metr0w0man's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

5.0


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oceanwriter's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Living on oil-rich land, the Osage Indians had a fortune. Unfortunately, this fortune was largely monitored and limited by the government. When members of the tribe begin dying under mysterious circumstances, it calls for investigation. 
 
I found the book to be informative and I was particularly invested in the first part of the book. Once it switched to part two, I struggled to get used to the new perspective and narration which was particularly distracting while listening to the audiobook and the narrators changed. Still, I learned a lot and my heart breaks for the Osage people, not only for their losses but also for the mistreatment and conservatorship they were subjected to. 

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matcha_cat's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.25


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mishasmum's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

Very easy read for a fiction. Shines light on an underreported tragedy while keeping suspense and mystery.

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issyd23's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

“‘the devil was standing right there.’…the missing panel: showed William K Hale, staring coldly at the camera. The Osage had removed his image, not to forget the murders, as most Americans had, but because they cannot forget.” 4🥀

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rachelcd's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense

5.0


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skoot's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative sad fast-paced

3.0

Genocide

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mrlsdevos's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25


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zsabella's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5


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sheriffrockyraccoon's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious sad fast-paced

4.0

While I am a movie person and obviously watched the Oscars this year where its movie adaptation was frequently nominated, I had managed to avoid knowing much about the Osage murders before reading this book.

David Grann’s writing is fantastic. He manages to keep his language accessible and fluid while also not deviating too far from the facts of the case. This book is part thriller, part nonfiction, and while it is easy to cross that line into sensationalism, I believe Grann worked incredibly hard to make sure the families of the victims were heard and not drowned out by the “true crime” aspects of the case.

The last chapter, “A Case Unsolved”, devastated me. Just when you think there has been justice for these people ignored by the U.S. government, you see how far the conspiracy goes. It was heartbreaking and real, which I appreciated considering how easy it is today to write a true crime story in the form of a ghost story. This book served as a brutal reminder of the treatment Indigenous Americans have endured- and still endure- at the hands of the government.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in U.S. history, especially that of the Wild West. While it may be after the period we consider “Western”, it holds the same ideology even as the country moves into a different era. 

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