The Evil Within BThe Evil Withineats All Expectations The Evil Within: Murdered by Her Stepbrother — the Crime That Shocked a Nation: The Heartbreaking Story of Becky Watts by Her Father, written by Darren Galsworthy, may have a long title, but the nonfiction book is a relatively quick and captivating read. This story traces the life and shocking murder of Becky Watts from her childhood to after her death. Author Darren Galsworthy, the father of Becky, beautifully articulates the immense feelings and struggles of the disappearance and murder of his daughter. He chronologically advances his audience through the gut-wrenching events of the investigation, trial, and sentencing with added commentary of his own mental challenges. This book is extremely emotional, and I often found myself tearing up at certain points throughout the story, especially when Galsworthy talks about his daughter's funeral, stepson’s trial, and the response from the community. This book is not for the weak. It contains a large amount of graphic information and imagery and can make the strongest reader feel sick. Galsworthy speaks about subjects the typical author may be uncomfortable writing about with ease and grace. His vivid writing style will make every reader squirm in their seat and feel the same pain as he did. Galsworthy does a fantastic job of giving his audience enough information about each member of the family so that the reader is able to understand the family dynamic and also identify various moments of foreshadowing. Another extremely interesting perspective is Anjie, who is Becky’s stepmother and the mother of the man who killed the teenager. Anjie gives the afterword in the book, and it is equally as heartbreaking as Galsworthy’s account of his daughter's death. Even though it is only about three pages, the regret and sadness she feels is overwhelming. She questions so much about the murder, and through her writing, she searches for the closure she never got from her son. This is an afterword you do not want to skip. Although I have nothing but positive accolades about this book, the intended audience was definitely for citizens of the United Kingdom. Galsworthy often uses British terms like “wellies” and “jumpers,” so for the American reader, this may be confusing. He can also get very repetitive when talking about Becky. However, readers should remember that Galsworthy is a grieving father and writing this book was his escape. Overall, Galsworthy’s talent in story-telling was truly astounding. This is a fantastic and haunting read for anyone interested in true crime. This book will make every reader hold on to their loved ones a little bit tighter.
The Evil Within: Murdered by Her Stepbrother — the Crime That Shocked a Nation: The Heartbreaking Story of Becky Watts by Her Father, written by Darren Galsworthy, may have a long title, but the nonfiction book is a relatively quick and captivating read. This story traces the life and shocking murder of Becky Watts from her childhood to after her death. Author Darren Galsworthy, the father of Becky, beautifully articulates the immense feelings and struggles of the disappearance and murder of his daughter. He chronologically advances his audience through the gut-wrenching events of the investigation, trial, and sentencing with added commentary of his own mental challenges. This book is extremely emotional, and I often found myself tearing up at certain points throughout the story, especially when Galsworthy talks about his daughter's funeral, stepson’s trial, and the response from the community.
This book is not for the weak. It contains a large amount of graphic information and imagery and can make the strongest reader feel sick. Galsworthy speaks about subjects the typical author may be uncomfortable writing about with ease and grace. His vivid writing style will make every reader squirm in their seat and feel the same pain as he did. Galsworthy does a fantastic job of giving his audience enough information about each member of the family so that the reader is able to understand the family dynamic and also identify various moments of foreshadowing.
Another extremely interesting perspective is Anjie, who is Becky’s stepmother and the mother of the man who killed the teenager. Anjie gives the afterword in the book, and it is equally as heartbreaking as Galsworthy’s account of his daughter's death. Even though it is only about three pages, the regret and sadness she feels is overwhelming. She questions so much about the murder, and through her writing, she searches for the closure she never got from her son. This is an afterword you do not want to skip.
Although I have nothing but positive accolades about this book, the intended audience was definitely for citizens of the United Kingdom. Galsworthy often uses British terms like “wellies” and “jumpers,” so for the American reader, this may be confusing. He can also get very repetitive when talking about Becky. However, readers should remember that Galsworthy is a grieving father and writing this book was his escape.
Overall, Galsworthy’s talent in story-telling was truly astounding. This is a fantastic and haunting read for anyone interested in true crime. This book will make every reader hold on to their loved ones a little bit tighter.