Dark & Disturbing True Crime & Memoir Wrapup | Chris Watts, BTK, Mommie Dearest & more

From Mommie Dearest to Chris Watts to BTK's daughter to Wallis Warfield Simpson... I tore through a series of memoir and true crime books, though there were some (less famous) misses mixed in. If dark non-fiction is your thing, watch on!
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
01:14 The Mommie Dearest Diaries
08:44 Mommie Dearest
13:52 The Unbrekable Child
19:56 If You Tell
23:45 My Daddy Is A Hero
28:37 The Girls Are Gone
34:40 A Serial Killer's Daughter
39:54 A Only Child And Her Sister
42:14 That Woman
RELATED VIDEOS
Shannan's mom writes about Chris's mom & sister video: • Chris Watts: Shanann's...
Chris Watts police search body cam footage: • Bodycam Footage Shows ...
THE BOOKS (+ my reviews)
The Mommie Dearest Diary by Rutanya Alda: / 3517275544
Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford: / 3517290285
The Unbreakable Child by Kim Michele Ricahrdson: / 3527680113
If You Tell by Gregg Olson: / 3528366997
My Daddy Is A Hero by Lena Derhally: / 3544237020
The Girls Are Gone by Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann: / 3544258096
A Serial Killer's Daughter: / 3544259059
An Only Child and Her Sister by Casey Maxwell Clair: / 3554408230
That Woman by Anne Sebba: / 3577360477
Add THE IVIES, my YA thriller featuring competitive college admissions & murder, out in 2021, on Goodreads! / the-ivies
+OTHER PROJECTS+
Support NovelTea Show on Patreon! We're launching a podcast, with your support. / novelteashow
+BUY MY BOOKS+
Add THE STARS WE STEAL (Jane Austen + The Bachelor, in space) on Goodreads: / the-stars-we-steal
Buy BRIGHTLY BURNING from Book Depository (ships worldwide!): www.bookdepository.com/Bright...
Buy BRIGHTLY BURNING on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Brightly-Burni...
Get Brightly Burning on Audible.com! www.audible.com/pd/Brightly-B...
+LINKS+
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/ alexadonne
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Wattpad:
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+FILMING SPECS+
Camera: Canon t6i
Mic: Rode VideoMic Go Light
Lighting: Limo Studio Soft Kit
Editing Software: Pinnacle Studio 22

[@LindsayPuckett]

It took me like 2 hours to watch this video because I had to keep pausing to fall down the research well of each of these cases. HOW had I NEVER heard of Mommie Dearest/Joan Crawford??? Anyway, loved this. I always get my true crime recs from you haha

[@biologyboggs3885]

Every time you post, I'm at work. So. Every time you post, I go to break.

[@doreenzimmerman7410]

Alexa, I love your channel even though I am writing a memoir that would fit well in this wrapup and I never thought I'd hear you talk about true crime and memoir! Thanks for this video, I have listened all the way through twice. I am old enough to have read "Mommie Dearest" when it came out and you were so right that it was groundbreaking. The Chris Watts story is actually what began my realization that I want to write a memoir to further conversation on the important topic of covert narcissism. I am definitely going to read "If You Tell" because you made it sound like a perfect book for me to enjoy and learn from. Thanks, again!!

[@beccaboobabe2]

Oh my goodness. I love your personality. I love how you read books based on the shows you watch, So fun. This was a great video.

[@madisonmaya94]

If You Tell is so good, the way it was described was very vivid.

[@asajefferson4936]

Pro trick : you can watch movies at Flixzone. Been using them for watching all kinds of movies lately.

[@rivermemphis9170]

@Asa Jefferson definitely, been watching on Flixzone for since december myself :D

[@leeisaac9540]

@Asa Jefferson Yea, been using flixzone for since november myself =)

[@DanicaChristin]

Thanks for the reviews! I've added a couple of these to my Amazon wishlist 👍🏻

[@larsensatlarge9079]

Loved everything about this video.

[@mamabearmeli270]

This video has 2 books that are currently in my Kindle Library. If You Tell (got on Kindle Unlmtd, haven’t read at all) & The Girls are Gone (actually purchased & only read like 10% of). I will DEFINITELY be reading both now

[@mamabearmeli270]

I also have a sample of the Chris Watts book you mentioned (haven’t started it yet either. I’m definitely going to be reading “My Daddy is a Hero” first & then reading the other just for the opposite perspective

[@EDDIELANE]

NO WIRE HANGERS!

[@AlexaDonne]

EVERRRRRRRR!!!!!

