This was pretty good, but wish it had been shorter. Not my favorite, but definitely entertaining. Thank you for the copy.

It's always hard to sympathize with people who are truly evil but you can't help but wonder - if they didn't have the life they lived growing up, would they have turned out the same way? True crime interests me like it does many others. I find myself reading books similar and saying "Why am I reading this?" This is the stuff that actually gives me legitimate nightmares.

Very interesting read. I had never heard of Sam Little before this. Not one of the best true crime books I’ve read, but interesting. Sad how bad his life was growing up, but even sadder were the crimes he committed.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

This was an interesting narrative of Sam Little. I never heard of him before reading the book, and I think he’s the first black serial killer I’ve ever read about.

Still as interesting as it was it was still a difficult read, Sam Little did not have the best life growing up and that was hard to read about it and then to read about the last minutes of his victims lives, was difficult too. Still think the author did a good job putting everything together.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Behold the Monsters" by Jillian Lauren is a true crime book all about Samuel Little's victims.
I would give "Behold the Monsters" by Jillian Lauren a 3-star review because the concept is interesting. But I felt that Lauren was very personally present in this book. I did I enjoyed a lot of parts. Like reading that they used old and new police work to learn about the crimes that Sam Little committed. Things were confusing at times.

True crime is a passion of mine, but there is just something about reading this that just had me constantly going "hmmmm".

Behold the Monster, is about serial killer Sam Little.

Sam Little was behind bars when he met with the author, Jillian Lauren.
It was with Jillian that Sam started confessing all his murders.

Sam spoke with Jillian during their prison visits, and most often on their phone calls, divulging all kinds of information he had never told anyone else before.

This book gives an overview of Sam Little's victims.
We get a clue as to what their last moments on earth were like.

The author also interviewed family members of some of the victims, so that their memory could live on.

Everything about Samuel Little showed that he was a very troubled individual. From early childhood, to adolescence, then on into adulthood.

Sam Little confessed to killing 93 women. The FBI has confirmed 60 cases.

Therefore, Sam might be the "most prolific serial killer in American history on record."

If true crime is something you enjoy, I highly recommend this.

While Samuel Little is a very interesting subject for true crime fans, i felt that Lauren was too personally present in this book, especially in her attempts to connect with Little and his family members or the families of the victims.

This book was enjoyable. It took me awhile to get into it and I put it down a few times.
However, about halfway through I got into it and found it enjoyable.
Thank you

I have heard of serial killer, Sam Little but not in this context and with so much detail. I loved how the author presented each victim and told each of their stories. I loved how they were constantly named throughout the book as well as all the states he traveled. It was also interesting to hear her interactions with him while he was in jail, what that looked like and the details surrounding his passing. I love her true crime writing and would be interested in reading more true crime from her.

(Full disclosure- I finished this book months ago without writing a review for online use, so the book is not fresh in my head).

This book is a book about a serial killer I have never heard about, Samuel Lewis. He is considered the most prolific killer in the US. He’s an evil, devious man as all serial killers are.

The writing was clear and easy to understand.

I did no care about the book being of multiple parts/viewpoints, subjects being bounced around and it felt like several books within a book to me. I did not feel as emotionally connected to this biography as I have been reading about other victims in the past. I found it disturbing to hear that Lewis considered her a friend and his next of kin, and I believe this affected her writing a great deal.

Engaging and immersive. This is a recommended purchase for collections where true crime and thrillers are popular.

If true crime fascinates you, then this book is for you. Jillian Lauren has terrifyingly brought the most prolific serial killer to life. She describes the victims and the killer so well it will make you cringe. The horrors that Samuel Little committed will break your heart and at the same time, make you angry. How did it take so long for him to be caught? I can say, hands down, Jillian Lauren is probably one of the best writers I've came across. She gives so much attention to detail. This book is extremely well written, even if the subject give you nightmares.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jillian Lauren and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Behold the Monster: Confronting America's Most Prolific Serial Killer by Jillian Lauren is a true crime book that may interest fans of this genre. The serial killer and his victims are portrayed quite vividly. The murders themselves are realistically portrayed and may be too much for some. The absolute horror and depravity of this serial killer is clear. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Under no circumstances do I think you should read this book because I do not think this author deserves to profit from publishing this.

