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I did a review of this book too, and I've done so many blog posts and videos ripping apart "Dr." Sparks's propagandistic garbage. Right now I'm working on a series about everything wrong with It Happened to Nancy, which I was fooled by as a teenager. I hate that fraud so much! It's so obvious she was the true author of all of these books, since the writing style is exactly the same, and her characters all sound like conservative Mormons instead of modern teens. Even the supposedly Catholic Nancy's diary is full of Mormon language!
I don't see how being a 90s baby is relevant here!!?? 🤔 I literally grew up in the 90s 8-18. 90s teens were the ones MOST familiar with this book! So saying you didn't know of it due to being a 90s baby is hella irrelevant! Go Ask Alice was a 90s Phenomenon despite the crappy writing and controversies!
The joy with which you present these tragedies begs for something bad to happen to you or someone you love. It'd be nice to see that smile smeared off your face with a dose of reality. The same reality you traffic in. You C.
First season was good, but they ended up changing hosts. Unfortunately, the two young ladies, that took over for patches, are pretty annoying to listen to.
One other thing. I didn't watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer during its initial run, but I have watched the series a couple of times in the last couple of years. It is almost like they used Jay's Journal as a script (minus the drugs). Almost every time I watch an episode, I find myself amazed that the show ever got made, especially given its target audience. I can't help but think that the writers involved weren't lampooning some of the Satanic Panic.
Well, I'm currently listening to the Audible of Unmask Alice. Haven't checked when the audiobook was released, but not only is there one, but I'm pretty sure I picked it up as an Audible Daily Deal for like 3 - 5 dollars. I picked it up either as a Daily Deal or it was on sale. I also *really* liked O'Neal's Chaos (also have the audiobook). I do like a book where you can kind of go down rabbit holes on the Internet. This book does not disappoint. On one hand, it all makes me kind of mad that "moral" people lie so much. But on the other hand, I have to admit to getting a good laugh at reading the reviews of Jay's Journal on Amazon and seeing the people that believed it be totally true versus the people who called it out for being a fraud. That religious people lie a lot is one thing, but it is a little unnerving how much of the press took Sparks' books at face value. It's not that I'm so naive about the press, of course I know they lie from time to time. One might think that the New York Times would put a little more thought into things, though. Anything to make a buck. And with that, if I had to summarize all of this in one sentence, it would be: moral people lie for money.
I am new to the book club and I'm so excited! I would love if we read a book about a shipwreck or something, there's been one on my list for a while that the group might like called "Madhouse at the end of the earth" about a lost ship in the Antarctic!
I am so excited to read Jackal! I've heard nothing but great things. I completely relate to the struggle of narrowing down your top reads...it's damn near impossible.
Currently reading “All Good People Here”, but too early into it to make a review one way or the other. I do already like her writing style better than “The Butcher and the Wren” though. It already feels more natural and less choppy. TBATW definitely FELT like a person’s first attempt at writing a novel. It was entertaining, but felt like a tale of two novels to me. The chapters from Wren’s perspective were good, and her expertise was on full display there. But the chapters from Jeremy’s perspective felt very cliché and unrealistic, frankly. And I didn’t like how she tried to shoehorn in mentions of the bayou. It felt unnecessary and really didn’t make me believe that Alaina had any real knowledge of living in Louisiana (not that I do either). And the ending was way too abrupt and disappointing, in my opinion. Clearly she’s wanting to make a series out of these characters, but I didn’t like the ending at all. Overall, I’d give it 2.5 starts out of 5. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, and when I finished it, I basically just said “Ok. So that’s done. What to read next?”
I'm definitely one those reviews on Goodreads who thought All Good People Here was way too close to the JonBenet case. I got an early eARC from Netgalley and I was so excited to read it but I rated it two stars for all the same reasons as you. I also thought the ending was so poorly done. The graphic description of the murder on top of the cliffhangerish ending combined with the "one more woman killed and forgotten" monologue just left a bad taste in my mouth.
My issue with the “twist” in All Good people here was it relied on such a stupid idea. The ppl in the town shorten their friends lasts names to give them “nicknames”. Ashley was trying to be way too cute with that “clue”.
I haven’t read either but simply by the synopsis The Butcher and the Wren sounds more up my alley. And based on the authors experience sounds similar to Kathy Reichs who I love for the detail she’s able to give since she is a forensic anthropologist.
I've been looking forward to reading The Butcher and the Wren for months! Love the Morbid podcast, and hearing Alaina talk about the book definitely piqued my interest.
I have read All Good People Here, and, honestly I'm trying to decide if I'll read The Butcher and the Wren. I actually prefer Morbid over Crime Junkie, but I am worried Alaina's writing might be too gruesome for me. I liked AGPH okay, but to me, it felt like maybe there was a ghostwriter involved...it didn't feel like it came from Ashley. Like maybe she supplied some ideas, but didn't actually write it. *just my thoughts and opinions*
Oh, absolutely. I’ve heard the ghostwriter rumors! I will say, yes, TBATW was pretty gruesome at times… I included the TW in the description, not the most gruesome I’ve ever read but it definitely had its moments 😳
I definitely want to read this. I read go ask Alice in middle school, Jay's journal and it happened to Nancy in high school. I always had questions about them and the other books by Beatrice sparks and this might clear some of it up. This was a great review.
Such an eloquent review! Which is rather hard when you are so excited about the subject. My mom had me read Go Ask Alice as a teen and said her high school had made it a required read at the time for her; so it was really interesting that you spoke about how banned it was. It is also interesting, and maybe they have but I just haven’t read the book, they made no mention of the other “journals” she was a part of. Iirc there are 7 in total and Dr. Sparks’ self appointed and ever changing credentials eventually seem to settle on a PhD.
Oh thank you so much! Yes, it's tricky cause I want to ramble for hours on end... it's a really eye opening book. Moral of the story, you could lie like a rug in the 70s and 80s haha. So interesting that it was a required reading! Wow!! Yeah some people took the frequent mentions of sex problematic, so some places banned it completely, (i.e. religious folks.) Thanks again!!
