This book was pretty good, very disturbing if you're squeamish or easily upset you should NOT read! The first half of the book was pretty slow but it set the scene well for the second half of the book and the book sped up with a horrifying yet justified ending. This book is based on a real life true crime story about the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens. I only wish what happened to Ruth in the book really did happen to Gertrude Branzieskwi the woman behind the horrors that Sylvia Liken had to face. ( )

Is violence overplayed in literature? Does it even serve a purpose anymore considering what we can read in a newspaper or see on television? I don’t have answers for these questions, but the novel The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum elucidates on these questions in horrific beauty. A story about the systematic abuse of a teenage girl by the hands of her family, friends, and community, told through the eyes of one of the abusers and so-called friends, David. Warning: this book is not for the faint of heart. Whereas one can dismiss gory unrealistic violence, this book puts violence on a new frontier of entering your own living room. I recommend this book, but I’ll never read it again. The images I’ve taken away will last a lifetime. If this title is unavailable from our library we are more than happy to ILL it for you. Happy Reading! ( )

This was my first venture into Jack Ketchum's realm of horror. The Girl Next Door masterfully tells the tale of a young boy who is conflicted between adolescent curiosity and doing the "right thing" when it comes to torturing a pretty young girl who has moved in next door. The first person narrative adds to the haunting reality of this story, because you feel like you, the reader, are there and should be doing something to stop the brutality. However, much like the main character, you cannot help but let curiosity get the best of you with every turn of the page. The book is graphic, the subject matter is extremely disturbing, but for some reason I could not look away. Another element that adds to the complexity is that an "adult", who unbeknownst to the "kids" has taken a trip on the crazy train, is leading the torture ceremony. How can it be wrong if "Mom" is doing it? I am happy I have found Jack Ketchum and I look forward to reading many, many more of his novels. ( )

Set aside - too disturbing? Need right mood to begin...

Very disturbing plot-searing, haunting, but all too real. Makes you feel that killers are lurking in our back yard. Ketchum is a terrific writer. ( )