I really enjoyed this work. It is a relatively quick read that combines the standard elements of a work of true crime with a heightened focus on the culture at the time and the lives of the victims. It packs a very emotional punch that I think would speak to a lot of readers.
One thing that I think was particularly well done in this book was the focus on the victims of the serial killer. Certainly research and chapters of the book were devoted to the murderer and the quest to catch him, but the author really took the time to introduce readers to fully realized pictures of his victims. He examines their flaws, their hopes, the relationships left behind and the impact they had on others.
Perhaps this book had such a profound impact on me because I read this book one year into an international deadly pandemic that has had such devastating consequences. But I cannot help but be struck by reading about the AIDS epidemic in this work and the many lives lost during that time that are often written about as a statistic.
If I had to offer any criticism I would say occasionally some of the cultural context didn't strike me as entirely relevant and sometimes made the story itself a bit hard to follow. Most of the time this cultural context felt relevant and important, but occasionally there were sections that read as non sequiturs to me.
That being said I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to fans of true crime or those interested in the cultural subject matter.
One thing that I think was particularly well done in this book was the focus on the victims of the serial killer. Certainly research and chapters of the book were devoted to the murderer and the quest to catch him, but the author really took the time to introduce readers to fully realized pictures of his victims. He examines their flaws, their hopes, the relationships left behind and the impact they had on others.
Perhaps this book had such a profound impact on me because I read this book one year into an international deadly pandemic that has had such devastating consequences. But I cannot help but be struck by reading about the AIDS epidemic in this work and the many lives lost during that time that are often written about as a statistic.
If I had to offer any criticism I would say occasionally some of the cultural context didn't strike me as entirely relevant and sometimes made the story itself a bit hard to follow. Most of the time this cultural context felt relevant and important, but occasionally there were sections that read as non sequiturs to me.
That being said I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to fans of true crime or those interested in the cultural subject matter.