A review by louiza_read2live
The Alienist by Caleb Carr

4.0

This is a disturbing but riveting crime story in the line of the shows Special Victims Unit (SVU) and even closer to Criminal Minds, both favorite shows of mine. Crime stories in books are not normally my thing, especially when it involves children and in this graphic manner.
Nevertheless, minus the occasional cursing that turned out to be too often and I really dislike it, the story is very good, and I would recommend it to those who are interested in criminal psychology. Also, I think the book was a little too slow at times, and their dinner descriptions were a little overly done. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and some might find it more realistic. It is just a personal preference that I felt it went on a little too long and the descriptions of what they were eating in the light of the manner of the murders felt gross. I still loved the book.
The story is set in New York during Theodore Roosevelt's time as a police commissioner. A psychiatrist and a team selected by him and Roosevelt to assist in the investigation are working together in secret to catch a serial killer who murders in the most gruesome way immigrant boys who work as prostitutes. In the process, they get face-to-face with the greater corruption that feeds the system that endangers and abuses these children, but also with the grim past of their killer. It is gripping, but heart-rending to read the stories of these children. It feels strange to say that I enjoyed a book that it depicts the nauseating graphic murders of children. In fact, sometimes I just skipped quickly through these parts as they were getting too much. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book because of the historical aspects of it, but mostly because of what I think were the best part of the book‐-The thought-provoking and philosophical points it raises about mental illness, about what forces guide a criminal, and about the role of society in the making of criminals and victims. This is a time that it seems there were many discussions and debates about whether a criminal is born or made and the role of nature versus nurture, which is always an interesting discussion. I'd certainly like to reread this book.