Publisher's Weekly Review
Tony Ciaglia's life changed forever when a traumatic brain injury at 15 left him uninhibited and struggling to control his temper and emotions. Searching for a way to connect, Tony turned to the unlikeliest of pastimes: writing letters to serial killers. Edgar winner Earley (Comrade J) intersperses Tony and his family's continuing struggles to adjust to life as a TBI survivor with excerpts from Tony's pen-pal correspondence. While he received letters from over 30 killers, his primary communications were with Arthur Shawcross, Joseph Metheny, and David Gore. Shawcross and Metheny describe in lurid detail the pleasure they derived in raping, torturing -and often eating-their prostitute victims. Tony's brain injury made it impossible for him to judge the convicts' heinous actions and the closer he became to his "best friends," the more convinced Tony became that he could help bring closure to families by drawing out details from the killers about unsolved cases. While Tony's recovery story is inspiring, the sheer amount of graphic sexual sadism and violence is overwhelming: the warning "not for the faint of heart" is an understatement. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In 1992, at age 15, Tony Ciaglia received a head injury that left him in a coma for nearly 20 days. When he awoke, the bright teenager was . . . different. There were memory issues, behavioral issues, mood swings, and a new, seemingly obsessive interest in serial killers, with whom Tony felt something akin to fellowship, if not compassion. This unusual and frequently unsettling biography explores Ciaglia's relationships with serial killers, with whom he began corresponding after his accident such people as child-killer Arthur Shawcross, Night Stalker Richard Ramirez, Susan Smith (who murdered her own children), and Hillside Strangler Kenneth Bianchi. Eventually, Ciaglia began approaching police departments about unsolved cases. Proceeding from information he gleaned from letters from his correspondents, he has convinced police to reopen several cold cases. Earley warns readers that the book is not for the squeamish, and he's right. There are many unexpurgated excerpts from letters written by the killers that are, at times, deeply disturbing. A unique and compelling personal story and a fascinating exploration of the unsettling subculture that has grown up around serial killers.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Earley (Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness) here tells the story of Tony Ciaglia, an average 15-year-old boy whose life was tragically transformed after he suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while operating a Jet Ski. After the accident, Tony's TBI caused him to become easily obsessed, and when he stumbled across information about a serial killing case online, he soon initiated correspondence with dozens of convicted serial killers, who also exhibited feelings of isolation and rage. Curiously, his therapist condoned the letter writing. His hobby became an obsession that continued well into his thirties, and he meticulously maintained a scrapbook of each killer's letters, even visiting some of them in prison. The effects of Tony's TBI-being both totally tolerant and obsessive compulsive-helped him gain their trust and listen without judgment to the sordid details of their murderous sprees, including torture, rape, murder, and cannibalization. He was then able to help police detectives with their investigations, bring closure to the mother of a missing child, and ultimately find a purpose in life. VERDICT For readers of true crime and psychology and others interested in the workings of the brain.-Krista Bush, Shelton Public Sch. Lib., CT (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.