Living Dead Girl (original 2008; edition 2008)

I did not care for this book. It wasn't the subject matter, because I have read other books that dealt with the same subject. There was just something about it that didn't click with me. ( )

graphic but accurate ( )

Brilliantly written and emotionally wrenching! ( )

I saw this book all the time, on Goodreads, on favorite lists, mentioned by authors, in a conversation about disturbing books, but I only picked it up after I put it on the wall and even then, I hadn't actually paid attention to what the book was about. This was probably a mistake. I basically read this book with bug eyes and slack-jawed astonishment, flying through the pages in a frenzy as I found out about how Alice was abducted and sexually abused for five years. She was starved to keep her body childlike, and she has received no education since her abduction. Some reviewers label this book as horror, and it honestly reads like a horror book, or a thriller, because it is off-putting and I was not sure where the story was going to end. I was compelled to keep reading. But one cannot call this story unrealistic. Pedophilia, child sex trafficking, and their like are very much still happening. I am uncomfortable recommending alternative reads to this one as most of the ones that come to mind do not actually cover the same topics: kidnapping is not always sexual, abuse is not always sexual abuse, captive/captor are not always deranged adult and young child, etc. If you want to read about what it might be like for the victims of a murderous pedophile or are looking for a shock, read this. It is uncomfortable and it is unforgettable.

This mini-review was part of a series of 7 mini-reviews of short YA books I wrote for a post over at our blog, The Readventurer. ( )

A frightening, disturbing, and gripping read. The author gets right inside character's head and the stark way the book is written offers just enough explanation as well as leaving just enough horror to the imagination. I like that Ray's background is explored a bit, showing the reader how he became the way he is. I find the ending a bit too dramatic and a bit predictable but it is fitting.

Besides a peek inside the mind of a kidnapped and abused girl, I'm not sure what this book offers to young readers, since there's no real lesson here (not that there needs to be) and it seems more to be about shock value. Still, this was an addictive read, the kind of book that you can't put down (and it certainly is slim enough to finish in one sitting), and the story haunts you long after you've finished it. ( )