Synopses & Reviews
Who were the seemingly ordinary teenagers who beat and killed a girl who longed to be their friend? And how could they hide the murder from their parents and teachers and the police for andlt;iandgt;eight days?andlt;/iandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt; Drawing on six years of research -- including interviews with the accused -- acclaimed writer Rebecca Godfrey answers these questions in this stunning account of the notorious "Schoolgirl Murder." Through a skillful blend of hard journalism and riveting narrative, Godfrey takes us into the bedrooms and classrooms of a powerful hip-hop-obsessed clique and the loner-victim who just wanted to belong, then into the police stations and courtrooms where adults -- grieving, devastated -- must reckon with the shocking crime. Highlighting along the way the deeply entrenched social tensions that provoked the murder, andlt;iandgt;Under the Bridgeandlt;/iandgt; is more than a true-crime book -- it is an unforgettable wake-up call.
Review
"A brilliant, compassionate retelling of a horrific murder... riveting."andlt;BRandgt; -- andlt;iandgt;O Magazineandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"An
In Cold Blood for our colder times."
-- Evan Cornog, publisher, Columbia Journalism Review
Review
"Grisly...shocking...a thought-provoking look at teens gone wrong."andlt;BRandgt; -- andlt;iandgt;Booklistandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"A Tour-De-Force of true crime reportage."andlt;BRandgt; -- andlt;iandgt;Kirkus Reviewsandlt;/iandgt; (starred review)
Review
"Intelligent...insightful...will be remembered for years."
-- The Baltimore Sun
Review
"Intelligent...insightful...will be remembered for years."andlt;BRandgt; -- andlt;iandgt;The Baltimore Sunandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"An andlt;iandgt;In Cold Bloodandlt;/iandgt; for our colder times."andlt;BRandgt; -- Evan Cornog, publisher, andlt;iandgt;Columbia Journalism Reviewandlt;/iandgt;
Synopsis
Traces the events surrounding the 1997 murder of fourteen-year-old Reena Virk by eight of her peers, in an account based on six years of research and interviews with the accused that offers insight into the social tensions that provoked the crime and the minds of teenage killers. By the author of The Torn Skirt. Reprint.
Synopsis
Who were the seemingly ordinary teenagers who beat and killed a girl who longed to be their friend? And how could they hide the murder from their parents and teachers and the police for eight days?
Drawing on six years of research -- including interviews with the accused -- acclaimed writer Rebecca Godfrey answers these questions in this stunning account of the notorious "Schoolgirl Murder." Through a skillful blend of hard journalism and riveting narrative, Godfrey takes us into the bedrooms and classrooms of a powerful hip-hop-obsessed clique and the loner-victim who just wanted to belong, then into the police stations and courtrooms where adults -- grieving, devastated -- must reckon with the shocking crime. Highlighting along the way the deeply entrenched social tensions that provoked the murder, Under the Bridge is more than a true-crime book -- it is an unforgettable wake-up call.
Synopsis
By twists and turns, this work examines a crime of passionate excess, in which middle-class teenage girls obsessed with film idols and hip-hop culture turn on one of their own with tragic results.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Rebecca Godfreyandlt;/bandgt; grew up in Victoria, British Columbia. She received a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Toronto, then attended graduate school at Sarah Lawrence College, where she received her M.F.A. in Creative Writing. She is the recipient of two Yaddo Fellowships.In addition to andlt;Iandgt;Under the Bridge,andlt;/iandgt; which won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Nonfiction Book of 2006 and the British Columbia Award for Canadian Nonfiction, she is the author of the novel andlt;Iandgt;The Torn Skirt.andlt;/iandgt; Godfrey lives in New York City.