If You Tell
question
Currently still reading but I would like to discuss..
Ariel
Mar 12, 2024 07:25AM
Am I the only one whose feeling like so much has been left If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhoodout and unsaid between all the family dynamics? I just cannot fathom that no one in the family had even a small inkling as to the abuse that was going on in that house. They all claimed to know that Shelly was a psychopath and something was wrong with her but no one thought to seriously question the children about their home lives? All the teachers and educators who had to see the children coming to school dirty, smelling, wearing unclean clothes didn’t think to counsel the kids? I don’t know I guess I’m just extremely upset that more wasn’t done for these kids, lives could have been saved. Even Kathy’s family didn’t seem to care that she totally vanished. Poor Shane as well, after everything he was discarded as well.
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I also find this hard to believe. I am sure if it was left out it was for the protection of the kids. I think there are a lot of things left unsaid in true crime for this reason.
As a school teacher, I am guessing that it must have been hidden really well. We are required to report even a suspicion of child abuse to CPS. It breaks my heart to know what those kids went through. Such a sad story.
As a school teacher, I am guessing that it must have been hidden really well. We are required to report even a suspicion of child abuse to CPS. It breaks my heart to know what those kids went through. Such a sad story.
A really good well detailed book, made me get emotional a few time,get mad and slam the book and sometimes be happy. There was lots of twists and turns and unexpected events am totally going to read again and again and again its totally worth the read
I agree that this was hard to believe; I had to constantly remind myself that it was based on a true story. Shelly knew how to prey on the weak-minded and got them to trust her so that she can take advantage and abuse them. It is sad to realize that many children go through abuse, as well as adults.
This book always popped up as a suggestion for me to read, but I kept it on the back burner for TBR since it had some good reviews. Finally I saw I could download it for free on Amazon to my kindle so I decided to give it a try. All I can say is that I am glad I did not waste a penny on this book!!! As far as this terrible story goes, I’d give it a 3.5 but for the writing style it’s a 1!!
First of all not only is the whole story behind this crime so unimaginable, but the writing style and outline of storytelling is so poorly executed. It went all over the place; jumping back and forth, inserting information in the middle like afterthoughts, or gave you some information that was suddenly dropped in but left open ended. It was apparent the author put the pieces of this unhinged story together based on interviews he conducted with the victims and witnesses. But the for me the whole book was a transcribed patchwork of events linked together in a disorderly fashion. I am aware victims of abuse are so traumatized and conditioned by the things they experienced that when retelling their story, most times there are a lot of gaps and holes that make it difficult to understand or follow. Unfortunately Olsen did a subpar job of trying to piece things together in a constructive manner which could have made the story less muddled and baffling. Instead he filled it up with so many cheap cliches and platitudes in an attempt to make this book engaging to readers.
I have to admit this is one of the most bizarre, twisted crime story of abuse that I have ever read!!!!! I had such a difficult time trying to wrap my mind around all the events that happened. I know there are many heartbreaking stories of abuse which are so heinous and difficult to imagine, but after reading this book I can’t help myself from feeling flabbergasted and left in disbelief. How was one woman able to snare, prey upon and control so many different people in the ways that she did and got away with it for so long is beyond me!! I have so many questions running through my head that have me filled with anger and astonishment. For instance, there were so many opportunities some of the victims to save themselves especially when they managed to escape yet by some crazy miracle they were always able to be found by their abuser and convinced to go back?????!!!! How ludicrous is that?? If they had the awareness that they were being mistreated and needed to get away, why they didn’t use that chance to seek out help from law enforcement??!!! I know that victims can be so conditioned and terrified to fight back, but still there were so many other outside witnesses, family members and acquaintances that had to have had an idea things were not right and yet no one made an aggressive attempt blow the whistle loud enough. There was even a time when law enforcement was informed about the first murder, but they never took it seriously enough to follow through and investigate like they should have!! So sad and shameful because so much could have been prevented if not so many people were selfish, trusting, complacent, incompetent, and afraid. I had so many questions running through my head!!! I still can't believe how things went on the way they did for so long and how Shelly was able to have such a controlling influence on so many different people that branched out beyond her immediate family!!!! Don't even get me started on the husband and father Dave!!!!! Talk about having no backbone but really??? This man made himself so scarce in the household, was hardly there except for weekends, allowed himself to live like a transient while away, gave all his earnings to his wife and yet used the excuse that he was suckered into all of it because he wanted to be there for his daughter??!!! Then Sami the middle sister was the most self centered, and selfish! She was the least abused and thankful for it!! I felt she didn't want to rock the boat by showing any loyalty to her sister Nikki so she just looked the other way still living a pretty decent teenage lifestyle!! I could go on forever pointing blame on so many players in this sordid story.There is too much to mention, but I really cannot wrap my mind around this whole sick story. I believe so much could have been prevented if someone just had the courage to fight back hard enough and also if law enforcement did their job like they should have!!!
