| Title | : | Torture Mom: A Chilling True Story of Confinement, Mutilation and Murder |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 174 |
| Publication | : | First published June 25, 2018 |
The Baniszewski household was overrun with children. There were few rules and ample freedom. Sadly, the environment created a dangerous hierarchy of social Darwinism where the strong preyed on the weak.
What transpired in the following three months was both riveting and chilling.
In October 1965, the body of Sylvia Likens was found in the basement of the Baniszewski home, where she had been imprisoned. She was starved, beaten, burned and had the words "I am a prostitute and proud of it" carved into her stomach.
Gertrude Baniszewski oversaw and facilitated the torture and eventual murder of Sylvia Likens. While she played an active role in Sylvia's death, the majority of the abuse was carried out by her children and other neighbourhood youths.
The case shocked the entire nation and would later be described as "The single worst crime perpetuated against an individual in Indiana's history".
*CAUTION: This book contains descriptive accounts of abuse and violence. If you are especially sensitive to this material, it might be advisable not to read any further
Torture Mom: A Chilling True Story of Confinement, Mutilation and Murder Reviews
-
STRASZNE. Ta historia jest tak przerażająca, że brak mi słów.
Książka jako true crime jest świetnie napisana. -
Took place In Indianapolis during the 1960s.
I’m so morbid; I always get excited when a crime takes place in my area.
The mom fostered two teenage sisters and the support payments stopped. She took out her frustrations and disgust at life out on the older girl, Sylvia.
This book is particularly brutal if you have violence triggers maybe skip -
Uwaga, to nie jest reportaż!
Uwaga, to nie jest kryminał/thriller!
To jest gniot, rozdmuchanie tragedii dla kasy!
W żaden sposób nie chcę trywializować i analizować samej sprawy morderstwa Sylvii Linkens oraz znęcania się nad jej siostra Jenny przez Gertrude Baniszewski, jej dzieci i sąsiadów. Historia ta jest niewyobrażalnie brutalna i przerażająca. Nie mieści się w głowie i nie potrzebuje dodatkowego komentarza. Skupie się tutaj na innych sprawach, która wstrząsnęła mną nie mniej niż historia Sylvii, czyli na autorze i wydawnictwie. Zacznę od wydawnictwa. Od pierwszej zapowiedzi byłam pewna, że będzie to reportaż. Tak było napisane na stronie wydawcy i tak była ta książka promowana. Gdy 2 dni temu kupiłam swojej egzemplarz i zaczęłam przeglądać teść okazało się, że nie ma w nim przypisów, ani źródeł. Co od razu sugeruje, że to nie jest lit. faktu jak zapowiadało wydawnictwo. Dalej, opis na tylnej okładce głosi "prawdziwa historia uwięzienia, okaleczenia i mordu" - "prawdziwa"! To jest jawne wprowadzenie w błąd czytelników. Następnie dostanie się wydawnictwu za edycję i korektę tekstu. Tylu błędów gramatycznych i stylistycznych to ja dawno nie widziałam, ale żeby nie zauważyć brudu przez "ó" (str.63) to już przesada. Tak, tak wszyscy jesteśmy tylko ludźmi, każdemu zdarzają się błędy, ale książka ma 200 stron i jest w małym formacie. Przeczytanie jej zajmuje 2-3 godziny. Takie oszczędzanie na korekcie źle odbija się na całej książce jak i na wydawcy. Za to na cenie książki nie oszczędzali. 42,99zł za format trochę większy od kieszonkowego, ale mniejszy od np. książek od IX czy Starej Szkoły, to rozbój w biały dzień. Dodatkowo okładka nie ma skrzydełek, jest trochę grubsza od kartki, bez żadnej powłoki matowej lub błyszczącej. Za takie coś taka cena!? Pochyle się też krotko nad osobą tłumacza Mateusza Rulskiego-Bożka. Jeśli korekta zawaliła, to wcześniej zawalił tłumacz, bo dla przykładu czy dziewczyna i dziewczynka to synonimy? Jak przeczytałam setki książek, tak nigdy się nie spotkałam z czymś takim...
