Rating: 
Summary: Nobody writes them as good as this
Review: I read about this book in the Walterboro Press and Standard, and had no idea it was a true crime book. It is so smooth, so thought-provoking and so interesting. I don't normally read true crime books because they are usually very boring and laced with pictures and desciptions I don't care for. But this story of Wanda Summers was so moving I couldn't put it down. I have never read about what victims go through after a crime and hurt so much for Wanda and her family. This book takes you right into he heart of the matter and lets the reader see how out of control crime has gotten, yet how soft we have become on cold blooded killers like Woomer. I am going to tell all my friends about this book. Nobody writes true crime as good as Billy Hills and Dale Hudson. They are two awesome true crime writers.
Rating:
Summary: Another good book from these two authors.
Review: I read An Hour To Kill, the first book written by these two authors, and liked their writing style so much I bought this book. This story was a little different in that it was written
from the perspective of the victim, but it was just as interesting. I like the author's writing style, as it moves the story along at a nice pace and sticks to the story--doesn't get
caught up in all the nonessential facts of the case. In this story, Wanda Summers is the focus, as she and her family attempt to survive an unthinkable crime. I won't give the story away, but will say the reader is captivated from the first page to the last. How Wanda and her family ever made it through is beyond anyone's guess. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to
read a survivor's story.
Rating:
Summary: A REASON TO READ
Review: I usually don't foray into true crime drama, but am I ever glad I did this time. What an inspiring story of a woman beating insurmountable odds to be a spokesperson for the rights of victims. The details of the espisodes were cleverly interwined into a story that reads like good flowing fiction, keeping one riveted to the page. All sides of the issues are well presented. Though the brutal crimes of Rusty Woomer could have left one despising him, hearing his side and learning his coversion to Christianity gave him a humanness relatable to the reader. Wanda's struggles, and that of the other's victims families are well proffered in this stellar account of unbelievable horrors defeated by the strength of human spirit. Excellent writing and excellent storytelling make this a must read.
Rating:
Summary: A Reason to Live, the true story of one woman's love, courag
Review: I was hooked on this one from the very first page. The authors immediately began building suspense and the reader knew that something terrible was going to happen. The action is quick and decisive. It is a page turner that I read in only two sittings and kept thinking about long after I'd finished the book.The characterization is excellent. As I was introduced to Wanda Summers and her family, I felt I really knew them. They are not simply stereotypes, but impact the reader as living, breathing people. You cannot read this book without feeling the pain, incredible courage and, eventually, the triumph of Wanda and Jimmy Summers, along with the other tragic victims in the case. A Reason to Live graphically demonstrates the full impact of a vicious crime on the victims and their families. It also makes us all uncomfortably aware of just how vulnerable we all are.
Rating:
Summary: This True Crime Story Says It all
Review: I'm not one who normally reads a book and gets so affected by
its content and characters. But this book changed my entire
outlook on crime, criminals, and the death penalty. After I read what happened to Ms. Summers and her family, I was ashamed to
admit our American Justice System was so lax on punishing criminals that it took almost ten years before Rusty Woomer
was brought to justice. For all those who wonder what happens
to the innocent people who are caught up in the evil of people like Woomer and Skarr, read this book. It says it all. These
two writers, Billy Hills and Dale Hudson, should be commended
for bringing such an insightful and inspirational story to the
public, while everyone else over the last decade has been so
caught up in glorifying the crime and the criminal. It is refreshing to read a story focusing on the strength of the
characters and how they triumphed over tragedy rather than the
criminals and the blood and gore they left behind on their bloodletting trail of destruction. I like the writing style of
these two guys and want to read everything they have written.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For Everyone
Review: It doesn't matter if you are a true crime junkie or not, I think
A Reason To Live is a must read for everyone. It is more than just a true crime book; it is a book of courage, inspiration, and
human tragedy. Wanda and Jimmy Summers, and the other victims of
Ronald Woomer and Eugene Skaar were brave, God-fearing individuals, who didn't deserve what happened to them. Yet, in the same manner, the authors depicted Woomer and Skaar as such
troubled humans that I couldn't help but feel sorry for them, too. Call me crazy, but even after reading what Rusty Woomer did,
I felt he was somehow salvageable. A Reason To Live will test
every human emotion and challenge your position on the Death
Penalty. I read the first Hudson-Hills book, An Hour To Kill,
and believe these two authors just keep getting better and better with each book. I look forward to reading their next book,
and hope it will be as good as their others.
Rating:
Summary: FOLKS, THIS IS TRULY A VICTIM'S SURVIVAL STORY
Review: Listen, I have been around a long time and read every true crime book on the market. There hasn't been a book in a long time which effected me as much as A Reason To Live. Beginning with page 1, the authors grabbed me and I couldn't let go, and I am telling you, it was like an emotional roller coaster from then on. I wanted to scream when Woomer and Skkar did the things they did and cry when Wanda Summers and the others suffered and died the way they did. At the end of the book, I stood up and cheered Wanda and Jimmy for not letting Woomer ruin their lives. My husband thought I had gone nuts, but I couldn't help it. This book is written so well it makes you do crazy things. A THOUSAND THANK YOUS goes to the authors for bringing this story to light. And I SALUTE THE COURAGEOUS HUMAN SPIRIT of Wanda Summers and the countless other victims who have suffered like her.
Rating:
Summary: "May God have mercy on your soul."
Review: The condemnation was neither a surprise nor was it undeserved because Ronal Raymond Woomer committed one of the most heinous strings of crime ever perpetrated in the state of South Carolina. Through the careful gathering of facts, the deliberation and the sentencing, the criminal showed no remorse. Yet his horrific actions changed a number of lives forever. The plan seemed simple. Skaar and Woomer would get directions from coin dealer Whitehead and drive to the small town where John Turner lived. After robbing the old man, they would leave him dead, take his coins back to Whitehead and get paid. If all went well, this would only be the first of a series of crimes. High on drugs and alcohol, Skaar and Woomer not only carried out their intended crime, but also went on a murdering spree that would leave bodies in three counties. In addition to theft and murder, they would commit kidnapping and rape. When on the verge of apprehension, Skaar commited suicide, leaving partner Woomer to take the fall. The worst didn't pass with the conviction and sentencing of Woomer for victim Wanda Summers. Wanda is a woman of remarkable courage, more concerned during the perpetration of the crime for her friend that for herself, and afterward more concerned for her daughter and husband than for herself. But with much of her face destroyed, Wanda not only had to survive an attempted murder and testify against her perpetrator, she had to recover afterward. While press and well meaning supporters hale the time of recovery as getting back to normal, Wanda still had to endure surgery and deeper emotional healing. Grueling and intense, recovery was slow. One of the most chilling true crime novels of our time, A REASON TO LIVE will haunt the reader long after the last page is turned. A REASON TO LIVE is a testament to both the strength of human spirit and to the power of evil. The combined talents of Billy Hills and Dale Hudson bring the criminal events, the trial and the consequences vividly to life without dwelling too deeply or too long in the grotesque atrocities committed, simply allowing the facts to speak for themselves. Despite the tragedy, the horror of disfigurement and the loss of life, these authors maintain their focus not on the criminal but on the victims and that their families, bringing their voices to the forefront, unlike typical true crime novels which focus on the criminal. The end result is powerful and persuasive, striking at the heart of the weakness of our criminal justice system thereby standing up for victims. A REASON TO LIFE is one of those remarkable novels that change the way we perceive justice and rights, as well as the way we prosecute criminals. Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A Reason to Live
Review: The title of this true crime book is profoundly appropriate. More than the story of a woman who survived sexual assault and attempted murder, Hills and Hudson have written an intimate portrayal of several South Carolina families, whose lives were shattered and destroyed by two men on a senseless killing spree in February of 1979...all because some guys wanted to make easy money by robbing an elderly man. The determination and courage of Wanda Summers is, for me, the profile of a heroine. This is an emotional book; it made me cry. With skill and sensitivity, the authors deal with the gruesome facts of the attacks. The details of the court case move along swiftly and then the reader must learn how the legal system can be agonizingly complicated after a guilty verdict and a death sentence. There are some bizarre connections to other crimes in A Reason to Live. True crime readers will not be disappointed with Hills and Hudson's second book! Sobering...poignant...inspiring.
Rating:
Summary: Victims finally come to light!
Review: There were many expectations as to how Dale Hudson and Billy Hills would handle their second true crime book. After all, their first, An Hour To Kill, with all its controversy and popularity, would be a hard book to follow. It was no surprise however, to find that their new book, A Reason To Live, is filled with so much more than ever was expected. In Hudson-Hills style, not only does the reader get an inside detailed and sordid crime story, but also an inside look at victimization at its finest. The story, which revolves around Wanda Summers is an inconceivable story of valiancy and determination. In 1979, Wanda Summers became the unfortunate victim of Gene Skaar and Rusty Woomer, two men with no consciousness. Wanda, along with her friend Louise, was kidnapped, brutally raped and then shot in cold blood, left to die. She and Louise were not Skaar's and Woomer's first victims however, they would be the last. Shortly after their crime spree, Gene Skaar killed himself before being apprehended by police, and Rusty Woomer was arrested and charged on numerous counts. Hudson and Hills provide a spellbinding story by introducing the reader to Wanda's life of victim and survivor, which is a rarity in true crime books today. As many books mainly focus on the crime and criminal, once again Hudson and Hills provide readers with a different look at a crime through the victim's eyes. The reader has the ability to feel the emotions that Wanda has been going through years after the crime occurred. Not only the emotions keep the reader wanting more either, the facts of the case and the determination by Wanda to change victim's rights is truly an act of bravery; after so much endurance of pain and frustration through years of legal mishaps during penalty phases for Woomer. While many readers of the true crime genre wonder what happens to the victims of violent crimes, A Reason To Live makes sure the reader is satisfied with the results of the victims afterwards, instead of leaving the reader unsettled. There is no doubt that this book will also catapult among the true crime genre population with great strides. A Reason To Live is poignant and courageous and will leave you ready to read Hudson and Hills next book.
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