If You Tell. By Gregg Olsen 🎧 Listen to Free Audiobook Online

https://amzn.to/4sWz0T5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This story is just horrifying. It’s heartbreaking but also really well told. Honestly, I wish it was just fiction. But unfortunately, it’s a true crime story that hits way too close to home. My heart goes out to these girls, their cousin Shane, and the families of all the victims of this evil woman. 💔
I really recommend this audiobook because I think it’s incredibly powerful and eye-opening. I honestly enjoyed listening to it and couldn’t put it down. It made me think deeply about human nature and how some people can be so cruel.
Nature or Nurture? I honestly don’t know what I think anymore. I believe most behaviors are shaped by nurture, but in cases of abuse, it seems like DNA and nature might play a bigger role. I’ve seen how abuse can turn someone into an abuser, like my ex — he was also abused and became one himself. I just don’t get why some people want others to suffer like they did.
Many descriptions in this book sound just like him, except Shelley’s sadistic enjoyment of torture was on a whole other level. Mr. Olsen starts the story before Shelley was old enough for nurture to matter much, but her background shows she had a double whammy of influence. She inherited a lot of her disorder from her mother and her paternal grandmother, and she learned behaviors from them — so nurture definitely played a part too!
As a Christian, I find it hard not to think about the devil when a child acts out in such a hateful way at such a young age. Like Flip Wilson used to say, “The devil made me do it!” It’s not that simple, but honestly, a young child doesn’t usually have the capacity for such narcissism and sadism — Shelley was that way. She ruined her dad and Lara’s plans for a fun family day.
That’s why I lean toward nature being a big factor. But since she repeated her grandmother’s behaviors, I also believe nurture played a role. The question is, why didn’t Lara’s example teach her better behavior?
Why are so many of us vulnerable to abusive personalities? Like Sami, I’m a “peacemaker.” I want to be liked and needed. I grew up not knowing abuse, and I thought my ex might change over time. He didn’t. Many of us are “fixers,” believing we can change the abuser — but we can’t. Others, like Shelley’s three husbands, are too blinded or in denial to see how evil their loved ones really are.
At first, I felt sorry for Dave, seeing him as another victim. But once he started enabling Sherry, I didn’t feel so much sympathy anymore.
As a healthcare provider, the way Mr. Olsen writes about everything didn’t bother me as much as the emotions it stirred up. My PTSD kicked in hard. If you’re very sensitive to graphic descriptions of physical and emotional abuse or haven’t been exposed to them before, this book might not be for you.
Personally, I found it fascinating because I love psychology. My only critique is that I wish there was more insight into what Shelley was thinking during her episodes. We see her actions and hear her speech, but I’d love to know what was going on inside her mind. I understand why Mr. Olsen didn’t include that — Shelley was a pathological liar, probably never revealing her true thoughts. I think he could have interviewed her extensively and still never uncovered the full truth.
Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook and strongly recommend it. It’s intense but so thought-provoking. It’s one of those stories that stays with you long after listening.