i’ve been wanting to read this since it was announced and it very much did not disappoint. i’ve also been following this case for a while and it was so nice to hear Shari’s unfiltered experience and perspective on it from her own words as RF’s eldest child. 

the book really puts into perspective how much family channels on youtube can be idolised while people ignore not only what could be happening behind the scenes off camera but also completely dismissing that children of a younger age do not have the power to consent to that stuff - as they don’t understand the full extent of who is seeing this content and where it is ending up. 

i really admire Shari for writing this also because after RF was arrested there was so much media speculation about who was at fault and what actually was happening that we didn’t know and as much as the truth was much worse than anyone probably could have predicted (@buse, etc) it must have been so liberating and freeing for Shari to write down her experiences and for the memoir to become a NYT bestseller. 

as much as RF did some really horrible things, i also admire Shari for talking about Narcissistic Personality Disorder at the end of the book and how the consequences of the disorder can be just as painful for the suffer’s loved ones as it can be for the sufferer. after all, it is often a trauma-based disorder meaning the disorder develops it out of survival. 

highly recommend this book to anyone who was ever following the situation it is about but as always please check the tws as it is quite heavy in places.