This is an extensively-researched, well-written deep dive into the sensational Slenderman case where two 12 years old stabbed their friend, another 12 year old, to appease an internet creation known as Slenderman. I really appreciated learning more about the case, and in particular the severe, untreated, mental health problems of one of the perpetrators. Very thought-provoking.

I have been familiar with the Slenderman child murder plot for many years, but this is the most informative and detailed account of the crime I have ever read.
Excellently written, empathetic, well researched, this is a must read for fans of true crime or criminal psychology.
A great read.

Please be warned of typos and misunderstanding of some mental health related diagnosis.

This book was about two young girls who were mentally ill and one more than the other. They were never at fault of their mental health and I wish them all the best. I cried at the end. Thank goodness the justice system got it right

In May of 2014, the world was shocked by the news of a heinous crime- the brutal stabbing of a 12 year old girl, by two other 12 year old girls- girls who were supposed to be her friend. While the crime itself was horrifying, it was perhaps the circumstances that caused the most media interest- the girls claimed to have committed the crime to appease a dark internet character known as Slenderman.

In this book, Kathleen Hale dissects all aspects of the situation, from the planning of the assault, the assault itself, and then the consequences that followed that fateful day. The extensive research that has gone into this book is evident from the start, with Hale utilising a combination of first person interviews, interview transcripts, court & police records, medical reports & media coverage of the case to tell the story.

To describe this book as “just” true crime would be unfair. Rather, it is a look at the criminal justice system, the treatment of juvenile mental health, the legacy of generational untreated mental illness, & the role of the media. It is as much a book about Sociology and Psychology as it is a book about True Crime.

Whilst this book does thoroughly cover the case itself, it goes into the most detail about the mental health and treatment of the perpetrators. Although it is sensitive to the victim, and maintains that she is the true innocent in this situation, it largely focuses on the two girls who committed the assault, & the way that the criminal justice system and mental health system failed them.

I found this book absolutely fascinating, and incredibly compelling. I enjoyed Hale’s writing immensely, and appreciated the level of detail. My only criticism would be that I would have liked to know more about the victim, and of the long term impact of the crime on her. Although I felt Hale was sensitive towards her, she was largely missing from the post-crime narrative.

I would highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in True Crime.

This was incredibly well written and researched! I learned a few things that I didn't anticipate. I felt so much for all of the girls involved. One thing I will mention about the paper purple hearts sent to Payton "Bella" Leutner is that an anonymous veteran sent her his Purple Heart medal with a note attached reading "The only heart I could find - stay strong". It might be worth adding this in the relevant section. Overall a very insightful and well constructed read!

Slenderman is a case that is well-known, but this book takes the reader inside the minds of the young offenders in order to understand their thinking and what led them to the horrific crime they committed. It is a well-researched book that reads like a piece of fiction that you simply cannot put down!! It raises many questions that will leave the reader pondering everything from our current justice system and how it treats juveniles to the plague of mental illness and the lack of appropriate treatments. I highly recommend this book.

I live in Illinois, and we got plenty of coverage of the weird and disturbing Slenderman case when it happened. However, I haven’t read a lot about it since 2014, and this book filled in a lot of details. I found the narrative pretty riveting. It’s so hard to imagine being a 12-year-old girl who loves animals and reading but who also believes a fantasy figure is telling you to kill your best friend.

The author did seven years of research, and it shows. However, the book is slanted toward Morgan Geyser’s journey, because she and the people around her agreed to be interviewed. The other two principal figures in the case, Bella Leutner and Anissa Weier, did not. This resulted in a feeling that the book isn’t quite the “full story.”

Parents, I recommend you approach this book with caution. I don’t have kids and I was absolutely horrified reading how Geyser, suffering from early onset schizophrenia, was detained without access to therapy, medication, or education. A mentally ill child was treated like an adult because of the decisions of one judge. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the parents of all three girls. Angie Geyer “remembered how judgmental she had been when news first broke about the Columbine shooting in Colorado, thinking, ‘How did their parents not know that something was wrong? Well, you know…it turns out sometimes you just don’t know.’” (p. 158 of the advance reader copy) I don’t envy parents trying to navigate and raise healthy children in the confusing world we live in these days.

I had a hard time putting down Slenderman, but I did find the ending unsatisfactory. It is very abrupt, I guess because the story is not finished. I think an epilogue of thoughts or conclusions from the author would have helped. Still, if you are interested in true crime and mental health, you may want to read Slenderman.

I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley. Slenderman is scheduled to be published on August 16, 2022, and it will be in the Galesburg Public Library’s collection.

When I first heard about this case, I thought it was pretty crazy. My mind couldn’t comprehend what I was hearing. Two little girls planned and thought out how to best murder their friend for a made up being. It just sounded so bogus to me. I thought the author portrayed the case accurately and well but honestly I don’t know why some parts had to be added and it kind of took me out from what I was reading. Like the Christian/pornography billboards on the way to and from jail didn’t have anything to do with the case or Tony walking onto men having sex for money for opioids. The first part kept me interested but the second part just seemed to drag on for me. We were told the girls liked to swear and then all of a sudden in part two, Anissa is said to parrot back cuss words to try to fit in when we were already told she liked to cuss anyway. I think the author wanted us to feel more sorry for the girls and was biased towards them. I do feel bad that it took so long for Morgan to get treatment. Morgan by all means isn’t a monster but a very mentally ill individual. But it also felt like the author in sympathizing so much with Morgan took away from the trauma “Bella” had to live through. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review.

4 stars
Such a horrible case, and this author seemed to cover all of it. The writing is done well and seems to be very accurate from what I can tell.