Teraz dostanie się autorowi. Jego styl tej książki nie wskazuję jednoznacznie z czym mamy do czynienia, z reportażem czy thrillerem. Bo czy w tych gatunkach używa się takich słów jak umizgiwać (str.44), czy kwikać (str.83), albo zdań takich jak np. "jednak olśnienia jakiego doznała w związku z podkładem (makijaż) zupełnie zbladło, kiedy Gert dowiedziała się, że istnieje coś takiego jak rozwód" (str. 33). Wstęp oraz środek książki gdzie dzieją się najgorsze sytuacje dla Sylvi, mają bardziej powieściowy charakter. W prawdopodobnie prawdziwe wydarzenia wplecione zostały dialogi i prawdopodobne uczucia bohaterek. Cały czas patrząc na to, do jakiego gatunku została przypisana książka taka praktyka jest całkowicie niedopuszczalna! Skąd autor wie co mówiły i czuły bohaterki?! Green podaje tylko jedno wiarygodne źródło - materiał dowodowy ze śledztwa. Wspomina również o zeznaniach Stephanie córki Gertrudy, która obciążyła w nich swoją rodzinę próbując się wybielić. Czy to mogą być rzetelne informacje, patrząc na to że sama brała udział w tej tragedii. Nie wydaje mi się. Autor nie dość, że nie umie pisać, to jeszcze nie umie weryfikować informacji, albo go to nie interesuje...
Za to życiorys Baniszewskiej i ostatni rozdział, gdzie mowa o procesie są przedstawione w stylu artykułu w prasie brukowej. Sensacyjne momenty ponad konkretną teść i nieudolna próba wyjaśnienia motywu i charakteru sprawczyni. Green jest w 100% pewien, że cierpiała na upośledzenie umysłowe (str.195). Skąd on to wie?! W jego ocenie końcowej nie znalazły się takie oczywistości jak to, że kobieta nie miała odpowiednich wzorców w rodzinie, musiała szybko dorosnąć, nie miała oparcia w najbliższych. Jakby tego było mało wplata w historię Gertrudy scenę łóżkową (str.48), lub ni stąd, ni zowąd zaczyna podawać zdrobnienie jej imienia, bez żadnego powodu. Na zmianę używa też jej nazwisk.
W nocie o autorze napisane jest, że Ryan Green pisze kryminały oparte o prawdziwe wydarzenia i przedstawia historię z perspektywy zabójcy. Kłamstwo! Ta książka nie jest kryminałem, oparcie o prawdziwe wydarzenia to kwestia dyskusyjna, natomiast perspektywa zabójcy to bujda. Najważniejsza teść jest opisana tylko z poziomu Sylvii i Jenny (wstęp).
Podsumowując, czuję się oszukana i nie tylko ja mogę się tak poczuć. Nie ma w tej książce niczego nowego, czego nie możemy przeczytać w sieci. Wydawnictwo i autor uważają czytelników za mało rozumnych i myślą że mogą nam wcisnąć kłamstwo oparte o kontrowersje i tragiczne wydarzenia, bo tylko takie tematy najlepiej się sprzedają. Czytelnicy, nie dajmy się zwieść i serio nie popierajmy takich praktyk i nie promujmy takich książek!
@moze_booka -
I first heard about this story on My Favourite Murder and became very intrigued by the way this vile, disgusting monster became just as much a cult leader to a group of children persuading them to torture, in some of the worst rscenes I have read since A Child Called It, and destroy a peer of there age group.
This completely true account of an event more horrifyingly terrifying than any Stephen King novel
I had finished it within a few hours.
The writing style reminded me of The Adversary by Emmanuel Carrère, it feels more like reading a work of fiction than a crime retelling, the rhythm is straight forward but not over loaded with facts and figures some other retellings do such as Helter Skelter.
