The Girl Next Door

Rating:
Summary: NEVER HAVE I READ SOMETHING SO HORRIFIC
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Abandon hope all ye who enter here..
Review: Jack Ketchum is a brilliant writer. He completely captures the essence of physical, mental, verbal, and sexual abuse on the papers of this novel. It's not an enjoyable read, but it's an excellent book. I have never been so disturbed by any piece of literature in my life, but I couldn't put it down. This book is like a train wreck - It is just awful to see but you just can't look away. I finished it in 6 hours. This was mainly because I didn't want to put myself through the trauma of getting back into it.

In this books defense however, I will say that it is not pornographic as some critics label Ketchum's work. Graphic? Yes. But if anyone could get aroused by this, I hope that they are put away in a strait-jacket for a long time. The dark nature of the human psyche is saturated with sex. It is essential to the plot of a novel that deals with human monsters. If that kind of writing offends you, you should be able to tell by dust-jacket synopsis that this is not the book for you.

People who are looking for a scary "Horror" novel should not read this book. There are only human monsters present.

Sensitive people should not read this book.

Immature people should not read this book.

Victims of abuse or rape, should not read this book unless they are completely recovered and comfortable with their past. And if you have anything to feel guilty about, then you probably shouldn't either.

If you know what pain is, truly, then read this book. It hurts.

Rating:
Summary: What would YOU have done?
Review: 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.



Rating:
Summary: OH MY GOD - Jack Ketchum...my new favorite writer
Review: 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 nomatter 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 soemhow 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 writer. 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 squemish. 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.

Rating:
Summary: Not as Disturbing as Described as...
Review: I first heard of Jack Ketchum after a recent article and Fangoria and decided to check out his books on Amazon. I found one--The Girl Next Door--and the reviews of it totally knocked me off my feet. "Horriying, gruesome, disturbing"...I immediately wanted the book and shelled out nearly thirty dollars to have a copy of this out of print book.

I will start out by saying that in The Girl Next Door Ketchum is a very good author. He knows how to use very simplistic descriptions to get inside the head of 12 year old David. The events that befall Meg are horrendous--but I did not find myself powerfully disturbed by the book as nearly all of the reviewers claim to be. For all the hype I read, I found the novel to be very anti-climatic. **Spoliers** After all the torture Meg goes through I thought that Ruth and the boys would somehow make her death some sort of grand finale. Lucky for Meg, she just passes away without any of her torturors in the room. **End spoilers** I found this a rather for lack of better word, "blah" way to end such a story.

I had very high expectations for this book due to the Amazon reviews. Ketchum starts the book out very nicely but the torture on Meg is never described to it's fullest and the reader can never fully describe her pain. On it's own, the novel stands alone as a good book, but I bought it on the expectations of the reviews and was disappointed. A book of a similar idea, "Let's Go Play at the Adams" by Medel Johnson truly takes the horror to another level. Johnson, unlike Ketchum writing in first-person perspective, delves into each charatcer's psyche--the child murders that seem to have no conscience and even the poor captive's mind. The characters in "Girl Next Door" were never fully fleshed out enough. Ketchum could have done a better job on Ruth, for you know the woman is evil but there is never that true fear of loathing from the reader there.

Over all a fair book, which I thought was anti-climatic. The beginning starts out well, but the torturing is watered down and beings too far into the novel. Not as horriffic to me as the other reviews say.

Rating:
Summary: Ketchum Is a Horror Genius
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: My God.....
Review: Jack Ketchum has become my favorite author. He always, without fail, goes a step further than you could possibly imagine going, never going for the cop-out, and the result is always terrifying.

The Girl Next Door is the most disturbing book I have ever read. It makes you hate, mourn and feel broken-hearted all at the same time. I cannot explain how truly powerful this book is. The book concerns child abuse of the worst kind, and Ketchum describes it in horribly precise detail. As terrible as the abuse is, the reader is unable to stop turning the pages until the end of the novel and as with everything Ketchum writes, there is no true "happy" ending here. That would just be too unrealistic.

I've read a few of Ketchum's other works, such as Off Season, Offspring, and the stories in Peaceable Kingdom, and as dark, horrific and disturbing as they are, nothing I have ever read before comes close to the absolute horror described in the Girl Next Door. Acts of pure evil committed by every day average people, not inbred cannibals or demons or psycho killers, but by the people who literally, live next door to you.

If you can handle it, this book is not to be missed. Unspeakably horrifying and masterfully written.

You have been warned.