My Friend Dahmer

Backderf, Derf. My Friend Dahmer. New York: Abrams ComicArts, 2012. 224 p.

 

With expressive black and while  cartoons, My Friend Dahmer details information about Jeffrey Dahmer’s middle school and high school life.  Information was gathered through news sources, Dahmer’s own jailhouse interviews, and the author searching his and his friends’ memories for the details about the famed serial killer that they had tucked away.  Without being gory, author Derf Backderf manages to recount the years leading up to the murders and that first one that led Dahmer down such a dark and twisted path.

The strength of My Friend Dahmer is the level of intimate detail that the author provides about Dahmer’s life and thoughts during middle and high school.  The reader feels like (s)he is truly in his head, which certainly leaves an impression on a person.  The book creates a level of understanding on how a truly sympathetic creature like (pre-murderous) Jeffrey Dahmer could ultimately become a twisted serial killer.  The author makes clear that his sympathy for Dahmer ends the moment the first murder is committed, and clear statements like that allow the reader to open up to the fact that Dahmer was pitiful, without having conflicting emotions over  having sympathy for a murderer.

Perhaps the only weakness in the novel is the understanding that as a graphic novel, the actual drawing style may not appeal to all readers.  It has a very specific style to the drawings.  The black and white drawings are stark and when paired with the dark undertones of the book, it is one that could be off-putting for younger readers or those that are sensitive.  While the author skirts around the gory aspects of the murders, there is no denying that readers are watching as a young man takes a journey from being an isolated, bullied teen to tortured, obsessed adult who ultimately will be known as one of the most prolific serial killers of all time.

For young adult readers, My Friend Dahmer is an excellent choice when it comes to reading a non-fiction work.  Non-fiction can be daunting, conjuring up memories of textbooks and mind-numbing lectures in school.  This work allows readers to really learn the background of Jeffrey Dahmer and to even challenge their beliefs of right and wrong, and the role society plays in one’s development.