Targeted and Trolled by Rossalyn Warren

 

Review Date: 21 October 2015

Author: Rossalyn Warren

Release Date: 22 October 2015

Publishers: Transworld Digital

52pp

Available in Kindle

 

The Last Word Review

Such an important book that deserves to be read by a wide audience

There have been a number of high profile cases of people being attacked through Social Media by ‘trolls’. At last we now have an account of what it is like from the victim’s perspective to face the appalling threats every day.

Targeted and Trolled by Rossalyn Warren is a book that I would urge people to read, as this really is a first-hand account of a woman being targeted and attacked online. I must admit I was not sure when asked what to make of such a book but I am now delighted that I was asked as I have now learnt so much about the appalling acts of online terror that these ‘trolls’ do to their victims.

Rossalyn Warren’s book is primarily aimed at the online attacks aimed at women as they tend to be much more serious in their threats. Some of the attacks are really horrific in nature.

At the dawn of the age of the internet and then Social Media networks I do not honestly believe that anyone could have seen anything like this happening to the appalling level that it has reached.

Targeted and Trolled is a short eBook running at about 52 pages but as I found out Warren pulls no punches in her description of what she had to endure everyday she switched on her Computer. No woman should ever have to endure  daily online abuse and sickening threats.

To quote from the book, ‘In fairy tales trolls are a supernatural being that lives in the wilderness or lurks under a bridge. Internet trolls are similar but lack the supernatural folklore, these trolls pervade the internet looking for their next victim’.  That alone sounds like a line from a top selling thriller novel but in fact what we have here is actual fact. That is frightening just thinking about it.

Warren through the book looks at the reasons as to why women are the primary targets not ignoring men who are targeted just that the level of threat to Women is much more severe.

The fact that many who commit online abuse whether that is through issuing threats to their victims, stalking, revenge porn or trolling they feel that their behaviour is entirely justified and acceptable. I was shocked to read that and left me not only cold but asking why?

A number of cases in recent years have involved  some high profile women including Sue Perkins just because she was being tipped as one the new presenters for the BBC show ‘Top Gear’

How do we move forward and stop this from happening that is what Warren also looks at and it is good to hear that Some countries are now taking positive action in not only identifying the perpetrators of these crimes but also holding the individuals to account. Social Media outlets also must do more to prevent attacks and track down perpetrator’s.

I must warn you that some of the detail is disturbing but I feel that Targeted and Trolled is a book that had to be written and now needs to be read by a ‘wide’ audience.

Thank you to Transworld Publishers for a review copy.

The Targeted and Trolled blog tour is currently under way and further details are available on the poster below were you can read more as well as interviews with the author Rossalyn Warren.