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True Crime
Suzy and her brother, Lim, live with their abusive mother in a town where the stars don’t shine at night. Once the abuse becomes too much to handle, the two siblings embark on a sordid cross-country murder spree beginning with their mom. As the murder tally rises, Suzy’s mental state spirals into irredeemable madness.
156 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2020
129 people are currently reading
10.7k people want to read
About the author
Samantha Kolesnik
16books431followersSamantha Kolesnik is an author, filmmaker, and artist based in central Pennsylvania. She is best known for her books Waif (2021) and True Crime (2020).
She is also the author of the YA novella Elogona (Weirdpunk Books) and the short fiction collection Tales From Between Presents: Samantha Kolesnik’s Lonesome Haunts.
Her short films have screened at festivals internationally, including Mama’s Boy, which premiered at the Telluride Horror Show.
A trauma survivor living with PTSD, Kolesnik continues to explore film, photography, and writing as tools of reclamation, resistance, and healing.
She is also the author of the YA novella Elogona (Weirdpunk Books) and the short fiction collection Tales From Between Presents: Samantha Kolesnik’s Lonesome Haunts.
Her short films have screened at festivals internationally, including Mama’s Boy, which premiered at the Telluride Horror Show.
A trauma survivor living with PTSD, Kolesnik continues to explore film, photography, and writing as tools of reclamation, resistance, and healing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 699 reviews
January 13, 2020
“I want the society in which I live to be clear about the reality of our families; to know all the ways in which we avoid the issues of violence, abuse, and societal contempt; and to see survivors as more than victims. If we know more about what it means to survive abuse, we will be better able to help those still caught in the whole shameful secret world of physical and sexual violence.� - Dorothy Allison (Author of Bastard Out of Carolina)
True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik is an unflinching, brave story about identity. A fictional account of siblings raised by human monsters, enduring physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of the most violent kind. Readers will have to bear witness to some horrific accounts but almost more troubling is the lasting effects/consequences trauma has on the human psyche-especially in the formative years. This is a novella, so thankfully, the story doesn't focus on actual scenes of the parent/child abuse for too long. **(A Sadie sidenote/trigger warning you can skip: torture of the helpless like children or animals is too much for me. I won't endure it for the sake of entertainment. Despite the amazing storytelling/writing, I tapped out on reading THE GIRL NEXT DOOR by Jack Ketchum because the primary emphasis of the climax was the torture and abuse of a young girl. My mind refused it. This book is brutal at first and I felt that breaking point but very quickly the emphasis shifted and I could move past it. If I can finish this one, I'm pretty sure anyone could AND it's worth it. Big payoffs)**
Once Lim and Samantha venture out on their own, the author does a brilliant job portraying the different ways victimhood manifests itself. Suzy is our first-person narrator so the reader gets an intimate look inside the chaos of her damaged mind. Suzy's brother, Lim, displays all the external signs of his internal turmoil but it's really Suzy that the author hones in on and it's some of the most powerful storytelling I have ever read.
The crisis of identity Suzy experiences with all her conflicting feelings and behaviors is fascinating and compulsive. Actions sequences keep the story moving along but really, the magic of this book is what's happening to Suzy psychologically. I must use an appropriate illustration here of The Dog You Feed:
“It is like two dogs fighting inside of us,� a chief told the young warriors. “There is one good dog who wants to do right and the other dog always wants to do wrong. Sometimes the good dog seems stronger and is winning the fight. But sometimes the bad dog is stronger and wrong is winning the fight.�
“Who is going to win in the end?� a young warrior asks.
The chief answered “The one you feed.�
Waging war inside Suzy is what we would call a product of nature vs. nurture. Will Suzy become like the monsters who abused her? Can Suzy be redeemed with enough time away from the violence? If her body can heal-- what about her mind, heart, and soul? Can love make a person whole again after being broken time and time again?
Samantha Kolesnik wrote some scenes of dazzling beauty that stood out like a beacon of light in the pitch black. Most memorable for me were the "Creators" and the "Builders" that come along Suzy in an attempt to help her on her journey towards recovery. These scenes were like little treasures that made all the ugliness in this story worth the pain of enduring. I can't and I won't tell you what happens to Suzy in the end. You really must read this one for yourself. I promise it's worth the struggle. What a remarkable debut novel.
Mother Horror Book Blurb:
"Samantha Kolesnik's debut hurts like unrelenting thumb pressure on a fresh bruise. An ugly, dark account of severe victimhood informing a young girl's lasting identity. Readers will endure much tragedy. Watching light & love trying to break through are the big payoffs here. Brilliant."
True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik is an unflinching, brave story about identity. A fictional account of siblings raised by human monsters, enduring physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of the most violent kind. Readers will have to bear witness to some horrific accounts but almost more troubling is the lasting effects/consequences trauma has on the human psyche-especially in the formative years. This is a novella, so thankfully, the story doesn't focus on actual scenes of the parent/child abuse for too long. **(A Sadie sidenote/trigger warning you can skip: torture of the helpless like children or animals is too much for me. I won't endure it for the sake of entertainment. Despite the amazing storytelling/writing, I tapped out on reading THE GIRL NEXT DOOR by Jack Ketchum because the primary emphasis of the climax was the torture and abuse of a young girl. My mind refused it. This book is brutal at first and I felt that breaking point but very quickly the emphasis shifted and I could move past it. If I can finish this one, I'm pretty sure anyone could AND it's worth it. Big payoffs)**
Once Lim and Samantha venture out on their own, the author does a brilliant job portraying the different ways victimhood manifests itself. Suzy is our first-person narrator so the reader gets an intimate look inside the chaos of her damaged mind. Suzy's brother, Lim, displays all the external signs of his internal turmoil but it's really Suzy that the author hones in on and it's some of the most powerful storytelling I have ever read.
The crisis of identity Suzy experiences with all her conflicting feelings and behaviors is fascinating and compulsive. Actions sequences keep the story moving along but really, the magic of this book is what's happening to Suzy psychologically. I must use an appropriate illustration here of The Dog You Feed:
“It is like two dogs fighting inside of us,� a chief told the young warriors. “There is one good dog who wants to do right and the other dog always wants to do wrong. Sometimes the good dog seems stronger and is winning the fight. But sometimes the bad dog is stronger and wrong is winning the fight.�
“Who is going to win in the end?� a young warrior asks.
