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The Truth About Aaron
- My Journey to Understand My Brother
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Sports
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Publisher's Summary
The unvarnished true story of the tragic life and death of Aaron Hernandez, the college All-American and New England Patriots star convicted of murder, told by one of the few people who knew him best, his brother.
To football fans, Aaron Hernandez was a superstar in the making. A standout at the University of Florida, he helped the Gators win the national title in 2008. Drafted by the New England Patriots, in his second full season with the team he and fellow Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski set records for touchdowns and yardage, and with Tom Brady, led New England to Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. But Aaron’s NFL career ended as quickly as it began. On June 26, 2013, he was arrested at his North Attleboro home, charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd, and released by the Patriots. Convicted of first-degree murder, Aaron was sentenced to life in prison without parole. On May 15, 2014, while on trial for Lloyd's murder, Aaron was indicted for two more murders. Five days after being acquitted for those double murders, he committed suicide in his jail cell. Aaron Hernandez was 27 years old.
In this clear-eyed, emotionally devastating biography - a family memoir combining football and true crime - Jonathan (formerly known by his nickname DJ) Hernandez speaks out fully for the first time about the brother he knew. Jonathan draws on his own recollections as well as thousands of pages of prison letters and other sources to give us a full portrait of a star athlete and troubled young man who would become a murderer, and the darkness that consumed him. Jonathan does not portray Aaron as a victim; he does not lay the blame for his crimes on his illness. He speaks openly about Aaron’s talent, his sexuality, his crimes and incarceration, and the CTE that ravaged him - scientists found that upon his death, Aaron had the brain of a 67-year old suffering from the same condition. Filled with headline-making revelations, The Truth About Aaron is a shocking and moving account of promise, tragedy, and loss - of one man’s descent into rage and violence, as told by the person who knew him more closely than anyone else.
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What listeners say about The Truth About Aaron
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Pnic
- 10-30-18
Wow......Very Moving!!
Unbelievable book. Jonathan Hernandez pulls no punches in this book. Simply Amazing. Really helps explain Aaron
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Patsy Chance
- 02-06-19
You will not regret reading this book!
The author makes you feel like your watching his story first hand. This was a great account of how he felt as the brother.
I could not stop listening to this book until the end. Very sad for all involved and affected.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kim
- 01-27-20
Heartbreaking.
I too come from a football family, however, I have spent my adult life watching only the Super Bowl each year, that’s it, I don’t follow teams, players or seasonal games. So that all this came of interest to me has been surprising to myself.
But, I also lost a brother while we were in our 30’s in which circumstances leading up to that event held a lot of history and mysterious elements. That history also contained football head injuries.
I somehow landed on Aaron’s story during a bit of documentary watching on TV, I almost passed it over but decided to check it out. Subsequently, I watched an additional, longer and more in-depth, version on a Netflix documentary series. I found it all to be completely engrossing and heartbreaking for all involved, so complex with so many conditions coming into play that may have contributed to this terrible tragedy. With all that under my belt, I decided to go further and listen to DJ’s book. It was worth the listen. (Although some of the narrator’s dramatic inflections felt contrived and unnecessary at times)
If you see this DJ, or Jonathan, I’m SO sorry for all this to have happened in your life and for your loss, to you and your family.
And, thank you for sharing your story and your perspective. I too hope it helps people wake up more fully to the risks of this sport.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- steve willis
- 02-22-19
Eye opening
I really always hated Aaron Hernandez. I am an FSU alumni and chalked his idiocy up to the fact he is a Gator...
I selected this book just by chance . DJ does an amazing job painting a picture of a confused, tortured and gifted young man. While we cant blame everything on a persons childhood, AH had some incidences that definitely scarred him, sending him on a crazy ride in the seedy underbelly of College and NFL football.
I never knew he was battling his sexual secret until this book. It makes me feel bad for him and extremely bad for those he left behind. A very good listen.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Feather
- 03-09-20
you can find it in a book
Great read. I appreciate D. Hernandez's ability to be honest and in touch with his emotions. I loved how there are so many social issues which were discussed and relative to this very personal account. Good Job!
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- mariec_1059@yahoo.com
- 03-18-19
Amazing and sad story...
I’ve been engrossed in the podcast and now this book for 2 days. Tragic. Sad. Eye opening. Not all is what it seems and I think the way the news covered this was horribly skewed. Glad the true story came out, but quite sad that it took his death to do so.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- julia Weber
- 01-15-19
Worst book ever
This book is the worst book ever! What a crock. It’s just proof his family rode Aaron’s coat tails not just in life but also in death. A cheap ugly way to make money off of Aaron’s death.
It’s clear this is written to make the family look good, not Aaron.
It’s a little too late for that. We’ve all heard the jailhouse calls between Aaron and his mom. “You’re going to die without even knowing your son. That’s sad to me!” He said that over & over. Do not waste your money or your credits (like I did on this shitty book! If you want to read a good book get Unnecessary Roughness by Jose Baez.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-15-20
Loved it !!
I love aaron hernandez, and i finally got to understand a little bit more about you.. your story was so sad.. u finally at piece now. R.I.P Handsome!!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ms. J. Brown
- 02-26-20
Mind altering
Heartbreaking and shocking and thought provoking. we never know all the factors in what makes people tick, not even yourself. Makes me self examine my own actions and trauma I've had. We need more places for people to get help and feel safe.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Phyllis J. Hall
- 02-13-21
I heard the entire book in one sitting. Powerful!!
It is unfortunate that he didn't get the help he needed. Compassion was lacking in many of those around him.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 02-20-20
Great book
I really liked the book however you won't learn much more about the case than from the documentary. I missing information about Aaron friends, wife, other family members etc. There is much more about this story...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kelticmoon
- 02-12-19
Amazing heart felt story.
gripping story, with very open intimate accounts. I listened to the whole thing in less than 24 hours as was so into the story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr Connolly
- 11-21-18
Wow
I read this book in 2 days. I could not put it down. The book is so raw.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- CatHat
- 11-05-18
Insightful
I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was great. The story of Aaron Hernandez can best be described as a waste of good talent. There are so many factors that led to his epic downfall, least of which is Aaron himself! It is definitely worth the read/listen. The mist fascinating and informative part of the story centers around CTE and the effect it has on sufferers.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Stephen Hughes
- 11-04-18
A very different view on Aaron Hernandez
Following the Boston Globe series on Aaron Hernandez, this book provides a very different insight into the childhood and life of this troubled sportstar. Offers some additional history to the now well known story.
It's written very much in a child-like perspective memory from his brother. I feels it over simplifies in parts but otherwise an entertaining read
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 07-13-20
Enjoyed this
I enjoyed listening to this book to have more of an insight into his life, though it was not as comprehensive as it could have been