The Girl Next Door

I must start by saying that I love horror stories. One of my favorite genres, so I was expecting to like this book considerably. But I didn't, and I'm trying to figure out why. Perhaps it is too realistic. Meaning, horror usually has an element of the improbable, but this story seems like it could happen anytime, anywhere. Given that aspect, what happens to Meg seems like torture porn. A voyeuristic observation of the terrible. Why is reading about it somehow better than watching the real thing occurring on YouTube? It isn't. The written word doesn't elevate the story above video. Think about that. Would you want to watch a person being horrifically tortured? If not, then why would you want to read about it?

Ketchum does try to analyze the psychological aspects of the characters, to some degree. Especially the main character. Why does David go along with the torture, and how do his reactions/justifications change over time? But that inquiry comes across as a sideline, and perhaps as a justification for including the torture porn.

I certainly understand Ketchum's interest in psychopaths, in understanding their thought processes, motivations, etc. I am interested myself. But for that, look to real-life examples. Far too many exist. There is no need to create a fictionalized version, to put more of that horror out into the world.

This isn’t a “good” book. It’s well-written and does the Slyvia Likens case justice, without exploitation, but it’s not pleasant, to say the least, and not for the faint of heart. Ketchum delves deep into the human psyche, showing how easy it could be for people to torture one another, how easy it is to view others as objects, how easy it is to do nothing but watch when you know something unspeakable is happening to your fellow man. The condition of being human is already a fragile thing, but then add a healthy dose of mental illness, a predisposition to violence, internalized misogyny, some charisma, and a few impressionable followers and you have Ruth, a bottomless chasm, shaped like a human. This is the most disturbing book I’ve ever read. I won’t recommend it.

This is the hardest book for me to rate.

I want to rate it a 5 star because it was greatly written. I want to give it 5 stars because I couldn't stop reading. I did have to put it down once, and step away from it. It almost became too much for me. I knew what I was getting my self into before I even downloaded this on my Kindle. It is based on a true story. I read about the story on line and knew how it ended. If you are looking for a happy ever after with this book your not going to get it. It's brutal, it tears me apart.

When starting this book there is no looking back. I had to finish it knowing how horrible it was going to end. It was unbelievable how suck, twisted some people really are in this world. I think what really got me with this book is that it was ALL TRUE . Based on a true story doesn't get any realer then that. When reading all my fiction dark books I love them. But for some reason when it hits me that this shit I am reading is real, it pushes me to my limits that I didn't even know I had.

Your in a 12 year old boys POV on his side of the story. On how he watched all of things happen to this little girl 14 years old right in front of him, living next door to this type of crap. He is a by stander, a victim. Guilt and desires mix with him, that was just to real.

But I will rate this book 5 stars because it was a horrible amazing book that I will never forget. I am sure I will be thinking about this book forever. It cuts it that deep for me.

Would love to read more from Jack Ketchum but I think I will need to read him in long breaks. He terrifies me now. LOL

I consider myself pretty hardened to what I read. Able to detach myself and keep in perspective that it's a book, not real life. Most of the time. This book pulled me in in the worst way possible. I could see what he was describing, smell the smells, hear the cries. The 3 stars are for the sheer will it takes someone to tell a story like this, be it fiction or not. The 2 stars were taken away because I never want to believe anyone capable of the kind of depravity that I read in these pages.

Jack Ketchum, a very nice man judging from an interview I once read, again unleashes his darker side in his most shocking book ever. Set in the Fifties--regarded by some as a bland and boring decade--this book chronicles the abuse, torture and murder of a luckless young girl left in the care of a depraved, sadistic family. (Anyone who eats hot dogs, beans AND sauerkraut all in one meal HAS to be sick!) The book is well-crafted which somehow makes the events therein all the more disturbing. The home-grown tortures are detailed with Ketchum's usual lack of restraint and they’re not for the faint of heart. Ketchum's "dark side," however,
is no worse than the atrocities that inspired this novel. Over a period of four months in 1965, a teenager named Sylvia Likens was systematically abused and tortured to death by a family of low-lifes, and their friends, in Indianapolis. In terms of individual suffering this ranks as The Crime Of The Century, and there was no real payback as there was for the main villain in Ketchum's novel.
God forbid that such a crime should happen next door to anybody, ever again.

I'll start by saying this book needs all the trigger warnings known to man: abuse, rape, domestic violence, mutilation... There are too many to list. Needless to say, this book isn't for the faint of heart.

This book, long story short, is the tale of a girl tormented by family and friend - the people who were supposed to comfort her when her parents were killed. Instead, under the "care" of her aunt and her sons, she is subjected to every kind of abuse imaginable. And the narrator, the "protagonist" of the story bears witness to almost all of it.

The worst part of this book is that it is based on a true story. These abuses were suffered by a real girl. While this story is fiction, you are haunted knowing that all these torments were once suffered by a real person. And that should be enough to sicken anyone.

I give stars based on enjoyability of a book. This book is well written based on editing, detail, and the fact that you could imagine these people in your all too real world. And that's where the joy fails. These things happen. This book is a page turner in the fact that the shock, horror, and sheer leaves you still reading, witnessing, just like the protagonist.

You're left clinging to the ideal that there has to be a good ending... right?

I gave this book a five star rating because Jack Ketchum is an excellent writer and captures your attention from the beginning. In this book although dark in nature he manages to keep the pace steady while making you feel your heart will explode with the emotions the book elicits. I felt the pain of the girl in the book. My heart broke for her and her sister. I felt it was similar to The Lord of the Flies in that it shows how quickly children can give in to destructive behavior. This book is not for the light hearted. The tears I cried were for the girl the book was based upon. I can't imagine how the author must have felt while writing this book. I'm sure he cried tears of his own.

This is one of the most intense, horrifying and moving book that I've ever read. Honestly, this is not going to be for most people. The whole second half of the book had me wound up in a weird emotional state. I was horrified at what was taking place. I was constantly near tears for what was happening to the characters. And as much as I wanted things to stop, for the characters to snap out of it and do the right thing, I couldn't put the book down because I had to know what was going to happen.

The basic premise, as told by our protagonist, is that a young girl and her sister move in next door with their mom's sister when their parents die. Unfortunately the aunt is slowly losing her marbles.

Part of what makes the story so gripping is not the events that unfold but that everything is so real. The horrors inflected are done by real people, not crazed psychos or weirdos. Everyone is easy to identify with and remember from your own childhood that when things go bad, it's not just the characters world that goes spinning, it's your own as well. There is no way around it; if you read this book, you will end up feeling a swirl of emotions and thoughts. You will definitely be moved and affected, and it's going to be a heavy move.

This book was disturbing... so disturbing in fact that I really struggled to get through some parts of it. I kept imagining the horrific things being done to some young girl and I kept having to choke back the anger at the monsters that do such things, whether they be children or adults. Of course, I recognized immediately the similarity to the Sylvia Likens case and to that monster Gertrude Baniszewski and her band of demons. This story brought that awful case to the forefront of my mind. I'm giving this 4 stars because it was so well-written and not for the story itself, which just sickens me and makes my heart hurt for victims of abuse of any kind.

I have to say...this is a five star book when considering the talent of the author, but a 2 star book when considering subject. The book description really says it all--it's about a girl being tortured. FOR 70% OF THE BOOK! I like dark subject matters, but I didn't like that it was entirely dark. Sure, there is the interesting question about "permission" when committing an act of violence, but that wasn't enough for me. I didn't want to read about someone suffering for most of the book.

I honestly didn't know if this review was ever going to happen. Why? Because I didn't know if I had the cajones to make it through this book. However, I'm proud to say I made it (barely).

If you know anything about Jack Ketchum, you know that his stories are not necessarily scary, but very disturbing and uncomfortable. The Girl Next Door is probably his most disturbing, horrific, stomach-churning, in-your-face-story to date.

You've read the synopsis above, so you kinda have a gist of what the story is about. What you don't get from the synopsis is the depth of abuse and torture these two girls (Meg, 14 & Susan, 9) endure. It's just unimaginable. What is even worse is this story is loosely based on actual events (if you are curious, google the name Sylvia Likens). I'm not going to even begin to go into any kind of detail about the abuse...it's really that terrible. There were certain points in the story I had to put down the book because it affected so much I had to have a moment to shed some tears.

You are probably wondering why on Earth I would give a book like this 5 stars. Well, it's a tricky thing. The Girl Next Door is hard to rate and review because of the subject matter. The way Ketchum wrote this story, he put me, as the reader, on the front lines of what was happening. This story is told from the POV of David, the next door neighbor and he seen first hand what happened to these girls. The way the story reads, it's like I was David. I was seeing all of this, and I felt helpless. Ketchum PUT ME THERE. I wanted to yell and scream at the characters in the story, I wanted to hurt the abusers--wanted them DEAD, just so these little girls could get away. Honestly, I have never been so involved in a story. I've never felt such strong (at times unbearable) emotions reading a story before. After the last page, I was drained.

Would I recommend this book? Only if you think you can handle it.

I really wanted to rate this book 4 stars, honestly. However due to the extremely brutal and graphic nature of the subject matter, I just couldn't. Let's face it, The Girl Next Door is disturbing. Knowing that it's based on something that actually happened makes me want to vomit. It may be unfair to the author to lower a rating a bit based on the subject matter, but I do rate books partially based upon my enjoyment of them and I honestly did not enjoy much about this book.

All this being said, I did find The Girl Next Door to be a riveting page turner, one that I really didn't want to put down in-between readings. The horror and revulsion that I felt over the events of the plot plus my absolute frustration at the actions (or inaction)of the narrator were completely over-ridden by a morbid need to know how the terrible events would play out in the end.

*****spoiler*****The fact that the narrator did finally give the reader some retribution at the end albeit too late was a nice moment in an otherwise grisly tale.*****spoiler*****

I'd have to read more by this author to make a decision on whether or not he's a good writer, but in this case at least, he managed to hold my interest through-out the novel.

As for whether or not I'd recommend this book to others, I'd have to say yes AND no. I would definitely NOT recommend this to anyone under the age of 18. I'd even hesitate to recommend it to those who are parents of children under the age of 18. The events of the story are real enough to make one seriously question how impressionable and easily manipulated children can be and how being in contact with an adult who is screwed up enough in the head could actually encourage them to participate in activities that they KNOW are morally wrong and that will scar their psyches for the rest of their lives. If you have a strong stomach and can handle reading about very disturbing behavior of human beings towards other human beings, then by all means give this book a shot.

I was expecting scary; biting-my-nails, holding-my-breath, chewing-my-lip scary. Instead, I got something that makes me feel like I need to see a therapist. I didn't completely love this book, as dazed, confused, and freaked out as it's left me. However, I did enjoy the suspense of it, the "what's going to happen next" and the "how could this possibly escalate" feeling. Obviously, no one enjoys reading about such topics, but Ketchum kept me hooked with those questions, therefore I was unable to stop. Now, if only I could bleach my brain...

This is a great book. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I think I read the whole book in 2 days. It kept my interest. I didn't know they made a movie about the book, now I think I want to see the movie. I'm not real sure about it though. The book was so graphic that I don't know if I'd be able to watch the movie if it follows the events in the book. I know there are sick people out there, but this was over the top of sick. The whole family was sick. Too bad the kids couldn't get more time for their crime. Yes they were juveniles but they knew what they were doing was wrong and cruel but they didn't care.

I had heard a great deal about Jack Ketchum's novel The Girl Next Door before I read it. I kept reading about how disturbing this novel was and how it was not for the faint of heart to even attempt. When I actually gained the courage to read the book for myself I discovered that all of those reviews about how horrific this novel was was absolutely CORRECT!!! This novel absolutely terrified me! To think about something like this actually happening (it did) is enough to cause one to develop some kind of complex. The violence and the terror are enough to cause the reader to cower behind a pillow or sofa but the sheer horror involved in what is happening and how it is being accepted is outrageous. This is a book for those who are ready for hardcore horror. It has a great story and starts so innocently and I think that is what disturbed me the most...how innocent everything starts out until WHAM! Jack Ketchum has greatly earned my respect and I have begun reading his other work (Ladies' Night and The Lost). He is a great writer who can cause emotion to build until it is nearly unbearable. The Girl Next Door is a novel for you to enjoy if you have the stomach for it. Just keep telling yourself it's only a novel, it's only a novel, it's not real, it's not real (except it is)!

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.

"You think you know about pain?'' You do not know what true pain is although you might think you do. The story is about two young girls who suffered unspeakable torture from their aunt, the neighborhood kids, and one kid's plight to save them. It also deals with the narrator's conscience and how it breaks him down on a daily basis and his never ending "pain". Think of all those times you hear about kids who have been kidnapped on the news, throw into it some recipes of "Saw," and then think of how twisted humanity can be. It dives into the human mind and how monstrous, dark, and sinister it can be without any filters (well except for one).

I can't say that I ''enjoy'' the book because I don't think that anyone sane can enjoy children being hurt like that, I just can't. It's the most uncomfortable book I've ever read, but it definitely made me emotional. To bring out such strong emotions just means that the book is good in what it does. It makes you question things and the darkness that humans are capable of. It made me cry, my stomach churn (if it doesn't, you should seek therapy) like I want to throw up my dinner, that I wish these monsters (what if they're mere kids who didn't know any better? should we charge them as adults? these are the questions that haunts me as well) die to the millionth hell. The worst emotion rolling through me is that it made me indignant to the tenth degree. There were so many chances for someone to stop it, that so many people had the ability to question things and ended it. It's like wondering why neighbors don't report crimes, but then maybe that's what is wrong with society and it's easy to blame others. We're too scare or don't care enough most of the time. Maybe that's what Ketchum wants us to "see." This is the question that haunts the narrator's dreams and gnaws away at his very core like a parasite waiting to be spit out. It haunts me too. It's very very very dark and only read it when you feel like you want to question humanity. I don't think that I can read it a second time. It's based on a true story and now I wanna bleach out my brain of the images. It'll make me want to think about how we should speak up for others in the face of evil for a long time, perhaps even forever.

No one can say that this story lacks nostalgia; it is however overshadowed by events that are hard to read, moments so painful that sometimes the reader is left in discomfort (but hungry for revenge). Perhaps when it comes to harming kids, certain emotions kick into higher gear, horror stories that involve adults never tug at me as much as stories where defenseless youngsters get the unfortunate piece of life, especially if they were good kids who didn't deserve even the slightest form of punishment. This story is about two kinds of kids, the good ones and the ones who know no empathy and no boundaries, dark souls that manage to cause some psychical and psychological harm.

Told from the point of view of young David, the tale takes on personal feel when the boy takes interest in Meg, a bright young girl who moves in with the family next door. Along with her younger sister Susan, she is a survivor of a car crash that claimed the lives of her parents, moving in with her relatives seemed like a good a good idea until aunt Ruth started to act strange. Drinking her beer and letting her boys loose she was a tough feisty woman, one that you can't say no to, one that will punish you in bizarre and cruel ways, one that can destroy a young soul and send it to brims of pain and humiliation. This was a powerful and moving book, one that made me angry and wishing I could have appeared in it with a weapon ready to kick some @ss. This is a story that takes a life of its own, one that will change you for a while with its moving and descriptive -sometimes too descriptive, language. This was a great read from Ketchum, worth the hype and it delivers, it's simply a great story, read it.

- Kasia S.

Two sisters are forced to stay at their aunt Ruth's place after their parents die. Ruth and her three boys begin mistreating the older of the two girls, Meg, while her sister Susan, who's crippled, is forced to watch. They will put her through hell, torturing her and abusing her, all under the eyes of their twelve-year old neighbor, David.

This book was extremely hard to finish--not because it wasn't good--because it was so brutal and sad. I grew angrier and angrier with every passing chapter. I don't think I've ever been that involved--or drained--by a book before. It grips you and doesn't let go. Ketchum was inspired by actual events that took place in the Midwest in the sixties. He relocated the story to Jersey, set it in the fifties, changed a few things and that's the basics for The Girl Next Door. He paints a very dark and unapologetic (and unforgettable) portrait of an era when a lot of things were going on behind closed doors and where people conformed to society's every expectation.

It takes about 100 pages for things to really get going and then, you witness poor Meg go through many forms of humiliation, degradation, punishment, and torture for the next 240 pages. This is the kind of story where you're afraid to look, but can't help but watch, feeling powerless and eaten with shame. Ketchum's writing is extremely descriptive and efficient; you feel every single hurt Meg suffers and you pray she'll get retribution. It's what keeps you going. The story is told by the next door neighbor, David, thirty years after it occurred. He feels remorse for watching, being an accomplice even though he never took part in the abuse. He hates himself for not having done something sooner, so much that in parts of the book, he has a hard time telling the tale and refuses to go into details. I didn't only want to kill Ruth and the damn kids who were torturing Meg; I wanted David to suffer for standing by and doing nothing to help her. This is a boy who liked Meg, even loved her and who did nothing. When he steps up and finally takes action, the physical and psychological damage is so great that Meg will be scarred for life.

Definitely not a book for everyone; brace yourself if you intend to start it because you won't be able to put it down. It's well written and done with as much respect as possible. If you're a fan of Ketchum and horror, you owe it to yourself to read this, at least once. As much as I "enjoyed" it, for lack of a better word, I'll never read it again, it was too painful. Also includes two pretty good short stories.

Let me start by saying that I am a lover of horror. That is the majority of what I read. This book is probably the most book I've ever read. It has nothing supernatural in it, only real human terror. I had to stop reading several times. After finishing this novel, I couldn't read any horror for a long time. It affected me a way i didn't think possible. I cared so much for the characters. I found myself pretending that it was a romance and all would be OK, however knowing deep down that bad things would happen. If your looking to be disgusted with human kind, read this book. It's horrible, terrible, and awful, but its great.

I like Jack Ketchum and while the writing rated a 5; the content was rough... I knew this going in; I read a few reviews.. yet it still hit me hard.

The fact that this is based on true events makes it that much harder to read; but I needed to find out what happened in the end, did anything?? All in all the author took a very difficult story to tell and did well with it!!

Maybe it's because it was written in 1989 or because I've read some crazy books lately (Lynda Barry's Cruddy) but I found this one a little bit lacking. We're living in a more and more desensitized society I suppose. It's a gruesome read, to be certain. But I've read and seen worse. The thing that makes this book scary, however, is that its characters are real enough to be your childhood friends. Or you.

The writing itself is excellent, I finished this book in less than 24 hours, which is a rarity for me. Not much happens for the first third of the book. It actually starts off pretty standardly but I kept reading, egged on and curious by Ketchum's prose. Meg's story broke my heart and I was right there with David's feelings towards her, from being initially smitten to angry that he couldn't see her while peeping in her window, to resenting her after her imprisonment, then back again to regret and care for her. That's probably what disturbed me the most. I didn't care about Meg when David didn't. I wanted what David wanted throughout the whole book. That's where Ketchum's true talent lies, I believe. This is a good and quick and traumatizing read but I'm sure it was much better in 1989.

[...]

Stephen King said Jack Ketchum was one of the business, and that he is.

The Girl Next Door is a horrifying novel based on the true story of Sylvia Lykens, a girl that was brutally tortured and then killed by her aunt and cousins. The fact that The Girl Next Door was based off a true story inspired me to rent the movie, and it wasn't two days after I had watched the movie adaptation that I had read the book.

The book starts out with our narrator. Our narrator is the main character of the book. He's writing his story about what happened back at Ruth--the aunt's--house in the late 1950s, and it's a tale that pains him to write. Our character opens up with a thought of what true pain is, and how his first and second wife had never truly experienced it.

Then starts the story.

Our main character is David, a twelve-year-old boy who's crayfishing the day he meets a girl named Meg Loughlin. Meg's a girl, a real girl, not one out of the Playboy magazines that David and his friends look at. He's immediately attracted to Meg, but when he sees a scar, he questions it.

Meg's family had an accident... and only Meg and her sister, Susan, survived.

When David starts to see that Ruth is targeting Meg for some strange, unknown reason, he begins to get worried. Meg tells him that she hasn't eaten for three days one day while he and her are out walking together. This prompts David to buy her a sandwich, but Meg didn't know that sandwich would start the most brutal torture she has ever experienced.

The Girl Next Door is a truly frightening story. The novel is different from other books and movies that deal with torture. It isn't just an adult torturing someone in this film. No. The Girl Next Door shows us that children are just as capable of evil as any adult is, and that's what sets it apart. Speculation revolves around the book and why David chooses what he chooses to do, but I'm not going to go into that, as it would spoil the book.

The Girl Next Door is a thinking man's novel, and I promise you that it will make you question every single little thing you knew about the horrors that surround the world today. It only took this book to make me change my whole view on how the world can operate, and it only took this one book to make Ketchum one of my favorite authors.

Can't get this one out of my mind. It's a real slow burn. Sucks you in and then slaps you in the face. Mr. Ketchum may be the best Spattterpunk/Extreme Horror author out there. He never disappoints. A co-worker is going to lend me the true crime account that sparked the plot. I'm curious to see what Mr. Ketchum kept and what he omitted.

What true nightmares are made of. This book was a real page turner. It was like a train-wreck- horrifying, but I couldn't look away; I couldn't put it down because I had to find out what happened to Meg and her little sister Susan. Ketchum provides a sense of terror that not many authors can capture. There's no sugar coating in this book and I would not recommend it to the faint of heart. This book grabs onto you and doesn’t let you go. I just finished reading it and honestly am feeling nauseous.

Suburban 1950s New Jersey is a great place to raise kids; just ask twelve year old David, who loves playing in his idyllic neighborhood where crime is nonexistent. Next door Ruth Chandler, single mother of David's best friend Donny and two brothers, takes in two young distant cousins whose parents died in a horrific automobile accident. The older sister fourteen years old Meg seems to have fully recovered; the younger sibling Susan needs crutches and wears heavy metal braces on her legs while mentally she is totally broken.

David is immediately attracted to the lovely Meg and they begin meeting at places like "Big Rock"; they make a charming cute couple. Ruth lives in the past when she was the office manager of a large firm; she hates suburbia and being saddled with five children. She takes her growing rage out on her new charges, physically and mentally abusing Meg and Susan, especially Meg who reminds her of all she gave up to have kids. Her sons by omission support her actions. David also knows that Ruth is violent towards Meg, but though he loathes what she is doing, he is also fascinated by her dehumanizing the one person who reminds her how far she has fallen.

This reprint of a 1989 deep psychological study focuses on the watcher-narrator David who learns about abuse and helplessness when he fascinatingly observes the pain a human inflicts on another while neighbors ignore the truth. The story line hooks the audience from the opening line as a wizened David understands pain and never lets go as the serene middle class suburban neighborhood enables ugliness to hide behind the scene (mindful of the Kitty Genovese killing in 1964 Queens). This book also includes two short stories and an interview with Jack Ketchum, but cannot be considered padding since the novel is 340 pages. Readers will be shocked by the horror of customized violence that society chooses to ignore when it happens to THE GIRL NEXT DOOR.

Harriet Klausner

The Girl Next Door isn't a book you reread casually--it's one of those books that lingers in your memory, like a tragedy you actually experienced first hand. You remember how you felt after finishing it the first time--drained and numb--and you're not eager to repeat the experience.

But reread it I did, because I've always considered the book a classic of suspense. Clean, sleek prose, a gripping plot skillfully executed--the book's only weak point was the crappy cover Warner slapped on the original edition (featuring a skeletal cheerleader!--if you want to see Ketchum cringe like a vampire in a sun room, present him with a copy of the old paperback!). It's just that the book was so damn depressing, largely because of the grim events depicted inside, but also because it felt too real. At times, it seemed as if Ketchum was describing my old neighborhood, my friends (and enemies), people I knew. It just hit too close to home.

The Girl Next Door is narrated by David Moran, a 41-year-old Wall Street executive. David seemingly has it all, but inside he carries the emotional scars he received as a twelve year old during the harrowing summer of 1958, when Meg Loughlin moved in next door. Fourteen-year-old Meg and her younger sister Susan, orphaned in an automobile accident, are taken in by their Aunt, Ruth Chandler. Ruth, a single mother of three loutish sons, is a bitter woman who takes an almost instant dislike to her beautiful young niece. David watches as Ruth's abuse of Meg and Susan escalates until even her children feel free to participate. The situation degenerates until Meg literally becomes a prisoner in the Chandlers' basement fallout shelter. David, witness to these events, is torn by feelings of loyalty to Ruth and his friends, sexual curiosity about Meg, and his sense that it will all end tragically if no one intervenes.

As this wasn't my first reading, I didn't feel compelled to race ahead to find out what happened next, and could take the time to appreciate the sheer craftsmanship of Ketchum's work. His reflections on fifties suburbia and on the powerlessness of children are keen and insightful--Ketchum remembers the fear, wonder and inherent dangers of being a child. He slowly increases the tension to nearly unbearable levels, so that, by mid-book, it feels like you've reached the top of a roller coaster. Then, as on a real roller coaster, Ketchum plunges readers straight down into the abyss at blinding speed, pulling out all the stops, propelling the narrative to its grim conclusion.

Impressive for Ketchum's control, sense of place, and the way he blends harrowing action and social commentary, The Girl Next Door is one book guaranteed to provoke strong reactions in readers. It's one hell of a ride, but one most will consider well worth taking.

This was my second novel by Jack Ketchum, having enjoyed Off Season very much, This book, although very different to Off Season, is also brilliantly written and very difficult to put down. The Girl Next Door is loosely based on the true story of Sylvia Likins who was horrifically abused by her Aunt and cousins in the 1960's. [...] is a link if you want to read about the true story.

The protagonist of the novel is actual David a neighbourhood kid, not Meg herself (Sylvia's name is Meg in the book, the names and places are changed). Meg and Susan move in next door to David with their Aunt Ruth and three cousins after their parents are killed in a car accident. As the summer progresses, Ruths attitude towards takes a rather her neices takes a malicious turn, especially towards Meg who she starves because she thinks she is fat, and harsly criticises her at every opportunity. As Ruths sanity begins to deteriorate, she keeps Meg prisoner in the basement and, along with her sons and several neighbourhood children, submits her to both psychological and physical torture.

David desperaltly wants to help Meg as he loves her, but is too scraed of what might happen to him is he tells.

Very addictive reading and truely harrowing and fast paced once it gets started. This is a truely devestating and disturbing horror novel. All the more disturbing to know that it actually happened to someone, I so wished I could have saved Meg/Sylvia from what happened.

I'd deffinatly recomend this book to horror fans or anybody interested in the story of Sylvia Likins.

The reviews are correct. It is every bit as disturbing and horrific as it is made out to be.

(SPOILERS)

Ketchum's "Girl Next Door" is brutal in its depiction of the torture-murder of an innocent 14 yr old girl. His use of the 1st person narrator accomplishes his goal of allowing the reader to focus solely on the object of the torture (great literary effect but not so kind under the circumstances).

The question I found myself asking all the while was simply this: Is GND a morality play that hinges on a necessary account of heinous child violence for the sake of demonstrating the moral lesson of how all that is required for evil to gain a foothold is for good men to do nothing or is it simply a vehicle for depicting said child violence? Tough call.

In the end, from a consumer's perspective, I cannot say that I "enjoyed" this book. The topic of child abuse (in the extreme in this case) crosses the line for me / becomes too personal (I have two kids of my own, each right at the same age as the central characters in this book). I would consider another of Ketchum's works but will be a bit more selective as to the subject matter going forward.

4 stars because a "horror" novel should deliver a scary / disturbing impact. This book succeeded in that regard, all too well. Hopefully Ketchum's other works can accomplish the same end without resorting to similar subject matter.

Peace.

- Savage

Ketchum is by far my favorite writer when it comes to thriller/horror novels. The man is just a genius at creating a scene that not only draws you in, but also leaves you with this uneasy feeling once you put the book down. The key to his writing comes in the form of brutal honesty, without crossing some moral line that takes it just one notch to far. No matter how disturbing his book are, and just about everyone of his books are disturbing, you always seam to find a way to pick the book back up and finish it. He's a master at drawing the reader's attention towards the victim receiving punishment. Simple put, he creates empathy.

Now, in terms of this book, my only advice is to precede with caution. This is Ketchum's best novel. The first person narrative makes this novel. This book is also semi based on actual events that occurred in Indiana in 1965 to Sylvia Likens. Knowing this up front made this book even that much more hard to swallow.

The only way I can put this book in to words is to simple say: disturbing. Ketchum plays on the fear of the unknown, and he's a master at it. The unknown is the only reason you can get through this book. You HAVE to find out what happens to Meg no matter the cost.

Right from the get go Ketchum begins to draw all attention to Meg, the victim, by having David, the narrator, tell the story as an older person. This automatically lets the reader know that through everything David has to make it. This takes all the unknown of David, from a physical harm stand point, and erases it. All that's left is the unknown of David's morale through the novel, along with the unknown of Meg's entire situation. When you finish this novel you will feel two huge emotions: hate and sadness.

In all, this is the only book I've ever read that left me with this empty feeling of sadness and hate that was almost to much to handle. Put it this way, I'm glad I read this book, very glad, but I have zero desire to ever read it again just because of the emotional toll it took on me. That says a lot about this book because I can handle just about anything thrown my way. This book will stay with me for the rest of my life. I was drawn in by Ketchum, finished this book in just over a day, and swore to myself I'd never pick it up again.

Jack Ketchum's The Girl next Door has such an infamous reputation that I was not sure I wanted to delve into its subject matter. However, I had just read a NY Times article on the events that inspired the story, and his novella Red, so I decided to give it a go.

Let me tell you, everything you have heard about this book is true.
It is rough going. The only thing that keeps you turning the page is hope upon hope that there will be severe retribution at the end (although you begin hoping that retribution begins much sooner)

For those that don't know, the story is about a single mother who uses her power (and her own self loathing) to abuse and torture two young girls left to her care after their parents die. The mother encourages her children and the neighborhood children to join in the degradation and abuse of the girls. Ketchum's theme of power and its abuse is drawn out in heart-wrenching detail. There were times during the book that I felt like I was doing something awful by just reading it.
Now that's power with abuse.

Ketchum sucks the reader into the basement and doesn't allow you to leave although you so desperately want to turm away and breath fresh air again.

At the end of the book Ketchum discusses the story's origin briefly, and mentions that he omitted some of the more disturbing material.
What is captures on these pages is horror of the most real kind and I for one am thankful that some of it was left out of the final draft.

This story will stay with you for a long time.

For several years now I've been trying to help some people who were abused by their parents (sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical violence, addictions) back in the 1960's and 1970's. So I was drawn to this book, compelled to read it, despite knowing that it would cause me pain!
There are important parts of this book which are searing because they are quite true, not just for Meg but for many abused children: being kept isolated, being taught to never talk to police or anyone who might help, then taking the risks of breaking those rules and having the friend/relative/teacher/counselor/police NOT believe you because "he's such a nice man he'd NEVER do anything like that!". And then getting punished again and again and again.
Another piece that's powerful because of its truth is the lifelong damage it does to David, the narrator, just becaue he witnessed parts of it close at hand. There is a powerful psychological truth in the overwhelming guilt and pain he feels for not doing more, for not doing enough, for failing to rescue. And in how later in life he is drawn to other women who were victims, who need rescuing.
Another important truth that was not recognized is that even his smallest actions to comfort Meg, to help her near the end, were accepted, were needed, as the only acts of kindness anyone had given her in a very long time. This memory is his only salvation.
An important lesson that must be taken from this book is how people who choose to be evil love to force everyone around them to participate in their evil. They need to force those around them to be evil just like themselves. Perhaps they do it only to perpetuate the cycle of evil, to force their crimes, their attitudes, onto the next generation.
What really scares me, is that somewhere out there is a family of morons who will imitate what's in this book. Please keep the book expensive just to keep it away from children.
Let me also recommend other books: in fiction, any of the Flood series by Andrew Vachss; in nonfiction, Scott Peck's "The People of the Lie".

Not a book for the faint of heart. Knowing that this book was based on a true story does not surprise me. There is just too much child and female abuse going on and there is a shocking amount of this abuse that never comes to light unless there is a death involved. I must also mention the staggering amount of missing people, both children and women.

Despite the gruesome subject matter I highly recommend this book and the author for the manner in which it was presented.
I could not put this book down.

I have never heard of the true story of this girl until I read this book and then watched the movie. The situation and death of this young girl is horrible and unbelievable, however this book kept me on the edge of my seat. It was well written, of course it was dramatized from what really happened. It was so interesting. If you are a fan of books like this, it's a must read. If you watch the movie too, don't watch it with young children. I cried during some parts as I was reading this book and during the movie. Great book.

This is indeed a disturbing book and a difficult one to read if you know beforehand how it ends (and it's pretty easy to figure out the outcome from the narrator's early comments).

Knowing so much about this book before I picked it up (I read about the case on crimelibrary on the ~net), I figured I'd be able to handle the content but it was so unrelentingly brutal near the end that I had to put it down and watch a silly movie (The 40 Year Old Virgin, if you must know) to help me temporarily forget. This is one of the most tragic books I've ever read. That it starts out so normally and takes place in a suburban setting makes it all the more horrifying. For those who don't know, it's a story about escalating madness and the torture of two innocent young girls and the haunting effect it has on a young boy. Horrible, horrible stuff.

I couldn't bring myself to pick it up back up to read the two short stories that follow "The Girl Next Door" until several days later.

I enjoyed the last called, I think, "Returns" the most. It tells the story of a dead man's return from the dead for one last visit with his wife and cat. It's a sad story about lack of compassion that'll hurt any animal lover's heart.

The other "Do you love your wife?" didn't move me nearly as much and I can't remember much about it at this point. To be totally honest, the impact from "The Girl Next Door" made the details of both of the stories fade quickly from my mind.

I couldn’t put this book down. I write this review with so many mixed feeling. It is a tragic twisted story and not for everyone. It makes you so very angry, frustrated and disgusted. The details are gory, so I caution anyone who wants to read this. That all being said, it was written well and captivating.

Holy tamales! This has to be the most disturbing novel I've ever read--and I couldn't put it down until I finished the last word. Ketchum's story focuses on young Meg and Susan Loughlin who go to live with their Aunt Ruth after the tragic death of their parents. Unfortunately, Ruth Chandler is slipping further and futher into insanity, and she comes up with progressively more horrific and torturous treatment for Meg--all the while enlisting the assistance of her sons and other neighborhood children.

The story is told by David, now an adult, who recalls the horrible treatment of Meg throughout that summer in the 50s. He cannot ignore his own participation in the acts, and it is this that plagues him the most.

This is not an easy novel to read. I shed many tears trying to get through the passages, but I continued to turn the pages because this is a compelling tale of mob-think, the depths of depravity humans are capable of, survival instinct, and guilt, guilt, guilt. Is this a good novel? I don't think "good" is an accurate adjective. This is a powerful novel. There are no slimy slugs, aliens, serial killers, or vampires. But this is horror nonetheless, and I think this real-life horror is much more disturbing and frightening than anything I ever read in Dracula. This is destined to be a classic. Just prepare yourself; you will definitely be made uncomfortable by this story (and if not--get thee to a therapist!).

The Overlook Connection Press did an awesome job with this edition. It's complete with artwork by Neal McPheeters and an introduction by Stephen King.

I've read probably over a thousand horror books, and if someone had to ask me what the scariest one was, this would be up in the top 5. If you see the paperback anywhere, pick it up. Don't be fooled by the stupid, cheesy cover. I bought it when it first came out because I'd been impressed with other Jack Ketcham books, but this book just caught me off guard. This book will haunt you. If you've seen the movie "Last House on the Left", you get the same sort of terrible feeling, like you're watching something that you shouldn't be, but you can't look away. I stayed up most of the night reading this, and it scared the s$#% out of me. I am a "reader" rather than a "collector" but I finally broke down and bought the limited, signed edition of this book. In his foreword, the author talks about how this was based on a true case (bad enough) but how it was even nastier in real life. I don't even want to THINK about that. This is the story, set in the 50's, of 2 sisters who have never hurt anyone in their lives, who are taken in by their disturbed aunt. It's told from the perspective of the normal boy who lives next door to the family, and actually has a crush on the pretty older sister. Ruth, the horrible foster parent, begins to abuse the kids, and it gets worse and worse, finally to the point where they lock her in the bomb shelter in the basement and torture her, treating her like some kind of animal--no, worse than that. There are many chilling elements, including the evil Ruth, who hates all women, including herself, and the unimaginable pain the girl goes through. The scariest thing is maybe that the neighborhood kids, the boys especially, are encouraged by Ruth to join in the torture and rape of the poor thing. Not only do they not tell any adults what is going on, they enjoy it. The narrarator is the only one with a conscience, who watches but doesn't join in, scared he'll be next if he tells anyone. Finally, he decides to try to help her, but...I got very emotional reading this book, I could just picture that basement so clearly...and at the climax of the book I was actually moved to tears I was so upset at what had happened to the characters. Jack Ketcham is just brilliant across the board, but this is his best book. Probably one of the best, scariest, most disturbing horror books ever written. Highly recommended--unless you're easily upset or squeamish, in which case I recommend you stay far away. I'm not easily shocked, but this book really got to me. After you've read the book, no matter how hard you try, you will NEVER forget The Girl Next Door.

Life was different in 1950's suburbia. You could leave your doors unlocked. You could go down to the creek and catch crayfish. You could play a game of baseball with the neighborhood kids.

You could trust your neighbors. Most of the time.

Two sisters have just moved in next door, living with their aunt after being orphaned. To young David, this is great--his best friends live there, their mother Ruth is wonderful, and David is infatuated with one of the girls, Meg, innocent and beautiful. It seems too perfect--it is. For Ruth is slowly descending into madness, building up a horrible rage that she will unleash upon Meg, and David will be forced to come to terms with himself, and confront an evil that is all-too human.

"The Girl Next Door" is one of those books that you read, you put down, and though you may never read it again, you will remember it. Jack Ketchum is, if nothing else, honest--he has proven it in other books, and this modern-day horror classic stands as the ultimate testament to that fact. It is a grisly, gut-wrenching, heartbreaking glimpse at madness and child abuse, and it will leave you pondering your own morality. Ketchum is the master of the non-supernatural horror novel, and "The Girl Next Door" is one of the best of that genre. You may not enjoy this book--it is NOT for the faint of heart--but you will not forget it, I promise you. And that is what makes a classic.

okay you've probably read the other reviews so I'll just say that this is the most horrifying novel I've ever read. But on another note, one reviewer stated that the 'why' of what was going on was left out. Not really. Ketchum's minimalist prose offers no 'in front of you' explanations but takes you through concepts like gender hate, disassociation, and shows you the main character's guilt by association. A 12 year old who doesn't tell the police? Well, if you read into the book, you see this kid is disenfranchised from the adult population and is implicated simply by the fact that he's been given a lot of beer. Ruth's mental state is not given by internal narratives and textbook diagnoses but in the fact that the constant five sets of plates (which also indicates how welcome the girls are) which eventually are left to fester in the sink. The full refrigerator at the beginning becomes empty at the end of the book. The main characters complicity is further explored when he begins going through sexual stages of adolescent development (crushes, sexual thoughts) which are subverted by the events next door. Why didn't he help? It is explained as though he were seeing everything as in a movie, and surrounded by wild animals to boot, which is also alluded to with the Game. So, for the skeptics out there, yes, everything is explained. And if you don't believe this can happen with characters like that in real life, perhaps you've never heard of Salem or Auschwitz.

I really didn't know what I was getting myself into when I started this story. I had people tell me that it will stick with you. It would brand itself into your brain, and that it wasn't for the faint hearted. Boy where they right. The Girl next Door is one of the most powerful and disturbing stories I have ever read. I was consumed from the first page.

The story was intense and heartbreaking. It moves at an incredible pace. I flew through the pages anticipating yet dreading what was waiting for me on the next one. I could not put it down. I finished it in two sittings.

I think the best part of the story though was that the Monster was Human. It scares me to know that people like this could actually exist.

The characters in this story were unbelievable. They were as real as any I have ever read. I found myself completely loathing Ruth's character. I developed a hatred for her that I have never had for any character in any other story I've read.

I will never forget The Girl next Door. I have to say I almost cried at the end of this story, and that has never happened to me before. It will haunt me for a long long time. I recommend this it to anyone who has the courage to read it. I can promise you you will never forget it. It was like my friend said. It will brand itself into your Brain.

The Girl next Door will stay with me for the rest of my life.

'The Girl Next Door' is brutal and disturbing, plain and simple. No redeeming qualities bring the novel out of the trenches once it gets there, so you may want to have something full of sunshine around once you're done with this unpleasant Jack Ketchum novel, based on actual events.

That is not the say the book is bad. It's by far one of the best horror novels of the better part of the last thirty years. That being said, the work is not intended for those looking for an escape. The book almost reads like true-crime and is startling and unflinching in all aspects.

Even more than realism, 'The Girl Next Door' attests to the idea of how, through apathy, the worst in people can come out. Some reviews have called the narrator of the work 'the most un-heroic child ever'. Which is simultaneously true and not true. The character's unwillingness to help rescue a tortured - literally - girl in the neighborhood is bourne out of moral ambiguity, which is another reason why the book is so much more 'real' than anything out there to date.

Recommendations: Only for those interested in a well-told, unflinching, violent affair of a book. This is not intended for readers of pop fiction or mainstream literature. Needless to say, it is also not for the faint of heart.

Jack Ketchum is known as one of the most extreme writers in horror. This may lead you to assume he's someone doing 'gore for the sake of gore' or just making unbelievably evil one dimensional situations purely to torment people. You'd be very wrong.

Ketchum is a literate, dare I say poetic writer. His horror often comes not from surreal situations but rather the hyper-real. Everyday life shattered with depravity and violence that comes believeably; and that makes it all the morre horrible.

THE GIRL NEXT DOOR is certainly a horror novel. It fills you with dread, repulsion, and fear. It also depresses you, because it is about the fragile grasp of morality that the pre-adolescent have, especially when they are being coerced by the mentally unstable. (if you think this story is not realistic look at cults, or even better, child soldiers and their warped reality in Africa).

Ketchum goes into aspects of life most writers fear to go. It is just too far out from the comfort zones, it leaves you feeling as if the world doesn't make any sense. The book is haunting and depressing. It is not enjoyable but it is a story that will get a reaction from anyone with a pulse. Think Lord of the Flies if Dahmer washed up on shore and began to lead the kids.

There are horror stories that aim to thrill and excite the desensitized, and then there are those that re-sensitize the calloused horror-file. GIRL NEXT DOOR is the latter. If too many Texas Chansaw Massacres have left you numb, pick this up and prepare for a wake-up slap to the face. And if you have no stomach for true evil human nature, then I fear for your sanity reading this book.

When I chose this book I thought I knew of the story it was based on so I figured it would be an interesting read, but I got much more than I bargained for. Yes, I was correct about the criminal case that the story was based on, but Ketchum's choice to tell the story in first person as seen through the eyes of a young involved witnesses the story so vivid and frightening. I couldn't put it down! I would recommend this book to any fans of true crime, suspense or horror as all of these genres are artfully represented in the telling of this chilling tale, leaving one to wonder what people in this he right situations are truly capable of!

This is without a doubt the most terrifying novel I have ever read. Not because it is rife with ghouls or monsters or anything of the sort. This book will capture the imagination and emotions of the reader because it is about real people, people who may be living next door to you right now.
The reality and the narrative pictures the author creates is palpable. The characters are so vivid and the action so believable and credible you will not put this book down until you are finished and then you will notice you heart is beating faster.
A harrowing account of horrific abuses suffered by sisters at the hands of seeming normal, functional people, other children as well as a mentally ill relative, it is the masterwork of a true genius in this genre. The true terror is the fact this could happen anywhere to anyone and society may likely overlook it. The reality and the chronology written into the novel are amazing and the insight into the corrupted minds of the perpetrators is extraordinary. The heroism of the protagonist and her humanity, all so brilliantly depicted will amaze the reader and surely bring about some introspection.
Not a book for the faint of heart or those not interested in a chill up their spine and a tug at their own conscience. This book will make you think about yourself as well as the characters.

I only bought this book for 30 bucks (I practically never buy hardcovers) because someone on a newsgroup recommended it - called it brutal and horrifying. Every review I saw of it said the same thing, but I'm a seasoned horror buff and didn't quite believe it, as I've seen and read some pretty awful things. I started the book and didn't put it down till I was through, three hours later.
I felt both empathy and outrage at the narrator for allowing these horrible things to happen, yet being too frozen by fear to do very much about the situation. I flinched and cringed at some of the more cruel scenes, feeling so sorry for Meg and her sister - almost feeling physical pain for Meg at one or two of the most severe attacks. This book really put me through the wringer, and I loved the author for it!
When I tell you that every single review you'll see here is VERY right about the brutality in this book, you'd better believe it. After I finished the book, I read the introduction (Stephen King included a few spoilers so be warned and don't read it beforehand!) and then went online to read the reviews here on the store. I had NO idea the story was based on a true story, and it actually makes it all the more appalling. I wouldn't classify this book as a traditional "horror" story, but it IS in fact more frightful than many horror books you'll find because it's actually based on real life.
The only thing I can compare this book to is a gory train wreck - if you're like me, you probably wouldn't be able to keep from looking. If you're one of those "sensitive viewers" they speak of on television warnings, I'd advise you to look the other way, because you'll probably be sick. If you think you're strong enough to read this, go ahead and buy it because you will NOT be disappointed.

This was my first Jack Ketchum book. I figured it was a good place to start because it is his most successful book in terms of units sold. It was also the only Ketchum book any of the book stores in my city carried. I read the book knowing it was a disturbing piece. And it is, you can't be warned enough on the level of graphic discriptions of torture and cruelty.

The book itself, is one of the best reads I have had in a long, long time. This book moves fast, because every time I picked it up, I couldn't put it down again for at least an hour.(A long time of straight reading for me) The character's are stomach turning and brutal. The story is a dark one, but so well written, you have no trouble seeing it through to the end.

There is also a note from Ketchum on the book, which is interesting and insightful and two short stories, which are alot lighter than the book itself, but not without their own darkness.

Although this is the first Jack K. book I have read, I can't wait to read some others and have ordered a couple from the store already. His books are hard to find in mass market bookstores usually because his stories are much too violent and graphic for mass market publishing (especially Off Season and Ladies Night). However, they are well worth tracking down!

Any work of art should be able to bring out a deep emotional reaction to those that read/look at/ or watch. This book pissed me off and made me want to cry like no other. And that right there is why Jack Ketchum was a true master of words. He could bring you to the edge and back like a Conductor in a Symphony of disparity.

This is by far the most disturbing book I have ever read, or ever care to read. If there is worse out there, I do not want to know about it. I almost wish I did not know about the contents of this book. But wishing it weren't there won't make it go away, will it? Ignorance may be bliss, but reality knows better.

The monsters in this book are all too real, and that makes for a most horrific read. There is a critique on the back of the book that says this book is not for the squeamish. DO NOT take that lightly! NOTHING can prepare you for what you are about to open yourself up to, nothing the reviewers say here, certainly not the blurb on the back of the book. Not even the atrocities of every day life in the world that we read about in the newspapers or watch late at night before going to sleep in our own cozy beds.

As for the author, his writing style is such that you get lost in his words. He grips you and refuses to let you go until he has told his story. As gruesome as this book is, I could not put it down until the end. Always hoping that somehow there could be a happy ending, somehow these girls would make it out. All the while I was reading this book, I wondered what kind of mind could create this, it is an abomination! Thinking that this author must be completely mad, and how can any publisher put this book out there into the general publics hands? Then to have my heart ripped out after reading the authors note at the end and discovering that this was based on reality!

This book is not to be taken lightly, and I can't recommend it to just anyone. You have to realize that it is life altering. No longer can you go through life ignorant to the possiblities of what monstrosities are out there walking around in the guise of humanity. You THINK you know....but believe me, you DO NOT know! If you believe you are strong enough to read through this, and you ARE morbidly curious enough, then by all means, read it. But don't say I didn't warn you.

As for me, this was my first experience with Jack Ketchum, and it most certainly was not my last. I am off now to see what other horrors he can surprise me with.

This is a true horror, it was difficult at times to read. This book is about torture and child abuse which made it even more difficult. I did enjoyed the author but the subject made this one something else. I will be reading more by Jack Ketchum.

I read this years ago, so my memory may not serve me well. It is a disturbing book that has stayed with me all these years. It kind of reminds me of Lord Of The Flies - children behaving badly. The part of the book that has stayed with me is the ending. And, no, I won't spoil it. But it and the whole book raise more questions that it answers. It's not for the faint of heart. The scenes are graphic, gruesome even, but I don't consider it horror. There is nothing scary here. It's more a a true crime story. A horror story has to be rational. Criminals aren't always rational. What happens in this book is purely criminal. Read it, enjoy it, but be warned, you will never forget it.

As for the movie, it is nothing but child porn snuff. Go read my review of the movie (spoiler alert). If you still decide to watch it, you should be under psychiatric care.

Imagine losing both of your parents in a car accident. On one fateful night, everything you hold so dear is shattered to pieces and your life as you knew it will never be the same. That fateful night can never be reversed however being strong-willed, you decide to keep your head up and charge into whatever life holds. After all, you have already lost so much and nothing that happens at this point on could be worse. WRONG. Imagine that you and your sister are sent to live with a distant aunt, one who hates you to the core simply for being a member of the female species and who is intent on doing her best to shatter any resolve you have in moving ahead with life by humiliating and punishing you both verbally and physically. Not only that but your nephews and the neighborhood kids have no intent in helping or protecting you, in fact they want to hurt you just as badly. Your horrors have just begun...

Ketchum's novel explores the darkest recesses of the human mind in a novel that is more terrifying than I could have ever imagined. He sets his novel up like a master chess player, first warming up our hearts with a coming-of age story set in 1950's suburbia about a boy David (The narrator of the story) who falls in love with the cute girl next door. Although it takes a while to get there, once the novel gets to the little girl's suffering there is no way back. As the horrors unfold, you wonder how much further Ketchum could possibly take it as he exposes us to some of the worse cruelties imaginable, every subsequent act more barbaric and vicious than the last.

The narrator David does not participate in any of the atrocities against the girl but in a way what he does is almost as worse; he watches, silently, without ever telling anyone. Truth be told David could be one of any number of children; he is 12 years old, shy and reserved. Not many people at that age have the resolve to play hero or savior in the face of this kind of moral dilemma. It's as though Ketchum is trying to remind us of that while pointing the finger and saying: "Remember when you were twelve, how would you have acted?"

One of the few flaws of Ketchum's story is in having so many people participate in the cruelties towards the victim. I don't buy for a second that so many young people in middle class suburbia (or anywhere for that matter) would remain silent in the face of such unspeakable acts, let alone be willing participants. But clearly Ketchum's intent with this novel was to be as shocking as possible and that is something he most definitely achieves. Before thinking that you can distance yourself emotionally from this horror novel because it is a work of fiction think again: it's based on a true story. Still, don't hesitate to read "The girl next door". It's not a novel to "enjoy" but rather an emotional and heartfelt tale that reminds us of our moral obligations as decent human beings.

I had to quit reading this book. The writing style is terrible and I have no idea what plot is anyone. The characters are 1 dimensional. There is suspense at all and I don't feel like I'm in the story and living through the characters. I'm done with this author. Kindle unlimited needs better books and authors who write a book you can get lost in that's the whole point of reading

I was overjoyed to hear that Leisure was releasing Ketchum's The Girl Next Door. I had heard great praise for this one and felt more that eager to give Jack another chance to dazzle me after the good, but dismissal, She Wakes. Did this one stir the fires and make me hot for more of this authors work? Read on to find out!

First of all, the plot. The plot is different. Daring, yeah Ill give call it daring. Definitely. Addicting? Strangely, yeah, it was easy to get into the book and stay with it. But good? Not sure on that. Most of the book focuses on the very real issues of child abuse and do I mean severe!!! Was it hard to wade through? Hell, yeah! Now I'm all for dark and horror-ridden. I know that this is real life kind of stuff and that horror doesn't have to be about slashing and slaying to be horror, but that doesn't mean that abuse upon horrid abuse to a child is enjoyable to read.

If you want shock, you got it here, and for a cheap price. Very graphic stuff here, and very sad. Its certainly an emotional book that doesn't let up ever. Don't come here for happy endings.

Some of the messages in the book are important. Its apparent that what is happening to the children is horrid, and that monsters can be made instead of just born. I found the relationship, the secret club of the kids, simply fascinating. Ketchum explored suburbia like not many authors have before, and for this I thank you. Dark stuff here that people don't always realize is right under their noses before its too late and someone has to come up to them and actually beat the sense into them.

Characters seem real but many of their actions are not explained. Interior dialogue of the main character, David, is sometimes only briefly touched upon and then quickly dashed over again. This may have been done to help with pacing, but there were times when I would have enjoyed seeing more through the little guys head. As for the sisters, though, Ketchum did an admirable job of showing their bond and how very strong it really was. Touching, sweet, endearing.

The writing style is clear and easily read. Ketchum is obviously a master behind the keyboard and should be assigned a badge saying, good writing talent. The atmosphere is uber depressing, filling the air with the geez, this is just so wrong kind of vibes.

On the bad side, to me the book took too long to get to the plot. The pacing was hurt a bit by this; the first few chapters could have been sped up nicely to deliver a more solid punch. The ending was a fitting one, grippingly sad and certainly one I wont be forgetting any time soon.

If you have a strong stomach, check this one out for sure. Its daring, different, but disturbing as hell and not for those who want something fast paced.

I like a good psychological thriller now and again and Ketchum delivered with this disturbing fictionalization of an actual event. During the summer of 1958, David is witness to the brutal torture of Meg, a girl who has been placed in foster care of his next door neighbor, Ruth. Meg and her sister Susan are shamelessly abused as Ruth and her sons test the limits of Meg's resolve and her body. Soon other neighborhood children participate in the cruelty, and David cannot help but watch. He is a passive observer, never inflicting harm, but unable to put a stop to it. He is consumed by a morbid curiosity in addition to an overwhelming guilt that eventually puts him in Ruth's sites. Ruth's growing insanity and mental deterioration affect her own sons who succumb to the devious notions she presents to justify her treatment of Meg. Reader be warned: the descriptions of physical abuse are graphic and disturbing, but the novel is an interesting study of group mentality.

I ordered "the girl next door" book and DVD at the same time so decided to watch the film first which I thought was brilliant and brought me to tears at some points. The book I read some time later and it was breathtaking.

Although the content is about as disturbing as it can get, I found that I was drawn in and sympathised not only with Meg but with David as well. One can only imagine what he went through being exposed to such evil at such a young age and I was really hoping Meg would live through the ordeal (although she didn't in the film).

At some points I had to close the book and rest, it was so compelling, and I was hesitant in many points to keep reading.

Very well written, Jack Ketchum is obviously a good writer and I look forward to reading more of his books.

For those who say this should be banned, wake up. The atrocities in this book pale in comparision to real life crimes against children.

The book is well-written, a page-turner. Prepare to be confronted with the purest of evil, though, if you read it. The books plumbs the depths of depravity into which some of our race sink, and the author's note that it was based on an actual series of events in 1965 makes it that much more horrific. Rest assured, the book is disturbing, yet the horrors are not displayed wantonly nor obscenely nor gratuitously. There are heroes here, and the blackest villains, and a moral ambiguity that ought to speak to each of us, and make us sharply aware of how susceptible any of us CAN become to the siren calls of the darkness surrounding us. The book is not for everyone.

