A review by michelles_book_nook
History of a Drowning Boy by Dennis Nilsen

5.0

TW: animal abuse, sexual abuse, sexual assault, graphic content, murder, mutilation and necrophilia/necrofetishism.
This is a very difficult review to write and give a star rating and I even considered whether to give it a rating at all but from a psychology point of view this book is incredibly interesting and thought provoking regarding the mind of a serial killer. Also, without trying to glamorise Dennis Nilsen, he is a very compelling and honest writer to the point where in some sections it is very harrowing. For those that are unaware, Dennis Nilsen was a serial killer throughout the 70's-80's who murdered at least 12 men and boys and attempted to murder another 6 in London. This book is the first of it's kind, to my knowledge, and was written by Dennis Nilsen himself whilst he served life in prison. Personally I feel there has always been a fascination in terms of his psychology as when he was arrested he was extremely calm and never tried to deceive or lie to the police about his crimes. This memoir discusses his entire life in a very open way and includes the sexual abuse he endured as a child from his Grandfather, the lack of male role model in his life and his suspected sexual assault whilst he was in the army. Without going into too much detail or expressing my opinion, it does make you wonder from a psychological point of view as to whether these events had an impact on the person he became in his later life. Overall, I think if you are interested in true crime or psychology then this is a very intriguing read and I would recommend it.