First of all not only is the whole story behind this crime so unimaginable, but the writing style and outline of storytelling is so poorly executed. It went all over the place; jumping back and forth, inserting information in the middle like afterthoughts, or gave you some information that was suddenly dropped in but left open ended. It was apparent the author put the pieces of this unhinged story together based on interviews he conducted with the victims and witnesses. But the for me the whole book was a transcribed patchwork of events linked together in a disorderly fashion. I am aware victims of abuse are so traumatized and conditioned by the things they experienced that when retelling their story, most times there are a lot of gaps and holes that make it difficult to understand or follow. Unfortunately Olsen did a subpar job of trying to piece things together in a constructive manner which could have made the story less muddled and baffling. Instead he filled it up with so many cheap cliches and platitudes in an attempt to make this book engaging to readers.
I have to admit this is one of the most bizarre, twisted crime story of abuse that I have ever read!!!!! I had such a difficult time trying to wrap my mind around all the events that happened. I know there are many heartbreaking stories of abuse which are so heinous and difficult to imagine, but after reading this book I can’t help myself from feeling flabbergasted and left in disbelief. How was one woman able to snare, prey upon and control so many different people in the ways that she did and got away with it for so long is beyond me!! I have so many questions running through my head that have me filled with anger and astonishment. For instance, there were so many opportunities some of the victims to save themselves especially when they managed to escape yet by some crazy miracle they were always able to be found by their abuser and convinced to go back?????!!!! How ludicrous is that?? If they had the awareness that they were being mistreated and needed to get away, why they didn’t use that chance to seek out help from law enforcement??!!! I know that victims can be so conditioned and terrified to fight back, but still there were so many other outside witnesses, family members and acquaintances that had to have had an idea things were not right and yet no one made an aggressive attempt blow the whistle loud enough. There was even a time when law enforcement was informed about the first murder, but they never took it seriously enough to follow through and investigate like they should have!! So sad and shameful because so much could have been prevented if not so many people were selfish, trusting, complacent, incompetent, and afraid. I had so many questions running through my head!!! I still can't believe how things went on the way they did for so long and how Shelly was able to have such a controlling influence on so many different people that branched out beyond her immediate family!!!! Don't even get me started on the husband and father Dave!!!!! Talk about having no backbone but really??? This man made himself so scarce in the household, was hardly there except for weekends, allowed himself to live like a transient while away, gave all his earnings to his wife and yet used the excuse that he was suckered into all of it because he wanted to be there for his daughter??!!! Then Sami the middle sister was the most self centered, and selfish! She was the least abused and thankful for it!! I felt she didn't want to rock the boat by showing any loyalty to her sister Nikki so she just looked the other way still living a pretty decent teenage lifestyle!! I could go on forever pointing blame on so many players in this sordid story.There is too much to mention, but I really cannot wrap my mind around this whole sick story. I believe so much could have been prevented if someone just had the courage to fight back hard enough and also if law enforcement did their job like they should have!!!
