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19th out of 91 books
—
16 voters
Our Guys: The Glen Ridge Rape and the Secret Life of the Perfect Suburb
In March 1989 a group of teenage boys lured a retarded girl into a basement in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, and gang-raped her. Glen Ridge was the kind of peaceful, affluent suburb many Americans dream about. The rapists were its most popular high school athletes. And although rumors of the crime quickly spread through the town, weeks passed before anyone saw fit to report it t...more
Paperback, 528 pages
Published
April 28th 1998
by Vintage
(first published June 11th 1997)
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This was a very interesting well researched book about a case I did not know anything about. It happened quite a long time ago, and it is about a group of popular high school students, who were footballers and because of that (and other sports) they were admired (even though they were not even that good at it) who raped a mentally retarded girl and instead of being ridiculed by the community where they lived, they were all blaming the victim.
It is mostly about how in America at schools, sports...more
It is mostly about how in America at schools, sports...more
I was assigned to read this book in a college class on gender, and it fit the "you-can't-put-it-down" category better than any other I can think of. I agree with critics that Lefkowitz lets too much of his bias into the already compelling story. But he does an excellent job providing background of the incident: history, culture, specific people.
Having recently suffered high school, much in this book didn't surprise me. A reviewer from Glen Ridge gave interesting comments (I lived in the area at...more
Having recently suffered high school, much in this book didn't surprise me. A reviewer from Glen Ridge gave interesting comments (I lived in the area at...more
This book describes the facts of how a group of suburban teenage boys attacked and raped a retarded girl, and covers the subsequent trial. But Lefkowitz goes far beyond that: he describes the childhood of the people involved, the environment of the school and town, and the reaction of the people in town and beyond. He tells of how the attackers started with small examples of inappropriate behavior when they were younger, but were never punished for it -- how they were given passes time and again...more
I just wrote some comments on the book Until Proven Innocent, which was about the Duke lacrosse fiasco. In that case, a community engaging in class warfare, law enforcement, and the media all conspired to blame the accused, long after obvious contradictions had arisen.
Our Guys is kind of the flip side to that nightmare (but is essentially the same nightmare). Here the community blamed the victim and rallied around the accused, long after the damning facts came out and these athletes' mythology h...more
Our Guys is kind of the flip side to that nightmare (but is essentially the same nightmare). Here the community blamed the victim and rallied around the accused, long after the damning facts came out and these athletes' mythology h...more
This book could have been sensationalist & pedestrian given the subject matter &, frankly, the tendencies of most True Crime writers (pump out that book quick before the media blitz stops). I would imagine that when you are writing about something like the gang rape of a retarded teenager by a group of suburban athletes, many of whom had known her since childhood, it would be very easy to write something slick & prurient. Mr. Lefkowitz manages to avoid that.
Mr. Lefkowitz spent 7 year...more
Mr. Lefkowitz spent 7 year...more
This book infuriated me. I felt that the writing was long-winded and the author was blatantly following the style of "yellow journalism" - he focused so much on the emotional factors of the story, rather than focusing on the different versions of the story, that even though I rationally agreed with the conviction of rape, I felt that my emotional persuasions were being manipulated in that direction. Overall, it led to a very confusing version of events that seemed really muddled.
There are many...more
There are many...more
This was a very well written book.
It was a crime that captured national attention. In the idyllic suburb of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, four of the town's most popular high school athletes were accused of raping a retarded young woman while nine of their teammates watched. Everyone was riveted by the question: What went wrong in this seemingly flawless American town? In search of the answer, Bernard Lefkowitz takes the reader behind Glen Ridge's manicured facade into the shadowy basement that was t...more
It was a crime that captured national attention. In the idyllic suburb of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, four of the town's most popular high school athletes were accused of raping a retarded young woman while nine of their teammates watched. Everyone was riveted by the question: What went wrong in this seemingly flawless American town? In search of the answer, Bernard Lefkowitz takes the reader behind Glen Ridge's manicured facade into the shadowy basement that was t...more
phenomenal book. if you want to understand what happened in stubenville ohio the read this book. it is a scathing indictment of the toxic american culture that breeds victimizers and rapists. this book is clear that there are no bad apples but a corrosive environment that encourages the strong and affluent to pick on the weak and especially female. it's a jockocracy of misogyny. and it started before these boys lured their victim into the basement and raped her and is clearly still occurring tod...more
It's hard to rate this book because no one in their right mind would want to 'like' it. I wish rather that I could rate it with an appreciation level rather than a degree of 'likeness.'
As for appreciation, a five star, for sure. This story of Glen Ridge highlights so many ways in which our society falls short. So many ways in which we turn a blind eye to that which we chose not to see. So many ways in which we facilitate that which we wish to deny, or create that which we condemn. Worse yet are...more
As for appreciation, a five star, for sure. This story of Glen Ridge highlights so many ways in which our society falls short. So many ways in which we turn a blind eye to that which we chose not to see. So many ways in which we facilitate that which we wish to deny, or create that which we condemn. Worse yet are...more
Jan 09, 2013
Ang
added it
I don't know what star rating to give this book. I hate saying it's worth three or four or five stars, because of how horrible it's going to make you feel. It's going to leave a really ugly, really horrible taste in your mouth. So many things are wrong with what happened in Glen Ridge, but I want to just say: a town that would let a school IGNORE a boy MASTURBATING openly in class has something so wrong with it that it's surprising more crimes weren't committed there. You know what? Scratch that...more
1 like · like · see review
Teton County Library Call Number 364.15 Lefkowitz
Suzy's rating: ****'s
Lefkowitz reveals a hidden adolescent world in idyllic Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He spent six years researching this book, and conducting hundreds of interviews, while studying the 1989 gang rape of a mentally retarded teenager, by the town's prized high school athletes. The young woman was violently raped, and sexually assaulted. Nine athletes were reported to have watched the crime. This investigation reveals a world in which...more
Suzy's rating: ****'s
Lefkowitz reveals a hidden adolescent world in idyllic Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He spent six years researching this book, and conducting hundreds of interviews, while studying the 1989 gang rape of a mentally retarded teenager, by the town's prized high school athletes. The young woman was violently raped, and sexually assaulted. Nine athletes were reported to have watched the crime. This investigation reveals a world in which...more
This is a great book for teens to read. It talks about peer pressure, sexual misconduct, inappropriate behaviour and to treat people like they are HUMAN BEINGS. Just because a small town puts their jocks on a pedestal, the one young lady who happens to be mentally disabled is taken advantage of. The town stands behind the jocks not the otherway around. I was disgusted by the way the people stood behind the accused and not the innocent victim. This is a true story. A lot of stuff could have been...more
i read this for a juvenile delinquency class and it was disturbing.
1 like · like · see review
A statement on page 491 of this book pretty much says it all: " ... through her (the girl who was raped) life it appeared that the values of the community around her; the community she grew up in, had not progressed beyond those of a high school pep rally." And that's pretty much what the town of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, feels like while reading this book: a town that, adults included, lived through and for its high school athletes (boys only, of course), protected them at all costs, and believed...more
I went through a phase in college when I was taking a number of sociology classes that lead me to really enjoy a number of true crime books. One of my classes was taught by a prosecutor in one of the district courts and he had us read this book as part of an assignment. The crime is really disturbing and seemingly easy to convict at first glance. But once you layer on the human elements, the story isn't so clear. It's an easy read and good if you like to dive into real life who-dunnits.
Leslie, a sweet-natured young woman with the mental age of an 8-year-old, just wanted to be friends with the high school football stars. When they invited her down into the basement rec room of a suburban home, she jumped with joy at being included. The young men raped her--with a baseball bat and a broomstick. In this vividly detailed book, Bernard Lefkowitz brings us into the daily life of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, the hometown of Tom Cruise. It's an affluent white community that values propriet...more
Horrifying story of a young girl that was brutally raped by a gang of boys. This book presents the problems of the everyday "boys will be boys" attitude and why letting the little things slide leads to enormous and heartwrenching problems. This could be any town. This could be any mentally disabled girl and any group of boys. It makes your heart hurt, but the hardest things to read are the things most worth knowing.
This book is not only disturbing and shocking, but it tells a very vivid and true story of a disabled girl who was raped by her schools football team, who then had to face lashings from her town because they wanted to protect their football players reputation. I honestly couldn't read certain pages because it was too graphic, but this is definitely a book to read.
This is a true story about the rape of a retarded girl by some "Jocks" in Glen Ridge, NJ. Don't get upset that this became a lifetime movie. It gets into the whole concept of what is rape and can a retarded women understand she can say no. It was a wonderful book and really made me thinking about growing up in the suburbs and what "rights" people believe they have.
This book was so great, a must read for everyone. It not only analyzes the horrible things that were done to Leslie but also analyzes the whole town. This book answer the question "why?" and "how could this happen?"
The suburb town of Glen Ridge is similar to so many American towns, and that is what makes this book brilliant and scary.
The suburb town of Glen Ridge is similar to so many American towns, and that is what makes this book brilliant and scary.
This book was disturbing, but at the same time, it was something that didn't shock me as much as it should have. Having gone through high school and then college, it's evident how some students get treated differently because of the crowd that they are associated with. I definitely couldn't put it down, and was kind of sad that it ended the way that it did. Good read.
Lefkowitz does a good job of presenting facts from the trial and investigation, as well as his own commentary on the community of Glen Ridge and the treatment of the elite in similar communities. However, his habit of skipping back and forth in time, as well as being quite repetitive, hurt the overall flow of the narrative. Very informative overall, but sometimes could be a chore to read the same thing yet again.
This book is incredible. It is terrifying because it actually happened, and not long ago, but it forces the reader to look at the many issues in american society. The only downside to the book was its length, there was a lot of detail about the town and the characters that became very long.
Sep 23, 2011
stacy
added it
I read this book--every heartbreaking word--years ago, but in light of the recent Texas event (one we've all come to hear about among the many we have not), I'm passing the book along to friends and plan to read it again.
Who was it who said, "History repeats itself"?
When do we learn...
Who was it who said, "History repeats itself"?
When do we learn...
This is a powerful account of a gang rape of a mentally retarded girl in the suburbs of New Jersey. This book explores the jock culture surrounding the crime, as well as the attitudes of society, and the horrors of rape. This book is hard to put down.
Riveting and unbelievable. The author took a lot of time and put a lot of effort and thought into this unfortunate account. Anybody interested in criminal justice, mentally impaired or sexual violence would definitely get something out of this book.
I read this book as part of a Women's Studies course in college. I also knew of an incident in high school with some similar themes. Although it has been years since I finished the book, I have not forgotten it and the lessons it taught me.
I read this years ago - around 1999 or 2000, I think. I remember it being a captivating look inside the culture of white affluence, jock mentality and privilege. It's disturbing, and infuriating at times, but a good read for all parents.
if you have been affected by the steubenville rape case or are at all interested in discussions of rape culture, this is a must read. this case happened over 20 years ago and i'm sad to say i feel little has changed since then.
Hard hitting and disturbing story about how a mentally handicapped young woman was raped and because the perpetrators were "golden boys" of an affluent New Jersey suburb, the crime was covered up.
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Jun 11, 2012 11:53am
Jun 16, 2012 05:33am