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What Members Thought
It is not often that books take place in my hometown of Des Moines, so I was excited to read this book. Also, I still vividly remember the kidnappings of the paperboys of whom this story was loosely based. Their disappearances left a deep fear in all of us Des Moines children of that time that we could be next. We still hope they will one day be found and returned to their families.
This book was thoroughly researched for 1980s cultural references as well as for local places and events that took ...more
This book was thoroughly researched for 1980s cultural references as well as for local places and events that took ...more
Inspired by the real-life disappearances of Des Moines paperboys in the 1980s, "The Monsters We Make" had all the makings of a gripping literary thriller, but it never fully escapes the weight of its genre tropes.
Crystal, a determined teen with journalistic ambitions, is the standout character. Her relationship with her younger brother, Sammy, is one of the most emotionally resonant threads. But the rest of the cast falls into familiar patterns: the traumatized detective, the distracted single m ...more
Crystal, a determined teen with journalistic ambitions, is the standout character. Her relationship with her younger brother, Sammy, is one of the most emotionally resonant threads. But the rest of the cast falls into familiar patterns: the traumatized detective, the distracted single m ...more
Inspired by the real-life abductions of two Des Moines paper boys in the 1980s, The Monsters We Make is a chilling tale of how the scariest predators are sometimes disguised as the nicest people in our neighborhoods.
It took me a while to get invested in this book, and the ending left me with questions about some of the storylines. It felt like the author left some loose ends. But I was determined to press on because the setting is near and dear to me and the subject is one that has trickled into ...more
It took me a while to get invested in this book, and the ending left me with questions about some of the storylines. It felt like the author left some loose ends. But I was determined to press on because the setting is near and dear to me and the subject is one that has trickled into ...more
Mar 08, 2020
Judy Diedrichs
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Apr 07, 2020
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Apr 28, 2020
Brooke
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Ashley Becker
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Aug 25, 2020
Erica
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Sep 07, 2020
Mari
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Dec 25, 2020
Sarah
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Feb 03, 2021
Chris
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Sep 08, 2021
Sarah Jackson
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Mar 26, 2022
Alyson
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Jul 07, 2022
Megan
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Jan 14, 2023
Sara Heijerman
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Apr 14, 2023
Joann Sims
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