I will definitely be ordering more Ryan Green books especially the one about Harold Shipman “The Doctor of Death” and the most dangerous serial killer in the history of the UK. -
I have to begin with this tale is truly not for the faint of heart. While reading this, you may feel sick to your stomach and want to slam your choice of reader and never open this book again.
Ryan searches truly searches for true crime in places we may not have expected. He continues to bring us tales of humans performing horrible acts to
our fellow man. His work continues to evolve but what I enjoy most, is that he does not have a formula that he follows with each story.
Torture Mom is told from the point of view of Jenny and Sylvia who have come to live with Ma - Gertrude Baniszewski by way of carny parents who basically abandon them with Gert for $20 per week. Before meeting Sylvia and Jenny, we learn how Gert begins her journey as an isolated child, segregated from her family by the death of her father, who only finds solitude as she ages in having children. While she may not have experienced the greatest upbringing or marriage life, nothing really points to the torture and abuse she brings upon two young girls that she takes in to “help.” The complete lack of human empathy or the basic knowledge of what is right and wrong is completely thrown out the window when it comes to these two young girls.
While I felt for Gert in the beginning, it slowly turns to despise as we begin to see everything through the eyes of Sylvia. Sylvia literally becomes Gert’s human torture doll and it is sickening. I became so emotionally involved in this story,I felt like I was there for each tortuous moment, helplessly witnessing every vulgar act to the point where i can feel my stomach turning, pushing everything into my throat to be exiled everywhere.
Aside from the lack of responsibility Gert took for her actions to Sylvia and Jenny but her influence amongst the youth that entered her home and brainwashing, these children were not aware that they too were being abused by a trusted adult.
Disappointment may be what truly comes from this tale. Disappointment in our justice system but also for an entire community of people who saw the signs of neglect but turned a blind eye to it all. Ryan does not disappoint with his delivery of Torture Mom, if only Hollywood endings happened in real life though.
-
Story 4/5
Narration 5/5
What an awful, and tragic true story!
It breaks my heart that no one helped Sylvia.
This true story was really difficult to listen to.
What Sylvia endured was atrocious. Her torturers and killers deserved death.
😭😭😭😭😭 -
Now, some of y’all may be familiar with the Sylvia Likens’s tragic story either through Ketchum’s novel, The Girl Next Door, or the movie, American Crime (starring Ellen Page). This true torture story is probably the most harrowing and heart wrenching things I’ve ever read in my life. I read The Girl Next Door and then immediately did tons of research on this case. .
.
What Green does here is tell us from the side of Gertrude Baniszewski, the woman who tortured and ordered other children to torture Sylvia. I liked reading about her past and how it may have spurred her into this horrid person. And the ending gives us where everyone is now and all is basically based on testimonies. No one will every truly know what happened. .
.
I did feel like the filler, middle part, was basically a regurgitation of what we already know from the other book and/or movies.... but this case is what made Gertrude an almost household name. I think I wasn’t expecting it to go in the girls’s POV and wanted more from inside Gertrude’s mind. .
.
If you’re fascinated with this case, I’d say pick this up but there’s not *too* much new in terms of information. Those who have issues with the book and/or movie due to the explicit torture will want to stay away from this as well. . -
Sad, sad case. This one always horrifies me. I think it's both the torture and the knowing that SO many people knew about it. SO many knew and none did a thing. There were direct witnesses who saw the abuse or heard the screams, in one case one of the perps (a neighborhood girl) told her mother about it and the mother did nothing (saying she'd heard Sylvia was a "bad" girl and probably pregnant -- like being a pregnant teen meant it's okay to torture someone to death), her sister Jenny wrote a letter to her sister and she did nothing, all those kids did nothing -- it's just horrifying. There's so much made about that case in NY where a woman got stabbed and the people didn't help -- that case was proven false, btw -- and here you have this case where she was tortured for MONTHS and no one did anything, yet it's not widely talked about.