This is one of the most abhorrent pieces of literature masquerading as journalism. It’s hateful, offensive, and disrespectful to the victims and everyone involved in this case.

The author imagines a serial killer’s victims’ last moments and writes it like it’s erotica.

Pre-reading:
I love a true crime book.

Thick of it:
That is a longggg victim list, jesus.

Ooo, a map.

I’m a narcissist reading books about my name lol

Liminal

Patois

I don’t think I like this book. Why are we making the killing sexy and imagining the victims' thoughts and feelings?

I get that she’s trying to write from the serial killer’s perspective, but it feels exceptionally disrespectful to his victims.

That’s not exactly true for genetics. Or it’s explained in a way that’s trying to be conversational and accessible, but accidentally makes it incorrect.

haint

scabrous

Is that legal to do? To use his Walmart card like that?

I feel like there’s so much unnecessary descriptive detail that I don’t know who is who anymore.

I really don’t like the way she’s covering this case. She’s like sensationalizing and hero-worshiping a killer, or at least that’s how it’s coming across. Also, she’s making it about herself. Like I know you did the interviews, honey, but this isn’t about you. Why are you telling us about your period? It comes across like you’re bragging that he noticed you, that he paid attention to you. That’s gross. You don’t want his attention. He’s a gross human being. He’s not even a human being.

She’s gross I do not like her. Why on earth are you acting like a servant to a serial killer? That is not something to be proud of. I don’t care that you got a story. How could you debase yourself like that? It’s very pick me. Congratulations, you know how to make a man want you by showing him that you’re nothing. That’s gross.

Why does she hate other women so much? What’s wrong with you?

Even that description-they’re cops doing their jobs and she’s like their brainy, bookend brunettes. What’s wrong with you? It’s objectifying women. It’s reducing them solely to their looks and their stereotypes. It’s playing to the male gaze. Who the fuck do you think is reading this book?

Did this audiobook just say that word? It’s like def a white lady who wrote this and like def a white lady narrating this. That is so bad. This isn’t using it in an academic setting. She’s just giving random dialogue that she invented. What the fuck.

How are you gonna describe her death and victim blame her in the same breath?

I hate this book. This is the least objective, most offensive true crime book I have ever read.

If I didn’t have to review this for an arc, I would dnf. This book cannot be redeemed. I don’t care what I end up learning from it. The way in which the information has been presented is completely unacceptable.

I think this is the first book I've read that has talked about epigenetics for laypeople. (Granted, I don’t read much nonfiction.)

redolent

What does she mean wolf blue? Wolves can’t have blue eyes I thought?

Again, this is all imagined. There’s no factual basis for these conversations, and she chose to do women hating women.

This book is so sexist and hateful.

It’s such a popular thing amongst serial killers where they’re raised by their grandparents as their real parents, while their actual parents masquerade as their siblings. That’s so odd to me.

Oop and reform school for more sexual abuse gr8.

I genuinely dread picking this book up. It has taken me months to get through it. I do not want to read it. I think I need to just start forcing myself through like three chapters a day.

Cricoid

It's like she describes everyone like she thinks they're beneath her. Like she's trying to shame them. I'm sure she claims she's just being honest and humanizing them, but it comes across as stereotyping and racist.

I never really thought about bugs going to the damp spots first. So those necrophiliacs are literally covering their dicks in bugs. Ew. (I like that the bug fucking is grosser to me than the corpse fucking. Like those are some fucked up priorities, Samantha.)

This book is indecipherable. It's such an information overload with no structure. You can’t tell what's actually relevant and what's not. There are too many author-inserted opinions and anecdotes.

Oh my god, that sentence is so unbelievably inappropriate. It feels like she's trying to insult a serial killer, but she's just being racist wtf?

She is so rude to other women.

