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Book Review of Kill Show

Kill Show
VolunteerVal avatar reviewed on + 596 more book reviews


I'm opposed to true crime as entertainment (books, shows, podcasts) because I believe it glorifies the perpetrator and causes further injury to the victim(s). However, I couldn't resist Kill Show, a true crime novel, by Daniel Sweren-Becker since it's fiction.

The story is written as the transcript of a true crime documentary filmed 10 years after the disappearance of 16-year-old Sara Parcell. It includes many characters, but their connection to the story is provided every time they speak so it's simple to track them. The plot illustrates the ways social media impacted the fictional crime and its aftermath.

The novel's unique forms of storytelling appealed to me; the author was able to write a compelling story with a relatively low word count. I was immersed in the action the whole way through, and was surprised by some details even when hints to plot points were provided along the way.

Even though I enjoyed this book, I still don't support true crime as entertainment, and I wonder if the author shares this opinion.