Very sad. I was I could go there to comfort her and be there so she wouldn't have to die alone, forsaken. I guess that sounds horrible but just dying there all alone is so terrible. ;=; -
I hope Gertrude and everyone involved in Sylvia Likens murder die of a slow death and burn in hell.The sentence they got was so light,these days people in possession of illegal drugs get a higher sentence.I also blame Sylvia's parents for her murder because who would leave their children with a complete stranger for weeks.If Jenny Likens told the Police or the parents on the street what was going on this could of been avoided.
RIP Sylvia Likens -
I have read about the Sylvia Likens case a lot since i watched An American Crime which, compared to the real story, was a somewhat lightweight portrayal on screen. It's easily one of the worst crimes i have ever heard and any book or film about it instantly draws my attention such as the House of Evil by John Dean which was a very detailed book due to the fact that the writer had covered the case as a journalist back in 1965.
This new book is rather flawed in my eyes. While the pace is all right, it ends rather abruptly and some chapters feel disjointed. The account of events isn't explained very well nor chronologically so it can be confusing to the reader, and certain crucial characters are omitted or ignored, for example, John Jr. was one of Sylvia's most active and ruthless tormentors but his name is brought up briefly during the end of the book and none of his violent acts are mentioned. I appreciate the attempt to convey what would Sylvia might have been thinking during her torture and that's the most compelling thing about this book. The events are described pretty accurately as to what we know from the court transcripts but certain details, such as the bottle incidents feel like they have some fiction added to them.
The inaccuracies start from small details for instance , there's no account of Sylvia calling Gertrude "Mom" and i don't remember any of the kids calling her that, other than "Gertie". The branded 3 on her chest was done with an iron poker, not a hot needle. Diana, Sylvia's oldest sister, never visited them or had any contact with them as she herself claimed in an interview. She hadn't heard about the Baniszewskis before the murder. The final part about her death is completely messed up; she didn't die in the basement and the police didn't find her body there. Ricky Hobbs said they brought her up from the basement to give her a bath and then she was placed on a mattress on the top floor where the police took pictures. Most importantly, the part about Gertrude having sexual relations with Ricky Hobbs is fabricated and false. There is a detailed scene where she has oral sex with him and that has never been mentioned or even implied before! There was speculation in court about the nature of her relationship with young boys and especially Ricky, but he denied it when he was questioned and there's no evidence that anything had happened between the two. Gertrude might have been flirtatious with the teenage boys she had around her house but there's no proof that she seduced those boys. That scene was made up solely to show her manipulative ways and how she got those kids to do anything she wanted.
In conclusion, i believe the author could have done better research before writing this book. Even Gertrude's hateful words to Sylvia feel like they are written intentionally vile to give the readers chills which is unnecesssary; the story is as mortifying as it is. While there are flaws, the story is very much real, and that's the saddest part. Everyone failed this girl and justice was poorly served. She may not come back but her story lives on, more than half a century later. No one has forgotten her. -
I read this in one sitting, partially because I wanted to know what happened to the victims, and partially because I wanted to get it over with. After finishing I read a Wikipedia page on this incident, and realized I could have skipped the book for Wikipedia and gotten the idea just as well. This book isn't particularly well-written and employs pronouns clumsily. It gets compelling about 1/3 of the way through, but only because of the real-life events it is describing. The story is, in many places, gut-wrenching and upsetting, with zero redeeming qualities, and it literally induced a nightmare. I can imagine only the most die-hard lovers of true crime could enjoy reading this book.
-
Torture Mom
As a young girl living in Indiana I can remember my mom talking about this case. I can also remember how angry my mom was when she was granted parole. After reading this I can understand why mom was so cautious about allowing my siblings and I to go to houses of people she didn't know. Such a sad and terrifying story. I loved and hated reading it at the same time. -
Disturbing on another level
Just putting 5 stars on this makes my stomach turn. Not due to the writing, but out of shame that anything to do with this poor girls story should show any sort of praise. I would love to know what the kids of this monsters names are today because not one of them deserves even one second of peace in this life. They sure as hell won t receive any in the next life! -
Absolutely horrific! I can’t even imagine the pain that those girls had to endure. Sad, sad read.
