"My Friend Dahmer" (aka "Anatomy of a Serial Killer")

First I thought this would be a quick read.  Then I picked it up from the library and cursed its thickness!  Then I couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting.

The title character really needs no introduction: "Dahmer" has become a household name in the realm of serial killer lore.  But every serial killer has a past; and this story, as told though the graphic novel genre, paints a simultaneously eerie and heartbreaking picture of a kid caught in the perfect storm of family troubles, isolation, ostracization and sheer neglect.

I think that this novel absolutely stands on its own as a legitimate piece of YA literature for its emphasis on the hardships and detrimental effects that a rough home and social life can have on a young person.  It also gets high marks from me for its accessibility to all reading levels, as well as the opportunity for differentiation through the use of vivid imagery.  Furthermore, the illustrations are stylistically more "cartoonish" and in the vein of something a la Matt Groenig or Mike Judge, lending additional appeal and relevance to the younger crowd.  Also, the author (for the most part) is very tasteful in his descriptions and depictions of any violence and only shows instances that preclude Dahmer's serial killer heyday. 

While I don't doubt I would get a few parental phone calls, I can easily stand behind the choice to use this book in my teaching and the importance of having the students read it.  At the heart of this graphic novel is the story of a kid who is a loner and who is shut out on all social and emotional levels.  Dahmer is the product of a broken home with a mother who is emotionally unstable and a father who, by all accounts, just seemed totally clueless.  There's also the matter of Dahmer's sexuality, and the fact that he was unable to openly declare himself gay and explore his sexuality in a safe and healthy environment.  This leads to some serious deep-seated shame, drug use and alcoholism, as well as fuel for the perverted rage he keeps pent up inside with no apparent outlet by way of hobby, school activity or friend/advocate to talk to. 

Personally, I believe that Dahmer was simply born with some faulty wiring, something "not quite right" in his genetic makeup.  From everything I've read and heard, he seemed predisposed to some sociopathic tendencies.  However, I strongly believe that the tragic actions of a kid who became a monster could have been avoided.

The parental neglect alone - both physically and emotionally - is absolutely staggering to me!  How can you not see that your own child is deeply disturbed?!?  Also the fact that none of his peers - the author included - ever really bothered to get to know him, and really only used him for their own personal amusement.  Even worse, the teachers didn't seem to pay any attention to him.  This kid literally fell off everyone's radar, and say what you will about teens and their "invisibility shields," this sort of neglect from everyone in his life is reprehensible in and of itself.

That being said, the Dahmer's crimes and serial murders he committed throughout his life is unforgivable and beyond comprehension.  I firmly believe that there is no excuse for a human being to not be able to control themselves or recognize that they need help and take the responsibility to reach out to someone who can give them that help.  All of these ideas are considered and explored throughout the graphic novel, and the author does well with the flow of the narrative, sprinkling anecdotes and memories of the classmate Dahmer along the way, which only serves to make the story more heartbreaking since we all know how it ends.

At the end of the day, My Friend Dahmer serves best as a "cautionary tale" to both adults and children alike - clearly illustrating that every student is valuable and worth your time and deserving of basic human kindness.  While the results of Dahmer's void of a childhood are extreme, it's still a powerful story that leaves an impression and stops to make you think of the "what ifs" when faced with the opportunity to reach out to a student/fellow classmate struggling just to get through each day.

"'I can't say there were any signs that he was different or strange,' one of the school guidance counselors would later state."