i never really cared for this book as it never offered anything new on the manson women.it seemed like it was a rewrite of alot of information that had been previously published

Not amazing, but definitely not bad. As many reviewers have said, it's a bit hard to really get into and this is mostly focused on the narrator, not the other girls. All that said even though there wasn't a lot of new information it was still interesting to get a different perspective.

I’m typically into books related to serial killers, but this one...meh. There wasn’t really any information I hadn’t heard.

Great idea for a book and really well executed. A thoroughly good read. Highly recommended. .

I liked the retelling, but at times it felt as though it were more about the Meredith's life than how or why the women could have been caught up in and done the things they did. I wanted more about Van Houten and Krenwinkel.

I will preface this by saying, I'm fascinated by true crime, and the Manson family/murders is what I know best. So, I was extremely excited to read this book and learn more about Leslie and Pat.

Unfortunately, it was not a book about Leslie and Pat. It was more of the author's memoir, and it was very scattered. For a pretty long book, I would say less than 1/4th actually revolved around learning about Leslie and Pat and their current situations. I assumed there would be more interview material.

I was also not a fan of the author giving her opinion on their incarceration. I read Helter Skelter, and she started by supporting Vincent Bugliosi's opinions of the family, and then completely flip-flopping, mocking Bugliosi's statements in court, and then saying that both women should be free.

If you are hoping to read this to learn more about true crime, skip it.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC, for which I have given an honest and unbiased review*

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't get into this one. I expected there to be more depth but it was sort of disjointed.

It would be impossible to write a book about the women in the Manson family and have it not be interesting. Even all these decades later, the story of this cult is still shocking and mystifying to many people. How did a group of seemingly 'normal' girls turn into murderers? Were they completely coerced into committing the crimes? Should they continue to be held responsible for what happened while they were under the influence of mind control? Their story continues in the present, as they're continually up for (and denied) parole, leaving many of these questions still largely unanswered.

Meredith became friends with several of the women during their time behind bars while interviewing them for this book. It was interesting to see her take their actual character after spending time with them (since most who condemn them haven't actually interacted with them in person). However, this book spends far too much time with Meredith trying to insert herself into the narrative (I was confused between her parallel of the women being disenfranchised with society and the author's quarter-Jewish background.) I would definitely define this book as more of a memoir from Meredith rather than a non-fiction account of the Manson followers. Although I enjoyed much of the facts of this bizarre tale, I feel like the story would have been better served in with more linear storytelling. The chapters jumped around way too much, so I often felt disconnected from the women's stories. I'm interested in reading more about the Manson family after this, but probably won't be recommending this to others because of the disjointedness of the writing.

Helter Skelter was my first true crime book and from that point on I have been hooked. I have read so many books on Manson and crew, watched movies, interviews and watched documentaries. This book was a bit different. It was about the author's journey with Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel. She was quite knowledgeable and seemed to have the passion for it but it just did not come together well. Her writing was good and so was her research, but somewhere in the chemistry of the girls, the crimes and Manson, well, it did not work for me. But, it is a good book and I enjoyed reading it.

This is an interesting exploration into what makes seemingly normal people act in violent, repressible ways. By weaving her own story into this narrative , Nikki Meredith attempts to shed some light into this incomprehensible question. An absorbing read, although this topic is one that will need further exploration!

This take on Patricia and Leslie was fresh and very interesting. I enjoyed reading about the personal relationship the author built with each woman.

This book was all over the place. In many cases, it felt like the author was attempting to take personal anecdotes and applying them to the Manson women in an attempt to establish some sort of relationship. The jumps in time seemed random and didn't allow for an overall flow to the narrative.

Really enjoyed knowing more of the details of the lives of a few of the Manson women - in an attempt to learn what caused them to get involved with such horrendous crimes. Those two nights led to a lifetime of consequences. What confused me some until I pressed on - were the chapters that jumped forward and backward and in and out of the author's story intertwined with theirs. I probably would have enjoyed the read more if it had stayed in a more chronological approach and had focused solely on the women. But still - as humans we all have the ability for redemption as well as the potential to become monstrous so it was a good study into our humanity and our need for a spiritual path, which thankfully several of these killers have found in receiving their forgiveness from Jesus.

I am a true crime "fan" and have read quite a bit about Manson, his followers and their crimes. I was really hoping to get further insight from this book. I was disappointed. The book is not so much about "the Manson women" as it is about "and me". I don't feel so much focus should be on the author unless it is designated as such. I didn't sign up for an autobiography. As well, much of the book seemed disjointed, skipping from one era to another etc. without an understandable framework. The best parts of the book were her interviews. More along that vein would have been interesting and informative.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted this one to work for me but sadly it did not and here is why. There is no doubt that Nikki Meredith has a strong obsession with the Manson Murders, but where this book fell flat for me is its complete failure to divulge into the psyche of Charles Manson or that of the two women. In fact, Nikki Meredith's telling seems to be more geared towards her outlook, her personal history, her experiences with the women that made up a part of Manson's following, her perspective on the history of Charles Manson, her fascination with the Manson Murders… do you follow the trend? This book contained more ‘me, me, me’ than anything else, which left me with the feeling that there were one too many points where this book strayed too far away from its intended subject matter, Manson.

While I feel Nikki Meredith did offer some insight into the history surrounding the Manson Murders, I was also left feeling empty with a huge lack of any true take away at the end of this book. This was largely due to the fact that I did not gain any additional scraps of information on Charles Manson or the Manson Murders I did not already have prior knowledge to. The one and only portion of this book that truly drew me in were the conversations that Nikkie Meredith recounted with Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel. 

In addition to the above, there was an endless repetitive theme to this book filled with one too many moments where I was left utterly confused why some moments were included at all. There was an extreme lack of focus and the writing seems to ramble on mundane topics that are completely unrelated. I all came together in one completely hot mess.  I was also left feeling cheating in my expectations. Labeling this book as an autobiography, with a very misleading title, would have made way more sense to me. Readers who are also seeking to understand Charles Manson and the women that made up his cult will not benefit from anything contained here. 

This subject had so much potential, however, the platform was used more as a memoir than anything else. As I am sure that Nikki Meredith is a darling individual, her life story was not what I intended to learn when picking up this book. Unfortunately, this was not for me and I feel it truly lacked in reaching its true potential.

I have read many books on the Manson family and their crimes. No matter how many books I read, I still come away asking "How did people get caught up with this man's way of thinking?" I was hoping this book would provide insight on this question. Although it was well written and the author seems to have done her homework, the question was not answered to me. These young girls looked innocent but was also very detached and just had a "dont care" attitude at the time of the trials. The interview with Patricia Krenwinkel's mother was nothing short of hearbreaking. I really did not learn anything new from this book, but it was a decent read. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

I have always been fascinated by cults. I find them to be equal parts fascinating and terrifying. So, naturally, in high school I picked up a copy of Helter Skelter, learning all about the Manson Family.   This book stayed with me and I actually ended up having to throw the book away because it gave me the creeps. How could people be manipulated into murder? How could one man dictate actions? What could compel a “normal” person to do such awful things?

The Manson Women and Me: Monsters, Morality and Murder, a true crime/memoir by Nikki Meredith, attempts to answer these types of questions by honing in on the Manson women and their mindsets/actions during the time of the Manson Family murder spree.   Beginning with Meredith in the late 60s travelling to the California state prison, as a journalist, which was home to Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, Meredith poses these types of questions and searches for answers over the course of 40 years.

From the first pages, I was completely sucked in. Meredith has a strong narrative voice and I thought it was brilliant to present this book as a true crime/memoir. By bringing in her personal feelings, reflections of her own childhood (growing up part Jewish and encountering some anti-Semitic people) and her own relationship that she developed with the Manson women, I found myself drawn into the STORY and not just the facts. I really appreciated this.   All of her own reflections are also backed by a ton of research and other professional works that she willingly and openly cites; it is obvious that she is a well-versed woman.  I really loved the mix of criminal psychology with historical significance.

I think one of things I appreciated most about this book was how it made me think. Meredith touches on Nazi Germany and how regular Germans (not Nazi shoulders) were convinced to kill Jews, the Stanford Prison experiment, cult mentalities which all come to the same conclusion that people, who do not suffer from mental illness, can be convinced that murder/human brutality is okay in certain situations and that in these situations, after deprogramming, people can be integrated back into society without threat. This concept was so interesting to me. I went back and forth throughout my reading from being angered to feeling sympathy towards the women.

Overall, I think Meredith delivers a really well done and controversial true crime memoir/novel that will sit with me for a long time. I highly recommend.

5/5 stars.

Nikki Meredith’s personal experiences and relationships with Patricia Krenwinkle and Leslie Van Houten is a fascinating and in depth dealing with understanding and empathy. The book is not a sensationalised account of two murderers and a journalist hoping to find an angle that will push this further. What we have is a book that is thought provoking and raises questions on the human spirit and asks can a person change from their early self.

Meredith has a very interesting writing style that delves the reader into the subject matter without speaking down or pushing her ideals forth. Her strengths comes with providing the facts and letting the reader come up with their own understanding and she gives you enough time to digest the information before moving on.

Interestingly enough, the author was in high school who would become a Manson member years later. She looks into their relationship at this point and examines how they both changed as people. Starting out with very similar views but leading very different paths. This is what makes the book rich reading from my point of view, Meredith examines the situations with Krenwinkle and Van Houten and relates this to her own life and her own decisions and experiences.

Leading in through this perspective, lifts the subject matter above the usual fare that is out there dealing with the Manson family or any true crime books out there. Meredith has provided an interesting subject and personalised it to become real. As for people’s understanding or changing of perspective on how you feel about Krenwinkle or Van Houten will depend on your own personal views but this book will challenge even though who have very strict views on this.

This is an outstanding look into the lives of two women who made some bad decisions which lead them down a dark path whilst in their late teens to early 20’s and the prices they have paid. It deals with changes of personality, thoughts and overview people have as they go into their 60’s to 70’s. It is a fact that as we mature, we are seldom the same person we were in our younger days than what we are now. This is a must read and highly recommended. Fascinating, personable and thought provoking in an intelligent and personal way.

Didn't learn anything I didn't already know from reading other books about the Manson family. The author seems more preoccupied telling her OWN story, than any of the stories of the "Manson girls".

Journalist Nikki Meredith spent more than twenty years getting to know Patricia Krenwinkle and Leslie Van Houten and takes a deep dive into studying how they became involved with Charles Manson. She does a very involved look at what it takes to get to the point that they were at when they committed the murders while getting to know them during repeated visits over the years.

She also interviews other people in their lives, past and present. A very interesting book that looks at how they have been since the murders, what they have claimed, how they have acted, and their attempts at parole. It tells the author's relationship with them as she battles to understand them on such a deep level, and herself.

An advance digital copy was provided by NetGalley and author Nikki Meredith for my honest review.

Citadel
Publication date March 27, 2018