-
„Wszyscy sąsiedzi byli świadomi sytuacji w domu rodziny Banaszewski. Nawet jeśli nie mieli pełnego obrazu, wiedzieli, że jest to dom patologiczny. Mimo to żaden z nich nie zawiadomił policji, widząc błąkającą się po ulicach, wychudzoną jak szkielet dziewczynę z otwartymi ranami i podbitymi oczami. Ani jedna osoba, która spotkała na swojej drodze Sylvię Likens nie kiwnęła palcem, by zapobiec jej przedwczesnej śmieci” - fragment książki.
Przerażająca książka. Przerażająca znieczulica. Potworność zachowania Gertrude Baniszewski i jej czeredy dzieci, które brodząc w zaklętym kręgu przemocy przyczyniły się do wręcz męczeńskiej śmierci Sylwii. Przemocy wymierzonej w dwie siostry Likens, pozostawionych na pastwę bestii przez egoistycznych rodziców, dla których ważniejszy był ich związek niż bezpieczeństwo córek.
Straszna historia kryminalna z lat sześćdziesiątych ubiegłego wieku , która pokazuje, że w niektórych ludziach brak człowieczeństwa, a rozmywanie odpowiedzialności wiarą w boga jest wytłumaczeniem najgroźniejszych patologii. -
What a horrific story! I found out about this nightmare by those sponsored Facebook ads that pop up as you scroll and thought it sounded interesting so I researched it more and came across this book. This woman and the children deserve to rot (despite the fact that some are already deceased). The evil of humanity blows my mind.
If you liked reading Gregg Olsen's If You Tell, you need to look up this book. I took stars off for awkward writing. To me it was stilted and really disrupted the flow of the story. -
TW:miscarriages, abuse, torture, slut shaming, mental abuse toxic friendships, alcoholism
About the book:In July 1965, teenagers Sylvia and Jenny Likens were left in the temporary care of Gertrude Baniszewski, a middle-aged single mother and her seven children. The Baniszewski household was overrun with children. There were few rules and ample freedom. Sadly, the environment created a dangerous hierarchy of social Darwinism where the strong preyed on the weak. What transpired in the following three months was both riveting and chilling. In October 1965, the body of Sylvia Likens was found in the basement of the Baniszewski home, where she had been imprisoned. She was starved, beaten, burned and had the words "I am a prostitute and proud of it" carved into her stomach. Gertrude Baniszewski oversaw and facilitated the torture and eventual murder of Sylvia Likens. While she played an active role in Sylvia's death, the majority of the abuse was carried out by her children and other neighbourhood youths.
Release Date: 2018
Genre: True Crime
Pages: 174
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
• It told the story of Sylvia Liken
What I Didn't Like:
• It ended up being this over the top fake version.
• No resources
Overall Thoughts: I guess what my issue is with these books are yeah everything is terrible, but how much do we really know is what happened to this person and how much is the author making up to fill in gaps to have a book. I got to the vomit eating hot dog part and I started wondering did this really happen? I'm not doubting that it couldn't happen but a lot of the stuff in this book seems so over exaggerated that it seemed almost forced. I know that the torture is a huge part of what went on with Sylvia but it feels like this book is only about the torture. It just really irks me how much is put into this book but like there's no link to sources to tell me like where this came from so then it makes me feel like to the author take artistic freedom's when writing this book.
Honestly I felt like I was reading The Girl Next Door (yes, I know it's based on this story) but it just felt like sensationalism at its peak. It was this fictional version of what happened.
"There was no pain quite like a burn. It was instantly recognisable even though Sylvia had only ever touched the stove once as a little girl, so long ago that the actual event had long since fled her memory.>
How would he know???
