In Born and Raised to Murder: A Failure of Foster Care, Irene Sullivan uses her correspondence with Leo Boatman, convicted of the killing of two college students in a national park when he was nineteen, as a jumping off point for a polemic about the inadequacies of social care in America, and how the foster care system, which is supposed to step in when parents are unable to care for their children, is often directly responsible for a child's continued failure to thrive, and for the perpetuation of cycles of violence, abuse, addiction and criminal behaviour.

Sullivan's correspondence with Boatman gives the reader a unique insight into the origins of a violent criminal, the detailed history which she provides injecting pathos into the facts of his case. Boatman is portrayed with sensitivity and empathy, yet Sullivan isn't afraid to hold him accountable for his behaviour and to interrogate where he has been the architect of his own situation. However, she largely believes that Boatman's victims died because of systemic failure at every level; she goes so far as to say that, had Boatman been given probation when he first started offending, rather than being detained in San Antonio Boys Village, his victims could well be alive today. Sullivan uses Boatman's experiences of being incarcerated between the ages of 13 and 19 (he killed his two victims upon his release) to argue for a juvenile justice system which does more to understand why young offenders offend, and which focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment. Furthermore, she examines how the lack of oversight of juveniles leaving prison raises the risk of reoffending exponentially; as she writes, 'Boatman was a loaded weapon ready to fire that was tossed into the general public, and no one was assigned to watch over the danger posed... What did the State of Florida think was going to happen?'

Sullivan does a deep dive into the correlation between an abusive home environment and insecure attachment, and the kinds of emotions and behaviours which can be catalysts for violence: anxiety, aggression, defiance, impulsivity, hopelessness, guilt and shame. She highlights the lack of facility to treat these issues when they arise with any sort of therapeutic treatment.

To take a story of a convicted, self-confessed murderer and use it to argue that all children deserve care and nurture - even when incarcerated - is an ambitious play, but author Irene Sullivan is uniquely qualified to tell and understand Boatman's story: as a juvenile court judge in Florida for decades, she has seen the most heinous acts children are capable of committing, but also the tragic circumstances which contextualised those acts. She is able to do what many cannot and look past the anger, violence and cruelty to see the child who has often been failed by all the people and the systems which should have protected them. I applaud her for lending her voice to America's most vulnerable children; they are those most likely to need - but least likely to have - a champion.

And Sullivan is not just here to launch a diatribe against the American social care and juvenile justice systems; the book includes a detailed summary of the changes she believes could be enacted to redress the harm that has been done, and which continues to be done. She also hopes that readers will allow her book to reframe Leo Boatman as an individual in their minds. 'Although Leo owes a debt to society for these murders, we owe Leo something as well,' she writes, before encouraging the reader to think about the shape this could take and the impact it could have.

On a final note, while Born and Raised to Murder is a fascinating, important book, readers should exercise caution as it deals extensively with child abuse, including sexual abuse, much of it described in the first person through Boatman's recollections. A good chunk of the text is essentially authored by Boatman, which some readers may find uncomfortable given that he took away any platform his victims may have had.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book absolutely broke me. Would I recommend it? Abso-freaking-lutely! This book was such an eye opener and really made it difficult for me at some parts because I kept envisioning my kids.

I have been on a challenge this year to read more nonfiction books, and I am so glad that I got approved to read this one! This is one of those books that will stick with you long after you finish reading it.

This is a very important story to not only tell, but to read as well. More people need to understand what it's like to grow up in the system. I was fortunate enough to not have to go through that, but now I have a completely different understanding and attitude towards those that grew up in the system.

This was such a sad and interesting book. The first half was so hard to put down, learning about Leos life growing up, it was heart breaking. You find yourself rooting for him from the start and watching his life spiral with no help from anyone is a gut punch. The last part does read a little dry as most of it is direct court documents, I understood them but I can see some readers struggling with them if they arent use to the lingo. This book is a solid 4 stars for me.

This book was a tough read but a good read. One that makes you think long after you turned the last page. One that makes you wonder how you can make a difference and stop another failure from happening. Having worked in the foster care system for a few years, this book was near and dear to my heart.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and did not have to write a review. All opinions are solely mine.

