A review by _youfloweryoufeast_
The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4⭐️ 
 
Genre: Historical thriller (I’m not sure, I searched up on google to find a name that describes a true crime  based fiction book and this came up)   
Age group : Adult
POV : First person
Characters: 1/5 ⭐️
Plot: 4/5 ⭐️
Setting/Themes: 3/5 ⭐️
Writing: 4/5 ⭐️
Terror factor: 5/5 ⭐️

• Please check TWs & CWs. (Very heavy triggers)
• mature language, torture, starvation,abuse of a minor, child abuse, rape, sexual violence and sexual harassment, burning, branding, degradation, severe torture, murder, death & so much more.

“In the artificial glare of the work light, in the dawn that for us was not a dawn, she died.”

Let me start by saying, please go in with lots of caution. I picked up this book thinking it was about a serial killer. I did not read the blurb but I wanted to go in blind. It was way worse. A lot more sinister. Few chapters in and I realised that this was the fictionised story of Sylvia Likens. And Sylvia’s case broke my heart, truly. Nevertheless, I pulled through the book, to see if my suspicions were right. They were (the author mentions it in his author’s note)

If you’re looking for something so severely disturbing that will make you begin questioning your faith in humanity? This is the book for it. Again I say, please tread carefully. The book goes into heavy detail. 

Yes, despite it all. I have no soft spot for Dave whatsoever. He tried to help sure, but it was too late. At the end of the day, he stood there too. And for the rest of them? I can’t even begin to tell you how much I wished they were dead. But the sad reality’s that they all truly are roaming free. Because what? They were children? That’s bullhshit, they were old enough to know what they were doing. I’m not saying that they’re not victims of their mother’s manipulation, they sure are. But they played an equally horrible role in Meg’s demise.

Ruth. No words. Glad she’s dead. Glad she died that way even.