writing style easy to get on with. It wasn’t a pleasant book (what book about a serial killer is?) but it was well written. I would pick up other books by this author in the future. Thank you to The Motherload book club on Facebook for the opportunity to win this book in a giveaway and the publisher Ad Lib for my copy!
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Chalk Man in Books
May 16, 2018
It’s hard to believe that The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor is a debut; it’s even harder to believe that it’s not considered horror. Though the book focuses primarily on a whodunnit sort of plot, it borrows heavily from my favorite genre. Certain elements of The Chalk Man are downright grisly, which is a welcoming change from many of the mystery books I tend to read. Then again, I love gore and that’s no secret.
The Chalk Man bounces flawlessly between past and present as the story of an unfortunate girl’s murder unravels. Normally, I find back and forth plots confusing. Tudor approaches this not by labeling each shift as a new chapter, but by naming the chapters with the year they take place. This weaving of the plot creates a sense of urgency, with each chapter ending on the cusp of a new discovery. When all the cards are on the table, nothing is as it seems. The popular, snarky definition of the word “assume” definitely plays a heavy-handed role in this book and Tudor pulls it off well.
Creating complex characters appears to be another forte of Tudor’s. By complex, I mean that his cast, much like the plot, has as several layers to it. In some cases, this can make a story difficult to comprehend, but Tudor exercises some caution in giving any of his characters too many traits.
The Chalk Man is a quick, entertaining read which is always a plus. The constant action kept the book from becoming a chore and thus I was able to devour it in a few days. I’d like to thank Penguin’s First to Read program for providing me with a free copy of this book. This review reflects my own opinion.
The Chalk Man bounces flawlessly between past and present as the story of an unfortunate girl’s murder unravels. Normally, I find back and forth plots confusing. Tudor approaches this not by labeling each shift as a new chapter, but by naming the chapters with the year they take place. This weaving of the plot creates a sense of urgency, with each chapter ending on the cusp of a new discovery. When all the cards are on the table, nothing is as it seems. The popular, snarky definition of the word “assume” definitely plays a heavy-handed role in this book and Tudor pulls it off well.
Creating complex characters appears to be another forte of Tudor’s. By complex, I mean that his cast, much like the plot, has as several layers to it. In some cases, this can make a story difficult to comprehend, but Tudor exercises some caution in giving any of his characters too many traits.
The Chalk Man is a quick, entertaining read which is always a plus. The constant action kept the book from becoming a chore and thus I was able to devour it in a few days. I’d like to thank Penguin’s First to Read program for providing me with a free copy of this book. This review reflects my own opinion.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Angels Watching Over Me (Shenandoah Sisters, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Set during the Civil War, Angels Watching Over Me, is a story about two young women overcoming their differences and working together to survive.
Mayme is a slave girl and Katie is the daughter of a plantation owner. When they are faced with tragedy, they must rely on each other to make it through each day.
I was very excited to read this book, unfortunately, I was quite disappointed. The story line is good. However, there are a lot of inconsistencies and it jumps around more than I would like. The story is narrated by a much older Mayme. She goes back and forth between her story and Katie's. In the beginning of chapter 11 she even says "I know how it is when you’re trying to keep track of what’s going on, and the storyteller jumps about till you get so confused you can’t tell what happened when." I feel that the book could have started at chapter 11 and it would have worked just fine. There is also quite a bit of dialogue and thoughts being repeated.
*Spoilers*
I did not particularly enjoy the portrayal of Katie's character. We are led to believe that she is not very intelligent. On more than one occasion she is put down for not being able to think for herself. But then she magically delivers a baby for a colored girl without any thought or question. And we are given no explanation.
Again, I will say that the main idea of the book is good and I did enjoy the storyline overall. But this is not the style of book that I prefer. I will not be reading the rest of the series.
Mayme is a slave girl and Katie is the daughter of a plantation owner. When they are faced with tragedy, they must rely on each other to make it through each day.
I was very excited to read this book, unfortunately, I was quite disappointed. The story line is good. However, there are a lot of inconsistencies and it jumps around more than I would like. The story is narrated by a much older Mayme. She goes back and forth between her story and Katie's. In the beginning of chapter 11 she even says "I know how it is when you’re trying to keep track of what’s going on, and the storyteller jumps about till you get so confused you can’t tell what happened when." I feel that the book could have started at chapter 11 and it would have worked just fine. There is also quite a bit of dialogue and thoughts being repeated.
*Spoilers*
I did not particularly enjoy the portrayal of Katie's character. We are led to believe that she is not very intelligent. On more than one occasion she is put down for not being able to think for herself. But then she magically delivers a baby for a colored girl without any thought or question. And we are given no explanation.
Again, I will say that the main idea of the book is good and I did enjoy the storyline overall. But this is not the style of book that I prefer. I will not be reading the rest of the series.
Moving the AEC Beyond: Managing Domestic Consensus for Community ? Building: 2015
Siew Yean Tham and Sanchita Basu Das
Book
The ten Southeast Asian economies reached a milestone on 31 December 2015, when they announced the...
IT
Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1500
Wim Blockmans and Peter Hoppenbrouwers
Book
Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1500 provides a comprehensive survey of this complex and varied...
IT
Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1500
Book
Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1500 provides a comprehensive survey of this complex and varied...
TA
Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime: Intelligence Gathering, Analysis and Investigations
Book
The ability of law enforcement agencies to manage and act upon intelligence is the key to countering...
The Business Student's Guide to Study and Employability
Book
Written in response to the pressures on universities to produce highly skilled and work-ready...
Programming Language Explorations
Ray Toal, Rachel Rivera, Alexander Schneider and Eileen Choe
Book
Programming Language Explorations is a tour of several modern programming languages in use today....
Simplified Triz: New Problem Solving Application for Technical and Business Professionals
Kalevi Rantanem, David W. Conley and Ellen R. Domb
Book
Simplified TRIZ is a pragmatic book. It is in the first order a nuts and bolts how-to guide for...