Review of Deviancy
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ShivamK Kumar
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Review of Deviancy
[Following is a volunteer review of "Deviancy" by Rose Linderman, Psy.D..]
Rose Linderman's "Deviancy," though, was exactly what I needed to dive headfirst into the world of forensic psychology, a field I’ve always found pretty interesting. However, as a casual true crime enthusiast, I was instantly interested in this premise: combining fiction with real-life forensic case studies. The approach of naming psychological insights into the narrative, while felt, is exactly where you’d expect Linderman's experience of being a forensic psychologist to come throughout, adding a layer of credibility that explored a new side to the story for me.
Dr. Susan Kasson is a forensic psychologist whose experiences of the darker side of human behavior feed into this book. Seeing Linderman use Kasson's cases so astutely to approach themes of mental illness, criminality, and the workings of the justice system is skillful. One thing I liked was the use of real forensic cases, which brought a very tangible element of coldness to the narrative. While fictionalized to protect those involved from being identified, these cases capture a chilling look at what violence means to victims and perpetrators.
I enjoyed this author’s ability to explain what could have been very complex psychological concepts in a real way to people like me. Linderman's skill in explaining such things as the potential role of childhood trauma and its impact on behavior without it feeling like I am reading a textbook is well demonstrated, for example, when talking about the motivations behind a crime. This grounded fictional narrative in reality was both fascinating and disturbing. My favorite quote was "Though a good deal is too strange to believe, nothing is too strange to not have happened.” This quote perfectly captured the book's tone and prepared me for some of the more unusual cases explored.
I enjoyed the book as a whole, but I found the pacing at least a little uneven. Sometimes, the narrative would labor under long descriptions of forensic procedures, interesting though they were, and that would interrupt the telling. I also thought some of the fictional characters could have been written a bit more. I wanted a bit deeper motivation and background story for their motivations and backstories.
Fairly minor criticism aside, 'Deviancy' was a good read. The author’s experience in forensic psychology never ceased to draw me in, coupled with the adventure within the maze of fictionalized and real cases that kept me engaged the entire time. The book was edited impeccably with no typos or grammatical errors to report, which shows how much was done to present it. I will give "Deviancy"[b 4 out of 5 stars[/b]. Pacing issues and somewhat underdeveloped characters took one star from me. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime, forensic psychology, or just a unique and thought-provoking read.
******
Deviancy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Rose Linderman's "Deviancy," though, was exactly what I needed to dive headfirst into the world of forensic psychology, a field I’ve always found pretty interesting. However, as a casual true crime enthusiast, I was instantly interested in this premise: combining fiction with real-life forensic case studies. The approach of naming psychological insights into the narrative, while felt, is exactly where you’d expect Linderman's experience of being a forensic psychologist to come throughout, adding a layer of credibility that explored a new side to the story for me.
Dr. Susan Kasson is a forensic psychologist whose experiences of the darker side of human behavior feed into this book. Seeing Linderman use Kasson's cases so astutely to approach themes of mental illness, criminality, and the workings of the justice system is skillful. One thing I liked was the use of real forensic cases, which brought a very tangible element of coldness to the narrative. While fictionalized to protect those involved from being identified, these cases capture a chilling look at what violence means to victims and perpetrators.
I enjoyed this author’s ability to explain what could have been very complex psychological concepts in a real way to people like me. Linderman's skill in explaining such things as the potential role of childhood trauma and its impact on behavior without it feeling like I am reading a textbook is well demonstrated, for example, when talking about the motivations behind a crime. This grounded fictional narrative in reality was both fascinating and disturbing. My favorite quote was "Though a good deal is too strange to believe, nothing is too strange to not have happened.” This quote perfectly captured the book's tone and prepared me for some of the more unusual cases explored.
I enjoyed the book as a whole, but I found the pacing at least a little uneven. Sometimes, the narrative would labor under long descriptions of forensic procedures, interesting though they were, and that would interrupt the telling. I also thought some of the fictional characters could have been written a bit more. I wanted a bit deeper motivation and background story for their motivations and backstories.
Fairly minor criticism aside, 'Deviancy' was a good read. The author’s experience in forensic psychology never ceased to draw me in, coupled with the adventure within the maze of fictionalized and real cases that kept me engaged the entire time. The book was edited impeccably with no typos or grammatical errors to report, which shows how much was done to present it. I will give "Deviancy"[b 4 out of 5 stars[/b]. Pacing issues and somewhat underdeveloped characters took one star from me. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime, forensic psychology, or just a unique and thought-provoking read.
******
Deviancy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Yildun by Andri E Elia
