stacymania's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was my first Jack Ketchum book, and now I need more! I've heard they're difficult to track down so fingers crossed!
The story starts out nice enough; two girls taken in by their aunt after a tragic accident. Narrated by the boy next door.
However, as events slowly turn to the worst, I couldn't keep this book out of my hands. Growing fear, disgust and absolute outraged gripped me. I would close the book, fearing the worst and find myself reading again almost immediately. I needed to know what happened at every turn.
TGND deals with extreme subject matter, yet Ketchum shows us just enough of the horror to keep it digestible. The unwritten horrors are implied enough that they blooms in the reader's mind, which shows his absolute talent for writing.
I have never hated a character as much as I loathed the main antagonist in The Girl Next Door. I wanted to reach into the pages and destroy her. I was so angry and devastatingly frustrated!
Ketchum formed these characters and events so well that I was fully immersed and transported into the story. Although this was probably the most horrific and difficult book I've read, it has become an immediate favourite of mine.
I need more Ketchum!
The story starts out nice enough; two girls taken in by their aunt after a tragic accident. Narrated by the boy next door.
However, as events slowly turn to the worst, I couldn't keep this book out of my hands. Growing fear, disgust and absolute outraged gripped me. I would close the book, fearing the worst and find myself reading again almost immediately. I needed to know what happened at every turn.
TGND deals with extreme subject matter, yet Ketchum shows us just enough of the horror to keep it digestible. The unwritten horrors are implied enough that they blooms in the reader's mind, which shows his absolute talent for writing.
I have never hated a character as much as I loathed the main antagonist in The Girl Next Door. I wanted to reach into the pages and destroy her. I was so angry and devastatingly frustrated!
Ketchum formed these characters and events so well that I was fully immersed and transported into the story. Although this was probably the most horrific and difficult book I've read, it has become an immediate favourite of mine.
I need more Ketchum!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, and Addiction
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