Carla
Added to listAnthropologywith 27 books.
Added to listTrue Crimewith 1113 books.
The book itself is a five; the audiobook presentation is a three. I found the narration of the hanged servants to be creepy, and not in a good way that served the story; Laurel Merlington ’s voice was digitally manipulated to be deep, childlike, warped…it was offputting to me, and took me out of the story, especially when all the different changes to her voice were layered to create the Greek chorus. I wish I had read the physical or ebook edition.
The book itself is a five; the audiobook presentation is a three. I found the narration of the hanged servants to be creepy, and not in a good way that served the story; Laurel Merlington ’s voice was digitally manipulated to be deep, childlike, warped…it was offputting to me, and took me out of the story, especially when all the different changes to her voice were layered to create the Greek chorus. I wish I had read the physical or ebook edition.
Loved it all, as a psychology and counseling student (and former therapist) except the ending, which felt forced and too facile, maybe too on the nose—not natural and flowing.
Loved it all, as a psychology and counseling student (and former therapist) except the ending, which felt forced and too facile, maybe too on the nose—not natural and flowing.
Updated a reading goal:
Listen to 250 hours in 2026
Progress so far: 198.4666666666667 / 250 79%
This was a difficult read, not because of the subject matter, but because of the journey. Much of it was about Zac’s parents’, and I want to be compassionate here, quest to try to find that Zac was not truly deep in the fraud and gangster life, but was rather a victimized and defrauded teenager. He was under twenty-one, yes, but he was the former. He hurt people, he lied profusely, and he defrauded and stole. He in no way deserved what happened to him, and he should be here now, hopefully improving his life, but these things are true. So staying with their journey at times was difficult emotionally, both as a fellow human and as a crime victim myself.
There was also too much detail in parts about information that wasn’t fully tied back into Zac’s story, like his grandfather’s life story almost in whole. Its possible relation to generational trauma, if that were the point perhaps, was not led to its conclusion. I wasn’t clear on its and a couple of other repeated segues’ conclusions, like a certain gangster’s wife’s fashion line’s popularity. Many tangents that repeated.
The author narrated his own work, and did a fine job. I spent twelve hours with his rich, even voice, and enjoyed this difficult ride thanks to it.
This was a difficult read, not because of the subject matter, but because of the journey. Much of it was about Zac’s parents’, and I want to be compassionate here, quest to try to find that Zac was not truly deep in the fraud and gangster life, but was rather a victimized and defrauded teenager. He was under twenty-one, yes, but he was the former. He hurt people, he lied profusely, and he defrauded and stole. He in no way deserved what happened to him, and he should be here now, hopefully improving his life, but these things are true. So staying with their journey at times was difficult emotionally, both as a fellow human and as a crime victim myself.
There was also too much detail in parts about information that wasn’t fully tied back into Zac’s story, like his grandfather’s life story almost in whole. Its possible relation to generational trauma, if that were the point perhaps, was not led to its conclusion. I wasn’t clear on its and a couple of other repeated segues’ conclusions, like a certain gangster’s wife’s fashion line’s popularity. Many tangents that repeated.
The author narrated his own work, and did a fine job. I spent twelve hours with his rich, even voice, and enjoyed this difficult ride thanks to it.