The chief answered “The one you feed.�
Waging war inside Suzy is what we would call a product of nature vs. nurture. Will Suzy become like the monsters who abused her? Can Suzy be redeemed with enough time away from the violence? If her body can heal-- what about her mind, heart, and soul? Can love make a person whole again after being broken time and time again?
Samantha Kolesnik wrote some scenes of dazzling beauty that stood out like a beacon of light in the pitch black. Most memorable for me were the "Creators" and the "Builders" that come along Suzy in an attempt to help her on her journey towards recovery. These scenes were like little treasures that made all the ugliness in this story worth the pain of enduring. I can't and I won't tell you what happens to Suzy in the end. You really must read this one for yourself. I promise it's worth the struggle. What a remarkable debut novel.
Mother Horror Book Blurb:
"Samantha Kolesnik's debut hurts like unrelenting thumb pressure on a fresh bruise. An ugly, dark account of severe victimhood informing a young girl's lasting identity. Readers will endure much tragedy. Watching light & love trying to break through are the big payoffs here. Brilliant."
September 2, 2020
this was an effective little horror story, for sure. it's got the small-town, fucked-up vibes down....there were plenty of things in here that made my stomach flip (abuse, rape, animal cruelty, murder, etc) but at the same time i feel like it lacked the length necessary to really land an emotional punch???
we are just dropped into the middle of the character's lives and the story takes off with not much attention to background/development. then, once things get moving, it felt like samantha kolesnik was in a race to see how fast she could make everything play out in full. i mean, i love a novella as much as anyone, but all this left me with was the desire for MORE.
we are just dropped into the middle of the character's lives and the story takes off with not much attention to background/development. then, once things get moving, it felt like samantha kolesnik was in a race to see how fast she could make everything play out in full. i mean, i love a novella as much as anyone, but all this left me with was the desire for MORE.
September 14, 2022
What a depressing and grim story. Suzy is abused by her mother who abducted a girl named Alice to be held prisoner at home. Her brother is a killer. There is also cruelty against a puppy. When their mothers behavior turns worse they flee... what happens to Lim and Suzy? Can they reach new goals and a more positive life? Well, Suzy regards the world as a "shithole". She loves True Crime magazines. She doesn't believe in God, always stays a determined character. This is the depressing element in the story. Nothing ever changes for good everything remains in grey and dire condition. Humans don't have a chance to move upwards in life. It was well written, no doubt about it, interesting characters but in my opinion too black and nihilistic. We all fade to black some day, okay but there also are bright moments. Well, recommended for those who favor black abyss in books... I'm glad I'm through here.
April 1, 2020
TRUE CRIME was a brutal novella which, to my mind, was about the cycle of violence abuse engenders within families, and which then ripples outward to the world.
Being a novella, every single word counts and Ms. Kolesnik masterfully used those words to impact the reader.
Recommended to those readers who can stomach severe abuse, (though most appears off-screen), so to speak.
*I bought this novella with my hard earned cash.*
Being a novella, every single word counts and Ms. Kolesnik masterfully used those words to impact the reader.
Recommended to those readers who can stomach severe abuse, (though most appears off-screen), so to speak.
*I bought this novella with my hard earned cash.*
June 30, 2020
Everyone called you sweet before they defiled you. A virgin was nothing if not ripe for the teeth.This shocking debut novella follows a young girl named Suzy and her brother Lim, on a killing spree after escaping their abusive mother. It's an intense character piece exploring what might lead to the creation of a sociopath like Suzy. With staggering and powerfully insightful prose, Author Samantha Kolesnik is unflinching, pulling absolutely no punches here, forcing us to go on this journey with Suzy and to have some sort of relative empathy for her.
I wondered how the world made its villains and why it never apologized for making them.Featuring a protagonist that’s a killer with very little remorse is a tricky line to walk, but in my opinion, Kolesnik really pulls it off. I felt her connection to her brother, which is not exactly love, but a primal bond of mutual understanding and protection. I saw that pain is the only true feeling she could recognize and I understood that seeing the desperation and survival instinct in other victims was the only thing she could relate to. Although it’s disheartening and uncomfortable, I found myself understanding her pain and inner corrosion and by the second half of the book, hoping that at some point the little girl inside the damaged shell would have a chance to come out and be free.
When people prayed to God, I wondered, were they praying to Him or were they praying to me? I couldn't quite see a difference in that moment.
July 17, 2020
I was a little afraid of this book once the comparisons to Ketchum’s THE GIRL NEXT DOOR and J.F. Gonzalez’s SURVIVOR were made. I’ll be honest here and admit that I barely made it through the first and the second was a struggle. There’s one scene in SURVIVOR that I would like scrubbed from my brain, please. But, in my opinion, for whatever that is worth, this book reminds me more of Lynda Barry’s CRUDDY , and that book was never a struggle. It is filled with devastation and horrible events but it doesn’t feel like it's ever too much to bear because the young protagonist is telling her story and she is carrying on. You feel as if you need to carry on because the character continues to do so. Such is TRUE CRIME. These two books would make excellent companion pieces if you’re up for the agony. You can blame me when you’re done. I’ll own this one, haha.
Much like Cruddy, this book digs deep and exceptionally well into a broken adolescent’s mind. The emotions and the thoughts are realistically raw as the child is forced to endure and carry on in a world that is unbearably cruel and abusive.
Suzy and her older brother have experienced nothing but horror in their young lives. Their mother is human trash and exposes them to sexual abuse their entire lives. It has changed their patterns of thinking and behavior, made them lose faith in everything. Helplessness and anger brew until they eventually boil over and events take a turn past the point of no return. Be warned, this book likely has all the triggers and it’s best knowing beforehand what you may be getting yourself into. I knew, so I was ready. There’s some cruel animal abuse here as well and it will break your heart. Who am I kidding? All of this will break your heart. There’s no sense sugar-coating it. Life can be cruel and it can ruin people and this book doesn’t flinch away from that ugly fact.
Despite all of the above, this book was incredibly readable even as it took me into some of the darkest corners of humanity. There is so much phrasing here that simply devastates with its truth.
“Every girl in the world was taught not to trust her gut.�
So yeah, It’s fucking bleak and it is full of sorrow and if you’re ready I think you should read it. True Crime is the author’s debut novel and I am terrified to read what she’ll release into the world in the future but I’ll be here for it because having my heart shattered is my most favorite thing and she has done an amazing job of doing just that with this piece of fiction.
Much like Cruddy, this book digs deep and exceptionally well into a broken adolescent’s mind. The emotions and the thoughts are realistically raw as the child is forced to endure and carry on in a world that is unbearably cruel and abusive.