I just-why do you think it's okay to imagine these women’s last moments? And if you do wanna go under the guise of storytelling, why would you then craft a story that makes it come across that you feel like they deserve to be murdered for their actions? What's wrong with you.

I'm trying so hard to get through this, but I hate it so much.

Jean sucks.

You can't call this man largely nonviolent when he's literally a boxer and beating his girlfriends nearly to death.

Mother and whore are not opposites, you slut shaming hypocrite.

I like the space cowboy cop, and I completely understand why he doesn’t like her.

Like why is it necessary to describe this man only as his skin condition? He’s literally just doing his job and helping you.

That doesn’t read that you’re mad that he’s using rough language. Which I don’t understand how you could be mad because you were also using rough language. It reads like you’re upset that he doesn’t find you pretty.

These women have names. Maybe stop using the serial killer’s nicknames for them throughout your book. It’s not a cute stylistic choice. It’s just disrespectful to them.

Here’s what really bothers me about this book- she’s aware enough to recognize that these victims’ cases weren’t solved because people viewed them as less than human, but then she continues to treat them as less than human.

Except you did just write a book about how pretty and “good” you are.

Does the dog die dot com?

The dog does die

So you got a cliché pinup tattoo and you keep a murderer’s ashes in your garage that you pulled your sick son out of school to go pick up. Gr8.

Post-reading:
This is one of the most abhorrent pieces of literature masquerading as journalism. It’s hateful, offensive, and disrespectful to the victims and everyone involved in this case. It is incoherent in its narrative organization. It is not charmingly irreverent. It is self-indulgent and self-important. I don’t think anyone should read this. This is written by a white lady. Narrated by a white lady. It uses the n word gratuitously and as a way to insult a serial killer. He is scum of the earth but so are you, you fucking racist.

In what world should a white lady imagine the final moments of victims? In what world should she make those last moments victim-blaming insults that are written like erotica? This book is disgusting. This author is disgusting. I can’t believe this was published.

Who does this book help? Because it’s not the victims and it’s not the readers.

Who should read this:
No. One.

Do I want to reread this:
No

Similar books:
* American Predator by Maureen Callahan-true crime book about Israel Keyes

This is a great thriller. I am a true crime fanatic and this was like underneath the madness of how a criminal thinks. I don’t want to give too much away but if you are looking for a book that has a lot of depth and really sucks you in this would be worth a read!

Behold the Monster by Jillian Lauren is a gripping true crime tale exposing the chilling acts of serial killer Sam Little. Lauren’s narrative, while informative and shocking, is deeply disturbing due to its graphic nature. Despite its intensity, the book is a commendable exploration of the dark psyche of a serial murderer. Lauren’s research deserves applause, shedding light on Little’s horrific crimes. For true crime enthusiasts with strong stomachs, this book offers an eye-opening experience. Kudos to the author for unearthing the truth, making it a compelling read for fans of the genre. 3.5/5 stars!

Thank you to Sourcebooks, Jillian Lauren &#NetGalley for the ARC. My review is strictly voluntary.

I am a true crime junkie and was excited to read this one. The story was confusing as it was not linear. The perspectives changed frequently. I lost sight of what was happening in the book and the purpose of the story.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Wow! I am a true crime fanatic and this was na excellent read. It was very gruesome and took me a while to get through but so glad I finished. The author did a terrific job telling this twisted story.

This book took me a long time to get through because of the heaviness of the material, but it was absolutely BRILLIANT and so necessary. The time and effort that Jillian Lauren put into this work and to honoring the memory and life so many innocent women who were do devalued and disregarded by society is truly a beautiful thing. I don't know if enjoy is the right word to use for how I felt about this book, because the content is graphic and challenging -- but I was moved and impacted by every single page. I wished so badly that the paperwork after Little's death hadn't been botched so his brain could have been donated to science. But I deeply appreciate Lauren's meticulous research and note-taking during interviews to give us as much context and background as possible to paint a picture of Samuel Little from birth to death. I unreservedly recommend this book to absolutely everyone who is able to navigate the subject matter safely.