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emma's Reviews > Penance
Penance
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emma's review
bookshelves: literary-fiction, non-ya, mystery-thriller-horror-etc, from-publisher-author, 4-stars, recommend, reviewed, owned
Mar 06, 2023
bookshelves: literary-fiction, non-ya, mystery-thriller-horror-etc, from-publisher-author, 4-stars, recommend, reviewed, owned
this is the final boss of unreliable narrators.
as someone who abhors true crime, i found reading this exploration of how evil it can be and who has the right to tell a story and what even constitutes "true" extremely satisfying.
and it does so brilliantly, through an unreliable crooked journalist narrator, through the lens of true-crime fandom, through clever workings of sympathy and fact.
i know it can be upsetting to explore our guilty pleasures, but i really recommend this to everyone who "indulges" in people's tragedies as entertainment. it's something that as a society we really must reckon with.
bottom line: a hard and worthy and clever read.
(thank you to the publisher for the e-arc)
as someone who abhors true crime, i found reading this exploration of how evil it can be and who has the right to tell a story and what even constitutes "true" extremely satisfying.
and it does so brilliantly, through an unreliable crooked journalist narrator, through the lens of true-crime fandom, through clever workings of sympathy and fact.
i know it can be upsetting to explore our guilty pleasures, but i really recommend this to everyone who "indulges" in people's tragedies as entertainment. it's something that as a society we really must reckon with.
bottom line: a hard and worthy and clever read.
(thank you to the publisher for the e-arc)
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Reading Progress
March 6, 2023
– Shelved
August 25, 2023
–
Started Reading
September 3, 2023
–
Finished Reading
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Hi, sorry to bother but I have some serious questions. I'm only one "chapter" in and I can already tell you that this was heavily inspired by an old, infamous case that I happen to know about because it's local to me. You mentioned there's an unreliable narrator. Does that have anything to do with the fact that this is supposedly a "work of fiction," or is one of the actual fictional characters unreliable?
the narrator in the book is not clarke but a fictional author. in the last pages the book elaborates on his part in the story in a way that explains his unreliable nature.
I really the enjoyed the book's critique on true crime. It's very raw and jarring
I liked your review! This might not be the right book for me. Non fiction stuff is difficult for me unless it’s about a serial killer who’s been caught. Criminal profiling is creepily accurate. I guess I have a fascination with real life serial killers. What makes someone feel compelled to hunt their own kind? The vast majority of psychopaths/sociopaths are non violent. Do you have any oddly specific “true crime� preferences?
Great review. I loved this book.
@Tandie this book is not rlly non fiction! It’s a fiction book, but it presents as a non fiction book narrated by a true crime journalist. So the “author� of the book is the journalist, but not really, it’s actually eliza clark. The events in the book are fictional. But within the universe of the book, it’s a real case.
Kendra wrote: "Hi, sorry to bother but I have some serious questions. I'm only one "chapter" in and I can already tell you that this was heavily inspired by an old, infamous case that I happen to know about becau..."it's written from the perspective of a true crime writer and intended to point out just how untrue true crime can be!
Mylla wrote: "the narrator in the book is not clarke but a fictional author. in the last pages the book elaborates on his part in the story in a way that explains his unreliable nature."yes!
Grace wrote: "I really the enjoyed the book's critique on true crime. It's very raw and jarring"same!
Tandie wrote: "I liked your review! This might not be the right book for me. Non fiction stuff is difficult for me unless it’s about a serial killer who’s been caught. Criminal profiling is creepily accurate. I g..."i do not like true crime :) i liked this book because it points out the many ways that true crime can be unethical
Erin wrote: "Great review. I loved this book."thank you! it's excellent
I LOVED this and I can’t wait for her new book.
She used the true story of the murder of Shanda Sharer for her novel so she’s guilty of the very exploitation she’s supposed to be criticising!
isn't it something!!!