If a book interests me, I will read it, regardless of genre. Though my favorite genre is romance, and most books I have read are romance, nonfiction is always fascinating. I usually don’t trust TikTok book recommendations because they have disappointed me. However, I decided to buy this book because the first few words stood out and made me want to understand the author and their story more. Those words were: “I liked hurting girls. Mentally, not physically, I never hit a girl in my life. Well, once. But that was a mistake. I’ll tell you about it later. The thing is, I got off on it. I really enjoyed it.” As soon as I read these words, I knew I had to go and buy a copy of Diary of an Oxygen Thief, written by Anonymous.
To summarize, as stated above, this man got off on hurting women. He would pretend he loved them and then damage them entirely mentally, to the point where they were highly depressed or went so far as to commit suicide. He kept this up until he met a woman who treated him like he had treated the previous women and understood how they felt. Though not as profound as theirs, there is a bit of pain that he tries to hide but fails to do.
This book is crazy and genuinely unlike any other book I’ve read, and I did enjoy it. Having the author spill his deepest secrets made me feel close to him and gave me insight into why people do what they do. I appreciate how descriptive the narrator was as well. Though he was utterly in the wrong, he presents beautiful imagery and makes the readers feel like they are truly there with him. The narrator also added some dark humor to his pages, which makes the book even more unique through its disturbing feeling.
However, the book does get a little slow at times, mainly towards the middle of the second chapter. The book has only three chapters, but they are lengthy. The second chapter talks a lot about his personal life, and as I said above, he is very descriptive, so he goes into many specific details. I didn’t feel like this added to the story; it just felt like he was giving extra information, which is expected because it is his diary, which brings me to my next point. Many people were not too fond of the book because there was no character development, which doesn’t make sense. After all, this is his diary. He’s a manipulator. Therefore, there will not be a happy ending. He’s not going to change his ways; he doesn’t feel sorry at all for the girls he tortured. The last words of his book are: “Congratulate me.” This shows how you can never change a manipulator, for this mindset never leaves.
I look forward to reading his sequel and hearing what else he says because I didn’t think he would write another one. There is more to the story that has yet to be uncovered.
I recommend reading this book if you’re looking for something different and a little strange. Despite the reviews, I think it is a good book and am glad I read it. I hope this review urges you to do the same.