Review by
Caroline
Living Dead Girl Review
One Word: Intense. Living Dead Girl is definitely a book that absolutely has to be read in one sitting. From the moment I picked it up, I was hooked-- hooked because I was disgusted, speechless, confused, repulsed, entranced. With short chapters, riveting dialogue, and an altogether dramatic storyline, Living Dead Girl was absolutely breathtaking. So much so, that I am at a loss of words to describe the horrifying plot.
This is the book parents should use to warn their kids about stranger-danger. “Stranger-Danger” makes the whole ordeal sound innocent and stupid. I find it impossible to believe that warning a child of men who ask you for help finding their puppy is going to prevent a kid from being stolen. The pros have craftier ways of enticing “little girls.” This book should be the warning-- schools and parents simply must stop coddling children and using innocent sounding euphemisms to “teach” kids. We live in reality, like Alice says, we do not live in a world where the bad guys are easily distinguished. Mostly, I think society tries so hard not to frighten children that in the process they are left unaware of the full measure of danger.
Elizabeth Scott amazes me. There is not a single character in the novel that serves no purpose. What irritates me is that I couldn’t fully hate Ray, because he had gone through what Alice had too, and she was almost just as bad as him. Also, I wanted to be angry with Alice, but, yet again, I couldn’t because of horrible conditions. So, basically, I couldn’t hate the characters but I desperately wanted to-- stupid compassion.
If you want an entrancingly disturbing read pick up Living Dead Girl, but read with caution. It’s a creepy one.
Review by
Emily
Living Dead Girl Review
Five years ago, Alice was kidnapped by Ray, and since then she has endured horrible physical and emotional abuse. But she is getting older and Ray wants a new little girl, so he enlists Alice to help him find his next victim. Is this the salvation she was hoping for?
I couldn't put this book down. It's an absolute page-turner, and from the very beginning I was drawn in to Alice's mind and her bizarre, twisted life with Ray. The story is told solely from Alice's point of view, in a stream-of-consciousness way that underscores how alienated her life is from the world around her. And Scott does an excellent job of characterizing Ray through Alice's eyes. This book is a fascinating psychological thriller that explores guilt, despair, and hope through the eyes of a very damaged but very strong girl.
