Book reviews by Brynn Hovde

Review/Predictions: In 5-10 sentences, do one of the following 1. Review the book and explain your like/dislike. 2. Predict what will happen to the Perry and Dick. Will justice be served or will they be set free?

brynnh13 — 2025-04-28 01:09:00 UTC

2025-04-28 14:15:39 UTC

I believe that justice will be served thoroughly to both Perry and Dick. The people would not just let these two murderers walk away free after killing the Clutter family for little to no reason. Along with this, there is overwhelming evidence that pinpoints them to the murders, which even their attorneys couldn't save them from. Although they might try to make themselves as innocent as possible, the court will find them guilty as can be. It's also stated in part 4 that some jurors already show much prejudice for the death penalty in this trial.

-Aidyn W

Misan Subba

2025-04-28 14:17:00 UTC

I think this is a good mid, but for a crime book, it's good. The reason I don't like this book is that it doesn't discuss money or how to earn it. If this book were about business, I would love to read it and gain a deeper understanding of the concept of money and how it works. As it says in the book The Richest Man In Babylon, "go to the person that knows." I don't like or love this book, and it's okay.

Alexis Geffre

2025-04-28 14:18:02 UTC

Overall, I like the book. Some things I don't like are it is too hard to tell who is talking and it's overly detailed. There is a lot of extra unnecessary details that we don't need to know to understand the story. I do like how much detail he gives about the actual crime but the unnecessary ones bother me. Other times it is hard to tell who is talking, which makes it harder to understand what is going on. Other than those things, I like the book.

Spencer Vetsch

2025-04-28 14:18:02 UTC

Overall, I don't dislike the book; I think it has a good story, but I feel like they add too much extra detail and make the book way longer than it needs to be. The best part of the book for me was the first 100 pages because the story was quick-moving but still had detail. I liked it when the book was building up suspense to the murder, but since it happened too early in the book, there isn't that same suspense anymore. The story isn't bad but and I do like a lot of parts in this book, I like how we follow Perry and Dick around as we see their actions before and after the murders and we see what they were thinking. I also like how we follow the detectives and all the leads they have, and see how they are doing on the case. This is my first true crime novel I've read, and I would say it wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either.

Gavin Rodgers

gavinr660 — 2025-04-28 14:18:34 UTC

Review the book and explain your like/dislike.

The book is what appears to be a quite simple murder case. I love mysteries but this doesn't even feel like a mystery. I don't really like that the book leaves little room for interpretation. Has yet to leave me on the edge of my seat. Overall the book is a 6/10 kind of mid to be honest.

2025-04-28 14:18:49 UTC

I think the book is good. I liked how it explained where they were shot. I also liked that they gave us details about the killers and their background. I did not like how they initially gave so much information about the Clutter family and every single detail of their life. I feel like some stuff they said wasn't something we needed to know. The book overall was a good story, but with too much information.

Hailee Cearley

2025-04-28 14:19:04 UTC

I think the book overall is just average. I don't think it deserves any high praise really. I think Capote took what could be a compelling story and completely ruined it. I think this book is disrespectful to the Family with how atrocious, and long this book is. Some of the descriptions aren't needed, and just make it boring to read. I also was not a fan of the point of view that it was written in. his style of writing can be hard to follow sometimes, and overall, I don't like this book. Let someone else write about the Clutter Family.

review, jAkejoacob moloolmolstaddddddjakejacob

2025-04-28 14:19:15 UTC

Alright let me break this down for you this book...is a 5/10, reason for its too long. During this book you have to read a lot of nonsense, it's a great plot and this and that but overall just too much uneeded information. But going of that I think were due for probably a good ending, knowing that its a crime that will get figured out so i feel like the ending will be good no matter what. This book is SO due for a good ending that if there isnt a good ending im gonna crash the frick out.

Brody S

2025-04-28 14:19:28 UTC

I think the book does a good job explaining what had happened. Im sure some of the facts are exaggerated but overall seems to get the aspects of what happened done correctly. The book shows us different views and sides of each of the characters. The family side and the killers side gives us a good understanding of what was going on. We then get the views from the detectives who are in charge on the case. Overall I think the book is a 6.5/10 and the author did a good job on covering a true event. I also think that Dick and Perry will get caught because they aren't the smartest guys in the world

Reed K

2025-04-28 14:20:11 UTC

This book is probably one of the better ones we have read. The way I feel about this book is mid I think that they could have done a better job with the wording and structure. At some points it is easy to understand this book and others it is impossible. For the way this book makes me excited in some parts and feel boredom in others makes me upset because some chapters or sections are jam-packed with action and information while other parts are boring and hard to read. As for my predictions I think that dick and perry will either get the death penalty or spend the rest of their lives in jail. I think that people want them to go to jail even if they aren't fully convinced of them doing the murders. I think that the book will end with them dying or going to jail.

