Books like True Crime

“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."