Crime

Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls

Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls

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  • Create Date：2022-08-17 09:21:37
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Kathleen Hale
  • ISBN：B09MXBCG6R
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Summary

The first full account of the Slenderman stabbing， a true crime narrative of mental illness， the American judicial system， the trials of adolescence， and the power of the internet

The Slenderman stabbing of May 31， 2014， in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha， Wisconsin， shocked the local community and the world。 The violence of Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier， two twelve-year-old girls who attempted to stab their classmate to death， was extreme， but what seemed even more frightening was that they had done so under the influence of a figure born by the internet: the so-called “Slenderman。” Yet the even more urgent aspect of the story， that the children involved were suffering from undiagnosed mental illness， was often overlooked in coverage of the case。

Slenderman: Online Obsession， Mental Illness， and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls tells that full story for the first time in deeply researched detail， using court transcripts， police reports， individual reporting， and exclusive interviews。 Morgan and Anissa were bound together by their shared love of geeky television shows and animals， and their discovery of the user-uploaded scary stories on the Creepypasta website could have been nothing more than a brief phase。 But Morgan was suffering from early-onset childhood schizophrenia。 She believed that she had been seeing Slenderman for many years， and the only way to stop him from killing her family was to bring him a sacrifice: Morgan’s best friend Payton “Bella” Leutner， whom Morgan and Anissa planned to stab to death on the night of Morgan’s twelfth birthday。 Bella survived the attack， but was deeply traumatized， while Morgan and Anissa were immediately remanded into jail， and the severity of their crime meant that they would be prosecuted as adults。 There， as Morgan continued to suffer from worsening mental illness after being denied antipsychotics， her life became more and more surreal。

Slenderman is both a page-turning true crime story and a search for justice。

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Reviews

Sky ，

Incredibly detailed and researched。 I remembered when Slenderman was everywhere on the internet， but hadn’t really heard about this case until very recently。 Then， I saw that this book was coming out and jumped to read it。 Absolutely phenomenal。

Amber Humphries ，

I was shocked at how much of this story which I had heard about in various podcasts， I had wrong。 So much of the information out there is sensationalized。 To the point， I hadn't realized the victim wasn't dead。 While the story did cover the attempted murder that shocked the nation， it focused more on the perpetrator's undiagnosed mental illness。 Also the cultural trends in identifying and dealing with mental illness in our judicial system。 It was fascinating and I could not put this book down。 I I was shocked at how much of this story which I had heard about in various podcasts， I had wrong。 So much of the information out there is sensationalized。 To the point， I hadn't realized the victim wasn't dead。 While the story did cover the attempted murder that shocked the nation， it focused more on the perpetrator's undiagnosed mental illness。 Also the cultural trends in identifying and dealing with mental illness in our judicial system。 It was fascinating and I could not put this book down。 I highly recommend it to anyone that has an interest in true crime as well as society and mental illness。 I give this book 5/5 stars。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Slenderman by Kathleen Hale。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for providing an ARC to review。 。。。more

Ben ，

Thanks to Grove Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this title。This does a fantastic job of building on the author's previous reporting on this case and painting a full picture of where the parties in this case came from， where they've been failed by both their families and the judicial system， and what all happened。 I devoured this in one afternoon。 Thanks to Grove Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this title。This does a fantastic job of building on the author's previous reporting on this case and painting a full picture of where the parties in this case came from， where they've been failed by both their families and the judicial system， and what all happened。 I devoured this in one afternoon。 。。。more

Susanne ，

Thank you to the author， Grove Atlantic and NetGalley， for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I had heard of the Slenderman phenomena and was very interested in learning more about the background story of the three girls。 In particular， I wanted to understand how someone could let an invented story take over their life。 However， I found the book very lopsided - this seems to be more the story （and defense） of Morgan Geyser， one of the two girls who stabbed the victim， and who was apparentl Thank you to the author， Grove Atlantic and NetGalley， for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I had heard of the Slenderman phenomena and was very interested in learning more about the background story of the three girls。 In particular， I wanted to understand how someone could let an invented story take over their life。 However， I found the book very lopsided - this seems to be more the story （and defense） of Morgan Geyser， one of the two girls who stabbed the victim， and who was apparently suffering from undiagnosed schizophrenia since early childhood。 Morgan and her family were willing to talk to the author。 Neither of the two other girls nor their families were willing to talk to the author。 Teachers and other witnesses also refused to talk to the author。 Although she did impressively extensive research， this was not a full story and it shows。 The perpetrator has been cast as the victim， by virtue of being placed at the center of the story and given a very sympathetic portrayal。 This definitely did not sit right with me， given that the book leads you to expect at least an effort at objectivity。 This might have worked better as a long-form journalistic piece。 。。。more

