Review: The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich

The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a powerful book! Very raw and emotional book that takes on some very difficult subjects such as pedophilia, sexual abuse, criminality, death row, and family dynamics. I love how the authors’ personal story was woven into the case of a death row inmate so effectively. Although I did find myself more drawn to the story of the inmate (Ricky), his family and his crime, I do think the fact that there were secrets in the authors life which played so well beside Ricky’s was a really powerful mix of narrative non-fiction. It reads almost like fiction. The people and circumstances just jump off of the page. It’s definitely FULL of triggers for those readers who find sexual abuse difficult to read about. It’s a raw, painful and devastating look at families blended with a closer look at the underbelly of pedophilia, murder and sexual abuse. Such a powerful and brutal read. I definitely recommend this one to those who think they can handle the material – it really made me think about criminality and family secrets in a new way. This is a mix of true crime and memoir the likes of which I’ve never read before. Definitely one that I won’t forget for some time!