Suzy and her older brother have experienced nothing but horror in their young lives. Their mother is human trash and exposes them to sexual abuse their entire lives. It has changed their patterns of thinking and behavior, made them lose faith in everything. Helplessness and anger brew until they eventually boil over and events take a turn past the point of no return. Be warned, this book likely has all the triggers and it’s best knowing beforehand what you may be getting yourself into. I knew, so I was ready. There’s some cruel animal abuse here as well and it will break your heart. Who am I kidding? All of this will break your heart. There’s no sense sugar-coating it. Life can be cruel and it can ruin people and this book doesn’t flinch away from that ugly fact.
Despite all of the above, this book was incredibly readable even as it took me into some of the darkest corners of humanity. There is so much phrasing here that simply devastates with its truth.
“Every girl in the world was taught not to trust her gut.�
So yeah, It’s fucking bleak and it is full of sorrow and if you’re ready I think you should read it. True Crime is the author’s debut novel and I am terrified to read what she’ll release into the world in the future but I’ll be here for it because having my heart shattered is my most favorite thing and she has done an amazing job of doing just that with this piece of fiction.
May 16, 2023
Hmm. This book was not for me, but maybe some people might appreciate it more. It deals with topics such as child abuse, prostitution, kidnapping and more.
The author tried to show the dark side of human nature and the consequences of trauma, but I found the book failed to do anything other than try to be shocking and graphic. The writing style was not bad but did lack any element of flair, and the characters were hard to relate to or care about. The plot was not very surprising or exciting. I did not have the best of times reading this book, it wasn't terrible but is not one that I would recommend.
The author tried to show the dark side of human nature and the consequences of trauma, but I found the book failed to do anything other than try to be shocking and graphic. The writing style was not bad but did lack any element of flair, and the characters were hard to relate to or care about. The plot was not very surprising or exciting. I did not have the best of times reading this book, it wasn't terrible but is not one that I would recommend.
October 7, 2021
All if nature began to hum along with her refrain, echoing her pain.
The things he'd do, the flies buzzed.
The things he's do, the snakes hissed.
The things he'd do, the frogs croaked.
All men did was rape, kill, eat, and fuck, as far as I could see, and it's not like the fields knew any different. The world was just an echo chamber for man's sin.
This is one of those reviews that's not really about the book's quality, it's all about my feelings towards it. And I may have finished it, but I do kind of wish I hadn't!
Right from the first pages, this is an unrelentingly grim, firmly misanthropic book. Just the worst things happen - forget doesthedogdie.com, if you see an animal in this book, something terrible is going to happen to it. Ditto for the majority of the people, and the author's not shy about getting into details on some truly horrible things. The writing is good - good enough that I finished this, which should say a lot, because boy was I having an absolutely terrible time with the content. It is blessedly short, with both the start and end fairly random moments in a larger story to begin and leave off.
I'd give a content warning, but rather than giving spoilers, if you usually look for one of those, this book is unlikely to do anything but ruin your day. I'm fairly sure that's what the author was going for, and props to her for doing an extremely thorough job, but not what I needed right now.
The things he'd do, the flies buzzed.
The things he's do, the snakes hissed.
The things he'd do, the frogs croaked.
All men did was rape, kill, eat, and fuck, as far as I could see, and it's not like the fields knew any different. The world was just an echo chamber for man's sin.
This is one of those reviews that's not really about the book's quality, it's all about my feelings towards it. And I may have finished it, but I do kind of wish I hadn't!
Right from the first pages, this is an unrelentingly grim, firmly misanthropic book. Just the worst things happen - forget doesthedogdie.com, if you see an animal in this book, something terrible is going to happen to it. Ditto for the majority of the people, and the author's not shy about getting into details on some truly horrible things. The writing is good - good enough that I finished this, which should say a lot, because boy was I having an absolutely terrible time with the content. It is blessedly short, with both the start and end fairly random moments in a larger story to begin and leave off.
I'd give a content warning, but rather than giving spoilers, if you usually look for one of those, this book is unlikely to do anything but ruin your day. I'm fairly sure that's what the author was going for, and props to her for doing an extremely thorough job, but not what I needed right now.
April 4, 2021
TW: animal abuse, death of an animal, sexual assault, sexual abuse, child abuse, murder
April 25, 2021
This is brutal on so many levels. But WOW! TRUE CRIME delivers a story of abuse, identity, death, and so much more. This novella is quite literally packed full of themes and lessons - I believe a whole course could be taught with this story as its backbone. Samantha Kolesnik has put together something so gritty and dark, but at the same time full of many psychological truths, questions, and conversations that are begging to be explored. To tell you that my mind was racing back and forth from thought to thought between paragraphs, pages, or chapters is an understatement.
I am actually quite ready (although NOT ready... if you know, you know) to read this again. Having digested the general story and characters at this point makes going back again more of a quest for understanding and examining the smaller moments. Suzy, our main character, has a head full of intense thoughts that deserve to be unraveled and dissected. Is she the monster or the victim? Is she both? CAN you be both? She has been through so much in her short life that it just makes you think about and question so many things!
Reading this book gave me The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum vibes. And I do not mean that in terms of the plot, but in the raw, bleak brutality of it all. And I hope that comes across as the compliment that I mean for it to be because... WOW! This book may not be for everyone, but I know it will be with me for quite some time. The fact that Kolesnik can write so beautifully about something so tragic and dark is a skill that deserves all the recognition!
I am actually quite ready (although NOT ready... if you know, you know) to read this again. Having digested the general story and characters at this point makes going back again more of a quest for understanding and examining the smaller moments. Suzy, our main character, has a head full of intense thoughts that deserve to be unraveled and dissected. Is she the monster or the victim? Is she both? CAN you be both? She has been through so much in her short life that it just makes you think about and question so many things!
Reading this book gave me The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum vibes. And I do not mean that in terms of the plot, but in the raw, bleak brutality of it all. And I hope that comes across as the compliment that I mean for it to be because... WOW! This book may not be for everyone, but I know it will be with me for quite some time. The fact that Kolesnik can write so beautifully about something so tragic and dark is a skill that deserves all the recognition!
January 14, 2020
Thank you to the author, Grindhouse Press, and the Night Worms for my free copy.
Samantha Kolesnik’s debut novella TRUE CRIME is uncomfortable, intriguing, absorbing, and brilliantly written. I picked it up and did not put it down until I finished the final page.