BookNerdsBrainDump ，

Slenderman， by Kathleen HaleShort Take: I knew this story was crazy， but I never realized how sad it is。（*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。*）Hello my beloved nerdlings！ We’re heading into the dog days of summer， and you know what that means - s’mores and boozy drinks around the fire pit！ I am old enough to remember when ghost stories were also part of the “sitting around the fire” experience， but I think those days have mostly pas Slenderman， by Kathleen HaleShort Take: I knew this story was crazy， but I never realized how sad it is。（*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。*）Hello my beloved nerdlings！ We’re heading into the dog days of summer， and you know what that means - s’mores and boozy drinks around the fire pit！ I am old enough to remember when ghost stories were also part of the “sitting around the fire” experience， but I think those days have mostly passed。 These days， our creepy nightmares are only a click away， thriving on social media and dedicated websites。 And perhaps the most famous case of an internet urban legend is Slenderman， and how that bit of creepypasta destroyed the lives of three young girls。By now， I think most of us know at least some of this story。 Three thirteen-year-old girls - Morgan， Anissa， and Bella went to a park the morning after a sleepover， where Morgan stabbed Bella nineteen times， believing that Slenderman， would reward her for doing so。 Anissa had conspired with Morgan to kill Bella， and the two tried to run away to Slenderman’s mansion after the stabbing。Bella survived， however， and both would-be murderers were tried as adults and subsequently sentenced to decades in adult prison。 The media， of course， did what the media does。 They started yet another “do you know what your children are REALLY doing” panic， and misreported many aspects of the case， such as stating that Bella had died。 A few briefly touched on Morgan’s schizophrenia， but it was generally treated as an afterthought。Ms。 Hale， however， has done a deep-dive into who all of these girls really are， and what actually led up to the horrific event。 Focusing primarily on Morgan and her background， there are two facts that are heartbreakingly obvious in hindsight: 1） This was completely preventable， but it happened anyway， because 2） Morgan was failed by every single adult， at every single possible turning point， in her young life。Despite many， many， MANY warning signs and a family history of schizophrenia， Morgan was written off as an imaginative， if unruly （and occasionally violent-ish） child。 She had bonded intensely with Bella， but Bella became less comfortable with Morgan’s delusions and began drifting away。 Anissa， on the other hand， lonely and mostly neglected， was willing to play along and embrace Morgan’s beliefs to keep her friendship。We all know what happened next， the crime and incredibly punitive sentences， but this book is also an unflinching look at what happens to broken children when they enter a broken system。 Slenderman also made me ask myself a lot of hard questions - when is a child’s imagination potentially dangerous？ How can we balance punishment for crimes and therapeutic interventions for troubled children who commit them？ All parents have blind spots where their own children are concerned， to what extent should they be held responsible when a child does something horrific？The first half of Slenderman is a quick， interesting read， as we get to know the children at the center of the case and their families。 However， it gets bogged down somewhat in dealing with the aftermath of the attack and various legal proceedings。 I get what the author was trying to do， pointing out all the ways in which the legal system is not equipped to handle mentally ill children。 But I feel like a lot of the details were too repetitive， and the author editorialized quite a bit。 Despite the uneven pacing， Ms。 Hale has done a masterful job in understanding， and explaining the incomprehensible。 And although the author had nothing to do with it， I wish with all my heart that the story could have had a different ending。The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS （and some puppy time。 I could use a bit of light and hope right now。） 。。。more

Darcia Helle ，

Reading Slenderman raked me over the hot coals of emotions。 I felt sad， shocked， and angry， usually all at the same time。We have three 11- to 12-year-old girls， one innocent and mostly oblivious， the other two feeding each other’s madness。 Add one weird internet site featuring horror stories these kids think might be real。 Most times this combination would’ve fizzled out with nothing of consequence happening。 This time， it culminated in a horrific attack that forever altered many lives。The conte Reading Slenderman raked me over the hot coals of emotions。 I felt sad， shocked， and angry， usually all at the same time。We have three 11- to 12-year-old girls， one innocent and mostly oblivious， the other two feeding each other’s madness。 Add one weird internet site featuring horror stories these kids think might be real。 Most times this combination would’ve fizzled out with nothing of consequence happening。 This time， it culminated in a horrific attack that forever altered many lives。The content of this book is likely going to create divisive opinions。While we learn about all three girls and their families， the focus is on Morgan Geyser， the girl who， on her twelfth birthday， stabbed her best friend。 This focus is partly because both of the other families refused to participate in interviews， but also， I think， because of Morgan’s situation。 The girl was suffering undiagnosed and untreated childhood-onset schizophrenia， and was well on her way to full-blown psychosis。Of course my heart broke for Bella， the victim here。 But I believe Morgan was also a victim。 Her father， who was her primary parent， suffered from schizophrenia and refused treatment。 No medication， no counseling。 Despite this， Morgan’s mother left her alone with him while she worked long hours。 No one really monitored Morgan。 No one noticed her deterioration until it was too late。Then Morgan was swept up in a legal system that demonized mental illness and considered 12 to be an adult。 Her parents had failed her， then so did the legal system。The third girl， Anissa， is the one I couldn’t drum up any sympathy for。 From what was pieced together in this book， she seemed to be a jealous， manipulative child who took advantage of Morgan’s mental instability。 Because she wasn’t mentally ill， she wasn’t demonized by a misguided community and broken system。 Instead， she was considered another victim of Morgan’s psychosis。This case highlights a broken system that treats both children and the mentally ill with harsh disdain。*I received a free copy from Grove Press。* 。。。more

