Looking at this book it can be divided into three parts. The first part goes into the young life of an Amish boy named Eli Schutzman(the serial killer). His mental illness and behaviour and the mysterious death of his wife in a barn fire. In the same section it jumps back and forwards to the case of little boy blue, a boy found dead in a ditch around Christmas.
The second section follows Eli breaking away from the amish and it reads like a list of men eli slept with and why.
The third section and by far the shortest deals with him being cought and the story eli tells as an excuse to the police for leaving his son danny in the ditch.
The Good
The first part of the book was by far the most interesting going into the ways of the amish and the attitudes that they have towards doctors and mental health. as well as offing a little insight into the rules of amish life.
You feel for many of the people in the book. In particular for Eli’s son Danny who the book doesn’t outright say was being abused prior to his death but it is speculated on by some friends and refuted by others. But the situations he was led to are horrific for any child to experience.
The Bad
The middle section was bad, boring and felt like much of it was there to try shock the reader. It does this practically saying ‘look at all the kinky stuff gay men do’. I can understand the significant relationships being included but much of it felt like it was included for shock value rather then adding anything substantive to the story. It might go to his character if they had anything other to mention the the size of his penis
Overall
This book is not bad. the start and end prop up a weak middle. But it does a good job telling the story of the only known amish serial killer. I do recommend reading this for the first section alone. Eli Schutzman is an interesting person worth looking into if you are at all into true crime. As far as i am aware this is my first true crime book. I think i will be reading more of them.
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At the start of the year, I set myself a challenge try and read 40 books this year. I made two huge mistakes including war and peace and the Illuminatus trilogy which I am still working through. But I also read “Abandoned Prayers: The shocking true story of a gay Amish serial killer.”
Overview
Looking at this book it can be divided into three parts. The first part goes into the young life of an Amish boy named Eli Schutzman(the serial killer). His mental illness and behaviour and the mysterious death of his wife in a barn fire. In the same section it jumps back and forwards to the case of little boy blue, a boy found dead in a ditch around Christmas.
The second section follows Eli breaking away from the amish and it reads like a list of men eli slept with and why.
The third section and by far the shortest deals with him being cought and the story eli tells as an excuse to the police for leaving his son danny in the ditch.
The Good
The first part of the book was by far the most interesting going into the ways of the amish and the attitudes that they have towards doctors and mental health. as well as offing a little insight into the rules of amish life.
You feel for many of the people in the book. In particular for Eli’s son Danny who the book doesn’t outright say was being abused prior to his death but it is speculated on by some friends and refuted by others. But the situations he was led to are horrific for any child to experience.
The Bad
The middle section was bad, boring and felt like much of it was there to try shock the reader. It does this practically saying ‘look at all the kinky stuff gay men do’. I can understand the significant relationships being included but much of it felt like it was included for shock value rather then adding anything substantive to the story. It might go to his character if they had anything other to mention the the size of his penis
Overall
This book is not bad. the start and end prop up a weak middle. But it does a good job telling the story of the only known amish serial killer. I do recommend reading this for the first section alone. Eli Schutzman is an interesting person worth looking into if you are at all into true crime. As far as i am aware this is my first true crime book. I think i will be reading more of them.
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