Perfect Victim - Kindle edition by McGuire, Christine, Norton, Carla. Professional & Technical Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. (original) (raw)
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Customers say
Customers find the book easy to read and gripping. They praise the writing quality as clear and effective. The book provides a clear chronology and details that keep readers interested. Many find the story fascinating and captivating. However, opinions differ on the story's quality, with some finding it incredible and wonderful while others consider it disturbing and horrifying.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
48 customers mention "Readability"48 positive0 negative
Customers find the book engaging and easy to read. They describe it as an interesting page-turner that flows well and provides a clear chronology of the events.
"Great read! Well researched and written. Literary art. The writer style is so much enjoyable. Excellent trial coverage!..." Read more
"Great book, I was fascinated by the story, but really sad situation for the victim...." Read more
"...Definitely a page turner.must read!" Read more
"Great arrived on time. Really interesting read" Read more
34 customers mention "Writing quality"27 positive7 negative
Customers like the writing quality. They find the story easy to read and gripping. The author captivates their attention throughout the book, with great detail on Colleen Stan's ordeal.
"...Well researched and written. Literary art. The writer style is so much enjoyable. Excellent trial coverage! Well done to the prosecution team." Read more
"...Definitely a page turner.must read!" Read more
"...It was a very easy read and I thought I wouldn’t like all the court chapters, but they were actually where a lot of details came from...." Read more
"...the book in paperback and the print in so minute and virtually impossible for me to read...." Read more
25 customers mention "Interest"20 positive5 negative
Customers find the book fascinating and entertaining. They say it keeps their interest piqued and never loses its grip. Readers appreciate the well-written narrative that keeps them hooked until the end.
"Great book, I was fascinated by the story, but really sad situation for the victim...." Read more
"This book is based on a true story. It is educational and entertaining. I would recommend it for classes on criminology or in the study of victims...." Read more
"Tbe book is an easy read and a good passing of time. In relation to the content of the book, at times it tends to drag and is boring...." Read more
"Great book I just kept reading. My interest was never lost. If your Into true crime, this book is for you...." Read more
24 customers mention "Detail"24 positive0 negative
Customers find the book engaging and informative. They say it's well-researched, believable, and recommend it for classes on criminology or victim studies.
"Great read! Well researched and written. Literary art. The writer style is so much enjoyable. Excellent trial coverage!..." Read more
"...quot;PV" is definitely recommended to true crime devotees...." Read more
"I found this book very interesting...." Read more
"...This book describes all of it in detail and does a great job putting you in her place...." Read more
4 customers mention "Sturdiness"4 positive0 negative
Customers appreciate the book's sturdiness. They find it in good condition, nicely priced, and shipped fast. The book is well-written and constructed, with no dull moments.
"...It was in very good condition, nicely priced, shipped fast and packaged with TLC! I give this Seller 5 STARS *****!" Read more
"...Well written and constructed so there's never a dull moment." Read more
"Ships fast, great condition, very good price!..." Read more
44 customers mention "Story quality"27 positive17 negative
Customers have mixed opinions about the story quality. Some find it incredible and gripping, while others find it terrifying and gory. The plot is described as disturbing and rambling, with some readers feeling it's worse than horror movies or fiction.
"...This is an amazing true story. If you are sensitive to sexual violence or violence of any kind then this book is NOT for you...." Read more
"...The only drawbacks are the disturbing nature of the plot and the amount of space devoted to the trial...." Read more
"This book is based on a true story. It is educational and entertaining. I would recommend it for classes on criminology or in the study of victims...." Read more
22 customers mention "Suspenseful"10 positive12 negative
Customers find the story fascinating and sad, with a well-written account of a crime that happened 40 years ago. Others find it shocking, horrifying, and chilling.
"...What a horrifying experience to be held captive almost to the point of not being able to breathe...." Read more
"Great book, I was fascinated by the story, but really sad situation for the victim...." Read more
"it was chilling but a good read and I could relate lots that happened to me and how I felt to what was in the book so it was kind of healing...." Read more
"Chilling read. I just hope the victims can find some sort of normalcy and move on with their lives. It’s a sick world out there...." Read more
Reviews with images
Misprinted double text throughout my copy.
