The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum
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Book Reviews of The Girl Next Door
Book Review: Wonderful, yet terrible
Summary: 5 Stars
The Girl Next Door is one of the hardest books to rate. Yes, it's an incredibly well-written novel and amazing novel, but at the same time, it's utterly terrible. I've read a few horror books and none of the others horrified me like The Girl Next Door did.
I saw The Girl Next Door movie about two years ago, so I already had an idea about how hard it would be to read this book. Immediately, you start to sympathize with Meg. And when the abuse starts, you flinch and think "Oh my God, this is terrible", and yet you feel a sense of relief as you think "Well, now things can't possibly get any worse for her", but it does.
Reading this book, I felt like a voyeur. Seeing these things happen to this little girl and being powerless to stop it is one of the worse feelings ever. Sure, I was thinking, "It's just a book, calm down", but this novel is based on a true story so it just makes those feelings of contempt to the people doing this to Meg get stronger. Even though, you dislike everything that's happening in the book, it's like a trainwreck you can't look away.
This book is an eye-opener to just how evil the human spirit can be. Even the most normal-looking family has the potential to inflict a serious amount of pain to a fellow human being. That thought in mind made this book that much harder to finish. Yet I did, but cried through those last 100 pages as Meg's abuse got worse and worse.
The Girl Next Door is not for the faint of heart. It's an amazing, yet terrible book. While I don't regret reading it, I'm not exactly thrilled that I did.
Book Review: A emotionally tough read
Summary: 5 Stars
While I won't rehash the whole plot line as that has already been done, I will say that this is a brutal haunting story based on a true crime, and Ketchum's writing will make you squirm while you read it. It is certainly not for the faint of heart, nor should it be considering the storyline. When reading about something this brutal and ugly and that really happened, a good author should put you there in that world with the characters and Ketchum does that effectively enough that you are conflicted between wanting to read the whole book in a sitting, while at the same time really wanting put the book down so you don't have to find out what horrifying thing is happening next. Considering a real human being suffered these things, it SHOULD make readers feel traumatized and if an author can't accomplish this then he has not done the story justice. This book fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your perspective) accomplishes this and by the end of the book leaves the reader feeling emotionally spent and traumatized. As a mother of daughters, in particular, I had a very hard time reading this, and even though I read this a couple years ago the story still haunts me. Crimes against children are always a tough read. It also is an interesting perspective on the ugly side of human nature and the power of peer pressure within a group. This is probably Ketchum's best novel, so if you are trying him out for the first time this is good place to start, but be forewarned it is not an uplifting tale, but instead an ugly look into the brutal sides of human nature.Book Review: the girl next door
Summary: 5 Stars
I finished this book in about 2 days. I had already seen the movie probably about 6 months earlier, and I've recently watched An American Crime. Although some people may think that 16 is a little young to be reading this book or to watch the movie, I can say that The Girl Next Door has given me a whole new look on child abuse. Sylvia was my age when all this was happening to her and although I wasn't even born when this all happened, much less even thought of at the time, I wish I could have been there to help her. When reading this book I often caught myself holding my breath, just waiting to hear what woupld happen next. I couldn't imagine living the life she had. In my opinion, (and not trying in any way to be offensive to anyone) I feel that Sylvia is in a better place. She didnt have to go through life remembering what happened to her day after day, she would never have to suffer through any pain again, nor would she ever have to explain to a man why those words were scarred on her stomach. (And about 50 years after her death, she is now reunited with her sister Jennie who passed away in 2004 of a heart attack.) I know that this book isn't the true story of Sylvia Likens, and after see The Girl Next Door, I started researching it a little more. I have to say this book touched me in ways no other book has, and I do recommend it for other adults and young teens, both girls and boys my age to read. Even though it may not have the same effect on you, as it did to me, I hope that you have a different view on child abuse now as well.Book Review: The most disturbing book
Summary: 5 Stars
Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door came off to me as being little more than splatterpunk pulp horror. As a result it sat on my shelf for a few months while I read other novels I bought in the same order. Three days ago I was in a book store waiting on a friend, I passed through the horror section and saw this book. Remembering that I'd bought it, I flipped it open and read the first page. I thought it was pretty gory, as a result I started reading my copy that night when I got home. I didn't really get into the book until Meg's aunt began her verbal abuse, after that I couldn't stop reading.
This book is disturbing not because of the content, I've read more graphic depictions of violence before. What makes this a truly terrible book is how real and plausible the plot seems. I started imagining it occurring in my next door neighbors house, I started thinking about people I know who have been mistreated by their parents. The Girl Next Door is more than anything a portrait of child abuse, after reading it I think it's impossible to not empathize with the characters and those who have suffered similarly in real life.
I wouldn't recommend reading this unless you're seriously a gore hound. This disgusted me and usually I don't even acknowledge torture and violence in books.
Book Review: Riveting
Summary: 5 Stars
The Girl Next Door is one of the few books that I have read that I absolutely could not put down. I devoured the book in just under 24 hours. The story focuses on David, a young teen, and what he witnesses as Meg and her sister move in with a neighbor, Ruth.
The story builds slowly, hinting at the horrors to come, and then explodes into one of the most brutal, riveting, and memorable books you will ever read. Ketchum does a wonderful job at allowing the tension and to build, and does so with with amazing flow.
There has been much said about the graphic nature of this book. Please note that this story is by no means "torture porn". Sure, there is inhuman cruelty, and sure, it is shocking in its impact. But the real reason that The Girl Next Door will turn your stomach and leave you in tears is because this is based on a true story and you simply cannot believe what one human can do to another.
You will remember Meg, Ruth and David, and they will linger with you for quite some time. That is the highest compliment I can give this book. A must read.