"This is a hard book to stomach. I recommend it to no one and everyone at the same time. No one will “enjoy” reading it. A lot of people probably won’t make it through the whole book. It is filled with sick, sick things. But sick things that happened and are still happening, which makes it all the more painful to read." from a Goodreads Reviewer which took the words right out of my mouth. She described this book as I would have.

Meg and Susan have lost their parents in a car wreck, also leaving Susan disabled in her legs. They have to move in with their aunt Ruth who has three boys of her own, Donny, Willie, and Woofer (Ralphie). Ruth's husband left her years ago and her own view of women and what men want is severely tainted. Next door neighbor, 12 year old David is the centralized character and befriends new arrival Meg (16). Also on the street are Eddie and Denise, two rather sadistic siblings that suffer from domestic violence by their father.

As with any batch of kids, they invented their own Game which often ends in pseudo-torture of one of the kids. However, everything changes when Ruth becomes part of a new Game and the torture isn't so light anymore. Meg is the main attraction of an ever expanding ring of people that are willing to abuse her in an old bomb shelter in the basement of Ruth's house. First, it's just Ruth with verbal and low level physical abuse, but then her boys are allowed to join in but there's 'no touching' allowed. The torture increases in graphic levels and expands again to include most of the neighborhood kids at some point or other. All the while, David continues to fantasize about Meg before and after the abuse although David only ever watches, sometimes not of his own volition but rather by the human desires that also cause you to drive by an ugly car wreck, slowed by your own intrigue and inner desire to see the potential gruesome after effects.

The story for me was slow in the beginning. I was not terribly interested while going through the first 100 pages or so. However, that changed as with the majority of society, I became sickened by what was happening but you just can't stop reading it. The levels of depravity to which a person can sink due to illness, religion, or their own twisted view is truly disturbing. Despite struggling through the first third of the book, I read the rest of it in one sitting over a matter of hours as the story progressed and pulls you into the unfolding events.

Its disturbing how well Jack Ketchum weaved this story, even more disturbing is it's based on actual events.

A pretty little girl, a quiet neighborhood, an insane aunt, and a cell in the basement are all that are needed to make this book a read that will keep you up long after you have closed the book. Meg is new to the neighborhood, after having been orphaned, she finds herself with her crazed aunt who has a serious grudge against her. At first the Aunt is just rude and uncaring towards Meg. However, once she begins fighting back, Meg's torture escalates into some of the most violent and terrifying scenes ever written. To add insult to [serious] injury, the boys from the block are all allowed to watch and sometimes to touch... Meg doesnt dare fight back anymore or her aunt will switch her evil attentions to Meg's crippled younger sister. Then things become unimaginable.

This story is gruesome and horrible, but like a brutal car accident, it is hard to look away. The Girl Next Door will make you not want to meet your neighbors, or if you do, wonder what is in their basement.

Relic113

The fact that "The Girl Next Door" is set against the supposed innocence of 1950s just intensifies the brutality of the story. In this supposedly idyllic time and in an "All-American" suburb there is this deep, dark undercurrent of insanity and violence that you don't expect to find there. But the narrative takes you beyond simple unease. It takes you into the mind of the boy who watches the awful abuse of the girl Meg until you become a voyeur to the violence as well. This was a hard book to read and I literally felt wrung out and dirty after reading it. Ketchum doesn't pull any punches in his writing, though you may find that you wish he had. So why did I give the book 5 stars, you may ask? The book is unforgettably powerful, evocative, and well-written, and I shuuder a little every time I look at it. Excellent horror realism.

First, I think the writing was awesome and kept you turning the page. I felt as though I were one of the kids witnessing these horrible acts of violence. Ketchum's writing style draws you right in. Second, this book made me see how cruel people can be and how cruel children can be. Knowing that this is based on a true situation broke my heart and had my eyes swelling up with tears near the end. There were many times where I debated not finishing but I had to know what the outcome was going to be. One outcome was obvious but the "how" was important to know. I would recommend this book to those who are not sensitive and those who are not easily offended. I wouldn't read this a second time but I may try some of Ketchum's other works.

Wow! I'm still in awe after reading this masterpiece by Ketchum. I've always enjoyed his work, but this tops everything by miles. The horror in this novel is not from any monster or creature, but from a lack of humanity and utter cruelty that lies dormant in some very disturbed people. The terror is knowing what people are capable of doing, even from someone as close as a neighbor or family member. This book is extremely shocking, but not for shock value. It deals in the realistic abuse of children and doesn't sugar-coat anything. What made this book even more poignant was the afterword by the author. He states the idea for the story was based on a real life incident, and unfortunately, I'm sure it wasn't the only one. As hard as you might try, you will never forget this novel. My only regret is not having read it sooner.

I had read the true story behind this before reading this work of fiction, perhAps that is why I could not get into the story, and it seemed less lifelike to me than the article I had read about the real Ruth. As such, I was disappointed. The first couple of pages were quite beautifully written though. If you don't know much about the true story that this is based on, the book may make more of an impact on you.

As i have said above I have never been more frightened by a book in my whole life. Consiquently, i also haden't been more grossed out by a book either. I say this was exactly what i was looking for and i finally found it. Be careful what you wish for never fit in a better situation. And then i found out it was based on a true story.
After i completed reading it, i felt sick to my stomach. I have never had that feeling from a book before. It got me thinking about the things that happened and those who participated in the events that let it happen. Its an eye opener and i think that exactly what the author accomplished what he was looking to do.

Suffice to say he is my new favorite author.

In a small town where everything is idyllic, everyone knows everyone, and every one trusts, 12 year old David has his life forever changed. Meg and her sister, Susan, move in next door to David to live with Ruth after a terrible car accident kills their parents and leaves Susan crippled. Shortly after the two girls arrival Ruth turns from the mother every kid in the neighborhood loves to an evil, horrendeously abusive woman. Ruth and her three sons relentlessly abuse Meg, first verbally and then progressively move on to extreme physical abuse. David is not only a witness but a by-stander, who, too late, makes attempts to save Meg. The descriptions of Meg's abuse are vivid and disturbing. Years after the first reading of this book it haunted me, especially since I work with children who have experienced similar abuse as Meg.

With a nearly 5 star average rating on this book, it was one I considered buying for a bit. I was curious more than anything.

I eventually decided to read it and now I'm left asking myself more the question of "What was I looking for?". The real-life inspiration for this novel intrigued me since its brutality seems unreal in so many ways. What Ketchum meditates on here is the duplicity of its main character, David. I can neither hate him nor sympathize with him - he simply invokes indifference.

The scenes of torture, rape and abuse are abundant.

The dilemma I find with this book is that the writing is actually not bad. Ketchum carves out vivid scenes (even the peaceful ones spattered throughout) and there is certainly a moral tale being told here. But neither of these - together or alone - results in a story that leaves the reader satisfied. The contrived last scene seems cliche and very formulaic, almost as an afterthought. And then I wonder why I picked up the book in the first place.

I think genre fans may find it decent, but beyond that this isn't a book for the average reader (which I consider myself to be).

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.

This book next to Stephen King's The Long Walk and Pet Semetary, is the most brutal book I have ever read. No I haven't read many King books so don't start on me about that but anyway the violence in this novel is absolutely horrendous and yet I couldn't stop reading it. It took me 3 hours to read the entire book and I didn't put it down once. It's actually not too long at just about 300 pages. But that didn't take anything away from the story. Basically there are three acts. The first act is about a normal neighborhood with a bunch of kids and about a boy with an innocent crush. The second act is the start of the descent in the insanity of the Chandler family where Ruth verbally trashes the two girls, Meg and Susan. The third act is the real kicker. It is all about the torture, the violence and the brutality that the neighborhood kids and Ruth do to Meg. Now a lot of readers have said that David, whose the entire book is based on his viewpoint, doesn't do anything to help Meg, the girl he loves, until she is pratically at her death. Saying that he could have done something before or could have gone to the cops and tell them what was happening at the Chandler house but he doesn't, he just stands and watches as these disgusting things are unleashed on Meg but my theory is that the kid was tramautized and perhaps also fascinated. Remember at the time of these acts, he was only 12. And what makes it more disturbing that Ruthand her three boys, literally become monsters. They are human beings, not creatures and are far worse scarier than any mythical or fictional beast I've read in any book. And also that this can happen and has happened in any "typical" neighborhood. The story is apparently loosely based on a true story of a girl that was tortured to death by a family. I could feel Meg's pain and in the end, lost her will. I do not recommend this book if you are feeling depressed or suicidal, avoid it like the plague.

Note: Your "helpful" votes are appreciated. Thanks.

Although this was a story that I couldn't put down, and I sped right through it, I wish I had not read it. It is so brutal, and the psycho stepmom is so awful that it will take weeks to get those images out of my mind.

I gave it five stars, then deleted my review and re-posted it, giving it one star. After some criticism about being unfair to the author, I have deleted and re-posted it again. I gave it five stars for a compelling plot and excellent writing, but I still would urge you not to read it. Try something else. At least, that's the advice I wished I had been given. Before I read another Ketchum novel, I'm going to read a review.

This novel should come with a major disclaimer because sexual mutilation is so warped and disturbing. Many fans of horror stories--even fans of stories full of blood and guts--avoid reading about sexual mutilation, especially involving children.

Don't get me wrong. I've really enjoy many horror stories, but this one was just too dismal, too dark, and lacked an emotionally satisfying ending.

I'm a big-time reader. I'm no prude, but give me some hope (like Steven King does most of the time). After I post this review, I'm going to take a shower and go on a three-day fast (I exaggerate).

I think that even the author, Jack Ketchum, felt guilty about writing this story because he included an apologetic afterward explaining his motivation. That's something I don't like. If I want a review, I'll read a review. A novel should stand on its own two feet without explanation by the author.

A writer should not explain his or her motivations in an afterward (that's okay, but not in the physical book, itself. Save such remarks for magazine interviews or autobiographies, or other mediums).

I remember one novel where the author actually explained how he took this and that incident in the newspaper and put them together in a collage. "The girl hanging in the tree was actually an old man who was run over by a truck"--that kind of thing. By the time he got through explaining all the plot elements, he had self-destructed his own novel.

To help clear my mind, here is a horror story that I would recommend. It's a creepy story, but there is hope in it.

"Summer of Night" (the dead are walking around in this great coming-of-age story by Dan Simmons).

Summer of Night (Aspect Fantasy)

And for another great coming-of-age story (this one a sweet great American novel--no horror) read "Red Sky At Morning," Richard Bradford.

Red Sky at Morning: A Novel (Perennial Classics)

Finally, for a five-star horror writer, try Richard Laymon--"Island," "Darkness Tell Us," "Night in Lonesome October," and "The Traveling Vampire Show," to name a few. Treat your to checking out the following links:
Island
Darkness, Tell Us
Night in the Lonesome October
The Traveling Vampire Show

This story is like a train wreck on a car accident your passing by - you don't want to watch, but you cant help yourself. Sad, scary, disturbing, suspencful, this book has it all. That's all I'm going to say, you have to read it for yourself to know what i'm talking about. I would recommend it but not to the faint of hart.

This is the first Ketchum book that I have read and I can see why so many people enjoy his work. That said, The Girl Next Door is not for the faint of heart. It is a story told by David, a twelve year old boy growing up in the 50's in a neighbourhood where everyone knows everyone. When his next door neighbour's two nieces comes to live with her and her three sons, the terror begins. What comes next is a stomach churning tale of child abuse, extreme abuse. What's even worse is that eventually it is not only the aunt and her sons committing the acts, but others in the neighbourhood. Although it can sometimes be gruesome, the writing is very effective and memorable. Ketchum shows us that the worst monsters are of the human persuasion and not hiding under your bed or in your closet. There are here all the time. A great book. But reader beware, it is given in great detail and is not for the squeamish.

Okay, without getting into giving away the story, I'll just share my opinion on what I thought of the read. The book is very well written from beginning to end. The story by no stretch of the imagination was "scary" but rather very disturbing. The series of events that took place throughout the book became more and more brutal and easy to picture happening from the wonderful writing style of the author. The storyline itself was very basic, yet I found myself coming back again and again, wanting to see what was going to happen. And the real scary part for me was that there were no "monsters", just some screwed up people. Maybe that's what had me so curious. If you're looking for something a little different in the horror genre, give this book a try. It'll disturb you, I'm sure.

High tension and horrifying moments take center stage in the very haunting and narratively compelling THE GIRL NEXT DOOR. Jack Ketchum pulls out all the stops in this coming-of-age tale of survival among evil, whose human form is scarier than any monster imaginable. Based on a true story, Ketchum's fifth Leisure offering is explicit to the core and not for the fainted heart. It is a ride like no others, but a well-deserved one, for TGND is one scary read, told with a sharp and inhibited mind. An unforgettable journey to the center of madness. If all horror novels were like this one, any fan of the genre would suffer from insomnia. Yes, hate kills. Just ask Jack Ketchum; he has one heck of a story for you.-----Martin Boucher

When I ordered this book from the store, I had also ordered a movie called 'Requiem for a Dream' which depicts the consequences of drug abuse in a brutal fashion. That is a must see movie just as this is a must read book.
I believe that this book should be required reading for "adults", especially those who tend to turn a blind eye toward the suffering of others. Real life stories, as depicted in this book, is a reality for many people all over America, not just children- the torture, degradation and humiliation of one person by another.
Just last year in Camden, NJ, a couple was arrested for nearly starving their 3 adoptive children to death. This couple had their own children whom they left pretty much alone, but neglected and starved the adoptive children. But the disturbing thing was that child welfare, who claimed to make periodic visits to check the the adoptive kids, claimed they never noticed anything wrong. One of the kids was a 17 year old boy who had been so malnurished that he was below 100 pounds.
As I read this book, I kept thinking of what happened in Camden. What Ketchum does is put you in the place of the tortured child. If you can handle the story, you'll find that you really empathize with this child. You can see throw their eyes. The torture, suffering and confusion. How seemingly normal people can very easily turn to their darker natures, which we all have...but also what happens if no one is there to pull you back. How hard it is to be good and how easy it is to be evil.
You also empathize with the narrator of the book who witnessed the torture. The narrator sinned himself by remaining silent...on more than one occasion I found myself really hating him because all he had to do was tell 'one' person or a cop, but he didn't. I've read over 100 novels and that has happened to me only 2 or 3 times!
This book shows how seductive evil can be... and all you have to do is block out that this is another human being you're doing it to. If you think of the victim as not human...an animal or an insect...you start to forget the price that will have to be paid by ALL involved.
If there are people who blast this book, I think it's because they do not want to accept that things like this actually happen. Now that this book is being sold as a trade paperback, perhaps more people will read it and realize the consequences of the actions of evil people...but also the consequences of doing nothing about it.
I would encourage that you pick up a copy and judge for yourself.
I think what you get out of this book really depends on what kind of person you are. If you're a good person, you'll take away lessons to be learned. If you're a bad person.....
Be prepared though...this book is very graphic, very brutal and very realistic.
Ketchum has a lot of guts to write something like this. I didn't find it pornographic or exploitive at all. Very, very few people would write something like this...they would be too concerned about the market value of it, how many copies will it sell. Ketchum, like Oliver Stone, isn't very concerned on what anyone else thinks. If they have something they want to say, they take advantage of their right to say it...to express themselves and not conform to what other people think.
I RESPECT that a lot!
Jack Ketchum is DEFINITELY an author on my must read list!

Possibly one of the darkest and most disturbing novels I've ever read. No monsters, demons, or any supernatural psycho killers here, just the full manifestation of man's evil potential against his fellow man, and moral burdens attached.

Can't say this is a enjoyable read, it is about child abuse after all, but in literary terms it delivers. Fast paced, heart pounding suspense, and engrossing. It was hard to put down if you have the stomach to pick it up.

The first thing you notice when reading this book is that it's damn well written, perfectly evoking a fifties era suburbia from a child's first person perspective. The characters speak in their own language and feel real and unique. The second thing you notice is where the story is going, and at that point I seriously considered putting the book down as being simply too disturbing. I didn't want to be reading about, not to mention titillated, by the child abuse described. In the end, I'm very glad I didn't put it down. The plot changes just as the reader cannot stomach anymore, but the descriptions are completely necessary in this contemporary and too easy to believe as real version of Lord of the Flies.

This is true horror. The Girl Next Door is brutal and disturbing. No monsters in the dark or ghosts in the attic here. This is about the horrific things people can do to other people. Ketchum never looks away from the torture that teenage Meg must go through and it makes this novel incredibly hard to put down. Because you want to see what happens next just as much as the protagonist David does. The depravity that Ruth Chandler, Meg's captor, puts her through is terrifying. Beatings, burnings, stabbing, starvation and much worse. This is a book you won't forget any time soon.

This was a disturbing read. Amazingly, the first part of the book reads like so many coming of age stories (except more expertly written). The life of a 12 year old in the late 50s, your first crush, catching crawfish in the brook . . . all had me thinking that this was reading like a book one might assign to middle school readers. But I'd read about the book, and knew what was coming - or thought I did. I read it over the course of a weekend and found myself thinking about it over and over again, it just wouldn't leave me. The horrors and depravity that are perpetuated in this book are made most horrible by the fact that things like this really do happen - and that's the true horror of this story. Ketchum's writing style is vivid and engaging, luring you into the summer of '58 and putting images in your head that you really don't want there.

As i have said above I have never been more frightened by a book in my whole life. Consiquently, i also haden't been more grossed out by a book either. I say this was exactly what i was looking for and i finally found it. Be careful what you wish for never fit in a better situation. And then i found out it was based on a true story.
After i completed reading it, i felt sick to my stomach. I have never had that feeling from a book before. It got me thinking about the things that happened and those who participated in the events that let it happen. Its an eye opener and i think that exactly what the author accomplished what he was looking to do.

Suffice to say he is my new favorite author.

In a small town where everything is idyllic, everyone knows everyone, and every one trusts, 12 year old David has his life forever changed. Meg and her sister, Susan, move in next door to David to live with Ruth after a terrible car accident kills their parents and leaves Susan crippled. Shortly after the two girls arrival Ruth turns from the mother every kid in the neighborhood loves to an evil, horrendeously abusive woman. Ruth and her three sons relentlessly abuse Meg, first verbally and then progressively move on to extreme physical abuse. David is not only a witness but a by-stander, who, too late, makes attempts to save Meg. The descriptions of Meg's abuse are vivid and disturbing. Years after the first reading of this book it haunted me, especially since I work with children who have experienced similar abuse as Meg.

With a nearly 5 star average rating on this book, it was one I considered buying for a bit. I was curious more than anything.

