Book Review of "With or Without You" by Lauren Sanders

BOOK BLURB:
Summer 1987. Lillian Ginger Speck, high-school graduate, sits in her jail cell contemplating the steps and missteps that led her to murder soap opera star Brooke Harrison in cold blood one bright and muggy New York afternoon. Lily had admired the young star for some time, and her loss is palpable. Her story is therefore part apologia, part love note and suicide pact. Meanwhile, Brooke Harrison's mother has a tale of her own to tell.

BOOK REVIEW:
This story really blew me away. I've always been curious about people who feel compelled to kill celebrities, particularly those they claim to love. When I began the book, I never expected to feel sympathetic toward Lillian, but I found myself caught up in the whirlwind of her life. The writing is vivid and rich, and the characters very real. I particularly liked the juxtaposition between Lillian's side of the story and Brooke's mother's side.

Though Lillian never met Brooke, she fell in love with the superstar in her magazines and on her television much the same way millions of teenaged girls do. While the premise sounds fantastical, the events of the novel play out in such a way as to make perfect sense. I was left with an immense feeling of sadness for Lillian. The fangirl in me could imagine playing her role all too well.