Suzy and her brother Lim live in a reality of horrific proportions. Their mother is extremely abusive, especially to Suzy. One day, Suzy understandably snaps and retaliates against her mother which then leads to a spree of deviant behavior on an impromptu road trip.
There are a slew of heinous crimes prevalent in this story but I was more intrigued by the psychological aspect. Since as long as I can remember I’ve been fascinated by the pathology of sociopaths. I want to know if it’s something that comes naturally, versus if it’s a force of nature that pushes an individual to do despicable things. Suzy is no doubt who she is because of her fiendish mother, but can she ever be reformed? Or was it in her all along, to the point of no return?
There are a few scenes that made me cringe, but I couldn’t stop reading because Suzy’s journey was too captivating to put down. Kolesnik wrote a perfect horror novella and I know this because at the end of the day I didn’t detest Suzy. After what she went through it is difficult not to feel for her but I certainly wouldn’t want to cross her path.
Samantha Kolesnik’s debut novella TRUE CRIME is uncomfortable, intriguing, absorbing, and brilliantly written. I picked it up and did not put it down until I finished the final page.
Suzy and her brother Lim live in a reality of horrific proportions. Their mother is extremely abusive, especially to Suzy. One day, Suzy understandably snaps and retaliates against her mother which then leads to a spree of deviant behavior on an impromptu road trip.
There are a slew of heinous crimes prevalent in this story but I was more intrigued by the psychological aspect. Since as long as I can remember I’ve been fascinated by the pathology of sociopaths. I want to know if it’s something that comes naturally, versus if it’s a force of nature that pushes an individual to do despicable things. Suzy is no doubt who she is because of her fiendish mother, but can she ever be reformed? Or was it in her all along, to the point of no return?
There are a few scenes that made me cringe, but I couldn’t stop reading because Suzy’s journey was too captivating to put down. Kolesnik wrote a perfect horror novella and I know this because at the end of the day I didn’t detest Suzy. After what she went through it is difficult not to feel for her but I certainly wouldn’t want to cross her path.
January 9, 2020
All the stars. 10 stars. 20. Brutal and heavy. And gorgeously written. Like, look up from the page in awe moments.
Review from Sci Fi and Scary:
“This book is dedicated to the Creators and the Builders, the kind souls whom the world rarely deserves and so desperately needs� (Kolesnik, True Crime)
The synopsis is normal enough for a good horror book: siblings try to escape a bad mother, they go on a rampage, murder happens, madness follows. A blurb from Brian Keene likens the book to the works of Jack Ketchum and J.F. Gonzalez. Wait. What? Okay, I thought, this is going to be THAT level of book. I’ve got this. Then the dedication. Builders and Creators sounds interesting, yet a bit more positive than the rest. Until I focused on the words “…rarely deserves�.
Happiness and joy are only mere glimpses in this brutal and important coming-of-age style horror book. Kolesnik puts a magnifying glass up to very real and extremely graphic real life horror. Her female protagonist, Suzy, endures things no person should. Don’t think the events are in this book just for shock value. It IS a difficult, heavy read, and like all the great ones, a necessary one.
Suzy came to life for me; I felt empathy and horror and I was fully invested in her journey. Yes, this is Kolesnik’s debut novel, but this characterization is damn good even for a writer that has been writing for decades. Hell, every PIECE of writing is better. Like it happens in Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, we are ON this ride, pulled along with the inability to stop. Only this time, we aren’t a level removed. The reader is there, experiencing it.
No more comparing this book to others. I only use those comparisons as a point of reference for the general feel of some of the situations. Kolesnik’s voice is unique. At times blunt and in others lyrical, her skill with the written word shines through on every page. The ending of this book took a turn I did not expect. Five short sentences hammer it home and I swear on everything if there is another book set in this world, I will be there.
It goes without saying (but I will anyway), that I will show up for WHATEVER Kolesnik writes in the future. Do not miss it.
Review from Sci Fi and Scary:
“This book is dedicated to the Creators and the Builders, the kind souls whom the world rarely deserves and so desperately needs� (Kolesnik, True Crime)
The synopsis is normal enough for a good horror book: siblings try to escape a bad mother, they go on a rampage, murder happens, madness follows. A blurb from Brian Keene likens the book to the works of Jack Ketchum and J.F. Gonzalez. Wait. What? Okay, I thought, this is going to be THAT level of book. I’ve got this. Then the dedication. Builders and Creators sounds interesting, yet a bit more positive than the rest. Until I focused on the words “…rarely deserves�.
Happiness and joy are only mere glimpses in this brutal and important coming-of-age style horror book. Kolesnik puts a magnifying glass up to very real and extremely graphic real life horror. Her female protagonist, Suzy, endures things no person should. Don’t think the events are in this book just for shock value. It IS a difficult, heavy read, and like all the great ones, a necessary one.
Suzy came to life for me; I felt empathy and horror and I was fully invested in her journey. Yes, this is Kolesnik’s debut novel, but this characterization is damn good even for a writer that has been writing for decades. Hell, every PIECE of writing is better. Like it happens in Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, we are ON this ride, pulled along with the inability to stop. Only this time, we aren’t a level removed. The reader is there, experiencing it.
No more comparing this book to others. I only use those comparisons as a point of reference for the general feel of some of the situations. Kolesnik’s voice is unique. At times blunt and in others lyrical, her skill with the written word shines through on every page. The ending of this book took a turn I did not expect. Five short sentences hammer it home and I swear on everything if there is another book set in this world, I will be there.
It goes without saying (but I will anyway), that I will show up for WHATEVER Kolesnik writes in the future. Do not miss it.
January 8, 2020
True Crime is Samantha Kolesnik's debut novella, and I'm glad that I picked it up. It's grim, haunting, and well-written. I am not going to make a flat-out comparison to Jack Ketchum's writing in The Girl Next Door, but Samantha's has a similar quality in that she can write about terrible and horrendous things, but still have heart in the story.
Suzy, the main character, is kind of a monster, and yet I still felt for her. She is layered, and there's more to her than the being a murderer, and the bad things that have happened to her. She is still a likeable character (she loves dogs!). I appreciate the depth of this character within this short book.
There were a couple small aspects of the storyline that were a little confusing, and I wish they would have been more fleshed out, but it still worked out well enough as a complete story. As usual, I could have done without the animal stuff in this story, but I knew what I was getting into with this one.
This story is very bleak, and it's more on the side of extreme horror, so just be prepared if you read it. True Crime is a difficult and uncomfortable read, but it's very good, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Samantha Kolesnik does next.