I wish I’d returned it within the timeframe. I can’t read it.
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2023
Great book, I was fascinated by the story, but really sad situation for the victim. I’d recommend book for sure, especially if you’re into the true crime stuff.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2001
"Perfect Victim" tells the bizarre story of a young woman kidnapped while hitchhiking from Oregon to her home in California in 1977. Colleen Stan is sadistically kept prisoner for most of 7 years. She is forced to spend many nights in a small box; a "dungeon" would be too generous a description. She is raped, tortured and just plain denigrated by her captors, Cameron and Jan Hooker. In the process she becomes their virtual slave. Apparently "brainwashed", she ignores opportunities to escape. This is the most difficult part of the plot for the reader to fathom. Why didn't Colleen run? Was she truly brainwashed? This reviewer believes she was, but others will certainly disagree. Suddenly! Colleen is a free woman and the wheels of justice begin to spin. The second half of "PV" is concerned with the arrest and trial of the Hookers. In a special -and positive- twist, a co-author, Christine McGuire, is the prosecutor! As an author, she may favor her position. She takes an obvious shot or two at the defense counsel, but who can blame her, given the low life of a defendant? I firmly believe reviewers should not divulge endings (or how Colleen became "free"), so I will end quickly. "PV" is definitely recommended to true crime devotees. The only drawbacks are the disturbing nature of the plot and the amount of space devoted to the trial. It could have been edited down, but this is a minor detail. Who can blame author McGuire for writing about prosecutor McGuire? It's unclear if "PV" is readily available. My advice is to persist in finding a copy.
21 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2022
I just got this book yesterday and have already finished it! This is an amazing true story. If you are sensitive to sexual violence or violence of any kind then this book is NOT for you. If you like true crime books with total details then this is for you. It's hard to put this down once you start it. I used to own this book and have read it many times but lost it when I moved so I had to buy it again. It's just one of those books you can read again and again.
7 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2012
I found this book very interesting. I found it interesting because I can not wrap my brain around the fact that this girl did not try to escape and just amazed at how much mind control this man had over her. They did not touch on it but I can not believe that this girl would allow these horrible things to happen to her and not try to get away. This tells me she was very damaged before she was kidnapped.As you read on it becomes more and more apparent that this girl was completely lost and had no sense of self worth. This leads me to believe that she did at some point willingly stay. She felt no other belonging. The ending absolutely sucks! The entire ending was so rambling, twisted and tied up in legal mumbo jumbo that I found myself trying to skip chapters so that I could get past it. This was a descent book for a rainy day.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2022
Couldn't put this book down. I cannot believe someone lived through such horrific torture and cant believe someone did that to another human being. Definitely a page turner.must read!
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2024
I had heard about this case previously and felt I had to know more. It added credence to the book for Christine McGuire to be involved.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2022
I wasn’t familiar with this case but when I learned of it, I had to have the book. It’s absolutely incomprehensible what Colleen suffered during these 7 years. This book describes all of it in detail and does a great job putting you in her place. It was a very easy read and I thought I wouldn’t like all the court chapters, but they were actually where a lot of details came from. I’m not a “book person” but this was an exception.
8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in Canada on September 13, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 25, 2024
It was great book didn’t want it to end
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect victim
Reviewed in Italy on February 18, 2013
Angosciosissimo,(dato che è tutto assolutamente vero) e scritto molto bene.
Leggendolo ti chiedi come è possibile credere a quella montagna di menzogne, ma forse può accadere, e non a caso il titolo si riferisce ad una donna che forse non poteva essere altro che una vittima....
Purtroppo non è tradotto, e credo che questo fatto possa tagliare fuori una larga fetta di lettori.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great justice and a brilliant read.
Reviewed in Australia on June 23, 2015
A brilliant portrayal of what a monster could do and the fight for justice by an amazing prosecutor, a jury who worked so hard for justice and a great judge who gave the maximum penalty. One can give commendation to the brave women especially Colleen, who endured so much to stand up to this heinous monster.
5.0 out of 5 stars True story
Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2023
It's amazing what a person can do for survival.