Review (PDF) Confessions Of A Serial Alibi
A story of murder and an unlikely alibi witness as featured in This American Life's hit podcast Serial.In 1999 Adnan Syed was arrested for murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. But at the same time he was accused of the crime, Asia McClain claims she saw Syed at the local library. When McClain hears of Syed’s arrest, she wrote to him to let him know that she might be his alibi. In spite of the opportunity to have him proven innocent, Syed’s attorney did not take any action. Later, his attorney was disbarred due to numerous health problems including multiple sclerosis. She died in 2004. Over a decade after Syed’s arrest, This American Life’s Sarah Koenig investigates the old case. Her interviews with McClain become the first subject of Koenig’s hugely successful podcast Serial and the story became an international internet phenomenon. Determined to set the record straight and the truth free, McClain reaches out to Syed’s new defense attorney and on November 6, 2015, the court ordered an investigation to determine whether Syed’s case be re-opened "in the interests of justice for all parties.” Finally, McClain can become the key alibi witness that she was always meant to be. Now, in Confessions of a Serial Alibi, Asia McClain tells her story for the very first time.
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Post Hill Press (June 7, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1682611582
ISBN-13: 978-1682611586
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 0.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #523,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #52 in Books > Law > Rules & Procedures > Witnesses #2280 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > True Crime > Murder & Mayhem
I enjoyed her writing style and found it an engaging, easy read. She comes across as honest and believable. The book, to be very clear, discusses her life and experiences, so it is more a memoir than an exposé on Hae Min Lee's murder or Adnan Syed's trial although she does discuss how she came to be involved in the case and the appeal. It's an opportunity for her to have herself heard in more than tweets or soundbites and to have more control over the final product than an interview might allow, which I can understand given the highly charged situation she unwittingly found herself in the middle of some 15 years after the fact. Her story is also another healthy reminder that our justice system contains more than a few disreputable characters and it is not always easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys.
As an avid podcast listener I never doubted that I would purchase and red this book. I've been following the Adnan Syed/Hae Min Lee case for quite some time now. Any opportunity to gather information will be taken.Asia Chapman's book was no exception. I purchased because I wanted to hear Asia's story. And that's exactly what this book is. Her story, her perspective in HER words.It's evident from the beginning that this story has not been heavily edited. I didn't see any evidence of a ghost writer or professional editor at all. The tone is conversational and heavy with slang. If I had purchased this book for entertainment purposes I would have been dissatisfied. It is certainly not a novel, but rather a firsthand account of incidents relating to the prosecution of a murder case. I purchased because I was willing to pay for Asia's raw account.Honestly, I believe that the information shared could have been just as easily published in a blog format. And the author could have saved herself much criticism had she done just that. The book reads nearly like a diary, which I believe it began as. I do wish more time had been taken to polish the story to make it easier to read. Regardless, in my opinion the author has every right to compensation for her time and trouble with regard to this case.I would recommend the book to anyone wanting a first hand account of Asia Chapman's perspective with regard to the Adnan Syed/Hae Min Lee case and trial. While it would hold the attention of anyone who has followed this case it would be of little interest to anyone else.
There was a well organized takedown campaign regarding this book from a number of people who have a deep dislike for Asia. A lot of the negative reviews you see here were orchestrated to be posted before the book was ever released. Take those reviews with a grain of salt, because many of those Redditors have a big chip on their shoulder and had no interesting in being objective. I would venture to guess that many of them didn't even read the book before posting a one-star "this sucks" review.I'm in neither camp. I neither like nor dislike Asia. I'm just curious about what she had to say.If you followed the Serial podcast's first season, you'll find this book interesting. There isn't necessarily a lot of new information, but Asia does go into greater detail about herself and more importantly she candidly reflects on her admittedly possibly failure-prone recall of that fateful evening.Asia isn't the greatest writer. It's very much a stream of consciousness type book, but it is nothing if not interesting. If you're looking for something written by an English scholar with perfect structure this isn't the book for you. However, if you are like me and are just curious to find out more, you'll find it to be a really good way to spend a few hours hearing her side of the case.
This book was exactly what I needed after listening to the Serial podcasts and being left with so many unanswered questions. Mrs. Chapman held nothing back in expressing her opinions of the people involved in the case. I was happy to read that she had many of the same 'that can't be right' moments that I had since I started listening to the series. We may never know the truth behind the murder, but we now know that an alibi, especially this alibi, can be a strong force.
Throwing my "two cents" review in because I'm probably one of the few people to read the book who has never watched the podcast. Regardless, the book is well-written and tells a compelling story. You have to admire this woman for stepping forward; too many people these days are afraid to speak up.
It was worth reading. I do think she could have benefited from a professional ghostwriter & a better editor, but at the same time her writing is far from deserving the number of 1 & 2-star reviews she's gotten. If you've listened to Serial and Undisclosed you're not going to learn any new facts. What you will get a glimpse of is how being thrust unwanted into a national spotlight & have your thoughts & actions unkindly dissected by 1000s of strangers, affects one's life & the very understandable desire to defend & explain your motivations. Some of the negative reviews have said she's trying to cash in on her 15 minutes. I would remind those people that she never asked for this fame, never sought it & has taking a sound beating at the hands of social media. If this book pays for her kids college then it's more than amply deserved. Buy it to support someone who places doing the right thing ahead of personal desires if for no other reason whatsoever.
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