The ending is odd how the author just throws together the trial into 3 pages. Like dude you spent pages and pages glorifying the details of torture but you can't give us more for trials.
I hate that he didn't site sources of research to writing this book.
Final Thoughts: Not good. It almost felt like the author enjoyed all the violence.
IG|
Blog -
I was given a free ebook copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Some say that truth can be stranger than fiction. This is definitely so in the case of this book, which deals with truths so harrowing, that they are far stranger and painful than fiction to read. The author writes very engagingly, and with added insights into the main characters in this book.
Sylvia and her sister Jenny Likens are left in the "care" of Gertrude Baniszewski, while their parents work the carnival circuit. The two girls are both normal, average, nice girls. However, it soon becomes obvious that Gertrude has taken a strong and psychotic dislike to Sylvia. Gertrude does everything in her power to ensure that Sylvia is mercilessly tortured, both physically and mentally. She seems to have an almost hypnotic power over her own children and the many neighbourhood children who frequently visit the dilapidated house; she actively encourages them to take part in hurting and humiliating Sylvia. When help does finally arrive, it is, alas, too late.
Reading this true account in such engaging and descriptive words broke my heart. It made me wish I had been an angel or a super hero back then; so that I could have rescued poor Sylvia and her sister Jenny. -
Gertrude Baniszewski was not a nice woman. She was selfish, cruel, and twisted. Everything she did to Sylvia Likens was horrific, and it’s hard to believe that a person could all those things to another person, let alone a child. The fact that it was a group effort to torture that girl only made it all the more horrific.
This book has a lot of disturbing content against children so only listen if you have a strong stomach.
Narration paired well with the audiobook.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review. -
It had been a long time since I've read/ listened to anything about Sylvia Likens, so I wanted a little bit of a refresher. Yes, I must be a glutton for punishment,. The context of the story is disturbing. Sickening. Saddening. Reality is the worst.
-
I was able to listen to this while working and it was very sad. What an evil woman.
I thought the audio could have been better. But the story itself was good. -
This is not for the faint hearted. It is a brilliant book and definitely recommend it, what this woman did is unbelievable and absolutely sick.
-
Very informational. Hard to read of course, the Sylvia Likens case hits heavy every time.
-
Mocna książka, tylko dla ludzi przygotowanych na dosadne opisy maltretowania. Przerażająca 😱😱
-
Bez oceny,
Ja nie wiem dlaczego sięgnęłam po ta książkę i dlaczego wcześniej nie sprawdziłam dokładnie o czym to jest 😥 Nie byłam gotowa na tak mocna historie 😶 -
Q: Knowing humans as thou dost, Captain, wouldst thou be captured helpless by them?
"Encounter at Farpoint"
Stardate: 41153.7
Original Airdate: 28 Sep, 1987
This is Green's account of the horrific sadistic torture and killing of a young girl famously recounted in
An American Crime (2007). Each book and treatment gives a different view on this as several of the many witnesses and participants testified in court as to what happened. That so many knew and did nothing makes this example of the
bystander effect makes even the
legend of Kitty Genovese bystander apathy look insignificant. -
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
So this book felt more like fictionalized torture erotica than an actual true crime novel; there were many many chapters dedicated to the re-enactment of the sexual torture that Sylvia Likens suffered and it was really graphic. This book is not well paced and it jumps a lot which can make it quite confusing. I did have to have wikipedia open to follow what was happened as I listened to the book. As such, there did seem to be quite a few discrepancies in the novel, which makes the crime feel even more heinous than it already is. -
The most heartbreaking, disturbing book I think I have ever read. The rating is for the author's writing and not for "entertainment" value. Ryan Green has a way of really drawing you into his writing and writing as if it's a work of fiction unlike some true crime books which you feel have just cribbed from the internet and laid out facts.
-
Really unbelievable story. Well written and researched.
