What do you think?
Rate this book
Child's Prey
A shocking true account details sixteen-year-old Luke Woodham, who walked into his Pearl, Mississippi high school and killed two teenage girls, injured seven other students, and also brutally murdered his mother, and who belonged to a role-playing cult led by psychotic devil-worshipper and mastermind, eighteen-year-old Luke Woodham. Original.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
2 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 5, 2024
There's a lot of reviews here that are slamming this book as terribly written or unbearable. I tend to ask, "What did you expect?" This was pulpy crap back when it was originally released, and it still is. How do I know? I was barely a pre-teen when I first picked this book up at Wal-Mart, in my small rural Louisiana town, and now I am in my thirties, having re-read this as I work at a community college in Arizona, and needed something to help keep me sitting still.
The book follows the life of Luke Woodham and his meeting Grant Boyette, forming the "Kroth," the school shooting at Pearl, and the trials that followed. Personally, the book is an interesting account and formation of how and why Luke Woodham would turn the gun on his classmates. He had a terrible childhood, his family life was awful, and he had manipulative people surrounding him. He also made the fatal mistake of thinking the world owed him.
That being said, I also make no excuses for Woodham. I had friends who rose out of houses that had no running water, only MREs to live on, and now make 70-80K a year due to hard work and busting their ass. They have wonderful families, and are some of the nicest, kindest, and most intelligent humans I know. Woodham chose to shroud himself in negativity and give in. Some people find faith to help them, others video games or art, music, and even books. I can relate to the latter. I grew up weird in a town of 1,100. I hated it, hated most of the people, and was single and felt alone. I had a very small friend group as well. I kept my head down and looked towards the future. That being said, I had some support, and it makes me wonder if the police or any other adults actually gave that kid any support would he have turned out different?
That doesn't justify the actions and the deaths of Dew or Menefee, even his mother. The accounts, the photos, and what happened were mind-blowing to me as a teenager, and even now it is harrowing. I went to school, and now I teach, and the idea of having my students harmed on campus absolutely hurts my heart. The loss of life is never needed, but knowing the students he took from their families were the only ones who were nice to him? What an asshole.
That being said, the book falls apart after the shooting, mostly focusing on the cops and detectives, and I appreciate he shows there was quite a bit of inadequacy there, and then the ensuing trials, which is hard to read and follow. There's a bit of Woodham sympathy there, and that will divide you based on your feelings and views, but I'll say the "religious morality" portions were hard to read, as I am not a person of faith, and know how much it treated me terribly in my small town. Again, it all depends on your personal views (tomayto/tomahto).
It's a pretty short read and easy, pulpy book to get into on a lunch break or just to past time, just don't expect Dostoyevsky, more Daytime TV, and you'll be fine!
The book follows the life of Luke Woodham and his meeting Grant Boyette, forming the "Kroth," the school shooting at Pearl, and the trials that followed. Personally, the book is an interesting account and formation of how and why Luke Woodham would turn the gun on his classmates. He had a terrible childhood, his family life was awful, and he had manipulative people surrounding him. He also made the fatal mistake of thinking the world owed him.
That being said, I also make no excuses for Woodham. I had friends who rose out of houses that had no running water, only MREs to live on, and now make 70-80K a year due to hard work and busting their ass. They have wonderful families, and are some of the nicest, kindest, and most intelligent humans I know. Woodham chose to shroud himself in negativity and give in. Some people find faith to help them, others video games or art, music, and even books. I can relate to the latter. I grew up weird in a town of 1,100. I hated it, hated most of the people, and was single and felt alone. I had a very small friend group as well. I kept my head down and looked towards the future. That being said, I had some support, and it makes me wonder if the police or any other adults actually gave that kid any support would he have turned out different?
That doesn't justify the actions and the deaths of Dew or Menefee, even his mother. The accounts, the photos, and what happened were mind-blowing to me as a teenager, and even now it is harrowing. I went to school, and now I teach, and the idea of having my students harmed on campus absolutely hurts my heart. The loss of life is never needed, but knowing the students he took from their families were the only ones who were nice to him? What an asshole.
That being said, the book falls apart after the shooting, mostly focusing on the cops and detectives, and I appreciate he shows there was quite a bit of inadequacy there, and then the ensuing trials, which is hard to read and follow. There's a bit of Woodham sympathy there, and that will divide you based on your feelings and views, but I'll say the "religious morality" portions were hard to read, as I am not a person of faith, and know how much it treated me terribly in my small town. Again, it all depends on your personal views (tomayto/tomahto).
It's a pretty short read and easy, pulpy book to get into on a lunch break or just to past time, just don't expect Dostoyevsky, more Daytime TV, and you'll be fine!
September 20, 2020
Decent book. Well written and moves along at a decent pace. The book is fairly objective although I do wish it went a bit deeper into Boyette's life. It seemed to end that aspect of the book abruptly and without resolution.
September 11, 2022
A good book about a teenager who became a school shooter. A lot of back story to explain how he got to that point. Lots of information on how his friends helped shape him into a person that willingly took his rifle to school and opened fire.
June 8, 2025
It’s super depressing cause nothing has changed and school shootings still happen all the time. This case is pretty outdated but I still found it interesting!
1. Incels have been around since there was a word for it
2. Role playing games are not the problem
3. Prayers are useless
😒
1. Incels have been around since there was a word for it
2. Role playing games are not the problem
3. Prayers are useless
😒
April 1, 2020
Not the best true crime book but I wanted to learn more about this case. Did not know that he claimed he was in a cult and he blamed others. His mum who cared for him alone and did her best although apparently very controlling but that is not an excuse to kill.
What a weasel. I did find the author blaming the other kids and yes I am sure they had some influence but later on this Woodham kid was shown to be a spoiled narcissist with no empathy so he is where he should be is my opinion and he should stay there.
What a weasel. I did find the author blaming the other kids and yes I am sure they had some influence but later on this Woodham kid was shown to be a spoiled narcissist with no empathy so he is where he should be is my opinion and he should stay there.
May 16, 2013
I couldn't even finish the book. From an English major's standpoint, many High School kids could write better than this. There is a constant imbalance of random scene shifting that is distracting to the point, tha your asking yourself "What just happened." It felt like one big Benny Hill skit. I'm very surprised any self-respecting editor would let this waltz across his desk without even a half blind read through. If you want to learn more about this case, there are plenty of other books out there on it. This one, however, you can stay away from.
February 7, 2013
The book detailed everything that transpired, but I didn't find it as interesting as I had hoped for because there are now dozens of books out covering this same subject. I would recommend reading it if you are interested in what happened in Pearl, Mississippi and how easily people can be manipulated.
April 6, 2009
True Crime!!
Sixteen year old Luke Woodham walks into his Mississippi high school, armed with a .30-30 hunting rifle. He opens fire and then calmly walks out of the school.
Good book, sick people!!
Sixteen year old Luke Woodham walks into his Mississippi high school, armed with a .30-30 hunting rifle. He opens fire and then calmly walks out of the school.
Good book, sick people!!
August 19, 2015
very interesting and Is a page turner
April 15, 2015
I like true crime, but don't necessarily expect it to be well written. This was written so poorly I almost couldn't finish it.
January 13, 2016
to much prolonged trial info.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews