Raised by a Serial Killer Audiobook By April Balascio cover art

Raised by a Serial Killer

Discovering the Truth About My Father

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Raised by a Serial Killer

By: April Balascio
Narrated by: April Balascio
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About this listen

The untold story behind the hit true crime podcast The Clearing, this unforgettable memoir traces one daughter’s moving quest to understand her larger-than-life childhood as she searches for the truth about her father, the serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards.

One evening in 2009, April Balascio was searching online, as she had been every night, for unsolved murders in the towns her family had lived growing up, when she stumbled across the latest investigations into the “Sweetheart Murders” cold case. All at once, the buried memories of her father’s dark history were awakened, and she knew she had to take action. She picked up the phone to call a detective and the rest is infamous true crime history.

In her unflinching memoir, Balascio bravely reveals an astonishing tale of a lifetime of manipulation, unexplained upheavals, and silent fear. Some part of her had always known what her father was capable of, but the full truth of how she came to these revelations is as riveting as it is quietly terrifying. Through searing storytelling, dedicated research, and intimate insight, Raised by a Serial Killer is a gripping, courageous memoir unlike any other.

©2024 April Balascio (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio
Serial Killers Exciting Cold Case

What listeners say about Raised by a Serial Killer

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Authentic, sympathetic and well done

I'm writing this review when the author is nearly done with high school. I have several hours to go, but I'm so impressed with the book that I'm motivated to recommend it as soon as possible. The author narrates her own story, which lends authenticity and atmosphere to the telling. People often wonder why spouses and children in the orbits of such appalling characters as the author's father don't run away sooner than they do. But the fine details of this family's predicament reveal the attachments and conditioning which immobilize them, along with the extreme danger of leaving such a vicious and vengeful person. This is not a hard book to hear because we can hear in the author's voice that she was adaptable, strong and courageous in ways that allowed her to survive. I believe her siblings and mother were too. There's no gratuitous description of the father's crimes. It's well-worth reading.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Resilience the author had

Book was so good! I enjoyed every minute of it. And also enjoyed the one who read it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Raw truth and vulnerability of characters

I was deeply touched emotionally by this true account and the feelings of my youth being so “normal” in comparison. A must read!

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  • Overall
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Excellent!

Excellent all the way through! Thank you for sharing your story! You deserve all the b

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Poorly Organized

I listened to this book, as a friend knew the author. The story is interesting, but the book is completely without organization is composed of rambling memories. it is read by the author. The performance is tedious and she pronounces basic words wrong. she often sounds like a child reading a book.

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2 people found this helpful

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Balascio’s voice adds authenticity

I’m always cautious when the author narrates their own book but April Belascio’s voice actually adds to the book’s authenticity.

If I were curating a book list for new teachers, I’d add this. As I was listening, I recalled some students who left suddenly with no forwarding address. April’s willingness to recall painful events gives us insight into the lives of children whose parents neglect and abuse them.

I really appreciated April’s ability to explain how she continued to love her complicit mother because she, too, was a victim.

Thank you, April Balascio.

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1 person found this helpful

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The Author’s honesty.

The author’s journey and resilience is amazing in this difficult situation she was born into.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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The fact that this man was able to get away with so many murders was astounding

The story was stranger than fiction and I was very interested.
The author covered many years and introduced a lot of characters which made it hard to follow. I almost feel like it should have been two books, one covering her childhood and the second her investigation into the murders

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A painful story of survival

I enjoyed April narrating her own book as it adds to the total performance. It is remarkable that she was able to continually overcome trauma and find a way to move forward. Like a Phoenix. I had some neglect in my childhood and I perceive my siblings and especially my mother as a victim, but nothing even close to this trauma. April’s story was more than many people would be able to overcome and much worse than I anticipated. It was not only the magnitude but the chronicity of the abuse. This family never got a break from this monster.

I live in Wisconsin near where the sweetheart murders occurred and I clearly remember this because I was the same age as these kids at the time. It stood out to me that Tim Hacks parents were so kind to April. They have closure about their son and it is clear throughout the book that April is grieving for all of her fathers victims - more than she grieves for herself.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Story Good/Narration poor

The story is very interesting, but the narration should have been done by a professional. April seems to be reading the story for the first time, it didn’t feel like it was truly her own personal story.

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