I really enjoyed this book
Read it in less than a day
Definitely needs to come with a trigger warning
Would love to know how his life turns out

This book needs to come with severe trigger warnings. Leo Boatman, the defender on multiple murder charges, writes a substantial portion of this book. He describes his childhood in graphical details including the physical and sexual abuse by his own mother, grandmother and father figures. These adverse childhood experiences set the scene for the serial killing to come. The court sentencing papers also explicitly describe violent acts of murder where Boatman inflicts as much pain and torture as possible on his victims.

While reading this book, I found myself taking a seat as a juror in Boatman’s entire life. I got to read about his terrible childhood from his accounts, right up to the moment he commits his first double murder, gunning down two random, young innocent campers.

Boatman is highly articulate, drawing the reader into his world, where he rationalises his depraved actions. Boatman’s accounts of his crimes are mild, and inconsistent with reality. His intelligence raises the question, had he not had such an unfortunate upbringing, would his future be different? The reader gets to decide whether Boatman is a monster to be put down or a tortured soul that deserves saving. After all, the world had let him down.

This book will take away a bit of the reader's soul and I recommend it only for those with a strong heart and mind. For anyone working in the judiciary system, this book is a must read as it concludes with sound recommendations to prevent children growing up to become a Boatman within the system.

This book lost a star for me because it is reminiscent of a patchwork quilt where bits and pieces are stitched together to form a whole, the result is striking but not cohesive. Half the book is written by the Boatman, and the rest comprises of testimonies from various parties, sentencing papers etc... The scrapbooking approach impacted the flow of the story and introduced many repetitions.

I almost never read non-fictions. But I did find myself intrigued by this one when I saw its description here on Netgalley, the story of a boy who was born and raised in the most unfortunate conditions and grew up to be a serial killer.

Though the story didn't really connect to me, I don't really know for what reasons. I did like it and really appreciated the insight I received about an issue I'd never even really thought about before reading this. I like the emphasis the author makes on the fact that this story does not "justify" the actions of Leo Boatman, but "explains" it. And I really hope Leo's wish for this story comes true, this story will be able to contribute, at least a little, if not much, in ensuring no other kids have to go through what so many kids like Leo had to go through at such a young age!

Overall, though it was not my preferred genre, I wanted to try something different, and I'm glad I found this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for the eARC.

This book sounded so promising. However I had a difficult time reading it as it seemed Leo Boatman blamed everyone else for how his life turned out. Throughout the book his writing came across as very manipulative and semi-entitled. Although what he wants through was very traumatic he does not take accountability for any of his actions. I feel Judge could have corresponded with other inmates who could have provided a more in depth and intelligent narrative of their situation. I found it hard to connect to Leo or feel bad for him especially after learning he committed two more murders after the hiking murders
Side note: The book could benefit from more editing.

“I’m not asking for forgiveness or pity. I just want to tell my story so that what happened to me never happens to another foster child again.” Leo Boatman

I wish this story was unique - but it isn't. There is a reason it's called the foster care to prison pipeline. So many children, no fault of their own, endure tortuous childhoods that lead to criminal behaviors as adults.

Leo Boatman's story is so very important because it is the story of millions of kids in America. We as a society need to do better.

What I particularly loved about this book was how it also included solutions or changes that can be made to make the next Leo Boatman's story different and end in a better life.

I work in the foster care system in Utah; and I will say I have heard the most horror stories coming out of the foster system of Florida where Leo Boatman has lived his entire life. It is scary that your luck of care, support and resources varies state by state.

But we all can do more. Look into your local foster care companies, programs, non-profits. Donate, volunteer, get involved. Become a mentor, a foster parent, a CASA (court appointed special advocate), etc.

Sad story that will have you reaching for the tissues. Good read that kept me interested. Thank you for the chance to review this book.

When Florida juvenile Irene Sullivan was reading about 2 college kids
She began to write to Leo Boatman aged 19 and wanted to know what he did for a violent act
I wanted to know that my story would never happened to another foster kid
I had an ARC

all in all, I thought this book was written very well. The author did a wonderful job of keeping you knowledgeable about the boys situation.
The fact that this book was written based on someone’s actual life is definitely traumatizing, so reads beware!
Having young kids, it was difficult to read knowing that things like this actually happen in today’s society. Hopefully books like this can get the message out, and things will change.
I also enjoyed the fact that they had solutions, rather than just stating all of the problems with our foster system.