WendyLikesBooks ，

I remember reading about the Slenderman case when it happened。 I've always been fascinated with what was the reasoning that drove the two girls to plot and stab their friend - at 12 years old。This story has layers upon layers of information about mental illness and how that relates to our online usage， not to mention what "tales" are believed by children。 We could also go into a deep analysis of medication for mentally ill children and whether they could ever be functioning adults after committi I remember reading about the Slenderman case when it happened。 I've always been fascinated with what was the reasoning that drove the two girls to plot and stab their friend - at 12 years old。This story has layers upon layers of information about mental illness and how that relates to our online usage， not to mention what "tales" are believed by children。 We could also go into a deep analysis of medication for mentally ill children and whether they could ever be functioning adults after committing a horrendous crime， but alas， it's too much to cover。For the review， I'll stick to Kathleen's writing of SLENDERMAN。 I learned a LOT。 I remember hearing about the case and following it slightly in the news。The book delves into what happened with a lot of details and WHY the stabbing happened。 We also learn of the aftermath - the interrogations， the detention center， mental institution， therapy， court cases， medications （or not）。 We also learn a bit about what happened to all three girls' families in the years to come。It was obvious Kathleen researched the case thoroughly。 The details she wrote were helpful in seeing what really happened。 I wish she had been able to find out more about how the families are currently doing。 I hope everyone involved has found a way to move on， but I'm sure it's still something they deal with each day。Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me an e-book copy of SLENDERMAN， by Kathleen Hale， to review。I rate SLENDERMAN， by Kathleen Hale， four out of five stars。 。。。more

Katie ，

Thank you for an advance reader copy in return for my honest feedback。 I have always been interested in this case due to the podcast Crime Junkie and YouTube show Murder Mystery Monday。 I also work as a therapist in a psychiatric hospital。 I found the author's description of schizophrenia maintaining so much dignity for Morgan which I appreciated。 The author went the extra mile to not stigmatize this already stigmatized disorder。 Overall， great description of the case and I learned a lot。 Thank you for an advance reader copy in return for my honest feedback。 I have always been interested in this case due to the podcast Crime Junkie and YouTube show Murder Mystery Monday。 I also work as a therapist in a psychiatric hospital。 I found the author's description of schizophrenia maintaining so much dignity for Morgan which I appreciated。 The author went the extra mile to not stigmatize this already stigmatized disorder。 Overall， great description of the case and I learned a lot。 。。。more

Cristi ，

Having lived in Wisconsin my whole life I remember The Slenderman stabbing。 And have honestly always been curious about it。My curiosity grew this past year with Morgan seeking release。Slenderman is a very well written account of the girls life before， during and after the stabbing。 It really brings you inside what was goong through their mind before， during and after。 I always wondered what happened to Payton after she physically recovered and was so glad to hear that she went on to college。Defi Having lived in Wisconsin my whole life I remember The Slenderman stabbing。 And have honestly always been curious about it。My curiosity grew this past year with Morgan seeking release。Slenderman is a very well written account of the girls life before， during and after the stabbing。 It really brings you inside what was goong through their mind before， during and after。 I always wondered what happened to Payton after she physically recovered and was so glad to hear that she went on to college。Definitely a must read for any true crime reader。 。。。more

Jamie ，

Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review。This book was really good。 I've followed the case of the Slenderman stabbings since the incident occurred and I was worried that this book would just be a regurgitation of everything I already knew about the case， but I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of new information in these pages。 This book was well researched and well written。 I've seen some reviews stating that the author was more s Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review。This book was really good。 I've followed the case of the Slenderman stabbings since the incident occurred and I was worried that this book would just be a regurgitation of everything I already knew about the case， but I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of new information in these pages。 This book was well researched and well written。 I've seen some reviews stating that the author was more sympathetic to Morgan and Anissa than she was to Bella， their victim， but as I see it， Bella may have been the stabbing victim here， but this book was more about the injustice of the Wisconsin judicial system and what happened to these two twelve year old girls。 These girls were children and thrown into an adult system before they even knew what had happened。 Morgan suffered from severe， untreated mental illness and although she was indeed the perpetrator， she was also a victim herself of a cruel and unjust system where judges are more worried about reelection than actually helping these two children。 These girls did a terrible thing to their friends， but they weren't the monsters that they were made out to be。 Focusing solely on Bella's trauma wouldn't be telling the whole story。 Kathleen Hale went above and beyond to tell this story， which at it's core had three victims。 I thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope Morgan and Anissa can continue to get the help they need and I wish nothing but the best to Bella in the future。 There were no winners in this story。 Sad and tragic， but true life。 Four stars。 。。。more

