Scan barcode
mistimacabre's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, and Murder
kconjerti's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
nochy123's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Torture, Violence, and Murder
anakaur's review
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was so... frustrating.
There were many points where I did want to DNF. I'm okay with reading triggering descriptions but I don't think I've read anything this heavy and relentless. There wasn't a single breather. As a reader I felt trapped , watching something I shouldn't be, and there wasn't anyone I could go to.
But then why did I give this a high of a rating?...
Well I left the book feeling like: "I know I can't recommend this to anyone, and I know that I don't want to be reading anything like this again. But I feel like I had to read something like this a least once". I know it sounds ridiculous, but I truly feel that this book scared the by stander effect out of me.
A lot of people ask what the point of writing something that's essentially torture p*rn, could be? And that was the point of the book for me. The point was that yes this is hard to watch, but there are many people, like our main character, that just watch.
I left this book with so much anger. And I still don't know where to place that anger yet, I just know that it is righteous and I can do some good things with it.
It broke me and angered me further to learn that this story was based on a real case, and the real case was more horrific than the book. So I do ask for those that DNF-ed the Girl Next Door to spare a thought for Sylvia. For those like her that could have been saved if only someone that was just watching, actually said something, or done something.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Murder
roncanread's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
caidyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
This book was one of those Halloween books that you crave during the fall season. And it met more expectations than I expected it to.
It begins with a man, David, looking back on his life and on one particular summer that changed his whole life. I didn't like the way it was done; I felt that the beginning portion was unneeded and that the author should have just jumped head first into the story. Yes, it was nice to be able to draw parallels from the present to make the past, where the story lies, more deep.
David is one of those easy manipulated people, really just goes along with the crowd. And he remains that way, with the help of Ruth, for most of the story. Ruth is the true antagonist, the one driving David's conflict of either telling about what is happening to this poor girl, Meg, or forget about it and just watch. He's not active in any of the torture but I do think that he would have been if he hadn't had created a bond with Meg in the beginning.
One thing I loved about this book was how real it felt. The torture displayed in this book has happened before and will happen again. Fear can force people down and lift people up, as seen with the boys and Ruth, the overwhelming evil of the story. She seems normal, drawing the boys in and showing that she can be their friend. Then she flips the tables, still showing how friendly she can be with them but warping it with the treatment she shows to be okay towards one person.
Ruth really reminded me of Hitler. I'm reading Elie Wiesel's Night in school currently so I guess I'm drawing from that. But going on. Hitler showed that it was alright to treat the Jews the way that he did and then, when his little servants had seen that it was okay and taken notes on what to do, he turned them loose, and they committed the true atrocities while he just sat back and let it happen.
The ending was great. With David killing Ruth, the unwilling accomplice turning against the leader, it marked a huge change for his character that had been starting since he tried to help Meg escape. And the part I liked the most of the ending was with Woofer and how he had been impacted, drawing in David's life experiences with what we were given of that summer and with his wives, and how someone else took what happened and what he had seen made the book really remarkable and well rounded.
It begins with a man, David, looking back on his life and on one particular summer that changed his whole life. I didn't like the way it was done; I felt that the beginning portion was unneeded and that the author should have just jumped head first into the story. Yes, it was nice to be able to draw parallels from the present to make the past, where the story lies, more deep.
David is one of those easy manipulated people, really just goes along with the crowd. And he remains that way, with the help of Ruth, for most of the story. Ruth is the true antagonist, the one driving David's conflict of either telling about what is happening to this poor girl, Meg, or forget about it and just watch. He's not active in any of the torture but I do think that he would have been if he hadn't had created a bond with Meg in the beginning.
One thing I loved about this book was how real it felt. The torture displayed in this book has happened before and will happen again. Fear can force people down and lift people up, as seen with the boys and Ruth, the overwhelming evil of the story. She seems normal, drawing the boys in and showing that she can be their friend. Then she flips the tables, still showing how friendly she can be with them but warping it with the treatment she shows to be okay towards one person.
Ruth really reminded me of Hitler. I'm reading Elie Wiesel's Night in school currently so I guess I'm drawing from that. But going on. Hitler showed that it was alright to treat the Jews the way that he did and then, when his little servants had seen that it was okay and taken notes on what to do, he turned them loose, and they committed the true atrocities while he just sat back and let it happen.
The ending was great. With David killing Ruth, the unwilling accomplice turning against the leader, it marked a huge change for his character that had been starting since he tried to help Meg escape. And the part I liked the most of the ending was with Woofer and how he had been impacted, drawing in David's life experiences with what we were given of that summer and with his wives, and how someone else took what happened and what he had seen made the book really remarkable and well rounded.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail