Waiting to Be Heard by Amanda Knox tells an enticing, true tale of a twenty-year-old college student studying abroad in Perugia, Italy who is wrongly convicted of brutally killing her roommate. Knox recounts her personal experience with the Italian legal system after being falsely accused of murder, and she takes her audience on a vivid journey that makes them feel as if they are living life right next to her.
Amanda Knox, originally from Seattle, made the decision in 2007 to travel overseas and further her studies abroad in Perugia, Italy. Knox wanted to start a new life, break out of her usual routine, and sincerely find her innermost self while expanding her knowledge in this foreign country. I think she eventually did find herself, just not in the way she intended. On November 1, 2007, Knox arrived at her home in Perugia after spending the night at her boyfriend's house only to find her housemate, Meredith Kercher, executed in a gruesome fashion. Amanda and her new boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, whom she had recently met, became the prime suspects in the case when authorities picked up on their unusual behavior at the scene of the crime. After countless hours of grueling interviews and interrogations, Knox and Sollecito were arrested and placed in an Italian prison. Amanda Knox's trial was then sensationalized throughout the world; her story went viral. She was pleading her innocence, but little did she know, the media and prosecution would play on her naivety and use it to their selfish advantage. The prosecution was completely crooked in Italy. They were more concerned with nailing the accusations to Amanda and Raffaele rather than investigating what truly happened to Meredith, to seek justice for her, and her family. Amanda underwent harsh treatment in prison for many days, over one-thousand days to be exact, which happened to be way more than she had anticipated. Amanda sought help, comfort and emotional support from various people that she encountered while doing her time; it seemed to be her only source of strength. Her trial was drawn out over the course of nearly four years until finally she was able to return to the United States. Eventually, it was decided that the prosecution presented faulty forensic evidence, and Amanda and Raffaele were set free while another suspect, Rudy Guede, was pinned with the conviction.
Never was there a moment while reading this book that I felt Amanda Knox was guilty; I believed she was innocent from the very beginning. She did a phenomenal job of conveying this real-life nightmare to the world, telling her story from her own perspective for the first time. This compelling book kept me on the edge of my seat through its entirety; it seemed nearly impossible to put it down because I just had to know what the outcome would be.
Knox , Amanda. Waiting to Be Heard. NY, NY: Harper, 2013. Print.
Amanda Knox, originally from Seattle, made the decision in 2007 to travel overseas and further her studies abroad in Perugia, Italy. Knox wanted to start a new life, break out of her usual routine, and sincerely find her innermost self while expanding her knowledge in this foreign country. I think she eventually did find herself, just not in the way she intended. On November 1, 2007, Knox arrived at her home in Perugia after spending the night at her boyfriend's house only to find her housemate, Meredith Kercher, executed in a gruesome fashion. Amanda and her new boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, whom she had recently met, became the prime suspects in the case when authorities picked up on their unusual behavior at the scene of the crime. After countless hours of grueling interviews and interrogations, Knox and Sollecito were arrested and placed in an Italian prison. Amanda Knox's trial was then sensationalized throughout the world; her story went viral. She was pleading her innocence, but little did she know, the media and prosecution would play on her naivety and use it to their selfish advantage. The prosecution was completely crooked in Italy. They were more concerned with nailing the accusations to Amanda and Raffaele rather than investigating what truly happened to Meredith, to seek justice for her, and her family. Amanda underwent harsh treatment in prison for many days, over one-thousand days to be exact, which happened to be way more than she had anticipated. Amanda sought help, comfort and emotional support from various people that she encountered while doing her time; it seemed to be her only source of strength. Her trial was drawn out over the course of nearly four years until finally she was able to return to the United States. Eventually, it was decided that the prosecution presented faulty forensic evidence, and Amanda and Raffaele were set free while another suspect, Rudy Guede, was pinned with the conviction.
Never was there a moment while reading this book that I felt Amanda Knox was guilty; I believed she was innocent from the very beginning. She did a phenomenal job of conveying this real-life nightmare to the world, telling her story from her own perspective for the first time. This compelling book kept me on the edge of my seat through its entirety; it seemed nearly impossible to put it down because I just had to know what the outcome would be.
Knox , Amanda. Waiting to Be Heard. NY, NY: Harper, 2013. Print.