* The Girl Next Door *
Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door
I put this book on hold and waited and waited…and waited. I was intrigued because I heard it was scary and one-of-a-kind. Well, it was one of a kind all right…This book was vulgar, disgusting, painful to read, horribly believable, heart wrenching, devastating, and gory.
Now, normally I do get along great with a book that’s twisted, gutsy, and bloody; but this was way too much. I couldn’t put it down though. I was too far into it. Even though it made me sick and angry, I had to find out how the book would end. An avid reader’s curiosity i guess.
I had to find out how it would end. I did. I finished it. I have never felt so many emotions while reading. At most times I was full of anger and vengeance towards the characters (mostly Ruth), but other times I found my self empathizing and putting myself in the book. I found it so hard to keep the tears at bay. This book was something else. As horrible, sad, ugly stories end…in the book…I read on and found this book is based off of truth. It makes me sick.
So, I’d have to say this wasn’t a slow read, it was though, a very tough, gut wrenching, graphic, and sad read.
Excerpts:
Pg. 16 -’So what was it, Ruth? All lies? All your own inventions? I wouldn’t put it past you. Or maybe it was that for you-funneled through you- … I’m going to try to change that now if i can. … And I’m writing this for you, Ruth. Because I never got to pay you back, really. So here’s my check. Overdue and overdrawn. Cash it in hell.’
Pg.246 -’The room went black. I felt myself exploding. And I knew my part in this. My dull, careless betrayal. My evil.’
Pg. 278 – ‘The eyes flickered like guttering candles. I stepped backward. i thought, my God, this was a woman I liked once. A woman I’d thought funny, sometimes even pretty. One of the guys. This woman scared the hell out of me.’
Pg. 292 – ‘There are things you know you’ll die before telling, things you know you should have died before ever having seen.
I watched and saw.’
Pg. 312 – ‘Hope turned to frustration, frustration to anger, anger to a dull resignation. Then the cycle began again. There was nothing to do but wait…’