CW - sexual abuse, animal cruelty, child abuse, termination of pregnancy, rape
Suzy, the main character, is kind of a monster, and yet I still felt for her. She is layered, and there's more to her than the being a murderer, and the bad things that have happened to her. She is still a likeable character (she loves dogs!). I appreciate the depth of this character within this short book.
There were a couple small aspects of the storyline that were a little confusing, and I wish they would have been more fleshed out, but it still worked out well enough as a complete story. As usual, I could have done without the animal stuff in this story, but I knew what I was getting into with this one.
This story is very bleak, and it's more on the side of extreme horror, so just be prepared if you read it. True Crime is a difficult and uncomfortable read, but it's very good, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Samantha Kolesnik does next.
CW - sexual abuse, animal cruelty, child abuse, termination of pregnancy, rape
July 6, 2023
" No había maldad en el mundo que no fuera obra del hombre."
¡Vaya lectura! Desgarradora, dura, cruel, directa y real.
Esta historia atrapa desde sus primeras páginas mostrándonos una realidad injusta, violenta, solitaria y sin salida. Aquí no hay fantasmas sobrenaturales que te pongan la piel de gallina, solo están esos fantasmas que se anidan en tu memoria y te consumen desde lo más profundo, recordándote que no tiene ningún sentido resistir, que lo vivido deja huella, que te cambia y te moldea.
Es una historia con un mensaje muy desesperanzador, y aborda de una manera muy directa y cruda la realidad de una joven que transita por una de las peores caras de la vida.
"¿A quién le importa lo que le ocurre a la carne después de separarla del hueso?"
¡Vaya lectura! Desgarradora, dura, cruel, directa y real.
Esta historia atrapa desde sus primeras páginas mostrándonos una realidad injusta, violenta, solitaria y sin salida. Aquí no hay fantasmas sobrenaturales que te pongan la piel de gallina, solo están esos fantasmas que se anidan en tu memoria y te consumen desde lo más profundo, recordándote que no tiene ningún sentido resistir, que lo vivido deja huella, que te cambia y te moldea.
Es una historia con un mensaje muy desesperanzador, y aborda de una manera muy directa y cruda la realidad de una joven que transita por una de las peores caras de la vida.
"¿A quién le importa lo que le ocurre a la carne después de separarla del hueso?"
November 14, 2021
It was good, but something was missing in the story.
I was waiting for something unexpected, to happen. Or, to know, a little bit more about, mama, Lim and Alice.
I was waiting for something unexpected, to happen. Or, to know, a little bit more about, mama, Lim and Alice.
September 3, 2024
This is extremely messed up. It actually made me so angry—how realistic this is, how people can be so evil, so heartless.
These maggots live and breathe the same air, walking among us, soiling humanity, killing the innocent. They all deserve to burn in hell. They all deserve to suffer in an endless inferno.
Ugh, I am so mad—so mad at all the injustices in this book, so mad at Suzy for still choosing the dark path even though people are trying to help her. I am just so affected by this book.
This is a grim read. You will not like how it makes you feel. Also, there’s animal abuse, so please, beware.
These maggots live and breathe the same air, walking among us, soiling humanity, killing the innocent. They all deserve to burn in hell. They all deserve to suffer in an endless inferno.
Ugh, I am so mad—so mad at all the injustices in this book, so mad at Suzy for still choosing the dark path even though people are trying to help her. I am just so affected by this book.
This is a grim read. You will not like how it makes you feel. Also, there’s animal abuse, so please, beware.
January 30, 2020
Five of the biggest stars this cold universe can offer. This is a brutal, captivating story, but told with a remarkable sweetness. Sweetness may not be the word, maybe a unique blend of sinister naivety?. I'll keep searching, but there's the depth of the abyss in these pages. The main character is, in a sense, the anti-Holden Caulfield� instead of the loss of innocence, this is a character who never had the innocence to speak of, and if JD Salinger was said to have loved his character's more than God, well, Kolesnik seems to understand her characters more than any devil. There is a true horror here, and, you are being mocked in a sense, for even being interested and opening something that has 'true crime' on its cover, for here is the background of those blondes with blood you see on the cover. Get ready to have your eyeballs singed with the fire of her prose.. You want to see the true horrors of true crime? here, have a look.
The novella begs to be compared to Ketchum's Girl Next Door, even makes reference to it, but in contrast to the POF of the cold, removed narrator of Girl Next Door who is a perpetrator of abuse, True Crime is told from the point of view of the young female victim, and her perspectives of what happens to her sucks the reader into her experience; mind, body and soul. We can feel her powerlessness turn to power when she takes control of her life with violence against those completely deserved of her wrath, but then realize that this violence continues to those completely undeserved. In turning outward against the world, and we understand how it is the most plausible option and only way for control. We understand what it is like to have a body we hate, breasts we just want to cut off, for the body is just crevices and mounds for others to exploit and inflict pain, and female emotions are meant to be solved, not empathized with. The idea of saying "no" to being hunted almost considered a joke for its ineffectual simplicity. Even if a guardian angel is at our side, or we are sent to watch their pets, the world will rip them away too.
I first devoured this book, but then slowed myself down on purpose, understanding that I was reading something special.
This cover might confuse readers into thinking it is some sort of homage to a pulpy-type-noir (*raises hands.. sort of what I had thought) instead you'll get something riveting, engaging, and something that feels so true. It's as if the character is still living in my kindle, and her story still playing out. That's how real it felt.
All this to say... I've not read a more powerful book in a long, long while, and I hesitate to write this review for I shall probably fall short on what I fully want to say and want to add something later.
One quote of many that I simply loved from the book:
"You will see a light on the horizon and no matter how long you float in your filth, you will never reach it. That will be your punishment—to see a Paradise you cannot ruin.�
The novella begs to be compared to Ketchum's Girl Next Door, even makes reference to it, but in contrast to the POF of the cold, removed narrator of Girl Next Door who is a perpetrator of abuse, True Crime is told from the point of view of the young female victim, and her perspectives of what happens to her sucks the reader into her experience; mind, body and soul. We can feel her powerlessness turn to power when she takes control of her life with violence against those completely deserved of her wrath, but then realize that this violence continues to those completely undeserved. In turning outward against the world, and we understand how it is the most plausible option and only way for control. We understand what it is like to have a body we hate, breasts we just want to cut off, for the body is just crevices and mounds for others to exploit and inflict pain, and female emotions are meant to be solved, not empathized with. The idea of saying "no" to being hunted almost considered a joke for its ineffectual simplicity. Even if a guardian angel is at our side, or we are sent to watch their pets, the world will rip them away too.