I eventually decided to read it and now I'm left asking myself more the question of "What was I looking for?". The real-life inspiration for this novel intrigued me since its brutality seems unreal in so many ways. What Ketchum meditates on here is the duplicity of its main character, David. I can neither hate him nor sympathize with him - he simply invokes indifference.

The scenes of torture, rape and abuse are abundant.

The dilemma I find with this book is that the writing is actually not bad. Ketchum carves out vivid scenes (even the peaceful ones spattered throughout) and there is certainly a moral tale being told here. But neither of these - together or alone - results in a story that leaves the reader satisfied. The contrived last scene seems cliche and very formulaic, almost as an afterthought. And then I wonder why I picked up the book in the first place.

I think genre fans may find it decent, but beyond that this isn't a book for the average reader (which I consider myself to be).

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.

This book next to Stephen King's The Long Walk and Pet Semetary, is the most brutal book I have ever read. No I haven't read many King books so don't start on me about that but anyway the violence in this novel is absolutely horrendous and yet I couldn't stop reading it. It took me 3 hours to read the entire book and I didn't put it down once. It's actually not too long at just about 300 pages. But that didn't take anything away from the story. Basically there are three acts. The first act is about a normal neighborhood with a bunch of kids and about a boy with an innocent crush. The second act is the start of the descent in the insanity of the Chandler family where Ruth verbally trashes the two girls, Meg and Susan. The third act is the real kicker. It is all about the torture, the violence and the brutality that the neighborhood kids and Ruth do to Meg. Now a lot of readers have said that David, whose the entire book is based on his viewpoint, doesn't do anything to help Meg, the girl he loves, until she is pratically at her death. Saying that he could have done something before or could have gone to the cops and tell them what was happening at the Chandler house but he doesn't, he just stands and watches as these disgusting things are unleashed on Meg but my theory is that the kid was tramautized and perhaps also fascinated. Remember at the time of these acts, he was only 12. And what makes it more disturbing that Ruthand her three boys, literally become monsters. They are human beings, not creatures and are far worse scarier than any mythical or fictional beast I've read in any book. And also that this can happen and has happened in any "typical" neighborhood. The story is apparently loosely based on a true story of a girl that was tortured to death by a family. I could feel Meg's pain and in the end, lost her will. I do not recommend this book if you are feeling depressed or suicidal, avoid it like the plague.

Note: Your "helpful" votes are appreciated. Thanks.

Although this was a story that I couldn't put down, and I sped right through it, I wish I had not read it. It is so brutal, and the psycho stepmom is so awful that it will take weeks to get those images out of my mind.

I gave it five stars, then deleted my review and re-posted it, giving it one star. After some criticism about being unfair to the author, I have deleted and re-posted it again. I gave it five stars for a compelling plot and excellent writing, but I still would urge you not to read it. Try something else. At least, that's the advice I wished I had been given. Before I read another Ketchum novel, I'm going to read a review.

This novel should come with a major disclaimer because sexual mutilation is so warped and disturbing. Many fans of horror stories--even fans of stories full of blood and guts--avoid reading about sexual mutilation, especially involving children.

Don't get me wrong. I've really enjoy many horror stories, but this one was just too dismal, too dark, and lacked an emotionally satisfying ending.

I'm a big-time reader. I'm no prude, but give me some hope (like Steven King does most of the time). After I post this review, I'm going to take a shower and go on a three-day fast (I exaggerate).

I think that even the author, Jack Ketchum, felt guilty about writing this story because he included an apologetic afterward explaining his motivation. That's something I don't like. If I want a review, I'll read a review. A novel should stand on its own two feet without explanation by the author.

A writer should not explain his or her motivations in an afterward (that's okay, but not in the physical book, itself. Save such remarks for magazine interviews or autobiographies, or other mediums).

I remember one novel where the author actually explained how he took this and that incident in the newspaper and put them together in a collage. "The girl hanging in the tree was actually an old man who was run over by a truck"--that kind of thing. By the time he got through explaining all the plot elements, he had self-destructed his own novel.

To help clear my mind, here is a horror story that I would recommend. It's a creepy story, but there is hope in it.

"Summer of Night" (the dead are walking around in this great coming-of-age story by Dan Simmons).

Summer of Night (Aspect Fantasy)

And for another great coming-of-age story (this one a sweet great American novel--no horror) read "Red Sky At Morning," Richard Bradford.

Red Sky at Morning: A Novel (Perennial Classics)

Finally, for a five-star horror writer, try Richard Laymon--"Island," "Darkness Tell Us," "Night in Lonesome October," and "The Traveling Vampire Show," to name a few. Treat your to checking out the following links:
Island
Darkness, Tell Us
Night in the Lonesome October
The Traveling Vampire Show

This story is like a train wreck on a car accident your passing by - you don't want to watch, but you cant help yourself. Sad, scary, disturbing, suspencful, this book has it all. That's all I'm going to say, you have to read it for yourself to know what i'm talking about. I would recommend it but not to the faint of hart.

This is the first Ketchum book that I have read and I can see why so many people enjoy his work. That said, The Girl Next Door is not for the faint of heart. It is a story told by David, a twelve year old boy growing up in the 50's in a neighbourhood where everyone knows everyone. When his next door neighbour's two nieces comes to live with her and her three sons, the terror begins. What comes next is a stomach churning tale of child abuse, extreme abuse. What's even worse is that eventually it is not only the aunt and her sons committing the acts, but others in the neighbourhood. Although it can sometimes be gruesome, the writing is very effective and memorable. Ketchum shows us that the worst monsters are of the human persuasion and not hiding under your bed or in your closet. There are here all the time. A great book. But reader beware, it is given in great detail and is not for the squeamish.

Okay, without getting into giving away the story, I'll just share my opinion on what I thought of the read. The book is very well written from beginning to end. The story by no stretch of the imagination was "scary" but rather very disturbing. The series of events that took place throughout the book became more and more brutal and easy to picture happening from the wonderful writing style of the author. The storyline itself was very basic, yet I found myself coming back again and again, wanting to see what was going to happen. And the real scary part for me was that there were no "monsters", just some screwed up people. Maybe that's what had me so curious. If you're looking for something a little different in the horror genre, give this book a try. It'll disturb you, I'm sure.

High tension and horrifying moments take center stage in the very haunting and narratively compelling THE GIRL NEXT DOOR. Jack Ketchum pulls out all the stops in this coming-of-age tale of survival among evil, whose human form is scarier than any monster imaginable. Based on a true story, Ketchum's fifth Leisure offering is explicit to the core and not for the fainted heart. It is a ride like no others, but a well-deserved one, for TGND is one scary read, told with a sharp and inhibited mind. An unforgettable journey to the center of madness. If all horror novels were like this one, any fan of the genre would suffer from insomnia. Yes, hate kills. Just ask Jack Ketchum; he has one heck of a story for you.-----Martin Boucher

When I ordered this book from the store, I had also ordered a movie called 'Requiem for a Dream' which depicts the consequences of drug abuse in a brutal fashion. That is a must see movie just as this is a must read book.
I believe that this book should be required reading for "adults", especially those who tend to turn a blind eye toward the suffering of others. Real life stories, as depicted in this book, is a reality for many people all over America, not just children- the torture, degradation and humiliation of one person by another.
Just last year in Camden, NJ, a couple was arrested for nearly starving their 3 adoptive children to death. This couple had their own children whom they left pretty much alone, but neglected and starved the adoptive children. But the disturbing thing was that child welfare, who claimed to make periodic visits to check the the adoptive kids, claimed they never noticed anything wrong. One of the kids was a 17 year old boy who had been so malnurished that he was below 100 pounds.
As I read this book, I kept thinking of what happened in Camden. What Ketchum does is put you in the place of the tortured child. If you can handle the story, you'll find that you really empathize with this child. You can see throw their eyes. The torture, suffering and confusion. How seemingly normal people can very easily turn to their darker natures, which we all have...but also what happens if no one is there to pull you back. How hard it is to be good and how easy it is to be evil.
You also empathize with the narrator of the book who witnessed the torture. The narrator sinned himself by remaining silent...on more than one occasion I found myself really hating him because all he had to do was tell 'one' person or a cop, but he didn't. I've read over 100 novels and that has happened to me only 2 or 3 times!
This book shows how seductive evil can be... and all you have to do is block out that this is another human being you're doing it to. If you think of the victim as not human...an animal or an insect...you start to forget the price that will have to be paid by ALL involved.
If there are people who blast this book, I think it's because they do not want to accept that things like this actually happen. Now that this book is being sold as a trade paperback, perhaps more people will read it and realize the consequences of the actions of evil people...but also the consequences of doing nothing about it.
I would encourage that you pick up a copy and judge for yourself.
I think what you get out of this book really depends on what kind of person you are. If you're a good person, you'll take away lessons to be learned. If you're a bad person.....
Be prepared though...this book is very graphic, very brutal and very realistic.
Ketchum has a lot of guts to write something like this. I didn't find it pornographic or exploitive at all. Very, very few people would write something like this...they would be too concerned about the market value of it, how many copies will it sell. Ketchum, like Oliver Stone, isn't very concerned on what anyone else thinks. If they have something they want to say, they take advantage of their right to say it...to express themselves and not conform to what other people think.
I RESPECT that a lot!
Jack Ketchum is DEFINITELY an author on my must read list!

Possibly one of the darkest and most disturbing novels I've ever read. No monsters, demons, or any supernatural psycho killers here, just the full manifestation of man's evil potential against his fellow man, and moral burdens attached.

Can't say this is a enjoyable read, it is about child abuse after all, but in literary terms it delivers. Fast paced, heart pounding suspense, and engrossing. It was hard to put down if you have the stomach to pick it up.

The first thing you notice when reading this book is that it's damn well written, perfectly evoking a fifties era suburbia from a child's first person perspective. The characters speak in their own language and feel real and unique. The second thing you notice is where the story is going, and at that point I seriously considered putting the book down as being simply too disturbing. I didn't want to be reading about, not to mention titillated, by the child abuse described. In the end, I'm very glad I didn't put it down. The plot changes just as the reader cannot stomach anymore, but the descriptions are completely necessary in this contemporary and too easy to believe as real version of Lord of the Flies.

This is true horror. The Girl Next Door is brutal and disturbing. No monsters in the dark or ghosts in the attic here. This is about the horrific things people can do to other people. Ketchum never looks away from the torture that teenage Meg must go through and it makes this novel incredibly hard to put down. Because you want to see what happens next just as much as the protagonist David does. The depravity that Ruth Chandler, Meg's captor, puts her through is terrifying. Beatings, burnings, stabbing, starvation and much worse. This is a book you won't forget any time soon.

This was a disturbing read. Amazingly, the first part of the book reads like so many coming of age stories (except more expertly written). The life of a 12 year old in the late 50s, your first crush, catching crawfish in the brook . . . all had me thinking that this was reading like a book one might assign to middle school readers. But I'd read about the book, and knew what was coming - or thought I did. I read it over the course of a weekend and found myself thinking about it over and over again, it just wouldn't leave me. The horrors and depravity that are perpetuated in this book are made most horrible by the fact that things like this really do happen - and that's the true horror of this story. Ketchum's writing style is vivid and engaging, luring you into the summer of '58 and putting images in your head that you really don't want there.

As a long time hard-core horror fan, there is not much that makes me cringe, squirm, or shudder. There has only been a handful of books that kept me thinking about them late into the night. This story not only had me thinking about it, but reflecting on myself and society in general on many levels. What is presented in this simple boy meets girl/coming of age premise goes far beyond anything,except real life. The resonance of truth and reality is what makes this tale truly terrifying. The cruelty displayed towards young adults and children by other children is horrifying. That this could be really happening next door is even more scary. This book is like a bad traffic accident. I guarantee that you will not be able to turn away and not be affected by what you read here. Highly reccomended to fans of horror and straight fiction alike.

Based on a true story, this is a tale well told but hard to persist through. It is worth struggling through though to gain insight into the fine line between active evil and passive allowance of evil. You will cringe and maybe feel ill, but the writing is so on target that you cannot put it down.

I chose this book as my own intro to Jack Ketchum, as he makes regular appearances at the horror convention that I like to go to, so I figured it'd give me a reason to swing by his booth. I started reading it out loud to my dad, as his eyes keep him from reading, himself. This book had so many moments where I just felt uncomfortable having to read it, and my dad even asked me to stop reading it to him at one point, because it was too disturbing for him. No book has ever had that effect on him before, and it is only because of the very realistic and agonizing depictions of child abuse that are written about throughout the story. I had to finish the book on my own, and it definitely convinced me to want to read more by this author. While I haven't really read any other stories based on this subject matter, it certainly seemed to be written quite well, and I would suggest this book to anyone willing to put themselves through it.

I read this book, not really knowing it was based on a true story. The book is very well written. There were parts that were so well written, they made me a little ill. It's unbelievable that people can do things like this, but sadly, we know they can. I'm almost afraid to recommend the book, because I wouldn't want someone getting any ideas to do this sort of thing. I actually cried at the end of the book, it is a story that will really make you wish you could jump into the story and change the outcome

It took me awhile to read this book because the horror depicted in it got to be to much for me and I even cried a few times. I remember seeing the movie many years ago and it stayed with me, so while reading this I kept seeing in my mind what was happening. That, and Jack Ketchum brings the pages to life so you can't help but see. Intense, graphic, and not for the faint hearted.

I read this book many, many moons ago. I no longer have the original book but the story still haunts me. I hardly ever cry while reading books but this one had me bawling. I cried not only for the victim but also for her reluctant tormentor. Be prepared to lose your heart to a girl you know will die and boy who will love and both of whom you cannot save.

I sometimes find it difficult to find a book that REALLY pulls me in. A book that can hold my attention until the very last word. Jack Ketchum has proven time and time again to be one that has complete and total ability to keep me turning the pages. So far "The Girl Next Door" is my favorite. Every time I was forced to put the book down, I couldn't wait until I could jump back in. It was a book that I wasn't "just" reading, and visualizing the story as an outsider ... I WAS David. I was there! To me, that is masterful writing, and I thank Mr. Ketchum for that gift.

I not only highly recommend this book, I will flat out tell you ...... Read this book!

I haven't stayed up on Mr. Ketchum's huge body of work in the past few years, but this jewel is one of his finest. It is the retelling of a murder of a teenage girl based on the true story, and the control one woman has over her children. A fast paced novel for the depraved and sick, as is anything by Mr. Ketchum, this book gives one young lady the voice of justice from the grave. This is her story as sadistic and brutal as it is, and she wants you to know evil never triumphs.

This book was initially hard to get into. But then I couldn't put it down. This story is so disturbing to think about. It's based on a true story from the 60's. To imagine these things happening is nothing but heartache. If you like psychological suspense this is the book to read.

Ketchum unloads the brutality in ways that cause the conscience to go PING. There aren't many horror stories out there that tug at the heart like GIRL NEXT DOOR does either.

What's really scary about this book is that it is partially based on actual events. Lemme tell ya, the main villian in this puppy, Ruth, is as scary as they come-- not the type I'd wanna live next to, yet, I constantly wanted to know what was going on with her. I found myself yelling at her at parts, trying to slap some sense into the loony.

This is a touching, terrifying coming-of-age tale that will appeal to fans of extreme literature for obvious reasons, yet is accessible to all mature readers because of its handling of moral issues and engaging drama.

Just my 2 cents...

This book has traumatized me. I can deal with the supernatural,murder,blood,and gore however not prolonged suffering. I was disturbed for several weeks due to some of the graphic torture. I suppose some people find this to be entertaining or interesting, but I don't personally find entertainment in such things and could barely stomach it. I guess I probably should have read some of the reviews here before I decided to spend my money. I would really love to give the book one star but I realize that I did finish the book (mostly because I wanted to find out if some sort of justice prevailed)and that its affects on me must indicate the author did something of what he intended to do. However, be warned---this is truly not a story for the faint or tender-hearted.

Chilling and terrifying story based on a REAL LIFE account about two sisters who go to live with their Aunt, who then takes to abusing them, both verbally and physically. One of the girls in particular is held captive in the basement and brutally tortured by neighborhood children. This is psychological horror at its best, coupled also with Ketchum's regular use of brutal violence. Especially because this was a true story, I wanted to kill all the horrible mob-like children and the Aunt. That is how well Ketchum writes this, baring the worst of emotions.

This book captures the essence of what happens when a person slowly becomes mentally ill. A women, who is seen as normal to society, focuses her hidden pain and psychopath on her adopted daughter through torture and mental cruelty. The victims include the girl tortured, her young sons who she forces to participate through manipulation and threats, and the children of neighbors.

This book will evoke the deepest sense of fear, and make you keep one eye open as to what a normal person is perceived to be!

Most definitely - the most evil book I have ever read! Not even sure what made me turn the pages........

I've read a lot of horror novels, but this is, by far, the most frightening and disturbing one. And it is not only because we have to witness a horrible crime, based on the cruel murder of Sylvia Likens. Of course, the story of the book is a horrifying one: Back in the 1950's, we meet David and his friends and family, living a rather normal life. Yes, there are some ugly secrets behind the surface, but everyone has chosen not to notice. All of the boys likes the neighbor Ruth, a single mother that treats them like adults, not like annoying little children. This woman seems to be the perfect stepmother for Meg and her sister Sarah, who have just lost their parents. But the beautiful and strong Meg brings out something horrible in Ruth. It starts with arguments, with punishments - it ends with physical and mental abuse of an almost unbearable cruelty, and with Meg being locked up and tortured in a bomb shelter in Ruth's cellar...

It is really hard to read through all the incredibly horrible things that are done to Meg, and it certainly doesn't help that many of the most disturbing cruelties are done by children. All the kids in the neighborhood are taking part in the torture - everyone knows, but no one helps, and none of their parents seems to care enough to notice what is going on the cellar next door. But the most frightening thing about the book is, in my opinion, that the reader is forced to go through the main character's feeling, and starts to feel the same thing. The story is absolutely shocking, but I felt such a strange and horrible fascination, that I couldn't stop reading anymore and actually finished it in one day. It is the same mixture of pure disgust and overwhelming captivation David goes through, and this was what makes the reader realize that everyone can be drawn into a horrible event like this - and that it can (and of course, does) happen again, anywhere, anytime.

This book is one of the best examples that no monster, no paranormal activity, no evil spirit can be more frightening than the human mind - and that bad things are not only done by bad people. David is a good boy and he feels true sympathy for Meg, but he can't resist until it is too late. And no one can truly say that he would have acted differently if he were in his shoes, because... you never know unless you have been there.

The Girl next Door is one of the most horrible and impressive books I've ever read. It is a book you will never ever forget about - even if you wish you could. And it shows a very important truth about human society, that Meg's history can repeat in everyone's house next door, and that we have to do everything to prevent this.

