Book Review: Living Dead Girl

When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends - her life. she learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.


Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in ind for her.

This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

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In a Nutshell: Living Dead Girl is a dark and horrifying look into the life of someone who was kidnapped.

Putdownability Factor: Short chapters, and easy prose make Living Dead Girl a quick read.

Cover Love: After reading the book I can't really say anything nice about this cover. Sure, it is connected to the story, but the way its connected is so twisted and sad that its impossible for me to like it now. :(

My Thoughts

Disturbing. Twisted. Dark. Scary. Honest. Beautiful. Those are just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of Living Dead Girl. I knew this book was controversial, but after reading it I can definitely see why. Living Dead Girl is not an easy read. There were several moments when I wanted to put the book down, and never pick it up again, but I couldn't. I was entranced by this story of horror and sadness. After finishing Living Dead Girl I didn't know what to think. Did I hate the story? Yes. I hated it for its cruelty. For its honesty. For portraying something that I've so often feared and at the same time been intrigued by. But even while I hated Living Dead Girl I also loved it. For its truth. For its sadness. And for allowing me to reevaluate the way I see the world around me.

Living Dead Girl is the heartbreaking story of someone who at one time might have known what love was, but has now forgotten. Someone who endures the pain and welcomes the nightmares. Someone who wishes for death at every turn. And lastly, someone who is not only trapped by their captor, but also trapped by their own inner demons. Alice's story broke my heart. She was so lost and so confused. I wanted to reach through the pages of the book and pull her out of her misery. I wanted so strongly to save her. But I couldn't. Elizabeth Scott has succeeded in crafting a story that is fiction, but feels absolutely real. That's what makes it so powerful.

If there was one point made in this book, it was that people turn a blind eye. We don't see the wrong that is right in front of us, and even if we do we don't try hard enough to stop it. Is that true? Do people just sit back and quietly give thanks that they aren't the ones being harmed? I don't know. I'd like to think that situations like Living Dead Girl are few and far between. That people would speak up if they noticed something strange. But I know that isn't always true. And that saddens me deeply. No one should have to endure what Alice had to endure in this book.

Honestly, I find it hard to recommend Living Dead Girl. Its not that I didn't like it (to an extent) but what am I supposed to say? "If you like books about mentally unstable kidnappers, and their victims then read this book"? What does that sound like? So let me leave it at this: This book will scare you. It will horrify you. It might even give you nightmares. But it does have some redeeming qualities. If you want to slough through the many dark layers of Living Dead Girl to find the few hidden gems, then by all means do so. But be forewarned: This book has extremely mature content. Proceed at your own risk.

I give Living Dead Girl 3 and a half out of 5 ice cream cones.

I may not have loved Living Dead Girl, but it succeeded in one way: It made me think. It still has me thinking. And it won't soon be forgotten.

Julia :)