Melinda ，

I worked with teenagers at the height of Slenderman fever and I did。 Not。 Get。 It。 The first half of this book is hard to put down， while the last few chapters drag with courtroom drama。 The legal system in Wisconsin is bananas。

Janalyn Prude ，

This is a truly sad tale about the dangers of online and mental illness。 Went two tween girls believe that murder will get them to live in the slender man mansion in the woods they do exactly that。 This book is about their subsequent trial and the devastation such a crime brings to ordinary families。 I really enjoyed this book unlike most True Crime books were scared it was copy and paste but for the most part it wasn’t I had never heard of the girls trials and found it all very interesting。 I h This is a truly sad tale about the dangers of online and mental illness。 Went two tween girls believe that murder will get them to live in the slender man mansion in the woods they do exactly that。 This book is about their subsequent trial and the devastation such a crime brings to ordinary families。 I really enjoyed this book unlike most True Crime books were scared it was copy and paste but for the most part it wasn’t I had never heard of the girls trials and found it all very interesting。 I highly recommend this book if you love True Crime you absolutely enjoy reading SlenderMen 。 I received this book from Net Galley and the publisher but I’m leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own。 。。。more

Kelly Maust ，

This book includes a lot of details， citations， and research and appears initially to be a pretty clear-eyed account of an incredibly bizarre tragedy。 However， especially as the author gets into the second half of the book， badass Payton "Bella" Leutner， a girl who dragged herself out of the woods and lived to the tell the tale after being stabbed 19 times by her best friend at age 12 （！） got packed off to the background with her physical and emotional trauma so the author could focus almost com This book includes a lot of details， citations， and research and appears initially to be a pretty clear-eyed account of an incredibly bizarre tragedy。 However， especially as the author gets into the second half of the book， badass Payton "Bella" Leutner， a girl who dragged herself out of the woods and lived to the tell the tale after being stabbed 19 times by her best friend at age 12 （！） got packed off to the background with her physical and emotional trauma so the author could focus almost completely on how nobody was sympathetic enough to Morgan Geyser， the 12-year-old attacker， and her accomplice Anissa Weier。 Look， I know this was a VERY unusual situation， and Morgan clearly had schizophrenia going on which was not her fault， but at the end of the day， she stabbed Bella 19 times for literally no reason。 I would have preferred most of all for Hale to be an objective reporter of the facts of this story， but if she had to so obviously take a side， why was it all about Morgan & Anissa's struggles in juvenile/psychiatric facilities and so little about Bella recovering from one of the absolute worst things that can happen to a person？ I started to be reminded of interminable debates I've had with people in the past who， for instance， want me to have more compassion for how hard pedophiles' lives are and how society should try to figure out some ethical way for them to live out their desires。 WHY。Come to find out thanks to other GoodReads reviews here， Kathleen Hale also wrote a book called Kathleen Hale Is a Crazy Stalker and also， Kathleen Hale IS ACTUALLY A CRAXY STALKER！ That's right， people -- she has out OJ'd OJ's If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer。 At least OJ included the word "if" in the title and didn't straight-up name his book I Totally Killed My Ex-Wife， Guys。 But yeah， before writing Slenderman， Hale secured her place in the canon of unhinged YA writers by harrassing， doxxing， and DRIVING A RENTAL CAR TO THE HOUSE OF a reviewer who didn't like her first novel。 Not only that， but she wrote an article in The Guardian RETELLING THE INCIDENT in detail with a tone of "haHA， my quirky life！" How did no one see a problem with that？ I'm just saying， maybe it wasn't very hard for her to pick a side in this true crime case。Also please don't stalk me Kathleen Hale， I don't think it's funny。。。The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Tara ，

I thought I knew this story， but after receiving the advanced reader copy I was blown away！ Kathleen Hale has every detail and psychological component noted within the book。 Take some time and read this book， you do not know the whole story until you read this book。 Well written！

Jamie Keck ，

This was an excellent look at the story of Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier's attack on their friend Bella Leutner。 The two girls believed that Slenderman， an internet character， told them that they needed to kill their friend。 The author shows great empathy in her storytelling because the perpetrators both suffer from mental health disorders。This was a heartbreaking story， but if you are a fan of true crime， this is one you won't want to miss。 This was an excellent look at the story of Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier's attack on their friend Bella Leutner。 The two girls believed that Slenderman， an internet character， told them that they needed to kill their friend。 The author shows great empathy in her storytelling because the perpetrators both suffer from mental health disorders。This was a heartbreaking story， but if you are a fan of true crime， this is one you won't want to miss。 。。。more