This book will appeal to all the true crime lovers out there but it comes with plenty of trigger warnings such as: murder, violence, child abuse, sexual abuse and many others.
This story is of Leo Boatman, a young man from florida, where life has been a cruel one and the system that is there to protect him failed on every occasion.
From being sexually abused, in and out of abusive Foster homes, he was put into a juvenile detention centre. Being forced to fight, mimicked and socially isolated by prison wardens, his mental and emotional state declined.
At 19 years old and no longer under the state jurisdiction he was released into the world with no guidance, no money and no job. One day in Ocala forest, Leo killed a couple camping - the start of his murderous career.

This book was ok. The book is a collection of letters from Leo, transcripts from court cases, professional points of views and then a section whereby the author puts a 5 point plan of how America could prevent this happening. I think this could have used some tighter editing and making the case flow a bit better. It got very repetitive in parts, especially with the court transcripts.

This book definitely makes you think about how our experiences in childhood shape our personalities in later life and how it affects our psyche. The poor man has been through a lot in his short life and been failed even more so, but for me the most recent case of Leo's changed my opinion of him. At first I was empathetic but after so many times that waned.

Loved this! It is such an important topic, and this book is very enlightening and hopefully brings a lot of awareness with it.

I had difficulty getting into the book. The first chapters were very long. After that, I really enjoyed the author's writing and the way the information was conveyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for the eARC.

I have challenged myself to read more nonfiction and Irene Sullivan's book has really floored me. The entire time I am reading it I have to keep grounding myself in this is someone's actual life. Devastating.

Things I really liked:
- I really like that this pushes a topic that isn't talked about nearly enough into the spotlight. It is a hard reality to face when a system you grew up in, hurts many people. It is never easy to talk about the ways that we let people (in our very own communities) down, but this surpasses all of those things. It discusses why and how we need reforms and until things change, we endanger members of our community.

Things you need to know before reading:
This is an extremely heavy read. Sometimes the lines are blurred between right and wrong. If your mentality is either black or white, then this book will challenge that world view. A lot of people know the stories of a person within the system, and even when they are uplifting and inspirational, it is not without its gut wrenching heartaches and people who cared enough to be a helping hand.

Although the books needs a little bit of editing, it is an important book that needs a lot of attention! I am recommending this to people who have big hearts and want to fix this system (or to at least make it better).

Gosh, this was a difficult subject to read about. Sullivan has crafted a powerful book. It's important to uncover the truth, and she has. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I thought I understood much about foster care after being a foster mom for a year, but this story was eye-opening.

I pulled the trigger once, twice. He fell to the ground. The woman screamed. I pulled the trigger again and shot her once. She fell to the ground next to him and kept screaming. I ran closer to her and shot her again… and again… and again… and again.

Leo Boatman was born in a Florida mental institution, it was the start to a not so great life. A life full of abuse and abandonment.

Born and Raised to Murder by Irene Sullivan, gives the reader a look into the failure of foster care through the eyes of Leo Boatman, a man who lived and breathed it. A man who was unable to differentiate the sexual abuse he endured as a child, from loving attention. A man who was driven to murder.

Leo Boatman doesn’t use his upbringing as a form of pity or a way to ask for forgiveness, he wants to tell his story so that what happened to him never happens to another foster child again.

This book was an interesting read. Unquestionably a heart breaking story. Although I liked the book, I felt it was a little dry at times and didn’t have that ‘can’t put it down’ feel.

Without a doubt this was an important story to tell and an important story for people to read and understand. Juvenile incarceration is a billion-dollar business, and they need lots of kids to make that kind of money! Which begs the question, are they just all about making money or ensuring they return children to the outside as better citizens.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I had so many thoughts reading Leo's story. From anger at the foster care system to anger at Leo to anger at the justice system. Then Chapter 26 came along and I was so glad that the clinical psychologist stated all the same issues I had noticed. (I have a degree in psychology so I was kind of analyzing Leo as I read his story.)
Leo was definitely let down by a lot of people who were supposed to care for him. The five solutions that make up Chapter 32 make a ton of sense but it's definitely an uphill battle to get those implemented.