I had been fascinated by the tragic and inexplicable story of the imprisonment, torture and murder of Sylvia Likens for some time, as it has been a galvanizing case for child advocates for many decades. The highest praise I can give to Ketchum's Likens-inspired novel is that by conveying the matter-of-fact yet almost inevitable escalation of the horrors in Ruth's house, and the struggle between revulsion and attraction experienced by David, it breaks down any protective walls we might erect between us and the all-too-real violence that forms the book's foundation. Characters live and breathe, the summer heat settles on the skin, we can taste the cotton candy at the carnival. We are invested, and when Ketchum begins the relentless, devastating degradation, humiliation and destruction of Meg, we feel and see everything, and are as complicit and powerless as David. Perhaps this is why some readers have reviled the novel as pornographic and sadistic; it forces you to become a part of human destruction, and if you continue reading, you must accept your role in what occurs. Rarely have I found a more demanding or painful reading experience; I only wish more authors required as much of their readers. You will not put this book down unscathed, and that is what Ketchum wants: for us to realize that silence and passivity foster and encourage man's inhumanity to man.

I had heard and read so much about this book that it seemed like it would be a let down reading it. I was mistaken. Amazing read, from beginning to end. Addictive as Hell. Once you start, you won't want to come up for air until it's over. Maybe you'll want to at times. As great of a read as it is, it is difficult to get through at times. Which adds to its addictiveness.

This is the second Jack Ketchum book I've read, the other being The Lost. TGND was as I expected it to be, very dark and visceral, disturbing and tragic. If you've never read Ketchum before, this may not be the place to start, but then again if you're willing to read something that will no doubt disturb you, then this might be the place to start after all. Ketchum's style is quick and conversational. Couple that with his ability to grab you by the throat and hold you suspended in a state of tension and you get a page-turner. You could nit-pick this book, but it doesn't take away the fact that this is a gripping read.

I was searching through the store's discussion boards and found "The Most Disturbing Novel You've Ever Read," and time and time again _The Girl Next Door_ was mentioned....so naturally I had to check it out. The reviews intrigued me...even the one stars said it was amazing writing, but way too graphic for their taste while the fives declared it a masterpiece. I guess I fall somewhere in the middle of the pack.

I'll be honest, the actual writing isn't filled with horror because, be honestly, we've all read more graphic scenes...it is what goes on in your mind afterwards. As I read, I flipped page by page just in awe of the progression of physical and emotional abuse, and how easily the children of the neighborhood were "sucked in" to be accomplices. Some other reviewers mentioned that this was unbelievable, but working with children of all ages, I know how easy it is for them to be sucked in and persuaded to do unimaginable acts by their friends, let alone an adult (and in the time period of the book, children actually followed blindlessly and trusted that an adult's word was golden and true).

Once I finished the novel, I sat there and thought about why people would say this was the "most disturbing novel," and I finally realized it. Because this is true horror. Not some run of the mill fantasy horror, but horror that actually exists. This really could be the girl next door to all of us, and we don't even know it. That is the most horrific thing of all.

On a list of best horror novels. It is truly a horror novel but it is so difficult to read that I quit. Not for the weak. Perhaps my problem was that I'd read the real life account of this incident and that plus this very well written novel proved too much for me. It is too real and too horrible to read about more than once.

There are many good reviews of this chilling book. However, I take dislike to calling it a "horror novel". Sure, there is more horror in it than in any other book that I've read. Or rather, terror and pain, pain that the reader will feel and even experience, in a way. But it definitely cannot be categorized as a horror novel. Horror novels are a segment of entertainment. This book is a lot of things, but it is not entertaining for one second or paragraph. Giving that statement a second thought, however, makes me think that there probably are some people who find the book entertaining. And that really is the bone-chilling heart of the story, is it not? Do you remember the one scene from the movie Gladiator, where Maximus, after having killed his opponents in the arena, throws his sword to the ground, and screams at the cajoling audience: "Are you entertained?".

Don't call it horror novel. That would be making light of this book. I think there is no genre tag for this book. And I agree: Once you have read it, it will stay for you. It will change you, and it will torment you. You can never un-read it. So think twice. You will be hurt by this book.

If you have been a victim of child abuse, do not read this book. If you are sensitive to this subject matter, do not read this book. Many times I knew that I should have put this book down and taken a shower, but it just kept drawing me back in. Definitely a book that will stay with me a long time. A horrifying tale of abuse of a young girl at the hands of the neighborhood children and her own relatives. While the subject matter is hard to deal with, Ketchum's writing is wonderful and really makes you turn the pages, whether you want to or not.

This book was well written and doesn't pull any punches. It shakes your faith in humanity. I felt like putting this book down so many times, due to the horror of what was taking place. Yet, I kept reading. I hoped above all that something good would finally happen, but it rarely does. You know the most horrific thing of all? I found out after reading this book that it's loosely based on a real incident.....Sylvia Likens. That's enough to give you nightmares.

I've read alot of horror literature and this is one of those books that transcends the genre. It is indeed inspired by a true account. As I was reading this book I began to notice that the story had a ring of familiarity to it. I read Ketchum's afterward, and he stated that the inspiration was an actual crime that happened in the midwest in 1965. I live in Indianapolis, Indiana and I recalled reading an article 2-3 years ago in our local newspaper about a crime similar to this novel that happened in Indianapolis. I did an archive search on the paper's website and lo and behold I found the article I remembered reading. The character of Meg in the novel is actually based on a girl named Sylvia Likens. In the summer of 1965 Sylvia's parents, who were on tour with a carnival, boarded their two daughters, Sylvia and Jenny with a woman named Gertrude Baniszewski for 20 dollars a week. Over the course of that summer from July to October Gertrude and her children as well as some kids from the neighborhood beat, starved, and tortured 16 year old Sylvia until she died on October 26, 1965. There is an excellent account of this horrific crime on the Court TV website if anyone wants to learn more, but keep in mind it is extremely disturbing. I've read alot of true crime and to me this case is a horrible example of just how low human beings can go. I was pretty moved after reading more about this case. There is a memorial to this girl in a park in Indianapolis and her grave is in Lebanon,IN. The house that the crime took place in is still standing I actually went by there recently and it's still pretty sad forty years later to know what happened there. Ketchum does an excellent job of capturing this case in his novel although mercifully he changes some of the facts. The reality is that Gertrude or "Gertie" as she was called by the neighborhood children was paroled in 1985 and spent the rest of her years in Iowa until she died in 1990 of lung cancer. May she rot in hell. The kid who branded poor Sylvia (yes this actually happened not once but twice) died of cancer at 21. Overall, Gertrude's children who were all willing accomplices in this dispicable act only did two years in prison and all are married and have children now. What a wonderful thought. This was all fyi for anyone interested. Thanks. PS. The house was actually purchased by a minister about two years ago who knew nothing of it's history, after finding what happened there they were going to convert it into a shelter for homeless women, but I recently heard that the house was reposessed by the bank. Pity.

I can not begin to express the feelings I got from reading this book. Like other reviewers, I can sit through books like American Psycho and not be as disturbed, but I was in shock while reading this book. Not only is the story true, but it is written out so well by Jack Ketchum. You can picture everything he is describing..unfortunately. Definately worth reading just for that fact that it is a true story and shows that even though we can describe monsters as scary non-human creatures, what people should be scared of are the real monsters, other humans.

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.

The girl next door was a very interesting book. This story is a typical everything looks normal on the outside, except there is something really bad going on right under everyones nose. There were certain parts of this book that made me furious!!!! It is a very graphic and sad story about the torture and eventual murder of a young girl and her sister that were forced to move in with an aunt. It is hard to read this book and not get angry since the characters you are dealing with are children. I would reccommend this book, but just make sure you are ready....

I pride myself in having strong stomach, not easily turning away at horror or unthinkable violence. This book made me question whether I could finish it at times. Absolutely heart breaking. Amazing book that will leave an impact on those who read it.

Wow, when you find out that there is information left out of this book b/c it's too digusting or horrifying to relate you know you've got a good piece of horror. I read this book in a day, & was completely mesmerized by Ketchum's storytelling. I thought the 1st person point of view was really interesting, you find yourself pulling for him & maybe not really wanting the believe that he acutally participated (passivley anyway).

I would recommend it for any horror lover, the fact that it's rooted in truth makes it even more terrifying!

This is only my second Jack Ketchum novel. My first was Off Season. I liked this story more because it felt more real and I connected with the characters more so than The ones in Off Season. What happens in this book is a travesty. It taught me to be more skeptical of people and to keep better watch over what my children do and who they hang out with.

It may be tough for some people to get through, but if it makes you pay more attention to your children's whereabouts and their activities, then I would call this a must read. Especially since the novel was based on a real events.

...to spend the rest of your waking hours engulfed in one of the most memorable reads of your life. You WILL NOT put this book down. You couldn't if you tried. I finished this one in just over four and a half hours.

Ketchum's theme here seems to be "horror without the supernatural". Much like James Dickey's "Deliverance". But I think Ketchum's real genius is his ability to mesh two seemingly unrelated situations into one great thriller. His juxtoposition of a seemingly normal small town, innocent neighborhood in the 1950's with the darkest realms of the human psyche untapped by many... let alone pre or young teens of that golden era.

I read that Ketchum loosely based this on a true story of a woman in Indiana somewhere in the 1960's and it does ring of a fictional book I read in High school called "Let's go play at the Adams" but Ketchum's hard driving, page turning prose takes this story to a place where the former two stories will probably be forgotten, true or not.

So I've just finished Jack Ketchum's novel THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, and I believe it has been the most horrifing novel I've read by far.

When I read other book reviews, I tend to overlook captions that say "The scariest book ever" or "It will make you keep the lights on." Honestly I don't get scared that easy by books and very rarely do I read one that has any emotional impact on me. So I ignore such comments, but read the novel anyways out of my love for horror. And I know that just because I won't get frightened, doesn't mean I won't enjoy the book.

Then, some where amongst my searching for new novels, I heard about this author. And it is he alone who has ever frightened me by only reading his words. Ladies' Night was bloody and tense, and I felt like a man in that fictional world. RED had me feeling for the main character after the simple killing of his dog. And THE GIRL NEXT DOOR just plain made me mad.

Oh yes, I felt angry, I felt disgusted, and I felt dread.

The novel is even more horrific in that it is based on a true story. Not like how Texas Chainsaw Massacre was loosely based on the Ed Gein murders, but I'm talking like incident by incident inspired by a true story. So what's it about you ask, well here you go.

Meg and her crippled sister Susan have just moved in with their distant Aunt Ruthand her three sons. Her new next-door neighbor is David, a young boy who is friends with everyone on the street, including the three boys Meg now lives with. But everything is about to change.

Ruth has recently become unstable in the mind. She begins to blame the girls for everything. This eventually leads to numerous beatings against the girls, but mostly towards Meg. But then the beatings get worse as Ruth throws Meg in the basement and starts using cigarettes, fire, scalding water and knives to inflict pain onto her niece.

It is only made worse when Ruth allows her sons to join in, then bringing in the other children on the street who are too young to know that what they are doing is considered torture and rape. She lets them use Meg as a scapegoat, tackling dummy, and eventually even sex object. And all this time, David can do nothing but watch in fear and keep it a dark secret. And by the time he is ready to help, it is too late.

Trust me when I say that this novel will stay with you for days after you've finished it. I have no doubt that I'll ever forget Ruth's final and ultimate perversion against Meg.

I am almost afraid to read the true story of what happened to a girl named Sylvia in Indiana in the 60's. But alas I've ordered it from the store.com, and even feel some sort of disgrace for doing so, like I shouldn't be reading this kind of thing.

This is probally the only novel I'd NOT recommend to some people because of the subject matter. But I do recommend it to those searching for more than just a "good read". This is a novel to read if you're looking for something powerful and emotional and horrifing.

But again, I also warn.

This book has easily made it's way onto my Favorite's list of novels.

This has to be one of the hardest fiction books to read. What starts as a idyllic 50's childhood story quickly descends into relentless torture and degradation. A mother, her three boys, and the boys neighbor friend visit some very unthinkable torment on a poor young girl. It gets to the point where you may have to put the book down for awhile, and come back to it some time later.
I've seen a few reviews that complain about the lack of motive or that it's implausible that a mother and her children would do these thing. What these people miss is that this book is based on a true story:
When 16yr old Sylvia Marie Likens was found dead, she was covered with bruises and small wounds, later revealed to be cigarette and match burns that numbered over 100. There were also large areas where the outer layer of skin had peeled off. Likens also had a large letter "3" branded on her chest. However, the most remarkable injuries, by far, were the words in block letters that had been burned directly onto her stomach: "I'M A PROSTITUTE AND PROUD OF IT!"
The crime had been committed by an group of teenagers and children, some as young as 11 and 12, led by the 37-year-old woman who's care Sylvia was left in while her parents where away.
There was no reason, no clear motivation for these acts.
This true crime excerpt should speak to the brutality you will find in the book. Not for the weak stomached or easily offended.

The Girl Next Door was the third Ketchum book I'd read. Off Season was ok, Hide and Seek better, but The Girl Next Door blew me away. It was THAT good. Told in first person by 12 year old David, the book touched me in many ways. First off, to me the key to this book is NOT the shocking horror, though there is plenty of that, but the wonderful writing. I absolutely could NOT put the book down. I received it at work on a Sunday morning, read about 30 pages at work, held off until about 4pm on Monday, then read the last 300+ pages between 4pm and 8:30 pm. The novel took me back to when I was 12, and had first seen a pretty slightly older girl in my neighborhood. Had Ketchum choose to, he could have written a gentle, emotion ridden all time classic. That's right. A classic about growing up...with no horror at all. But he choose to go in a different direction. A darker path. One that lead me to explore my own self, wondering what I might've done in the same situation. David does not come off as a hero, yet this book is written with such skill that he also does not come off as a villian, which he could've easily have been had Ketchum had a less deft touch. The Girl Next Door is the best novel of horror I've ever read. Better than anything King, Barker, Koontz, or any other writer has written. I've just ordered Cover, Stranglehold, Red and Joyride, and I'm reading Ladies Night right after I write this. (One caveat, though. I'm not sure this book is suitable for teens, especially girls. The subject matter is a bit...sensitive.)

Very well written. I found myself wondering most of the book what would I have done. I tell myself I would tell but then again the author puts up disturbing but valid worries the character had. As a child as a 11 yo boy those probably may have been concerns most kids would have had.

This is the first book I've ever read where I was glad that the heroine died in the end.
She had suffered so much that I thought it was a blessed release for her. The thought of her having to live the rest of her life with the horrors that she had endured made me want to weep and so I was grateful when she was finally free of it all.
There are worse things than death and Ketchum emphasizes this chillingly well in this book.
It was unputdownable, Jack Ketchum took me on an emotional roller coaster ride where the ride doesn't stop no matter how badly you want it to. I read it in a single afternoon and I shall never forget it. I'm a horror buff but no tale of the supernatural has moved me as much as this book did.
To the author; you have my undying admiration and respect.

I enjoy horror novels, and Ketchum is a very good writer of horror. This book is no exception, but it is difficult, almost painful, to read. It's real life horror. The kind you know happens. And that's terrifying.

Monsters don't always have a set of horns and fangs for teeth with dark demonic voices, hailing from some otherworld. Sometimes they come from middle America, wearing a plain dress, lipstick, speaking in a cool, calm voice. The only fire and smoke that follows is that of some cheap brand of cigarettes. This is the case for of Jack Ketchum's the `Girl Next Door'.
Based upon the true events of Syliva Likens in Indiana while with her Aunt Getrude Baniszewski, the story is of Young Meg and her crippled sister Susan as they are placed under the care of their Aunt Ruth and her three boys after their parents are killed in an automible accident. Aunt Ruth is every neighborhood kids dream adult because of her lenient, lazy-fare, idea of child care. All the kids want to hang out at her house with her three boys. She lets them smoke, gives them beer, and lets them do what they will, things that most parents would find inappropriate, especially for 10 to 12 yr olds. Although more of a friend than a parent, Ruth is still the iconic parental figure. For children of such a young age still trying to understand right wrong, Ruth is by far the worst guidance figure as she progressively becomes more and more warped and instills her sense of sick morals on the children
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The dream quickly turns into a nightmare for Meg and her sister. It starts with verbal abuse, harsh chores, but escalates to beatings and humiliation in front of the boys. Quickly it takes a turn far worse than one would imagine. Evolving from the kids game of capture and confession, Meg is tied up in an old bomb shelter in the basement of the house and is brutally humiliated, tortured, mutilated to where she eventually dies. The story is told through the narration of David. Now in his adult years, David struggles internally since those dark days in 1960 as a 12 yr old boy. He explains how he witnessed the tragedy that befell Meg, the delusional Ruth as the ringleader of the neighborhood children, and the constant debate with himself as he realizes the events unfolding are wrong, yet he does nothing to help in fear of ridicule from his peers or of having the same fate. In the end he does make an attempt to save Meg, but it is far too little too late.

As an avid horror fan, I have read endless words of horror and watched films old and new that were meant to make you squirm. None of which have fazed me, however, this truly made me feel uneasy. I was disturbed on so many different levels of this book. Realizing that this book is based not on a fictional event but yet a true crime, is what set it apart from any twisted moment you would see in say a "Saw" movie. A number of times I would stop for a few moments from reading, out of shock of the words I have just read. The things that were done to this girl, none of which I will elaborate here, were truly horrifying. After completing the novel, I did research on the true crime it was based from and was appalled as to how comparable the novel was to the truth. Aside from horrific acts of violence, the thought that people like this exist and that more often than not things such as this occur but are not reported is not a shock to me but yet it sends a chill through my spine.

As growing up, we depend on our parents and other adults to teach us good and bad, right from wrong. Adults are our guides, our templates. Adults are suppose to mold us to be upright, good citizens. Well, what happens when the guide it the furthest thing from that. What happens if that so called template is without a shred of decency, has no sensibility, that they themselves don't understand right from wrong, and can potentially be the darkest murderous person you will ever meet, but would not be able to tell because they look just like you. What then?