I first devoured this book, but then slowed myself down on purpose, understanding that I was reading something special.
This cover might confuse readers into thinking it is some sort of homage to a pulpy-type-noir (*raises hands.. sort of what I had thought) instead you'll get something riveting, engaging, and something that feels so true. It's as if the character is still living in my kindle, and her story still playing out. That's how real it felt.
All this to say... I've not read a more powerful book in a long, long while, and I hesitate to write this review for I shall probably fall short on what I fully want to say and want to add something later.
One quote of many that I simply loved from the book:
"You will see a light on the horizon and no matter how long you float in your filth, you will never reach it. That will be your punishment—to see a Paradise you cannot ruin.�
January 12, 2020
So you have probably already heard about this one on Instagram especially or maybe Twitter? Well, the hype is real. This book is the real deal, and I didn't want to put it down. It's a novella, so I probably could have just read it in a single sitting, but of course adulting always tends to get in the way. But when I was able to have some reading time this one reaches out and grabs you by the throat and won't let you turn away. And you will want to turn away. You will want to put it down and catch your breath, but you won't. You will just keep turning pages.
I'm fascinated by psychology and what makes a person do the things they do. What makes a person deviant? What causes most people to feel sick at the idea of killing another person, and some people to have a compulsion to kill? The nature vs nurture debate comes up time and again, and I tend to think that maybe there is a little bit of both at play, but I definitely think that lack of a loving and safe environment as a child can definitely play a large part in making a person a killer.
In TRUE CRIME Suzy and her brother live in a nightmare household that has only continued to worsen since she was born. It seems that Suzy takes the brunt of her mother's abuse. These were some of the hardest parts to read, so when Suzy snaps, it's almost a relief. She leaves the house she grew up and suffered in behind, and takes to the road with her brother Lim. As they travel people cross their paths, and Suzy and Lim leave a body count in their wake. Things escalate until they are forced to stop their murder spree. But can Suzy ever live a normal life?
I seriously can't recommend this novella enough. Horror fans need this. It's a brutal and unflinching story about psychotic siblings that will leave you gasping for air and wanting to look away. But you won't look away because you can't. This book demands your attention in a way that the best books do.
I'm fascinated by psychology and what makes a person do the things they do. What makes a person deviant? What causes most people to feel sick at the idea of killing another person, and some people to have a compulsion to kill? The nature vs nurture debate comes up time and again, and I tend to think that maybe there is a little bit of both at play, but I definitely think that lack of a loving and safe environment as a child can definitely play a large part in making a person a killer.
In TRUE CRIME Suzy and her brother live in a nightmare household that has only continued to worsen since she was born. It seems that Suzy takes the brunt of her mother's abuse. These were some of the hardest parts to read, so when Suzy snaps, it's almost a relief. She leaves the house she grew up and suffered in behind, and takes to the road with her brother Lim. As they travel people cross their paths, and Suzy and Lim leave a body count in their wake. Things escalate until they are forced to stop their murder spree. But can Suzy ever live a normal life?
I seriously can't recommend this novella enough. Horror fans need this. It's a brutal and unflinching story about psychotic siblings that will leave you gasping for air and wanting to look away. But you won't look away because you can't. This book demands your attention in a way that the best books do.
August 11, 2022
"That’s what men never understood about women. It wasn’t enough just to have breasts to want to be together. We had minds, too. Men never saw the minds. They saw lumps and mounds, holes and crevasses. Places to stare, places to molest. Men were handsy that way. Tactile."
Something about this book feels so personal despite its disturbing nature. It feels like I have been in the place of the main character, that I have felt what she is feeling.It is disconcerting and comforting in a very bizarre manner.
The last time I was this disturbed was while watching 120 Days of Sodom.
Something about this book feels so personal despite its disturbing nature. It feels like I have been in the place of the main character, that I have felt what she is feeling.It is disconcerting and comforting in a very bizarre manner.
The last time I was this disturbed was while watching 120 Days of Sodom.
June 12, 2022
Stop hurting animals to move a plot or tell a story please. I don’t need the extra trauma on top of the awful things I’ve witnessed in my life
January 8, 2020
My review of can be found at .
In the build-up to it’s release, I’ve seen a number of comparisons being made between Samantha Kolesnik’s debut and Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door. It’s a fair comparison, and although True Crime doesn’t cut as bone-deep as Ketchum’s justifiably highly regarded emotional and psychological assault against its readers, Kolesnik certainly knows how to worm around a reader’s brain and make their soul ache.
Right from its opening pages, the author lets you know what kind of book True Crime is and the space her lead character, Suzy, inhabits in the world. Suzy is a victim seeking escape from the predations of her mother, until she finally snaps and settles the score. She and her older, far more imposing, brother then hit the road, leaving in their wake a trail of bodies and carnage.
Kolesnik pulls no punches in her portrayals of some truly awful, broken people and the degradation they impose upon humanity. Having directed several short films previously, the author uses her words here like a camera, setting up scenes and placing the lens close to study every intimate detail, whether you want to see them or not.
Suzy is a wonderfully realized, three-dimensional girl trapped and attempting to surface in this twisted coming of age story. She is seeking to find her place in the world, rebelling against her victim-hood even as she acknowledges that she’s always somebody’s subservient dog. She’s meek in the face of Mama’s anger, and, later, follows behind an ex-convict who routinely masturbates in front of her, simply because it’s what she has been trained to do. Violence is oftentimes her only recourse, the only method she has to finding some degree of control over her own life, and it calls to mind questions of nature versus nurture. Is she a compulsive reader of the gaudy True Crime magazine and its lurid depictions of crime scenes and corpses because she herself is a victim, or because she hopes to be one day sensationalized in similar fashion as either a killer or victim, or both? Did Mama’s abuse and sexual assaults and Suzy’s years of objectification make her cold blooded, or would she have grown up to be a damaged survivor in any circumstance?
In some ways, Suzy is the antithesis to The Girl Next Door’s Meg, a What If? story about the abused girl who makes her way out into the world but only knows pain and suffering, and how to inflict it. A girl who knows and understands violence better than she understands her own self, and hopes that one can help her learn about and define the other.
True Crime is a shocking and potent debut, and Kolesnik is one hell of a powerful writer. If you’re looking for The Next Big Name in psychological horror, start here.