Tara Lynn ，

So much of this story has been shrouded by internet myth and now， from Kathleen Hale， a well-researched timeline and insight into the crime has been compiled into a book。 Hale quickly dispels the myths and sorts through the confusion surrounding the stabbing of a 12-year old girl。 I remember hearing about the crime when it first occurred and wondering how anyone could confuse fictional stories （many written by juveniles） with truth。 But Hale， through interviews with parents， the perpetrators of So much of this story has been shrouded by internet myth and now， from Kathleen Hale， a well-researched timeline and insight into the crime has been compiled into a book。 Hale quickly dispels the myths and sorts through the confusion surrounding the stabbing of a 12-year old girl。 I remember hearing about the crime when it first occurred and wondering how anyone could confuse fictional stories （many written by juveniles） with truth。 But Hale， through interviews with parents， the perpetrators of the crime and others， is able to show how two young girls， one who had early-onset schizophrenia; and the other， a lonely， depressed girl looking for a friend， could use stories of Slenderman and his proxies to unite in their friendship and quickly become caught up in the mania。 The book follows their lives from before the crime， to the act， and beyond while the girls are in and out of court， juvenile jail， and treatment centers。 While the victim， Peyton （who went by Bella at the time of the stabbing） recovers physically from the horrific ordeal， Hale is sympathetic to Anissa and Morgan （the perpetrators） as they and their families navigate the court system。 It is hard to feel sympathy for two almost murderers， but Hale sheds light on the limited-capacity of the justice system to provide means of rehabilitation， medication， and resources for two 12-year-olds。 This book made me consider questions about justice versus vengeance; the purpose of prison; how to handle children who commit horrific crimes; and the still present stigma surrounding mental illness。*I received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more

Tasha ，

I had heard about Slenderman on the periphery but had not heard of this case （I don't watch a lot of tv） so was interested to learn more about this event。 I think for the most part， this book seems well-researched and provides a detailed account of the events and how they unfolded， including court room proceedings。 If you are interested in true crime， I would recommend this book。 I do wish there had been photos included but perhaps as this was the ARC the published edition will have them。 Thank I had heard about Slenderman on the periphery but had not heard of this case （I don't watch a lot of tv） so was interested to learn more about this event。 I think for the most part， this book seems well-researched and provides a detailed account of the events and how they unfolded， including court room proceedings。 If you are interested in true crime， I would recommend this book。 I do wish there had been photos included but perhaps as this was the ARC the published edition will have them。 Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an early ebook copy in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more

Calyssa ，

The Slenderman case is charged by media publicity and public perception， and this book makes it clear why: from the absurdity and disbelief the fact of two twelve-year-old girls becoming codependent on each other and deciding to become "proxies" for a fictional character they discovered online， and to the violence and lack of remorse early on for their victim， another twelve-year-old girl。 I would recommend this to anyone that was interested in the Slenderman trial， due to the fact that this boo The Slenderman case is charged by media publicity and public perception， and this book makes it clear why: from the absurdity and disbelief the fact of two twelve-year-old girls becoming codependent on each other and deciding to become "proxies" for a fictional character they discovered online， and to the violence and lack of remorse early on for their victim， another twelve-year-old girl。 I would recommend this to anyone that was interested in the Slenderman trial， due to the fact that this book does a lot to correct and clarify previous errors in reporting and rumors that were spread from the very beginning of the case。However a particular weakness in this book that I noticed was that the author seemed to embrace and strongly suggest through various quotes and framing the story from the viewpoint that Anissa Weier was more innocent in the Slenderman plot than was Morgan Geyser， which from the evidence presented in the book seems like a relatively flimsy insinuation because the established facts that both girls agreed were true and can be confirmed by psychiatrists are these:1） Morgan Geyser is confirmed to have early-onset schizophrenia that was worsening rapidly in the weeks before， during， and after they attacked Bella， causing her to be increasingly paranoid and incapable of reasoning skills and deduction; whereas Weier does not have schizophrenia although her psychology lends her to be suggestible and gullible;2） Weier introduced Geyser to Slenderman and actively encouraged Geyser to "see" Slenderman and said she did to， reinforcing Geyser's belief; Weier did not want to do the stabbing， but did command Geyser to do so;3） Weier was led by a detective early on into expressing sympathy and encouraged to answer correctly when asked if she felt what they did was wrong， etc。4） after being sent to the same mental facility as Geyser， Weier set about turning the other prisoners and patients on Geyser， telling them about what she had done， and commanding them to not speak to her， including manipulating a woman who was Geyser's friend into not associating with Geyser， showing that Weier was toxic， controlling， and still obsessed with maintaining an association with Geyser。 I'm not saying that Weier is solely guilty， but I think that between the two， Weier had the better psychological ability to determine right from wrong early on and could have backed out of their Slenderman plan。 She had a better psychiatric state of mind and was more capable of determining reality from delusion but chose to ignore it， and actively goaded on an increasingly more psychotic girl into stabbing their friend， while refusing to do the stabbing herself， showing some sense of guilt。 Both are equally guilty but to imply that one is worse， the one actively suffering through worsening psychosis， is wrong。Anyway， this is a decent read and it helps clarify confusion or preconceptions。 It doesn't delve into the repercussions of online behavior or go into more detail about folie a deux， but this is still an engaging read。Thanks to Grove Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Rachel Winter ，

