Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

66 reviews

benreadshorror's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Violence, Pedophilia, and Murder

lunahbee's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Listen. This book is a tough read. Not because of the writing but because of the subject matter. That said, I did enjoy this book because of how many emotions it brought up in me. Most of them not pleasant. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Blood, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Self harm, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Pedophilia

Listen to the warnings (Dead Dove Do Not Eat)

antari's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Torture

hailey_horror's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Car accident, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Grief

mydistortedparadise's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

Check trigger warnings. I went into this book blind - I knew it was a horror book but didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into. It feels wrong to rate this book because of the content - I can’t bring myself to comment on anything else. Despite making my stomach turn, regularly, it felt like a car crash that I couldnt look away from and had to see through the end.  
At which point. - per the authors note - I realized this was based on a true story. Which is apparently even worse, and more sickening. I cant comment on how well this book stuck to the facts as I am unfamiliar, and quite frankly I do not want to know the reality. This book was horrifying as fiction, and it feels exploitative knowing it isn’t entirely fiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Blood, Torture, Sexism, Excrement, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Bullying, Confinement, Child death, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Cursing, and Body shaming

Minor: Body shaming, Death of parent, Car accident, and Alcoholism

subkafereads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Blood, Emotional abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexism, Alcohol, Gore, and Torture

nnevergreen's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, and Sexual violence

aryanjarl's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Torture, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Child death, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Rape, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Self harm

Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Car accident

killmoore_'s review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I was very familiar with the Sylvia Likens case going in to the girl next door, and honestly, I was grateful that Ketchum took it upon himself to narrate the novel in a way that left the most gruesome details to the imagination - what happened to Sylvia was truly terrible, and to describe in detail what happened through a work of fiction would, in a way, be disrespectful.

However, despite being well written and truly gut wrenching, I feel that Ketchum missed the mark on painting a true monster in Ruth. I understand that this is written through the eyes of a child, but it really just skims the surface on what motivates a person to commit these atrocities, let alone the impact a trusted adults actions have on the children in their care. 

Girl Next Door is awful. It is a gruesome depiction of child abuse, grief and depravity, written in a way that is still palatable for the general public. Check your trigger warnings and prepare to have your heart broken. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Torture, Child abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Bullying, Rape, Child death, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Excrement, Murder, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

jmacallarnold's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault