Customer Reviews

Invisible Chains: Shawn Hornbeck and the Kidnapping Case that Shook the Nation

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Normally, I agree with most Amazon reviewers. This time, however, I must object. INVISIBLE CHAINS is not a 5 star read and, in some ways, I feel my rating of 3 stars is generous. Here is a breakdown of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good: The author did consult with several psychologists and forensic psychiatrists who have studied the Shawn Hornbeck abduction. The portion of the book pertaining to the kind of sex offender that Michael Devlin was and remains is by far the most interesting section of the book and reads quickly.

The Bad: The author DID NOT interview Shawn Hornbeck, either of his parents, Ben Ownby (the other abducted child found in the shabby apartment), or either of his parents. She also did not speak with any of the lead investigators or the prosecuting attorney. Every quote provided by any of these individuals was taken from previously written accounts in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Associated Press, and other publications. Because there were no interviews with any of the key figures, there really is no information in the book pertaining to the abduction and abuse that could not be gleaned from newspaper accounts.

The Ugly: The first 6 chapters of the book (a full 60 pages) detailed the ongoing search for Shawn Hornbeck in the 6-8 weeks following his abduction. These chapters were interminably long, repetitive, and boring. (How many times must one read that there were no clues found?) These chapters could easily have been reduced to one chapter without losing any content.

The author has a rather awkward style of writing in which she frequently writes sentence fragments as complete sentences. I understand that sometimes this literary tool is used to add interest or underscore a point. However, this technique was employed throughout the length of the book and was, simply put, very awkwardly used and overused. It was a less than stellar attempt at writing and did nothing to further the impact of the written word.
Finally, the author did not maintain a coherent timeline. There were many, many occasions in which the author jumps backwards in time to reiterate or add to information that had already been discussed. Again, it was simply an awkward recounting of events.

While I understand that Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby and their families are owed thier privacy and the children are under no obligation to disclose the details of their captivity and sexual abuse, I did find it more than disappointing that the information contained in the book is no more than what could be gained from reading newpaper accounts that were, in an of themselves, vague. For instance, what did Shawn do every day while Michael Devlin worked at a dead-end job as a pizza parlor manager? Even basic questions such as this are not explored and not answered.

In closing, if you are an avid True Crime fan hoping for previously unknown information and relevant interviews with the victims and their families, you will not find it here. And, while the public is certainly not owed an explanation about the tragic events that unfolded inside a grimy apartment where 2 young boys were held captive and subjected to repeated sexual abuse, I do not think a book totaling 318 pages was necessary, helpful, or particularly interesting.

A great read! I truly enjoyed that this book was not a sensational account of a true tragedy. The author presented the story in an extremely intelligent way, citing experts in many fields. I appreciate the journalistic look at such a compelling story. It is nice to read a book on a subject like this where the author does not take liberty with the facts. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to get a complete and comprehensive account of the story that rocked the nation last year.

Some people wonder how to prevent child abduction/abuse, so they'd like to know exactly what happened, how it happened, and what kind of man Devlin was. This book answers those questions. More importantly, this book fully answers and explains all the psychological reasons why Shawn didn't escape (hence the title).

Some people became extremely interested in this case, either before or after Shawn was found. Particularly after he was found, there was intense and prolific sharing of every new development via the Court TV forums, the St. Louis and national media websites, and Christopher Leonard's excellent coverage for the Associated Press. We have rallied behind the family & their cause, and rejoice in their recoveries. If you are one of us, this book has *nothing new* except for psychological information and interviews with experts. Very few, if any, new interviews have been done (none with the families), and all quotes are familiar from items we've already read and discussed. If you fit this category, you may wish to skip this book.

However, this book is extremely educational for the general public. The author has drawn together many published sources and tied it together in a way the general public can understand and learn from. After reading it, the general public will understand much more clearly why Shawn didn't leave, and that a victim of any age can be made psychologically unable to escape even when physically able to do so. For anyone who thinks they or their child would have handled the situation differently, this book will point out the sobering facts.

Additionally, the story of Shawn's recovery and the relationships among the Akers family is quite inspirational, as they have supported and stood by him every step of the way and helped him grow into a healthy and successful adult - unlike some of the families of former abduction/abuse survivors. Reading about Shawn's journey from victim to survivor gives the reader hope in a dark world.

An amazing story very well told. This book deals sensitively with a complex and delicate subject. The way the author lays out the events chronologically was logical and thorough.

This book does a good job of covering both the broad "strategic" aspects as well as the "tactical" details of the story. The quotes from psychiatrists and researchers were informative and helpful in understanding what went on and why. It was interesting to read about how the events affected the people in the Kirkwood community as well as about how the parents never gave up on finding Shawn.

I mainly read military history, so this book was a departure. It turned out to be well worth the time - it was very enjoyable and interesting to read.

I frequently read true crime books of all varities, and this is one of the best I have read lately. The story was so shocking, as it was originally reported, and it really left me with more questions than answers. The author really puts the events of January 2007 in context with the disappearance as first reported. The expert accounts and information is tremendously insightful.

Kristina has done a great job of delving into tough subject matter. She takes delicate care in holding the two victims in high esteem, while demonizing the suspect and rightfully so. I am better off to have read this book than not. I commend Kristina for excellent writing and strong use of experts to carry out the title of the book.

This news story was a mystery - why had this boy waited so long? Was he jealous of the newboy brought into the home, did he in fact feel affection/love for his abductor? Was it simply the Stockholm Syndrome? The author has given us a good story that reveals rather than exploits these young boys. I am buying more copies for friends. I highly recommend this book.
Shirley

I found this to be an insightful, in-depth analysis of an extremely complicated true story. The author did a good job of incorporating expert opinions that made me think about the tragedy from both broad and narrow perspectives.

Incidents of this sort are particularly vexing as often the dissection of the crime can be unintentionally damaging to the victims who are trying to get past the trauma of their ordeal. Ms. Sauerwein is fully cognizant of that and her writing is sensitive to Devlin's victims.

I recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about true crimes and how they impact our society.

Kristina did a good job of giving the reader information into what went into Devlin's mind, without getting too graphic on the details. She really makes the case for "hope" and for "Stockholm Syndrome." I have recommended this book to dozens of folks and they all have liked it as well. I missed her signings locally, but hear she has one in the summer. I plan to be there.

I was very disappointed in this book. It was very poorly written. The author goes from stating facts over and over again to trying to write it like a descriptive novel. There is very little in this book that did not come directly from newspaper accounts already published. The most interesting part of the book was the psychological anaylsis of Devlin.