An amazing read！ Compelling， touching， and powerful enough to induce both tears and anger at the criminal justice system。 In the book Slenderman， author Kathleen Hale not only dives deep into the assault of Payton Leutner， but chooses to see the assaulters as they are， as children who were confused， and not thinking clearly， in this true crime novel that I believe stands very strongly beside Capote’s In Cold Blood。Hale has a gift。 There’s no doubt about it。 Most authors can’t recount the events An amazing read！ Compelling， touching， and powerful enough to induce both tears and anger at the criminal justice system。 In the book Slenderman， author Kathleen Hale not only dives deep into the assault of Payton Leutner， but chooses to see the assaulters as they are， as children who were confused， and not thinking clearly， in this true crime novel that I believe stands very strongly beside Capote’s In Cold Blood。Hale has a gift。 There’s no doubt about it。 Most authors can’t recount the events of such a case without making it drag on in some parts。 Usually， this is where the court scenes come in， yet somehow， Hale defies this。 Not a single moment in Slenderman is dull， in fact， it reads like a novel。 It plays out like a story rather than facts regurgitated onto the page， instead of keeping timelines with an overuse of dates and times， Hale organically inserts us into the years by casually mentioning current events。 It's simple， clean， and allows us to think “oh， yeah， I remember that。” We get to know each girl， and though Hale clearly favors Morgan， which makes sense considering Geyser was the only of the three she actually spoke and bonded with， she splits the focus between all three girls。 By the end of the first quarter of the book， we know them。 We know， and like them， we want to comfort Anissa in her loneliness， help Morgan in her delusions， and praise Bella for her compassion。 。。。more

sam ，

i guess who's more qualified to write about online obsession than someone who stalked and harassed a reviewer 🥴 i guess who's more qualified to write about online obsession than someone who stalked and harassed a reviewer 🥴 。。。more

Erin Clemence ，

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free， electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review。 Expected publication date: August 16， 2022 In May of 2014， thirteen year old Morgan and her friend Anissa， brought Morgan’s best friend， Bella， into the woods and brutally stabbed her more than nineteen times。 Morgan and Anissa both claimed they were doing it to avoid being victims of Slenderman- the Internet urban legend。 As the lengthy investigation and trial Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free， electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review。 Expected publication date: August 16， 2022 In May of 2014， thirteen year old Morgan and her friend Anissa， brought Morgan’s best friend， Bella， into the woods and brutally stabbed her more than nineteen times。 Morgan and Anissa both claimed they were doing it to avoid being victims of Slenderman- the Internet urban legend。 As the lengthy investigation and trial began， the entire town of Waukesha Wisconsin was divided on who was to blame- the parents？ The internet and its provision of the Slenderman story？ The girls themselves？ Kathleen Hale tells the almost unbelievable true story of three young girls， whose lives were destroyed by tragedy。 “Slenderman: Online Obsession， Mental Illness and the Crime of Two Midwestern Girls” is more than just the story of the online phenomenon of “Slenderman” that sparked an almost cult-like following; it is also the tale of codependent， budding teenage friendships， and the hauntingly depraved mental health system。 From early on， Morgan clearly has a psychological disorder （schizophrenia） and， although her father， Matt， has the same diagnosis， so many professionals and non-professionals （including her parents） ignored the warning signs。 Once she was officially diagnosed （after the crime was committed）， Morgan’s mental illness continued to be untreated， resulting in hallucinations and delusions that any person would deem “crazy”。 Morgan’s story alone was devastating， and I felt for her every step of the way， as she battled with a mental health system that could not or would not help， and with parents who refused to accept the stigma that came with a diagnosis。 “Slenderman” starts with the crime itself， and Hale introduces all three characters in such a way that her reading audience immediately connects with them （even though the outcome of the story is known）。 Once the crime is committed， the focus of the book shifts and the reader is faced with the ongoing legal battles， and the issue of “Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity” （NGRI）as a defense。 “Slenderman” is well told and well researched。 The characters are portrayed honestly， and， regardless of their actions， they still generate empathy and compassion from a reader。 Hale touches on a lot of complicated issues （the state of the country’s mental health care， for one， and the effect of the Internet and social media on developing minds） but she manages to avoid being divisive， and instead allows readers to decide what side of the line they’re on。 What Hale writes is a true crime story far more haunting than the actual Slenderman urban legend could ever dream of being。 。。。more