Review

2025-04-28 14:22:13 UTC

savannah mcnamee

2025-04-28 14:22:39 UTC

I'm not the biggest fan of this book because of the way it is narrated. I don't really like how it rambles on. I don't like how the paragraphs are super long and filled with a whole bunch of random stuff that I have to piece together myself. I like how it's a true story, however. I also like how it has different points of view in the story and bounces from the murderer's pov and then the investigator's pov. Overall, I don't like this book because I feel like it drags on and just isn't a book I would favorably pick up to read.

Zoie Gonzalez

2025-04-28 14:22:55 UTC

This is an interesting book and explains the crime, evidence, and investigation in great detail, but is hard to keep up with at times. The book has way too much details that don't seem to matter in the long run, for example, the color of the walls. I feel like the the book is dragged out and could've been finished in less pages. It is also hard to tell who is speaking sometimes. It is difficult to keep up with all the side characters involved and who and how they're related and involved sometimes.

Max Martens

2025-04-28 14:23:20 UTC

There are many possible things that I believe could happen to Dick and Perry. One thing that I predict happening is Perry being completely aloof towards the feelings of Garden City's and Holcomb's residents. I predict that Dick will be super frightened about the whole trial and begins to lose himself. The death penalty seems to be the most likely decision, due to the fact that there is no such thing as a life without parole in the state of Kansas. Although I do believe that the jury will show some sympathy towards the duo, the death of the murderers is the inevitable outcome.

Max Kaiser

2025-04-28 15:12:18 UTC

I think this book is pretty decent. The plot is good, but there's too much information at times. It's longer than it has to be, and it can get boring. I believe that they both will get the death penalty in the end. It's the only thing that would make sense based on the crimes they committed

Brayden Goulet

2025-04-28 15:13:33 UTC

The book gives good details of what happened but some details in the book are not necessary for the audience to be reading in some cases, it does perfect details but in some cases, a little too much information for the reader can get easily bored. Also in some can be very difficult to know who the reader is the more I read the book but overall I like the book.

Micah K

2025-04-28 15:13:55 UTC

I think that the ending g will be that dick is sentanced to prison becasue he was the mastermind to it. I think that perry will get off free due to his mental disorders. I think that floyd may get in toruble for technically aiding it but he did confess s that absolved him kind of. I think that dick will get charged with breaking and entering since he didnt actually kill anyone. I think perry may get sentance to a psychiatric hostpital or somthing of the sort, maybe prison with mandated thearpy and possible poraole.

Haley Bachman

2025-04-28 15:15:42 UTC

So far, I have enjoyed this book more than most of the other book we have read, and I would rate In Cold Blood a 7/10. I rate it this way because I like the story, but I feel like a lot of details that aren't necessary. It has been so detailed that it has confused me in some parts of the book. I feel the author was just trying to make the book longer by adding unnecessary details. If there wasn't as much detail I would enjoy the book much more.

Fern Duong

2025-04-28 15:16:21 UTC

Kyleigh Muse

2025-04-28 15:16:22 UTC

Personally, I don't like this book very much. The narrator seems to ramble often. Many of the facts are not important to the storyline and are confusing. I think the book is way longer than it needs to be and could be shortened. I liked the beginning of the story the most because it was fast-moving and detailed. After Part 1, the story became challenging to understand because there was so much information.

Owen R

2025-04-28 15:16:46 UTC

Basically I think this book has good moments when the murders happen, the author makes ts story interesting and keeps the reader on the edge. But one thing I don't like about this book is it is too long and ts author yaps too much so the book is really long and boring at times. I overall think the book is mid but still is the best book we have read.

Brooklyn Johnson

2025-04-28 15:17:27 UTC

I do not like this book. Though I do like true crime, I think this book is hard to follow and some of the information that the author gives us was not quite necessary, dragging out the plot. It is overly detailed, one may say. It is also quite easy to tell that it was written a while ago because of the language and usage of words in the book, I like english nowadays. It is overall an interesting crime, but I think I would rather listen to a girl on youtube talking about it for 20 minutes instead of reading all of these pages.

