Customer Reviews

Mommy's Little Girl: Casey Anthony and her Daughter Caylee's Tragic Fate

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

I don't know where all of these people are getting their ratings from. Did we read the same book? The only possible reason this book could be a "best seller" is because of how notorious the case is. I have been following this case very closely, and am a huge true crime reader. I am also just an avid reader. This book was simply all of the information I had already read on the internet mashed together. Nothing new, no surprises no insight. I found it tedious to read page after page of law enforcement interviews verbatim--easily accessible from docstoc.com. There was little if any author input or insight and any insight or input given was delivered strangely and in a strange word order that had me re-reading sentences to make sure I understood. In addition to this the author's sentences were very clipped and short. There was no flow, no eloquence, no suspense. It is truly one of the worst books I've read, and it is a shame because I so looked forward to it--in fact, I followed the case so closely, I COULD HAVE WRITTEN IT BETTER! I'm sorry, but I feel like I wasted $7.00. In all fairness, perhaps my distaste for the book was in part due to my knowledge of the case. Maybe those who have no knowledge might enjoy the book. I wouldn't recommend it, but if you want the "cliff notes" to the case, this is the book for you.

I am from central FL so I was intrested in the case from the beginning but this book puts information I didn't know coming from Casey's grandparents. I am still upset by the verdict. I know we'll never know what really happened but the jury was truly ignorant of what their verdict could be. Everyone we've heard from the jury seems to think the only verdict was the death penalty or not guilty! There was more than enough for child neglect in the very least. Shame on all of them for being so ignorant and not asking any questions to assist in making their verdict!

This book provides a very timely review of the tragic Caylee Anthony case. I purchased the book before I knew the trial would be going on this week. Nice review for those who like the details of true crime events.

OK - I upped the book to three stars. I was and am fascinated with the Casey Anthony story. There is nothing new in the book that hasn't already been covered by the news. If you go onto youtube, you can watch every Casey Anthony interview with her parents. The author only copied those interviews, literally word for word. There were a few interesting e-mails between Cindy Anthony and her brother. One or two things I didn't already know. I could be wrong, but I believe that Casey Anthony said "I'm as much of a victim as all of you...". I'm sorry I spent my money on this book. I could have written this book (a reviewer made fun of me and said "Right, you could have written the book - well why didn't you" - that is just so not the point). OK, so if you want to criticize me, go ahead. I can take it. Hey, if you've lived on a desert island and have not had access to the tv or internet, this book is for you.

This book should've been called "That Little Girl" because that's what Casey called her in any jailhouse-taped phone conversation that I've heard... when she talked about Caylee at all, that is. I'm really disappointed that the author missed that.

I was not able to put this book down. The author does an excellent job of putting everything on record into chronological order. Warning: Don't start this book unless you have nothing else of paramount importance to accomplish. Don't start reading it in the evening if you have to work the next day. You'll be up until 3:00 AM or however long it takes to finish it.

I'm retired and have admittedly spent too much time keeping up with this case. There is so much raw data "out there" that it's been difficult to put all the pieces together. Periodically, due to Florida's Sunshine Laws, there are prolific amounts of documents released. Diane Fanning methodically went through every bit of it and wove it into a tightly-knit presentation. It helped me understand the backstory on Casey, her family dynamics and a potential scenario of the crime itself. (There has since been another "document dump" that puts a different light on how the crime might have been committed.) Still, I highly recommend this book for anyone who plans to be around watching at trial time.

This is an amazing book! Really a fascinating read! I have followed this horrible case of psychopaths from day one when I first heard about it on the Nancy Grace Show. Diane Fanning gathered thousands of facts and somehow was able to put them down in a very interesting, clear, logical sequence. Amazing FEAT! I re-read it again, right before the trial as a review. If Diane Fanning writes a follow up book, continuing on after she left off, I would buy that one too. That might be the ONLY other book I would buy about this sad case.

A very good depiction of the case from an unbiased view. Tells the whole story in a very understandable way.

Last summer, I was tired of hearing about the election for President on our news networks. So I turned on the Nancy Grace Show which was covering this story. Surprisingly, the author doesn't really write about Nancy Grace's impact on the show but I know most of the story because I have been following the case from last year.

The story is based on the disappearance and murder of little Caylee Marie Anthony, a fatherless child, with a mother who refuses to identify her paternity unless it suits her. The author writes brilliantly with explanation and details about Casey Marie Anthony, Caylee's mother and prime suspect in her murder as well as the dynamic relationship that she had with her parents, George and Cindy Anthony. They refuse to believe their daughter is capable of such an act of murdering their beloved granddaughter. It's taken time in these circumstances when a family member is involved. The case has still not come to trial but Fanning has plenty of resources such as willing participants for her book and thousands and thousands of pages to sort through regarding this case in part to Florida's legal system.

Even for those of us who watched the story unfold on Nancy Grace who covered this case intensively, I still found the book to be informative and useful in explaining the Anthony history background and the marriage between George and Cindy Anthony who cling to some hope by their own daughter in finding their beloved Caylee. I keep remembering the video of Caylee reading a book or sitting with her maternal great grand-father in a nursing home.

Caylee was a beautiful child and now a beautiful angel in Heaven. Her tragic ending has captured our hearts even from those of us who never met her but how we forget her smile, her face, and her presence on television. The family had a compilation of Caylee's life in a video aired at the memorial to Michael Jackson's song, "Gone Too Soon."

Then the story is about Casey, her young mother, whose bizarre behavior and actions during the time of her daughter's last day and when her mother Cindy finally confronted her is complicated and spun by a web of lies and deception. I feel sympathy to the Anthonys who had to deal with this double tragedy. It's horrible when a complete stranger abducts and murders a young child, but it's even worse when it's a family member. I feel sorry for George, Cindy, and Lee for their loss and it's not over until the trial which has not occurred.

The book paints the harassment, confrontations on their front lawn, and other incidents where the Anthonys are met with angry protesters over defending Casey and believing in her innocence. I was surprised that Fanning didn't have much about the Nancy Grace show where I caught video visits of the Anthonys visiting their daughter in the county jail.

She divides the book into three parts and the crime part is based on speculation and theory about what happened to Caylee Anthony. Fanning writes a disclosure on the first page of that part of the book. She is on the mark about the rest of the case as well particularly the frustrations of Casey's web of lies has on her own parents' lives.