Becca ，

This is an exceptional， compassionate， VERY readable account of a crime that has been relentlessly covered since it happened。 I knew a fair amount about the incident， but beyond knowing that Morgan was schizophrenic， hasn't gone much deeper。 This book is an indictment of parental failures， law enforcement failures， court failures， and-- of course， because always-- the failures of mental health treatment systems in our country。 It's heartbreaking all the way around。I do wish there was a deeper se This is an exceptional， compassionate， VERY readable account of a crime that has been relentlessly covered since it happened。 I knew a fair amount about the incident， but beyond knowing that Morgan was schizophrenic， hasn't gone much deeper。 This book is an indictment of parental failures， law enforcement failures， court failures， and-- of course， because always-- the failures of mental health treatment systems in our country。 It's heartbreaking all the way around。I do wish there was a deeper sense of compassion for Bella， the victim in the case。 It seems that the author wasn't able to speak with her or her parents， and that is a failure here。 Understanding for the children who committed the crime is important for preventing future incidents， but we do need a clearer， more generous picture of the victim。 。。。more

SundayAtDusk ，

Having read many news articles on this crime， as well as watching the HBO documentary “Beware The Slenderman”， I wasn’t sure this book was going to be worth reading。 Turns out， it was indeed worth the time。 Information I never read was included， and author Kathleen Hale also dealt with the Slenderman obsession in a way that did not take away attention from this true crime story， like the HBO documentary did。 That documentary spent so much time on the Slenderman character， I had to wonder if thos Having read many news articles on this crime， as well as watching the HBO documentary “Beware The Slenderman”， I wasn’t sure this book was going to be worth reading。 Turns out， it was indeed worth the time。 Information I never read was included， and author Kathleen Hale also dealt with the Slenderman obsession in a way that did not take away attention from this true crime story， like the HBO documentary did。 That documentary spent so much time on the Slenderman character， I had to wonder if those who created it also had a strange obsession with him。One of the most interesting things about this story is it raised the question about nature versus nurture in regards to schizophrenia。 The author appears to believe it’s genetic， but she does not fail to repeatedly point out that Morgan Geyser’s schizophrenic father was her main caregiver since she was a baby。 He was a stay-at-home dad， while her mother worked very long hours。 He was the main person defining reality to her as a child， and it’s obvious she was not totally in touch with reality from a very young age。 Less than 1% of children are diagnosed with childhood schizophrenia， however， and it appeared she was never seen as possibly schizophrenic， but only odd。When Morgan Geyser ended up being put on medication some time after the crime， the author tells how it made most of her imaginary friends disappear， which made life in lockup much more miserable。 Plus， the medically induced invasion of reality made her realize how truly horrible it was that she did what she did。 Would the crime ever have occurred if she and cohort Anissa Weier had no access to the internet while growing up？ Definitely not。 Although one could argue violent movies and TV shows might lead to violence in children。 But would they have led to that sort of obsession with an imaginary sinister character？ Is this book too sympathetic to Morgan Geyser？ Personably， I don’t think so。 It centered on her because she， as well as her “people”， were the ones the author was able to talk to the most。 By the end of the story， though， the reader is left with feeling incredible admiration for victim Payton Leutner， with thinking Anissa Weier was no longer a threat to society， and with believing that Morgan Geyser should stay in the mental hospital， as she wanted to， with her imaginary demon husband。 There’s little hope given that she would ever be able to deal with the reality of the outside world。（Note: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher。） 。。。more

Iphigenia ，

This is an extensively-researched， well-written deep dive into the sensational Slenderman case where two 12 years old stabbed their friend， another 12 year old， to appease an internet creation known as Slenderman。 I really appreciated learning more about the case， and in particular the severe， untreated， mental health problems of one of the perpetrators。 Very thought-provoking。

Kristine ，

This was an excellently written and researched book by Kathleen Hale。 On May 31， 2014， Morgan Geyser and her friend Anissa Weier had decided that their friend Bella Leutner needed to be killed。 This was due to an obsession with a fantasy internet character， Slenderman。 Both come to believe he was real and Morgan stabs her friend over a dozen times。 Fortunately， Bella survived this horrific crime， but obviously was left with both physical and emotional scars that will last forever。 Kathleen Hale This was an excellently written and researched book by Kathleen Hale。 On May 31， 2014， Morgan Geyser and her friend Anissa Weier had decided that their friend Bella Leutner needed to be killed。 This was due to an obsession with a fantasy internet character， Slenderman。 Both come to believe he was real and Morgan stabs her friend over a dozen times。 Fortunately， Bella survived this horrific crime， but obviously was left with both physical and emotional scars that will last forever。 Kathleen Hale presents the book advocating for both Morgan and Anissa。 Both girls at 12 years old， the Judge decided should be tried as adults。 This really is a book about severe mental illness。 Morgan Geyser had active schizophrenia and was suffering from delusions， paranoia， and hearing voices。 She was not making choices based on reality。 Anissa Weier also had several emotional problems and came to believe Slenderman placed her in danger。 The question becomes how to handle mentally ill 12 year olds who have become violent。 I do agree with the author that an adult prison which was not even initially medicating Morgan is not the answer。 Both girls end up with Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity pleas。 Many believe that means there is little time spent in a facility。 This often is not the case at all。 Morgan Geyser was sentenced to up to 40 years in a criminal mental institution。 Yet， at least here she was given medication to stop her delusion thinking。 Once she starts medication her thinking does become clear and has to come to terms with what has happened。 With Alissa not as much information is given about her family background and her mental status throughout her life。 She clearly needed mental health treatment as well。 The next issue becomes how long should each girl remain in a locked mental ward？ They are able to petition for release， but this is a very complicated case。 Morgan at different times becomes delusional again。 Alissa has ongoing issues， too。 Are they really safe to be released to their family and when？ Unfortunately， our legal system is not really set up for cases such as this。 I do wish the author spent more time with some solutions to dealing with violent， but seriously mentally ill children。 The laws and system in place to handle these types of cases are not adequate and do not offer many answers。 This was a complicated case， but one of many and I think this needed to be talked about more。 If a child is severely mentally ill， enough that they can not form rational thought and then commits a crime， something does need to be done。 What is a better way to handle this？ Some cases children monitored and on medication would probably be ok to be released and others would not。 How do we decide this？ If a child goes through the juvenile court system， that child will be released at 21 whether safe and stable or not。 It certainly left me with much to think about。 I felt so much for Bella and her family and sadly no one realized Morgan was ill。 Then this heartbreaking tragedy would not have occurred。 Yet， sadly that did not happen and many more answers are needed to help prevent and treat severely mentally ill children。 Thank you NetGalley， Kathleen Hale， and Grove Atlantic for granting me a copy of this book。 I am always happy to leave a review。 。。。more