Nick Bacskai

2025-04-28 15:17:31 UTC

I think the book is decent. I would give it a 6/10 and it's definitely of the better books we've read so far. I wish they kept murderers a mystery to give it that whole murder mystery vibe.

miles

2025-04-28 15:17:38 UTC

In my honest opinion, this book is quite dragging. The consistent amount of details regarding the different characters is slightly overbearing. The details about how Perry and Dick met and their conversations between each other are very interesting. One thing that I do like about this book is the details about the murders. However, they did miss crucial details about the way they propped up the bodies, to likely show remorse towards the victims.

IBRAHIM A

2025-04-28 15:17:58 UTC

In Cold Blood could have been a hit on the streets, but unfortunately Truman Capote only knows how to YAP! The story is all over the place. I find it a struggle to engage with all the YNs and locations when Truman keeps introducing new people. If the book had better pacing and less YAP, I would of engaged with it better. For now, it's a 6/10

Northern Dingo: Book Prediction

2025-04-28 15:18:37 UTC

I think the book will go down hill from here. The bad guys are going to get caught. When they get caught I think that they will be set free from the trial. The lack of evidence against them is on their side. It is only words v words.

Jacob Foss

2025-04-28 15:19:09 UTC

I think the book is very descriptive and got into deep detail. overall it is a good book and I enjoyed it. there a some things that I don't like like show it goes into much depth. I would not like to read this on my own.

Kyra Allen

2025-04-28 15:19:29 UTC

The book is really well-written, and Capote does an amazing job of bringing the characters to life. He tells the story of the victims, the killers, and the investigation in a way that makes everything feel real and intense. Capote also gives us a lot of insight into the killers’ backgrounds, which makes us think about what might have led them to commit such horrible crimes. Even though it’s supposed to be non-fiction, sometimes it feels like he’s making things up or guessing about people’s thoughts and feelings, especially when it comes to the killers’ inner lives. He also focuses too much on the details which is not always relevant to the story and can create confusion. Since the police are hunting them, Dick and Perry will eventually be caught. The investigation is getting closer, and their whereabouts are becoming more known. After being captured, they will likely go through a trial where their fate will be decided. Given that their crime was so brutal and the murder of an entire family, it’s likely they’ll face the death penalty.

Hailey K

2025-04-28 15:19:42 UTC

Overall, the book isn't horrible. The storyline is good and the characters are really interesting. It's not very predictable and makes me foreshadow a lot. I think the plot of the murder is really thought out and well-written. I definetly like this book more than frankenstein and the other books we've read in this class.

JB Walters

2025-04-28 15:20:09 UTC

Book Review: I believe that this is a pretty solid book. It has some good content especially being that it is a true crime novel. I do have some disagreements with the novel tho. I feel that the book would have been more interesting if they focused more on the Clutter family. It was like they kinda just told us what happened to the family and then just moved on. The novel is less focused on what happened itself and more concerned with the lives of Dick and Perry. I present this question to the class: Does Truman Capote have feelings for Dick and Perry or even a weird obsession?

2025-04-28 15:21:38 UTC

At the beginning of the book I really enjoyed it. Mainly the parts where the Clutter family was still alive. when the family died the book fell off a bit, but than it got interesting when Dick and Perry picked up the boy and his grandpa and they collected soda thingS. that was pretty sweet. The worst part of the book was the suspense. They got caught

pretty quickly So I guess it wasn't terrible. Now that they are being interrogated the book isn't that interesting anymore.

Braylahn W

2025-04-28 15:22:49 UTC

I'm indifferent about this book because of how it was started. The one thing I would change is that I would start with not telling us how the mudders did, and we have to go along with finding them. It would grab my attention more if there were a lot less switching and they were their own chapters. I like the back stories we get, but I would change where it is in the book. In all, I would give this book a 7/10.

Bryanna B.

2025-04-28 15:24:40 UTC

I think that this book does a decent job at explaining the Clutter family’s last day, the town’s reaction, and the tale behind how the killers got caught but I think the book is too wordy and some of the details get lost. I just find myself reading details that are cool but then it goes on long tangents that eventually do nothing to add to the story nor mean anything to the overall narrative. This book is detailing a murder that in fact happened and I do think that this book does do good in the details behind the actual murder I struggle to enjoy it fully with how wordy and weird the perspectives get at times. It’s cool how it’s the first true crime novel however it’s not that easy to read and understand sometimes due to the long length of the parts and the weird structure of it.