[@NikkiGregory]

Thanks!

[@nangel270]

Just found your channel so am bouncing around a bit. Love your style of analysis and suggestions. Wondered if you've read The Phantom Prince (make sure it's the updated with extra content) by Liz Kendall. The woman and her daughter who lived with Ted Bundy while he was on his killing spree. It focuses on her mindset and how she rationalized the behaviours of a narcissistic psychopath. I'm off now to see more of your recommendations. Cheers.

[@WritingViolet]

Is it weird that I kind of want to start a present tense journal now? I was planning to venture into first person present for the first time with my new nano project, it could be good practice.

[@cindychurch335]

I’ve heard that it’s best to have a book topic that’s been written already. My memoir seems to be a stand alone in the world of memoirs. Does this rule always apply?

[@AlysonMc]

I'd love to hear what other survivors of childhood abuse/ narcissistic mothers thought of Mommy Dearest by Christina Crawford. I fully take Alexa's review to heart, but I personally / unfortunately get really triggered and anxious by hearing other accounts. TW - my mother had NPD and potentially Munchausen by Proxy, and the worst of the abuse happened later in my adolescence, so there's a part of me that really wants read Mommy Dearest, but I'm worried about triggering my anxiety. Sorry if this was TMI, Alexa and comment section readers!!

[@AlexaDonne]

It would definitely be safer to avoid it, I bet. It's pretty harrowing! Take care--these things are so hard. (I read these with interest, but I have a few friends w/ n-parents and I usually don't rec this stuff to them)

[@AlysonMc]

@@AlexaDonne Thank you

[@sinfullheart37]

Can’t read it, watch it or anything else. I spiral for weeks.

[@kathyscrazylife]

No wire hangers! LOL

[@jojosworld8957]

My favorite Alexa-ism is "bonkers." I love it!

[@AlexaDonne]

I have been influenced by How Did This Get Made! It is their word of choice and it feels less pejorative than "crazy" so I'm using it more!

[@justyana25]

Hi Alexa, I know you sometimes fall into a vortex of True Crime? Try to get out of Chris Watts's vortex. I fell into it hard for about a month... There is a Netflix documentary on it too. Good Luck.

[@NightOwlReader2790]

I thought My Daddy is a Hero was a very good true crime book, I like how the author presented the case. I'm interested in hearing what else you recommend.

[@EDDIELANE]

Chris Watts is a special kind of evil. And his mother is a peice of work, too. Covert narcissism.

[@NightOwlReader2790]

@@EDDIELANE Okay, I apparently need to reread the book because I don't remember much about the book. I do remember some stuff about Chris' mother, but not all of it. I do want to say that I have seen some incredibly horrible comments on the Goodreads page about how it was all Shennan's fault. They were literally saying that she deserved to be killed, and I lost it a little because how could they EVEN say that!!!

[@EDDIELANE]

@@NightOwlReader2790 That’s one of the red flags about Chris’s mom, and another was keeping icecream around that her granddaughter was allergic to.

[@DesperationLasts]

Ice been slowly reading I'll be gone in the dark, about the original night stalker. If you want another non fiction down the road, highly recommend. The author has a really captivating writing style.

[@NightOwlReader2790]

She already read that one.

[@mrsb50]

I think that the question about what we can/should expect of memoirs is a good one, and in most cases, I’d argue that it’s fully up to the author. A book with “serial killer” in the title that advertises the subject’s direct connection to a particularly famous serial killer falls into more of a gray area for me. When it’s what the book deal was predicated on, I think it’s reasonable to expect it to spend significant time on that topic. I wouldn’t necessarily blame the author for the gap between what’s advertised (description aside) and what’s actually in the book, given that her publisher likely wanted the connection to be as clear as possible in order to draw more interest and sales. I’m sure you were not alone in feeling the discrepancy between advertisement and reality for this book. Given all of that, I guess I land on marketing being the differentiating factor more so than the subject matter itself. It’s the author’s call what they want their book to be, but it’s also on the author and their publisher to responsibly and accurately market it based on whatever the end product is.

[@AlexaDonne]

Yeah, I've also considered perhaps the editor should have perhaps advocated for more cuts/tight writing in that middle portion. But oh well. (the Grand Canyon story would have been perfect in any other context... it just happened to feature in section of the book that's heavy on her life at college + dating + God with very little about her dad...)

[@mrsb50]

Alexa Donne that’s a good call, too. Thanks for sharing all your thoughts on these books, I appreciate it as always!