If the minute-by-minute reconstruction of the mass shooting - 20 children and 6 educators - is too unbearable for you (as it should be for any reasonable person), skip the first three-four chapters of Sandy Hook. The other 20+ chapters focused on American conspiracy theorists are worth your effort.

In Sandy Hook, Elizabeth Williamson dives deep into the alternative reality of American 'truth-seekers.' Sandy Hook, a staged fake attack with child actors; Pizzagate with child trafficking by Democrats; 09/11 as a planned demolition of the World Trade Center - what else does the American government hide from its citizens? What purposes does it have? What masters does it serve? Taking a heart-breaking mass shooting in Newton, Connecticut, as a starting point, the author unravels the deluded world of conspiracy theorists. When a father of a murdered child presents a birth certificate, his child's photos, and a death certificate, the truth-seekers still cry foul. In their worldview, anything can be falsified; nothing rings true. Some may argue that believing in an alternative version of events is not a crime. The victims' families' legal victory over Alex Jones and his Infowars empire proved those skeptics wrong. Suppose the public denial of events bores a wave of hatred, doesn't correspond with official reports, and causes distress to the affected families. In that case, it becomes defamation, with legal consequences for the broadcaster.

Elizabeth Williamson's observations reminded me of another book, [b:Saints and Soldiers: Inside Internet-Age Terrorism, from Syria to the Capitol Siege|59679061|Saints and Soldiers Inside Internet-Age Terrorism, from Syria to the Capitol Siege|Rita Katz|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|93974156] by [a:Rita Katz|1095022|Rita Katz|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. Elegantly veering to the side to explore the influence of the Trump policy on conspiracy circles, Elizabeth Williamson traces the social media's developmental tendencies that implicitly led to the Capitol siege of January 2021. When a curious mind opens a single video/link connected with a conspiracy theory, flawed algorithms of big social platforms start to suggest more and more material on the same topic. Ultimately, specific topics morph into a mental trap, and the person cannot see beyond the suggested bubble. An alternative reality is created.

I recommend Sandy Hook to true crime lovers and people who want to be aware of modern social media dangers. It's the book I want to re-read in the future (apart from the first three-four chapters).

DNF for the basic reason that it's too difficult to read and learn anything more about the activities of Alex Jones and his utterly reprehensible ilk without becoming enraged at what has become of US society that they tolerate people like this. And quite honestly not sure that the suffering of the families needs to be detailed or at least in the way it was presented. So it was too much skipping ahead until I was too rapidly at the end.

Tough read. Glad I listened to this one. There are details of the shooting, but it’s the stories from the families that truly broke my heart.

Focusing on how Alex Jones and his BS machine harassed these families for years. Even with the consequences Alex Jones faces, there are still no happy endings for any of these poor people.