Lauren Nicole ，

I love true crime books。 I also have been fascinated with this case。 I’ve watched documentaries on it on tv。 Read news articles。 It was good to finally have a complete book on it。 Well researched and well written。 I enjoyed this one。

Melissa ，

This is such a well written and researched true crime story。 I remember hearing about this horrific crime when it happened and wondering what in the world happened here。 Now I know！ Kathleen Hale really did her research in writing this heartbreaking story。。 Heartbreaking across the board。 Beautifully written and told with honesty and grace。 Likely be a top read of 2022 for me。 Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for this incredible and important book。

Guillermo Perez ，

I'll start off by saying that I am a true crime junkie; i live for a book。 documentary or story that dives into the mind and actions of someone that can do heinous things and what the thinking process was for them either during or after their violence。 That being said this book did a good dive into the friendships of the girls involved in the slender man "slaying" specifically on the mental illness of Morgan Geyser and her toxic relationship with Anissa Weirs that led to their extreme violence。 I'll start off by saying that I am a true crime junkie; i live for a book。 documentary or story that dives into the mind and actions of someone that can do heinous things and what the thinking process was for them either during or after their violence。 That being said this book did a good dive into the friendships of the girls involved in the slender man "slaying" specifically on the mental illness of Morgan Geyser and her toxic relationship with Anissa Weirs that led to their extreme violence。 The book did clear up some things like; their victim actually survived the attack though it was always presented as a fatality and the harsh wisonsin laws that seem ridiculous when observed from an outside eye。Either way this book seemed to sympathize on the perpetrators rather than be objective about the crime itself。 True， this was focused on perhaps the mental health angle but it felt like it was definitely on the attackers side， so for that reason it felt a bit uneven to me， with a slight bias。 Still I enjoyed reading this and as I said， it had some good insights that I didn't have before。 。。。more

Jenn ，

Prepare to have your heart broken。I knew the very bare bones of this case going into the book and not much more。 The author did a great job of giving you a picture of the community and the families involved。 （Her research was phenomenal and it showed。 I'd gladly read another book by her。） I felt all sides were fairly and evenly portrayed。 This story is a perfect example of why life is not lived in black and white， but in shades of grey。 Yes， the girls committed a crime but they needed mental hel Prepare to have your heart broken。I knew the very bare bones of this case going into the book and not much more。 The author did a great job of giving you a picture of the community and the families involved。 （Her research was phenomenal and it showed。 I'd gladly read another book by her。） I felt all sides were fairly and evenly portrayed。 This story is a perfect example of why life is not lived in black and white， but in shades of grey。 Yes， the girls committed a crime but they needed mental help， not jail。 They weren't hardened criminals but children who needed help。 It's also a good reminder than policies that sound good on paper （Trying children as adults， the time should fit the crime， ect。） don't always make sense in reality and can often do more harm than good。 And why on earth are we electing judges？ How can we not see what a bad idea that is？ This book was also a tragic portrayal of just how broken so much of our society is - From the justice system， the mental health system， the education system。。。I could go on and on。 There were red flags in both Morgan and Anyssa's life that were constantly either missed or ignored by family and school faculty， even by other parents。 At so many points in this book I felt like crying or screaming in anger。 My heart broke for all the families involved。 This tragedy could have been stopped before it started with just a little intervention。 Society failed all three girls。Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Suzan Ball ，

The line between fantasy and reality is explored in this book as two young girls commit a horrible crime for their belief in a fictional Internet character。 They must sacrifice a loved one to enter the world of the Slenderman。 Their buddy and classmate is in terrible danger。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0