Once again, Jack Ketchum captures the horror in something familiar and what some would believe safe and normal. Ketchum's writing flows and literally pulls you in from the beginning. The book is a quick read save for any moment you have to stop just out of pure shock of what transpires in the text. The main characters are well developed, especially that of Aunt Ruth, Meg, and David, and the relations between them. Although Meg is the victim here, Ketchum portrays her as quite possibly the strongest out of all characters. Despite all the torture she tolerates, the humiliation, even on her dying breath, she displays an inner strength, defiance to her wrong doers that she has yet to give up. David's character is a secondary victim in his youth and even at his adulthood. His abuse was not the physical that Meg endured, but a constant tug of war in himself, knowing that he could have done something much earlier to end all the tragedy but did not. Even as an adult, the events he witnessed will forever haunt him. Ruth is the quiet unexpecting evil. In the beginning, Ruth reminded me of one of my childhood friend's mother. The single mom, who was not the strict adult my parents had been. Staying up late or even being out late was not an issue. She smoked and cared not if we smoked. She drank and cared not if we drank. She is what we considered the cool mom. But that is where it ended. Ruth on the other hand never knew where it ended. The further she fell to mental rock bottom, the worse she became. She instilled her sick beliefs on her children and others. She acted as a ringleader of the atrocities done to Meg. And in doing so, made the children believe that the violence they were performing was perfectly okay.

After finishing this book, it reminded me that every home can hold a secret or two. Some secrets can be darker than others and some can be the darkest. I realized that you don't have to go to Transylvania or some deep dark place to find a monster. The monster can be living in the 2 story, red brick, American flag waving house next door to you

It's "funny" how most people that give this a bad review seems to do so because it's graphic and it doesnt have a happy clappy Hollowood ending.
Come on, in real life those endings rarley happens...I think that if someone dares to go the whole way, to acually write what sadly many children (if not in exactly this way) has gone through and how they died before anyone could or in some cases wanted to help them, that writer should have praise.
Graphic doesnt mean bad, unless you read this for pleasure in which case GET HELP! But if you're normal you'll read this and want to do something for victims of abuse. Which Im not sure was Jacks idea but I hope it was...
Its almost like you're the first person in this story, that watches but only help Meg when its too late and in real life people dont want to see things. They might not be in basements watching teenage girls getting tortured but they see far more things then they admit too. If more people spoke up, less children would get hurt!

This book is one of the few that was painful to read. The abuse and torture is shocking, and the inability for the narrator to help until the end is written with so much passion.The author does a great job with explaining the narrator's feelings and doubts that make them understandable even though it was heartbreaking.

I first heard about Ketchum's book while researching the sad case of Sylvia Likens, whose torture and murder made headlines in the sixties in Indiana. Likens and her younger sister Jenny were in the care of Gertrude Baniszewski, who with the help of her own children as well as some neighborhood kids, imprisoned Sylvia in the basement where she was tortured and eventually died. It's the kind of case that gets under your skin and Ketchum must have been at least a little affected by it to write this fictionalized yet powerful account of the girl's harrowing experience. Even more than Kate Millet's The Basement (a series of "meditations" on the case)does Ketchum's book succeed in taking the reader on a journey of festering evil and manipulation where the most shocking fact is that the journey will begin and end . . . right next door.

i wish i would known how long this girl was going to be treated so cruel. it truly shows how messed up our system works. it is a depressing story on how these little girls got treated. you never know how your family will treat your children if you pass on and have to leave them behind. these girls would have been better off in system. it's not the system that is the prblem it's just some of the people working in it. people like to ignore children getting abused, don't want to get involved and this is a perfect example of what happens to them. put yourself in there shoes. i could not of lasted as long as this girl did. report abuse, save a soul, it only takes a phone call.

I had read only one other Jack Ketchum book, Red, and just bought this one to see what another one of his books was like. I made the mistake of reading The Girl Next Door the weekend of a family trip to the lake. Well my family wondered why I was reading the entire weekend! I could not put it down and had to know what was going to happen next. I was so hopeful at certain parts of the book that someone would tell an adult. How that many people could come and go and not go to an adult with this is astounding. I know it was set in the 50's but morals still existed back then. And David's struggle to determine if he should tell his parents about it was hard to read. I do not know how Meg was able to endure all of the torture. And Susan could do nothing in fear of more pain inflicted on Meg or herself. I almost want to read the Sylvia Likens book but am almost afraid after reading this parallel to it. I keep debating on ordering it or not. But definitely not a read for the faint of heart or one who does not like books that tackle darker subjects. This book delved into the deep disturbed behavior of one woman and how she could lead others down her road of madness. The subject matter stayed with me for months after reading this and even now sometimes I think back to it.

I picked this book up on the fly yesterday at Barnes N Noble during my lunch break. Just thought "Hey, that looks interesting"...didn't even know about the movie. I got home at six, read through dinner, and finished this thing at eleven last night while a bad storm was ripping through the northeast. It's the most difficult, challenging, and brutal book I have ever read, the fact that it is inspired by real events making it all the worse.

I generally don't read stuff dealing with the issues you come across in "Girl Next Door", but I felt that I had to sit down and read this thing because stuff like this really happens. It's not just the one case this book is inspired by, but this stuff happens all over the world and more often than people care to imagine. That's what to think about when you get to the meaty, grotesque scenes in the story.

It's not just the plot, but Ketchum's prose is outstanding. You feel what David feels, experience what he experiences, and you keep turning and turning the pages to go deeper into the story.

Read this, it opens your eyes and moves your heart.

I read this book in one evening. I probably should have spent more time with it, but in all honesty, I could not put it down. At the same time, I found the progression of the story rather predictable. Since I know now that the book is based on a true story, I realize that the predictable nature of the abuse only shows how depraved and sick the people involved truly were. Obviously they needed a new kick and felt the need to engage in progressively more disturbing torture methods. I found myself wondering, what sick thing are they going to try now? Definitely worth reading if you can stomach both the horrific nature of the plot line as well as the moral ambivalence of the main character.

I can't describe in words what this book made me feel, but I will try anyway :

I read many books, and saw many movies, I usually get scared a bit, but I get up and leave and my life keeps going.

This book isn't like that.

After the end, I was shaking. Images running through my mind, the face I imagined for her was imprinted into the back of my eyelids. Just going from my picture of the girl at the beginning, to the picture of her at the end, disturbed me greatly.

If you are going to read this book, something I recommend to those that think they can't be disturbed by anything, make sure you don't have anything important the next day, you will not sleep well.

I had just finished it and I kinda wish I never picked it up in the first place. I guess it's 'loosely' based on a true story. I've read a few disturbing books in the past but this book surpasses everything I've read. It's definitely not for the faint of heart. I suggest that you think twice before picking it up. Not that it's a bad book but simply very very very disturbing and sad.

The Girl Next Door is more of an experience than a read, so much so that one is forced to use analogies in order to explain your encounter with this book.
I liken the experience to surgery; only in this operation the doctor is truly mad and demented. Ketchum rather than putting you out completely only gives you a local anesthesia so that you get to witness your own skin separating from the muscle under his knife. You get to hear the sound of the saw cutting through your ribs and feel his hands wrap around your heart, as his slow steady grip stops your heart from beating. Only then, when you begin to feel your soul leaving your body and the ghost of you turns around and looks you straight in the eyes, does Ketchum massage the heat back into rhythm.
The scars that are left from this surgery are not left on the skin but on the psyche. They travel with you now wherever you go like a disease in remission.
What Ketchum teaches us it that there are things that live in the darkness things that you feed once and like a stray they never go away....like a parasite they make themselves part of you and then slowly but very deliberately devour you alive. First by picking away at the fleshy soft parts and then moving to the ridged bone and soft marrow.
On a further and deeper note this book delves into the monsters that are created from the toxic elixir of jealousy and haltered. The light that Jack Ketchum shines on these monsters allows us to understand and respect their danger, like the cobra behind the glass at the local zoo.
The book is truly a masterpiece and I am glad to see that is it gaining a wider audience every year.
Thanks Jack!

The stars aren't for the writing it is simply because it is an incredibly disturbing book which I should not have put into my brain. Torture of a child is definitely not little light reading. I will pick my next book carefully.

Jack Ketchum, a very nice man judging from an interview I once read, again unleashes his darker side in what's arguably his most shocking book yet. Set in the Fifties, regarded by some as a bland or boring decade, this book chronicles the abuse, torture and murder of a luckless young girl left in the care of a depraved, sadistic family. (Anyone who eats hot dogs, beans AND saurkraut all in one meal HAS to be depraved!) The book is well-crafted, which somehow makes the events therein all the more disturbing; the atrocities are detailed with Ketchum's characteristic lack of restraint and not for the faint of heart. Ketchum's "dark side," however, is no worse than the dark events that inspired this novel. Over a period of four months in 1965, a teenager named Sylvia Likens was systematically abused and tortured to death by a family of low-lifes, and their friends, in Indianapolis. In terms of individual suffering this ranks as The Crime Of The Century, and there was no real payback as there was for the main villain in Ketchum's novel. God forbid that such a crime should happen next door to anybody, ever again.

The book is good. That being said, I personally think it's overhyped. It's based on the notorious Sylvia Likens case, but it's not a gospel account of it. Ketchum inserted some horrific, but purely fictional sexual abuse of his own, while downplaying some other aspects of the actual abuse Sylvia endured. That is not neccessarily bad: the book is meant to be a work of fiction, not a factual account of the SL case.

The slow-paced introductory chapters, about which many people complained, actually do have a purpose. You get to observe Meg (the girl) pre-abuse. She is a healthy, sweet, attractive teenager, well-liked by her peers including the narrator. Contrast that with Meg post-abuse and... well, you'll see what I mean. The author probably lets her attend a carnival because it's the only fun, relaxing event she will get to attend for the next three hundred pages.

I think the book is overhyped for basically two reasons. The first is that after a while, torture gets repetitive. This happens even with the best writers. We only hear of the new ways Meg will be beaten/tied/burned/humiliated/threatened that if she rebels, her crippled sister will face the consequences. We know what's going to happen, and nothing else ever happens. You can only spend so many chapters being shocked and disturbed- after a while, you get bored. So there, call me inhumane.

The second reason is the narrator, whom I wanted to throttle. The book is narrated by David, a boy who witnessed most of the abuse and was sympathetic towards Meg, but for some unaccountable reason did absolutely nothing to help her until the end of the book. A kid who was supposedly decent, sympathetic to Meg, and a spectator to her ordeal for months, and he didn't even talk to his parents about what he saw. Are we supposed to like this guy?

Alright, it was the fifties, everyone believed the adult, and he was probably afraid he wouldn't be believed. That's still no excuse. Not in a case like this. He a)had more than enough proof, namely Meg's malnourished, burned and battered body, and her and her sister's testimony, and b)should have risked failure, as opposed to being a spineless coward. Then, after spending most of the book being a spineless coward, he suddenly tries to help Meg escape, and commits homicide to get her mother's ring back- all in the last seventy pages, which is an awful lot of abrupt character development.

Humor me, David was my main gripe with this book. I know I sound grumpy. I will step out of my soapbox now.

All in all, three stars. The story needs to be read to raise awareness. Also, the usual warnings: not for the faint of heart, yadda yadda. No, seriously, although I did say I was bored, don't read this if, um, you don't like stories about little girls being graphically tortured, raped and essentially murdered. (There, I gave you fair warning.)

Also, read something happy and inspirational after. "To kill a mockingbord", or something of the sort. I find it helps.

Honestly, I will probably attempt another Ketchum book at some point or another, but this one doesn't bode well. The writing was not at all bad, and the characters were well fleshed out and their reactions were believable in the time the book was set. I've noticed some other reviews complaining either about the graphic nature of the story or the 'boring' character development and detail in the beginning. I don't have either of these complaints. The opening chapters of the book, I felt, were both necessary and well executed. The torture itself was handled in a gruesome and effective way. I can't help but applaud Ketchum for writing gore in such a way that it seems to have triggered an automatic hate reflex in many of the reviewers. To be honest, though, I'm just not that into torture porn. It's not my genre. I find it more than a little played out. There's only so many places you can go with it. I've never particularly considered it horror b/c I assume horror to be something that frightens me. I'm aware, of course, that a thing does not need to be scary to be horrifying, but I'm simply looking for something else in a horror novel. Again, kudos to Ketchum for hitting such a nerve w/ so many readers.

This story hit hard.I on the other hand Loved it. This gets 5 Chocolate Strawberries, dipped in sprinkles..He is the author I have been searching for for a long time. I want something that will scare me out of my wits, have me with nightmares for days on end. This will do that. And to think Ketchum said he left a lot of of the story.

This book is outstanding and transcends the horror genre. Other reviewers have covered the plot, so I won't detail it again, but the theme of the book reminds me of Stephen King's Apt Pupil. David, the narrator, finds himself torn between fascination and sympathy at the suffering of his neighbor Meg, as her aunt and cousins torture her. In the end, he fights, not only in an attempt to free her from the situation, but to maintain his humanity.

At the end of the book, Jack Ketchum includes an author's note that he pulled back a bit from writing some of the worst parts (it's based on a true story). I'm impressed that he chose to do that, and even more impressed that the book is still so horrifying. As someone said below, the book is not easy to read, but it's worth it.

The Girl Next Door is the best horror novel I've ever read. It is told through the eyes of a young boy and you can actually feel what he is feeling and see what he sees.You will feel as if you are there with him dealing with the same conflicts. This book is very realistic in every way imaginable. Ketchum writes his stories as if they actually happened. This story is one you cannot miss. I would not say it is limited to the horror genre , but it is not something for the weak of heart. It is very brutal.

Ilearned of ketchum from Cemetary Dance magazine. Before I only read authors such as King and Koonz. I believe Jack Ketchum to be underrated. any fan of king & koonz is because they havent read ketchem.

this is not a book you will want to read if you are squeamish. It is very disturbing and at times difficult to read. However, it is also difficult to put down. THis is a book with some fortitude. It is written so a third grader could pick it up, but obviously it is not for third graders. In the outro, Jack Ketchum explains how he got the idea for this story, and that is just one more kick in the stomach. It is very brutal at times with all of the different torture scenes, and it has a not so happy ending which makes one lose all hope and shake their head that there are actually people in the real world like this. This novel is an eye opener, especially if you have enjoyed other works by Jack Ketchum.

I came at this book believing it was just another horror novel I could enjoy one late night. But I was soon to discover the book to be based on a real life Murder that happened in 1965 to a young 16-year old girl named Sylvia Likens. Though this book now shed light on a horrific event it somehow gives it more depth and readability and helps to understand the crime in a more superficial way. This book is horrifying and saddening. But none the less it is a good novel but not for the faint at heart. Read this at your own risk...because it is gruesome and sadistic but it is a lesson in life.

Have you ever read a book that made you say "OH MY GOD" out loud? This one will do it. This is absolutely the most horrific story I've ever read. The sad thing about it is that no matter how unbelievable it is, it's the most real thing I've ever read. There were points that I thought I just couldn't read this anymore. However, I pressed on in hopes that everything would turn out okay in the end.

After I finished the book, I reread the first chapter. I was hoping that somehow it would take away the impression left in my brain. Unfortunately the attrocities in this book will live on in my mind for many many years to come.

Jack Ketchum...what an amazing author. I felt like I was in that basement. What a horrible place to be. Talk about being torn. I love this book and hate all at once. It's amazing, but not for the squeamish. Certainly don't eat while you read it. There's not a lot of blood. It's a completely different kind of gore. I will never forget it.

...frankly, I can't see any reason to read this book. If you're interested in the true story on which it's based, look on Court TV's site, or search for Sylvia Likens, and read it on the internet.

My problem with this book is not the theme- we've all seen the concept of the innocent slipping into monsterhood, and the reality of people ignoring monsters among them for whatever reason. I am disturbed by my sense that the author takes a little too much voyeuristic pleasure in the details of the victims' sufferings( despite his protestations in the afterward that he himself had to draw the line and not reveal all the real Sylvia's torments).

Stylistically the novel ends on a clumsy note, with contrived resolution to the conflict that is unsatisfying in it's contrivance (and nothing at all like the reality of the case).

Don't bother.

This is the real thing! Explorers into dark fiction need look no further to find their limits than this book. Believe the hype, this book is almost impossible to finish, and the worst part is that the events are true. If anything Ketchum waters down the actual events. It's hard to imagine anything worse than what happens in this book.

The book is written in a a flashback narrative that gives the reader a sense of innocence until all hell break sloss. This stroy is an exercise in depravity, injustice, and inhuman cruelty, as well as being a fasinating look at the dark side of the human psyche. The reader almost becomes guilty of the crimes that is inflicted on the book's victim by the simple act of turning the page.

Experience if you can handle it, and be a little ashamed if you can.

One wonders what possesses an author to take up and write on this kind of subject matter. It has to be one of the more disturbing books I have ever read, and I have read a lot of books.
I would have liked to have seen a little more punishment meted out to the guilty.

Before purchasing this book I read a lot of reviews, most everyone agrees that this book is heart wrenching, which is one hundred percent true. I actually had to take breaks because it became too intense. I am a fan of horror and incredibly gory books. I am not disspaointed in my choice because this book is what I looked for. I read reviews that said it was too scary, but this is supposed to be one of the goriest books ever written. If what you are looking for is a book that keeps you on your toes, makes you think twice about whether or not you should keep reading and at times absolutely terrifies you, this is the book for you.

A truly disturbing read. I wanted to put the book down and never look at it again, but I couldn't. Although the story was so graphic and terrible, it is so well written that I was drawn in. This is a monster book, but the monsters are people, and people can be incredibly cruel. I recommend this book only if you have a strong stomach and strong mind.

I managed to read The Girl Next Door within a matter of hours and even though I knew how it would turn out a part of my mind begged for a different ending. It is a book that will stay with you forever. Jack Ketchum is clever in a way that he leaves out certain parts suggesting that they are too horrifying to put into words. But that only leaves the imagination to play out the scene. Most people would say that this is just a story and Meg is only a character. Part of that is true. Meg is not real but Sylvia Likens was. And she is who this is really about. She was a beautiful 16 year old who died at the hands of sick people. The only sad part is that woman who did this to Sylvia only spent two decades in prison before being paroled and moving to Iowa. She changed her named and lived out the rest of her life. The only good thing was that she died in 1991 of lung cancer. And hopefully she suffered.

I've never read anything more disturbing than this book. Truly evokes a wide range of emotions and tells, first hand, an absolutely Hellish journey of an innocent! As f'd up as it is brilliant! Very frightful, very good! If you are reading reviews on this book than you must have already heard about it. just buy it already! I guarantee you that the movie isn't a fraction as disturbing as the literature!! A good read, just take a shower afterwards, just make sure the water is not too hot!

This story catches you from the beginning and you get to know characters well. Unfortunately there are things like this that go on all the time and under our noses. The author has brought them to light.