In the build-up to it’s release, I’ve seen a number of comparisons being made between Samantha Kolesnik’s debut and Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door. It’s a fair comparison, and although True Crime doesn’t cut as bone-deep as Ketchum’s justifiably highly regarded emotional and psychological assault against its readers, Kolesnik certainly knows how to worm around a reader’s brain and make their soul ache.
Right from its opening pages, the author lets you know what kind of book True Crime is and the space her lead character, Suzy, inhabits in the world. Suzy is a victim seeking escape from the predations of her mother, until she finally snaps and settles the score. She and her older, far more imposing, brother then hit the road, leaving in their wake a trail of bodies and carnage.
Kolesnik pulls no punches in her portrayals of some truly awful, broken people and the degradation they impose upon humanity. Having directed several short films previously, the author uses her words here like a camera, setting up scenes and placing the lens close to study every intimate detail, whether you want to see them or not.
Suzy is a wonderfully realized, three-dimensional girl trapped and attempting to surface in this twisted coming of age story. She is seeking to find her place in the world, rebelling against her victim-hood even as she acknowledges that she’s always somebody’s subservient dog. She’s meek in the face of Mama’s anger, and, later, follows behind an ex-convict who routinely masturbates in front of her, simply because it’s what she has been trained to do. Violence is oftentimes her only recourse, the only method she has to finding some degree of control over her own life, and it calls to mind questions of nature versus nurture. Is she a compulsive reader of the gaudy True Crime magazine and its lurid depictions of crime scenes and corpses because she herself is a victim, or because she hopes to be one day sensationalized in similar fashion as either a killer or victim, or both? Did Mama’s abuse and sexual assaults and Suzy’s years of objectification make her cold blooded, or would she have grown up to be a damaged survivor in any circumstance?
In some ways, Suzy is the antithesis to The Girl Next Door’s Meg, a What If? story about the abused girl who makes her way out into the world but only knows pain and suffering, and how to inflict it. A girl who knows and understands violence better than she understands her own self, and hopes that one can help her learn about and define the other.
True Crime is a shocking and potent debut, and Kolesnik is one hell of a powerful writer. If you’re looking for The Next Big Name in psychological horror, start here.
May 15, 2023
Con un comienzo más que perturbador y muy pero que muy desagradable que te hace replantearte si continuar su lectura, te lanzas al vacío y prosigues, y te das cuenta que vas cuesta abajo y sin frenos hasta el final.
Una historia de vejaciones llevadas al extremo, de asesinatos sin remordimientos, de maltrato animal y en general rodeado de un lenguaje soez casi en su totalidad.
Bajo mi punto de vista, demasiado sexo que no aporta nada, salvo resultarme molesto por reiterativo.
Llegué al punto en que los personajes no me interesaban en absoluto hasta llegar al aburrimiento.
No sé, he sentido que esta historia es una hibridación de otras novelas, y que no me ha contado nada nuevo.
Una historia de vejaciones llevadas al extremo, de asesinatos sin remordimientos, de maltrato animal y en general rodeado de un lenguaje soez casi en su totalidad.
Bajo mi punto de vista, demasiado sexo que no aporta nada, salvo resultarme molesto por reiterativo.
Llegué al punto en que los personajes no me interesaban en absoluto hasta llegar al aburrimiento.
No sé, he sentido que esta historia es una hibridación de otras novelas, y que no me ha contado nada nuevo.
December 20, 2022
TW: toxic family relationships, abuse, sexual abuse, cutting, murder of unborn baby, animal death, cutting, use of c-word, rape, torture, animal abuse, sex workers, death of child
SPOILERS
About the book:Suzy and her brother, Lim, live with their abusive mother in a town where the stars don’t shine at night. Once the abuse becomes too much to handle, the two siblings embark on a sordid cross-country murder spree beginning with their mom. As the murder tally rises, Suzy’s mental state spirals into irredeemable madness
Release Date: January 15th, 2020
Genre: Horror
Pages: 156
Rating: � �
What I Liked:
1. The writing was okay
2. Author was good at details for a novella
What I Didn't Like:
1. Needed an editor
2. Boring once the half-way point comes in
Overall Thoughts: Once we hit the road I felt like I was reading National Born Killers.
As the book goes on I started to feel as though I slipped into a messed up version of Mice and Men. I don't know why suddenly Lim is just doing everything Suzy wants like killing the people when at the beginning of the book he didn't want any of that and thought her reading the true crime books were dumb. Now he is going along with every murder like has no mind of his own.
I have so many questions with the gas cap girl. Like why would ANYONE let alone a woman on a dark stretch of road stop her car when someone keeps flashing their brights at her? Girl is so dumb that she would even care that the gas cap is open. It doesn't do anything to your car if it's open. I'm assuming that her gas cap is on the driver's side and that's how they hit her but when they backed up couldn't she have looked back or notice that it was already closed before getting too far from her car door. Author has us thinking she's driving a limo and she has a distance to walk. They were parked behind her so it would have illuminated the cap. My final thought/question is; how far back where they parked that she couldn't get into her car in time but they had the speed to cause such damage to her that she rolled under the car and was so injured. I feel like I'm in school and it's one of those math questions that if "Suzanne leaves at 4pm to catch the train and beat Michael there by 10pm what time would Tim need to on the train"?
How old are the Suzy and Lim? Countless times the author will say someone is a few years older than Suzy but we don't even know her age.
After Lim is arrested the action calms down and you're left with more mentions of men looking at Suzy's breasts. Honestly it gets pretty boring.
This book ended on such luckluster ending. I felt like I was reading two books. One was this girl that is abused and then another about this girl who is now off killing people all crazy like and then back to her pretty much trying to be a chill person and try to be human.
Final Thoughts: This book wasn't as disturbing as people made out that it was supposed to be. I actually found the characters boring. Their actions were confusing that one moment they were killers and then normal.
Recommend For:
� Mid-grade torture horror
� Beginning of reading torture
|
SPOILERS
About the book:Suzy and her brother, Lim, live with their abusive mother in a town where the stars don’t shine at night. Once the abuse becomes too much to handle, the two siblings embark on a sordid cross-country murder spree beginning with their mom. As the murder tally rises, Suzy’s mental state spirals into irredeemable madness
Release Date: January 15th, 2020
Genre: Horror
Pages: 156
Rating: � �
What I Liked:
1. The writing was okay
2. Author was good at details for a novella
What I Didn't Like:
1. Needed an editor
2. Boring once the half-way point comes in
Overall Thoughts: Once we hit the road I felt like I was reading National Born Killers.
