Since Dimond's book was written, several things about this story have changed: of course, Jackson has passed away, shortly before his big comeback tour was supposed to occur. Also, HBO released "Leaving Neverland", where Wade Robson and James Safechuk revoked the statements they made during the Michael Jackson investigations and allege that yes, they were in fact, abused by the pop star. That documentary adds a new lens to the content of this book. More on this later.
A book review, especially one about an unresolved (or in this case, somewhat unresolved depending on who you talk to) crime, is not necessarily about debating the guilt or innocence of the defendant, though this is difficult to do. It is about whether or not a book is 'good', and within the true crime genre, what I look for to make that assessment is this: Is information presented in a way that is engaging? Is information presented in a way that is fair - either to the victim, their family, or both sides involved in the investigation? And lastly, does it elicit empathy? And through this lens, the book is somewhat "meh".
Dimond does indeed present some engaging information and details - for instance, Jackson's "people" are presented as this Mafia-esque organization who dig up dirt on those they are either suspicious of, or who they can't allow to 'talk'. Added to that is Jackson's apparent paranoia and persecution complex throughout the book according to interviewees. She also paints the picture of the alleged victims' families as desperate, yes, and negligent, yes, but not exactly liars, as Jackson's camp did. It's a tightrope she walks where I know Dimond herself clearly believes Jackson's guilt, but the information she provides has me questioning this throughout (and full disclosure: I do/did believe Safechuk, Robson, and Chandler). Did I feel empathetic towards anyone involved in this case? Honestly, I only felt badly for these boys who were caught in a firestorm of possible abuse, a firestorm of press, paparazzi, and devout and angry Jackson fans, greedy parents throwing them to the wolves, and who to this day, are dismissed as liars, coached, or worse, greedy themselves. Their names will forever be affiliated with this ugly, unpleasant story and whether their allegations or true or not, that must be tough on them.
Where Dimond's book loses me is that some of the facts and information she presents feel, even to me who believes this story, outlandish and false. The structure of the book is a bit messy as well: it felt like she almost tried to tell too much of the backstory to provide more context for the main story, to the point where the presentation felt haphazard. As a result of this, she repeats a lot of information, which happens throughout the book several times, slowing down the movement of what is otherwise an explosive story. Bogged down by too many players, too much information, and repetition of facts, the writing itself flickers with intriguing 'facts', but I'm not sure how many of her sources are credible. All in all, the handling of the story could be better told.
I read this book only now, but watched "Leaving Neverland" upon its release. It's interesting to consider these two together in terms of information that is included or omitted, and also where Safechuk and Robson were in their journey of disclosing their truth in 2019 versus 2005. For some, this lends credibility to Dimond's book; for others, these two now-men might be just more grifters trying to take advantage of the Jackson family. I believe these men, as I believe Chandler. But again, I also feel that like Chandler, both Robson and Safechuk, if the allegations are true, are also people who were failed by not just Jackson and his camp, but most of the adults in their lives. The allure of money, having whatever you want whenever you want, and befriending a massive international superstar, are hard to let go of, and probably hard to move on from for the children definitely, but also for their parents... this fact blurs lines, exploits children, and in the end, leaves the question somewhat open about how much of what they allege is true.
This case is indeed complicated, and one that I believe now, we will never get to the bottom of, aside from having our own opinions, and our own choices on who to believe, like most other sexual assault cases, unfortunately. It left me with a lot of thoughts about who Jackson really was, who might be left out of the #metoo movement, and to what extent people will willfully ignore abuse if keeping illegal activity under wraps bolsters their own self-interests. Ultimately though, the issues explored are more interesting than this book.