Bryce k

brycek680 — 2025-04-28 15:25:07 UTC

Some of my thoughts about this book is that it seems pretty boring. I think that the only reason that this book is as popular as it is or was is because it was just based on a true. If I could read another book instead of this, I would pick sum more like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I think that the book has had a steady downhill since the first page. My prediction is that they both are going to get 1st degree murder and that they are going to prison for the rest of their lives. My other prediction is that perry and dick seem like the typa people to end it once they get caught and get the chance too because they don't want to serve the time for the crime they did.

Ava Boger

2025-04-28 15:25:16 UTC

I do not like this book. There are many things about this book that make me dislike it. It adds information that doesn't correlate with the murders at all and it makes it confusing because now im focusing on the other information and not the information that matters. However, this is one of the better books that we have read this year. I would not read this book again.

Sophia

2025-04-28 15:30:47 UTC

Overall the idea of the book is good. I personally like the mystery of the these types of books so when we found out who the killers were right away I was disappointed. If this book was told in a different way I think it would have been amazing. I don’t like the fact that there is not actual chapters just parts. The way Truman talks is very hard to follow but that might just be because it was written a while ago. 8/10 story is good. 2/10 writing could not focus on the book.

I didn't read the book

nathanielg148_1 — 2025-04-28 16:00:35 UTC

nathan

Garrett

2025-04-28 16:03:29 UTC

This book is super mid in my opinion. I would give it a 4/10. The book just feels slow and boring reading it. When I read a book I visualize whats going on in my head but this book is too boring to do that. There is so much yap everywhere it is hard to read.

In Cold Blood

2025-04-28 16:03:37 UTC

So far Im enjoying the book. Its kind of droning on but I don't dislike that. I keep thinking about how the author became friends with them. I do think that Dick and perry are going to be hung. I don't think the mailwoman will care about that fact. The town doesn't seem to care about the killers much, just press does. Annabelle Straub

Bryce Muus

2025-04-28 16:04:01 UTC

In my most honest and humbling opinion, I don't HATE this book. I feel as if hate is a very discrete word to use when describing books. When a book is based off of a true crime, you can't blame the author for plot as much. I feel as if this book does its job. it gives an accurate representation and story telling of what happened to the clutters. This is a real family that died and lost each other. However, the storytelling is a bit confusing, affecting my overall ranking. Altogether, I don't mind this book since it's based of a true story. My overall ranking is a 6/10.

Leah O'Halloran

2025-04-28 16:04:29 UTC

The book's not terrible. I think it is interesting to hear about the crime from the murderers perspective. It's an interesting way to read about what happened and what they thought about the murders. The book is interesting mainly because it's such a random crime. But I do think the book could've been written a little better.

Samantha O'Halloran

2025-04-28 16:07:20 UTC

I think this book is confusing. Truman Capote will use random quotations, and it doesn't make sense. This book is good because it is the first true crime story and tells the story of Dick, Perry, and the Clutters, but other than that it isn't the best book. The writing style is a little weird, in my opinion. The only good thing going for this book is that the story was interesting to read. But the way it was written made it confusing.

In could blood

2025-04-28 16:09:23 UTC

I think this book was ok as a story but not a very enjoyable read. I believe the narration style was too boring and felt like listening to someone who just keeps talking and talking. It reminds me of frankenstien how the story felt slow at points when building the plot or even times when the plot was irrelevant. I believe it could have been better if it just got to the point quicker and maybe shortened the book. I think it was wayyy too long and I think if they had someone like Rasheed the story would be more interesting because he was honestly really chill and just a loving family guy. I think what truman copote did was very smart, but i believe it was very dangerous as well.

Jean Linares

2025-04-28 16:09:42 UTC

This book is ok, i dont think I would ever read this if I wasn't being forced to read it right now.I think that it focus on too many small details that don't even correlate with the story. I think that he just gave random details to let us know that he did do his research and he knows what he is talking about.If this book were a bit more short and didn't do a deep dive on the most useless of details it would be pretty good.The killers are hard carrying the book right now 5/10

Caleb Hovde

2025-04-28 16:09:44 UTC

I think this book is quite interesting. Especially that it is a true story. i think it is a little boring like every other book we have read in this class. but i hope it gets better. i think they need to incorporate Nathan so he can have some influence and really make the story exciting!!! in the end id say 4/10 mid at best.

Connor Lee

2025-04-28 16:11:01 UTC

I think perry and dick will be found guilty. I think they both will get the death penalty or spend the rest of their life in jail. Based on the time period, I think that they will be given the death penalty. They will spend their last moments together and get executed together. They will get the electric chair for the murders of the clutter family.

Brielle Larson

2025-04-28 16:13:22 UTC

I have enjoyed this book so far. There are a lot of details that continue to add to the plotline. Perry and Dick were finally caught and as they began to spill their stories on the night of the murders, the reader can finally make some connections. I see the main lead as Dick because the night of the Clutter family deaths, Perry was going to back out and also never wanted to hurt Mr. Clutter, but Dick persuaded him to anyways. This book is much easier to read and more enjoyable than one like Frankenstein. I enjoy how the timelines start to melt together between where Perry and Dick were versus where detective Dewey has been in his investigations. The book almost works from a backwards perspective because we are not going along with the murders, but rather starting out knowing who did it and who it was done to. One thing that I do not like about this book is the constant change of views. Sometimes it can be hard to tell who is talking about their life, and that has made a few of the characters' traits hard to follow.

Book Review

2025-04-28 16:19:34 UTC

I believe that this book is mid. I think so far, even though the killings were supposed to be the good part. it's very boring because it goes way too far in depth. After the killing, they go off and do a bunch of nothing just to get caught and locked up. so n the end I give this book a 4/10.

Matthew W

2025-04-28 16:22:28 UTC

Review of the book: I do not like this book. Put simply, it is too long, and I find it hardly interesting. The problem is that I don't care to read hundreds, especially when I have things I need to do, or want to do. I would much rather, and have asked people or websites for summaries, because I lack the desire to open the book and spend hours of my time reading it. Going back to things I needed to do instead of reading the book includes: going on an aviation field trip to learn about the vast number of opportunities in that field, or that same day, I needed to be inducted into the National Technical Honor Society. Another problem I have is simply the lack of desire to take the time to read. I, alongside many others, am now at a point where I no longer care about high school and am more willing to let things slip. In my case, I've been accepted to UND, and I could be there and pursue my educational prowess in the field of IT. Even then, I was still more willing to read "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and "Frankenstein" because I found them more interesting. A Thousand Splendid Suns, I thought, was interesting because it highlights the hardships that people in other countries have to deal with, including war, and a legal system that may offer more protection to different groups due to their race or gender. I found Frankenstein more interesting than our current book because it pondered the idea of sentient life and the repercussions it could bring. Those are topics I find interesting opposed to a murder story. Sadly, murders are common around the world; it's not the fault of weaponry, but rather the vile intentions of some, or the repercussions of society's abuse towards them. Sadly, we may never see an end to murder; man has spilled the blood of fellow man for thousands of years now, but in a sense, that's why I don't particularly give this book too much of my time. Sadly, this book fails to get me too interested to devote a significant amount of my time towards it, and the main reason why I think most people would show interest is because it's worth a grade in a high school curriculum.

schakaina s

2025-04-28 16:30:07 UTC

I think the book was mid for me. I like how they narrate the story, but it was really easy to get lost. While the writing is detailed and the story compelling, it sometimes feels overly drawn out and confusing. The book's impact on true crime is undeniable, but that doesn’t make it perfect. It’s an important read, but not necessarily an enjoyable one.

Jaylen Shipp

2025-04-28 16:36:23 UTC

The book In Cold Blood is one of the worst books we've read so far this year. A big issue is the book narration, I often found it confusing to determine who was speaking. Other issues were the rambling that often takes place. Sometimes the book was vague; other times, the readers were given too much information on unimportant parts of the book. Overall, this book could have been interesting however, the writing style and execution of the book were ultimately its downfall.

Abby Baker

abigailb819 — 2025-04-30 14:51:15 UTC

I think overall this book is very average. I found it at times to be difficult to understand. The book felt all over the place for me. In my opinion the Clutter Family wasn’t represented well enough. It felt as if they were skipped over in a book about THEM. They were the ones who struggled and died but the author made it so readers want to “Sympathize” with two murders. It’s a bit crazy. Having a hard life or a traumatic past doesn’t give someone a pass or a right to take a persons life. I would not read this on my own and won’t read it again.