I vividly remember the crime detailed in SLENDERMAN. Living in Milwaukee County, a direct neighbor to Waukesha County, where the incident took place, the stabbing and its aftermath were frequently featured on local news. I have seen and heard several of those news reports, and I’ve seen the HBO documentary about the attack, as well. Even so, Kathleen Hale’s in-depth account of the act–as well as the children involved–has been an enlightening read.

As I often do after reading a book, I have looked around to see what other readers and reviewers thought. I’ve seen a lot of commentary in the same vein as what those involved in the case at the time have said: there is only one victim. That Hale’s account is weighted heavily in favor of Morgan Geyser, and the narrative is written in such a way as to entice readers to feel sorry for her.

First things first, yes, it’s true that Hale had the most frequent and in-depth access to Morgan while writing SLENDERMAN. She doesn’t hide that; rather, she freely points it out in the prologue. The other children and their families were not interested in speaking with the author. As responsible readers, that fact needs to be acknowledged and understood.

The paramount question that we hear so often in the aftermath of violence or tragedies is, “Why.” Why did this happen? Kathleen Hale’s SLENDERMAN puts forth an answer to why. It’s not an excuse, and it’s not an absolution of Morgan or Anissa’s actions. It is easy to claim that mental health issues are far too widely “blamed” in cases like this. It’s easier and more comfortable to view the situation through black-and-white lenses: “bad” kids did something horrible to a “good” kid. The truth is far more grey and complex. Morgan and Anissa do have mental health issues. Morgan and Anissa did become obsessed with a fictional horror story character. Morgan and Anissa did think that their actions were required in order to make that fictional character happy–and in order to save their own lives and the lives of their families. There’s no right or wrong in that explanation; it is just a straightforward delineation of the facts.

There is no disputing the fact that Payton was the victim of an awful, violent attack. That Morgan and Anissa are victims in some ways, as well, does not negate or minimize that fact. We do need to talk more openly about mental health in our communities. We do need to advocate for change in our criminal justice system–especially when a 12-year-old child can be criminally tried as an adult in our courts. We do need to be mindful of what is available to children online.

I feel deeply for all three of the children involved in this incident–each of them will face a future of physical, mental, emotional, and psychological scars in their own ways. The benefit of hindsight and the rational detachment afforded to impartial observers of a tragedy gives readers of SLENDERMAN a look behind the events leading up to and following this disturbing incident.