Eve Gallagher's husband, Ed, comes home with news that he has been promoted. The only catch is that his new position is in New York, which means Eve must say goodbye to her beloved cottage, teaching job and family in Britain. She is determined to make the best of the adventure for her husband's sake and is delighted with their beautiful apartment on New York's Upper East Side. However, as time goes by, Ed is gone more and more. Eve is dreadfully lonely until she befriends Violet Wallace, an elderly resident of the building who also happens to hail from England. Eve has a strategy that is sure to keep her from being lonely, but as the plan unfolds, it doesn't quite turn out the way she had envisioned.

Meanwhile, readers are treated to the fascinating lives being lived behind the closed doors of the apartments in Eve and Ed's building, many of which intertwine. There's Jackson, whose every financial need has been met by his wealthy and indulgent parents. When he becomes smitten by Emily Mikanowski, another neighbor, he is shocked to discover that his surface looks, charm and wealth do not impress her one single bit. When athletic, hard-working Emily discovers that Jackson is not employed and has no ambitions, she informs him that they cannot be a couple. Jackson understands that Emily won't waste time on him, but he is unable to forget her.

While Jackson is dreaming of Emily, Madison, the building sexpot, has her eyes set on him. Madison's good friend is Charlotte, a shy librarian who reads piles of romances while fantasizing secretly about Che, one of the building's doormen. When a chance encounter leads Che and Charlotte into a conversation, Charlotte decides to take steps she hopes will give them a chance at a relationship.

Rachael Schulman seems to have everything anyone could want. She is impossibly gorgeous; adores her husband, David, and their three beautiful children; and enjoys a fulfilling career. But she is about to discover that her life is not quite as flawless as everyone thinks.

One person who admires Rachael inordinately is neighbor Jason Kramer. Jason was happy with his wife Kim until they struggled with infertility issues. When Kim did finally get pregnant after much medical assistance, she also became obsessed with pursuing a perfect motherhood. All she can think of is protecting her little girl, even as she cycles ever downward into a terrible depression. Jason no longer feels as if he is part of a relationship and spends his time fantasizing about Rachael.

Eve's friend Violet enriches Eve's life by accompanying her to various locations and events. As Eve becomes more comfortable with Violet, she also notices that the older woman is reticent and rather mysterious about her life. Upon coaxing, Violet begins telling Eve the story of her life, which unfurls in tantalizing episodes.

Reading THE GIRL NEXT DOOR is as satisfying as becoming intimately acquainted with a large group of new friends. Internationally bestselling author Elizabeth Noble handles a huge cast of characters skillfully, introducing each person and relaying his or her stories in such a way that each is memorable. This is an engrossing, thoroughly enjoyable page-turner, perfect for reading either while curled up in front of a roaring fire or stretched out on a balmy beach.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon ([email protected])

Warning Spoiler!

When I first started reading the book it sucked me in. It started out entertaining me but the more I read it the harder it was to put the book down.

It kept getting worse for Meg and you knew that all hope was lost. You know when your reading it that there is only one way that it is going to turn out.

Ketchum is gift to the reader! He not only has the power to entertain you but to make you feel. I honestly don't remember a single moment in the book that didn't pull me down into it. Grade A!!!

In Stephen King's introduction, he raves about the risks Ketchum takes in his novels, risks (presumably) King himself would take if he thought he could get away with it. I didn't see it that way. The story did not "mirror the problems of the 50's" (the threat of nuclear war, corruption in the media, etc.) Instead I thought it was a cheesy, sick novel by a man who tried to set the stage, giving a plausible explanation for the novel's events, then with that out of the way, proceeded to write a sick, sick story. No explanation was made about why Ruth was the way she was. Sure, people do things like this, and worse. Yet in novels like 'Red Dragon' and 'Silence of the Lambs' the reader is given insight into the cause of the sickness, delving back into the sicko's childhood. Here there is no such explanation. And I do not believe that a group of children this large would let such activities continue on without alerting their parents, even in this cynical age in which we live.

This book is not a passive read. It affects you, draws you in and leaves you wrecked. I read a lot of horror, but nothing can perpare you for the feelings this book will bring on. Deeply depressing, horrfying, and guilt inspiring. I am completely impressed with Ketchum's ability to ring such emotion from the reader. If you can handle it, it is a book not to be missed.

"The Girl Next Door" is probably Jack Ketchum's most sought after book. I scrambled to pick up a copy when it briefly appeared back in print because buying a used copy requires a second mortgage on the house, signing an agreement to turn over your first born son, and swearing to never resell your copy for less than Bolivia's gross national product. When I finally clutched a fresh new copy in my grimy hands, I was struck with a sudden shudder of fear: is this book worth all the heartache of acquiring a copy? Is it as gruesome as everyone says it is? No, the book is not worth shelling out an insane amount of money for a used copy, but it is an unsettling, gruesome, and soul shattering read.
Jack Ketchum has a tendency to fictionalize real life crime stories. He accomplished this in "Off Season," "Joyride," and here in "The Girl Next Door." In 1960's Indiana, Sylvia Likens and her little sister moved in with Gertrude Baniszewski while their parents went out of town. Baniszewski, her children, and several neighborhood children tortured and eventually murdered Likens over a period of months. At the trial, the children involved in the crime got off with an insignificant punishment, leading to outbursts of rage among the community and anyone with an ounce of moral fiber. In what must surely rank as one of our justice system's lowest moments, Gertrude herself was eventually released from prison, dying peacefully several years later somewhere in Iowa. This case serves as the loose outline for Ketchum's diabolical novel.
Set in the seemingly bucolic era of 1950's America, "The Girl Next Door" starts in the present day with our narrator, David, setting the stage for a flashback to that peaceful time in American history when Ike was in the White House, McCarthy chased Commies out of the State Department, and the biggest fear for most people was the realization that the USSR had the bomb. For David, there is a worse fear from that time, something buried deep in his heart and in his mind that needs telling before it drives him over the brink of sanity. David's childhood was marred by a horrific event, made even more horrific by the fact that he stood by and watched it happen without doing anything to stop the nightmare.
When David was a child, he lived next door to Ruth and her three sons. Everyone in the neighborhood loved to hang out at Ruth's house, even though the father of the children no longer lived there. Ruth allowed the boys who came over to drink some beer, watch TV, and generally goof off. Ruth treated the kids like adults, which impressed David to no end because his own parents do not get along whatsoever. Going to Ruth's is a great way to blow off some steam if you can put up with Ruth's occasional tirades about her worthless ex-husband.
This is Ketchum, so the story gradually moves into realms of unspeakable evil. The trouble starts when Meg Loughlin and her crippled sister Sarah move in with Ruth. Meg and Sarah's parents died in a car accident, and Ruth is the only family they have left. Life is fine at first, but David realizes gradually that Meg is having big problems with Ruth. Ruth gets nasty with Meg, meting out harsh punishments for innocuous behavior. Then Meg and Sarah begin to suffer verbal assaults from Ruth, often times in front of David and other boys in the neighborhood. Ruth's rants begin to take on an insanity and incoherency that frightens David. Ultimately, Meg ends up locked in a bomb shelter in the basement, where the real pain begins. All of the kids in the area participate in the torture and debasement of Meg, overseen by Ruth. The final indignity committed against Ruth is so horrible I refuse to refer to it here.
The violence in the book is horrible and stomach churning, but the cruelty takes a back seat to the moral lessons Ketchum is trying to convey. While reading this book, Hannah Arendt's phrase "the banality of evil" repeatedly came to mind. These people are not monsters springing out of closets or hostile aliens invading the earth. Ruth and the children involved are everyday people caught up in an unexplainable web of heartless and devastating malevolence. Even David is caught up in the unfolding events, although he does not take part in the actual deeds. It is safe to argue that David's role is worse than those who commit the crimes because he knows it is wrong and does nothing to stop them until it is too late. "The Girl Next Door" is not a horror novel per se; it is a morality play. Ketchum draws us into this warped world and forces us to condemn David while at the same time recognizing that we very well might do the same thing if it was us in his shoes.
You will not soon forget this grim and unsettling novel. Ketchum penetrates depths here that he rarely plumbs in his other books. It is a darn shame "The Girl Next Door" is not available in a mass-market paperback edition. Many people want to read it, and an introduction by none other than Stephen King lends a stamp of credibility to the book. Look around for a copy, but think long and hard before shelling out large amounts of dough.

I give this book four stars rather than five because it is impossible for me to award the highest mark to something so despicable!
Superbly written. Great characters. Flawless narrative. But an absolutely gut wrenching, chilling tale of brutality. An excellent read, but not one for the easily offended!

I finished this book in one day I couldn't seem to put it down although there were parts I wanted to. Total wow factor and definitely not for the faint of heart. Great writing but heart wrenching story.

I was recommended this book after getting into some disturbing cinema from France & Japan. I had read that this book topped the all time gross-out list. Some people were actually disturbed by it.

After owning all Stephen King, I've been ready for new horror for some time now.

The Girl Next Door was great. Everything I had hoped for! Pretty sick in parts, but I'm a sick minded person. I like to be disturbed, scared, shaken, & moved by literature & film. The building madness of the book was great. If this book comes recommened to you by the store, buy it. I had never heard of Jack Ketchum before, and now I'm a fan. It's extreme & graphic, but I've been ready for that for years now!

Jesus, what a dark book. If you are squeamish, skip this. If you are easily disturbed get this. Ketchum's book make you feel like your implict in the atrocities committed in this book just by reading it. I loved this book, though.

I was happily reading TGND when I happened to do a google search and found the real story behind this horror novel. Then I just couldn't finish it. I like my evil stylistic and confectionary, think Dan Simmons Song of Kali and Poppy Z. Brite's Exquisite Corpse. But this....this evil is so raw and unbridled. And the fact that the neighbors just played along. Lastly, the complete and total innocence of the victim. Names and dates have been changed to protect the wicked...the only innocents in this are dispatched of at the end.

This book is truly horrifying if you can take the words the author puts down and picture it to the fullest. You will definitely get one horrifying experience. You'll regret picturing it. I do have to warn you that this book has some characters that will truly piss you off. You'd wish you were there to help. Making sure that wasn't happening. Problem is that you start to care for the characters or you start to hate them. Get this book if you aren't easily pissed off and if you are read it alone. You don't want to be hitting anyone around you. After reading this book I am definitely going to buy other books from Jack Ketchum.

I first heard of Jack Ketchum in a writer's guide in which he had written a chapter for. In that chapter, in fact, at the very beginning, he mentioned THE GIRL NEXT DOOR with its opening line; 'You think you know about pain?' I knew I had to find this book. Finally, a year and a half later, I did. I read it in one night. Not because I had been waiting for so long, but because I couldn't look away from it, no matter how ugly and disturbing it got. That's what this book is. It is dark. It is ugly. And it is disturbing. Most people won't like it. The setting and the characters are all too horribly familiar and real. This is psychological horror at it's finest.

I wanted to like this book as I am a fan of the horror genre, however I was highly bored through thirty percent of th book's beginning then turned off by the graphic writing that occurs later. Wish I had not read this book. Will choose more carefully next time.

This book took me 2 days to read. I don't normally read that fast, however, I could not let this book stay in my head any longer than that. Harrowing read. This is not for everyone. However, the writing was EXCELLENT! Felt like you were there. Had to disengage from the victim emotionally to get through this, or I would not have made it.

The beginning of the book was a bit drawn out. I pressed on and kept reading and sure enough I could not stop until I finished it. I enjoyed the first person view and the detail was extreme. I definitely cringed a few times.

This is probably the most disturbing and grippings novels I have ever read. It's not a horror novel but a story about realistic evil. The poor girls that are victims of the neighborhood abuse was almost too much to read. Also, Ketchum's style of writing made it seem like you were reading the young boy's journal. Speaking of which, I also felt so sad for him since he had to watch and experience the tortue of these girls. Being young he really didn't know what to do until it was too late. This is a MUST read for everyone and BY FAR Jack Ketchum's best novel.

While the reviews of this book were good I did not find it all that gripping. Yes, it was horrifying in its description of what man is capable of doing to his fellow man. What I found more interesting is the herd acceptance of what is right and wrong and the willingness of people to just go along rather than rock the boat.

After reading Off Season, I had to get my hands on another Ketchum novel and this was the one I picked up. Another great work by the author. This was a different type of horror. This was real-life horror. Horror that really gets to you because you know that this could be happening somewhere, if it has not already. You really care for the characters and the despise the evil ones. You want to good to come out unscathed, and the bad to be harmed. It turns out being a sad tale, but powerful and effective and horrific all at the same time.

The girl next door is a very well written novel but the subject matter child abuse of a 14 year old girl makes some parts all but unreadable the book is set in the 1950's and Ketchum uses time a place to great advanage and the abuse is told of with none of the gory detail's omitted but I think Mr Ketchum does this so you will understand what these girls go through so read at your on risk becuse the characters of meg and susan just haunt your thoughs long after the last page

This book is great, but not for everybody. It's hard to read, but not because it's bad. Because it's good. Too good. It will make you cringe, and nervous, and wonder it reading it is a mistake. If you think most horror isn't scary enough, you should read The Girl Next Door. Five stars.

I hastily chose this book for my kindle. When I first began reading it, I was alarmed that it might just be a sensationalized story, created for shock value. I was pleasantly surprised that I felt the difficult subject matter was treated in a respectful and insightful way. The subject matter is intense, but the book is well-written and sensitive.

I have to admit, I put the book down a few times because I couldn't read through some scenes. If you want something that'll make you cringe and possibly give you a few sleepless nights, then this is the right pick!

I loved this book, it was the first jack Ketchum novel I read. it hardcore horror based on actual events. decided to read it again after reading the true crime novel it was based on and ready to sit and watch the movie.

"To me, this book was about anger, failure and regret."

--That was my earlier review. But seeing as how only 1 of 6 people found it helpful, I should explain...

Its not a brilliant entry into the realm of horror fiction, as Ketchum simply bases the book on actual events, and therefore, The Girl Next Door is not terribly original. The ugliness and violence is not what makes this worth reading, its what Ketchum provides as reflection through the main character. It is something that, if one can manage to read til the end, he or she will find a connection, believe it or not.

Reading this book hurts - a lot. I had to put it down over and over again because it was just too much. Jack Ketchum really hits a nerve with this tale, and he hits it hard. I don't think I've ever read a book that upset me the way this one did. I'm not sure if I should give it five stars, or beg people not to read it.

As I read this book, I kept telling myself that the happy ending would come soon, that someone would finally step in and say "enough is enough" and save this girl from her abusers. But, no, the abuse just got more disturbing and at one point I threw the book across the room becuase I couldn't take it anymore. Just like the main character David, I too felt compelled to return to the basement next door.
This is a sick story- hard to put down, hard to stomach, but well written nonetheless.

When I first picked this book up I could not put it down until I finished it - in about eight hours. I was horrified at what I was reading - I felt guilty for wanting to read it. I just could not stop myself from turning each horrifying page. I don't think that anyone out there can. You keep turning those pages until your deep in the middle of the most unbelievably sad and at the same time grotesque story ever told. Is is just a story? Read The Basement, it's a true story of simular events that happend to a young girl named Sylvia Likens.

The synopsis will let you know what the story is about, but it is really Ketchum's writing style that will pull you into his story. He writes very crisply, cleanly, concisely, and very darkly. His books, like this one, are lean and mean. He doesn't waste time with fluffy prose or cliched material. He really makes you care about the characters in all of his books, especially this one. It gets graphic and violent, yet he writes in a restrained, passive yet aggressive style, that never seems contrived or gratuitous. I wish he would write and publish more, but, like he says on his personal message board, he likes to take his time while writing and feels that it has to "bake" just right. Anyone who hasn't read Jack Ketchum before should seriously pick up his books. Most have or will be republished in affordable paperback editions. You'll thank me later.

Good story, very emotional, overall a good read, but I felt Ketchum held back at certain key points of this book where he could have really floored his audiences. Who knows, maybe there will be an uncensored edition.

this book was absolutely gut wrenching, the terror I felt for this girl throughout the book will stay with me forever, the absolute desperation I empathized with the main character feeling his guilt and helplessness. just wow.

Mr Ketchum's thoughts in the back of the book pretty much sum up what i had been thinking and feeling when I read the book. How can a grown up deny a child her future? A question that will no doubt be asked over and over for those whose story will go public and for those whose horrors will forever remain a painful secret.

The horrific events that make up this story are incomprehensible. I thought there were some dry parts, but when you consider that this is based on true events, those awful juices start flowing again.... Yikes!

This is without question the most disturbing book I've ever read. It's like witnessing a deadly car crash with gore everywhere. You want to turn away but you just can't. Several times while reading this book, I tried to put it down but couldn't. Most disturbing of all was Ketchum admitting that he "toned it down a little" after re-reading it and that he based it on a true story. I couldn't imagine what it was like before. Very few books will affect you the this one will. Ketchum is a master at exposing the human monster.

Very descriptive in their long ordinary childhoods. The severity of the torture both mental and physical was sickening. It is hard to imagine people being so cruel. I did not find this scary just sad

Ketchum takes you to places you don't want to go. Makes you think extra hard about things you don't really want to think about. This book was chilling and makes you look at the people around you a little more carefully. Well worth the read.

This book was hard to read and even harder to put down. The story was bone-chilling and even though I knew it was fiction, it felt so real. Jack Ketchum is an excellent writer, even though I hated the way it ended.

I read this years ago when it was hard to find and maybe more than any other book it has haunted me . to quote an old micheal douglas movie" star chamber": kiddo, right now youre as pure as the driven snow. if you continue to hear what I'm going to tell you, you can never go back. (or something like that)

what I mean is don't open this book. you'll think about it for years.

I liked this book a lot but hated it as well.The reason? it is just so disturbing.Be warned ,it is a great novel, but you think about what happens in the book for a long time after you finish reading it.Recommended.Kind off.

oh my gosh ,all I can say is thank goodness this book was free from the kindle library. who on earth is giving any stars to this book??? I will never read another book recommended by any critics who gave this book a good review. it is not at all scary and borders on extremely boring . I found my self flicking through entire chapters. the torture scenes were just overboard chapter fluff borne from a sadistic psycho sexual pre adolescent mind. I am no prude, if it makes sense for the story, bring on the blood and guts..but this was almost laughable. there is not one character in this book you can remotely care about,even the innocent parties. it was just that badly written. in a word- ugh! now how do I return this to the library and get it out of my reading section for kindle! horrible!

Although I found The Girl Next Door hard to put down, when I finished reading it, all I wanted to do was curl up in a dark corner and die. It made me feel horrible about the entire human race, knowing that somewhere, this horribly graphic and inhumane cruelty is actually happening.

This book was certainly disturbing, but really not worth all of the time and effort I had to put in to locating a copy. His books are fairly difficult to find and I really do not find the writing to be any more disturbing than many of the other popular "horror" authors.