As the book goes on I started to feel as though I slipped into a messed up version of Mice and Men. I don't know why suddenly Lim is just doing everything Suzy wants like killing the people when at the beginning of the book he didn't want any of that and thought her reading the true crime books were dumb. Now he is going along with every murder like has no mind of his own.
I have so many questions with the gas cap girl. Like why would ANYONE let alone a woman on a dark stretch of road stop her car when someone keeps flashing their brights at her? Girl is so dumb that she would even care that the gas cap is open. It doesn't do anything to your car if it's open. I'm assuming that her gas cap is on the driver's side and that's how they hit her but when they backed up couldn't she have looked back or notice that it was already closed before getting too far from her car door. Author has us thinking she's driving a limo and she has a distance to walk. They were parked behind her so it would have illuminated the cap. My final thought/question is; how far back where they parked that she couldn't get into her car in time but they had the speed to cause such damage to her that she rolled under the car and was so injured. I feel like I'm in school and it's one of those math questions that if "Suzanne leaves at 4pm to catch the train and beat Michael there by 10pm what time would Tim need to on the train"?
How old are the Suzy and Lim? Countless times the author will say someone is a few years older than Suzy but we don't even know her age.
After Lim is arrested the action calms down and you're left with more mentions of men looking at Suzy's breasts. Honestly it gets pretty boring.
This book ended on such luckluster ending. I felt like I was reading two books. One was this girl that is abused and then another about this girl who is now off killing people all crazy like and then back to her pretty much trying to be a chill person and try to be human.
Final Thoughts: This book wasn't as disturbing as people made out that it was supposed to be. I actually found the characters boring. Their actions were confusing that one moment they were killers and then normal.
Recommend For:
� Mid-grade torture horror
� Beginning of reading torture
|
September 10, 2023
By far one of the most effective books I’ve read so far. And one of my favourites. It stuck with me days after reading it. I loved the way it was written and I couldn’t put it down.
February 23, 2021
This is without a single doubt, one of the most disturbing and traumatizing fictional books I have ever read. Word of warning, this book is not for the faint of heart and there are A LOT of potential triggers especially at the beginning. It feels weird giving such a book 5 stars because I wouldn’t really say I enjoyed it in the typical sense you normally enjoy a book. My skin was crawling at the beginning and I often had to pause to collect myself while reading that part because I was just so disturbed and horrified by what I was reading, I just couldn’t fathom the thought. The depravity that humans can inflict on each other is truly terrifying and the things it leads to are even more horrifying. After the beginning it was a little less heavy for me and got easier to read but the events that follow are still brutal and absolutely chilling and scarred my soul to the core. While it is a short novel, it packs SO much horror into so few pages and really hits you where it hurts. I highly recommend any horror or true crime fan read this, but be warned, it’s BRUTAL.
June 1, 2022
Have you read Samantha Kolesnik?
My first experience of Samantha Kolesnik’s writing was with “Waif.� I loved it. “Waif� was disturbing and dark. The novel put Kolesnik on my radar.
“True Crime�, her debut book, is brutal. Kolesnik introduces us to Suzy and her brother Lim. These two have experienced unspeakable horrors their entire life. Suzy, who is obsessed with True Crime Magazine, is broken. The one person who was supposed to love her unconditionally, her mom has pulverized her hope.
Then, Suzy and Lim break free and leave on a murderous road trip. “True Crime� is told from Suzy’s perspective. The reader sees firsthand what a dark, damaged mind is capable of. The reader also sees the inner turmoil Suzy experience. It's a conflict between embracing violence or letting love conquer.
“True Crime� is horrific. There are plenty of grisly scenes. At its core, it’s a story about the effects of abuse and trauma.
My first experience of Samantha Kolesnik’s writing was with “Waif.� I loved it. “Waif� was disturbing and dark. The novel put Kolesnik on my radar.
“True Crime�, her debut book, is brutal. Kolesnik introduces us to Suzy and her brother Lim. These two have experienced unspeakable horrors their entire life. Suzy, who is obsessed with True Crime Magazine, is broken. The one person who was supposed to love her unconditionally, her mom has pulverized her hope.
Then, Suzy and Lim break free and leave on a murderous road trip. “True Crime� is told from Suzy’s perspective. The reader sees firsthand what a dark, damaged mind is capable of. The reader also sees the inner turmoil Suzy experience. It's a conflict between embracing violence or letting love conquer.
“True Crime� is horrific. There are plenty of grisly scenes. At its core, it’s a story about the effects of abuse and trauma.
September 15, 2022
Добра идея, почти никакъв сюжет, странни и плоски герои, много (ама много) насилие. Туй то обобщаващо. Добре, че беше само 160 страници.
August 22, 2022
True Crime is not for the faint of heart. This book touches upon some very dark topics so please make sure to check the trigger warnings before reading. Now, normally I love dark books. This one though was missing something. I felt like one minute we had brother and sister making some... bad decisions, and then the next minute it becomes months later and the two are no longer together. It was really strange because I felt like the book was missing the middle part! I had to go back and re-read the chapter because I thought I skipped over one entirely! I didn't though it just... jumped to another part really quickly. Aside from that I didn't really have any problems with the books aside from the fact that I think it would have been fantastic had it been a longer story.
January 27, 2020
Grim, taut, and well-written, I’m glad I picked up this novella (the author’s debut!), if only because it’s not really like anything I’ve read before in the horror genre.
This one is a bit more hard-hitting and gruesome than I usually like to read, but I quite enjoyed the ride. It didn’t overstay its welcome; it was just right. I was concerned things would get repetitive—and they easily could have—but the author has a clear grasp on plot and character motivation.
I think what I appreciate most is True Crime isn’t afraid to give into nihilistic tendencies. No stick-on false happy ending here. Just be ready for that.
While I couldn’t quite connect to the characters (should I?), I did enjoy reading this and I’ll certainly check out this author’s future works!
This one is a bit more hard-hitting and gruesome than I usually like to read, but I quite enjoyed the ride. It didn’t overstay its welcome; it was just right. I was concerned things would get repetitive—and they easily could have—but the author has a clear grasp on plot and character motivation.
I think what I appreciate most is True Crime isn’t afraid to give into nihilistic tendencies. No stick-on false happy ending here. Just be ready for that.
While I couldn’t quite connect to the characters (should I?), I did enjoy reading this and I’ll certainly check out this author’s future works!
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