Bad Girls Don't Die
Author: Katie Alender
Publisher: Hyperion
4 out of 5 stars
You
open the door to the basement, and you can feel the cold seeping out of
it. The glow of the kitchen behind you
ends after the first couple of steps down, and everything beyond it is shrouded
in darkness. You slowly feel your way,
down step by step, illuminating what’s in front of you with your
flashlight. The gleam from your
flashlight starts to fade, and soon you can barely see the breath in front of
your face. You finally reach the bottom
of the stairs after what feels like an eternity. That’s when it all goes wrong. The door above you slams shut, your
flashlight sputters out, and the temperature drops suddenly. The panic rises inside of you, and just as
you’re about to scream you feel a breath on the back of your neck. You are not alone.
Alexis’s
house is creepy, no doubt about it. There’s
an old, gnarly oak tree out front, the stairs creek, and the wooden shingles
look like they’re about to fall right off.
But hey, it makes for some great pictures. That’s about all Alexis’s house is good for,
but after some strange things start happening around the house, Alexis wonders
if they’re could be more to her eerie house than she first thought.
Alexis
isn’t really considered “normal.” With
bright pink hair, she’s hard to miss, and if the looks don’t put you off, her
hostile attitude will. She hangs out
with the “Doom Squad” at school, and even there she doesn’t really fit in. But despite being weird, Alexis knows that
she’s not out of her mind. Her little
sister, Kasey, is possessed. Full-on,
body being used by a demented ghost kind of possessed. But how can she prove it?
Kasey’s
always had an obsession with antique dolls, but other than that she’s a nice
kid. She’s never been as weird as
Alexis, but that all starts to change.
Lately Kasey’s been acting shifty, she forgets large periods of time,
and even her eyes have been changing from blue to green. Alexis doesn’t know how to explain it, and no
one seems to notice the new person Kasey has become- mean, angry, and out to
get revenge. Alexis has to stop her
little sister before it’s too late, but how?
Is Kasey really even herself anymore?
Katie Alender reveals all in her paranormal visit with the undead in, Bad Girls Don’t Die!
Bad Girls Don’t Die had hair-rising moments that had me ready to duck
under the covers, where I would be safe from all the nightmares that seemed to
come alive in this book. With Alexis as
a witty and sarcastic narrator, despite the frightening, ghostly visits there
was always something to laugh about.
There’s never any way of knowing what will come next when it comes to
the possessed Kasey, and while reading, I had to be prepared for anything. I suggest this book for teens fourteen and
up, as it can be a bit scary for younger readers.
Alexis’s
voice was perfect for Bad Girls Don’t Die. Even though the book dealt with ghosts and
eerie houses, it was never too much with Alexis’s humor thrown in throughout
the book. She always managed to add in a
clever comment, and her occasional sarcasm mocked the supernatural aspect of
the story perfectly. When it came down
to getting serious, Alexis was able to do that as well and really set aside the
cynical comments to get to the bottom of things. I got to see the real side of Alexis as well
throughout the book, and that underneath all of the sarcasm, she really could
care about others, and meant well.
I’ve
never been fond of clowns, and now I think I’ll have to add antique dolls to
that list as well. Kasey’s obsession
with dolls escalated even more as she started to change, causing her to be so
protective of them, she couldn’t even have other people be around her precious
collection. Katie Alender did a great
job of having me thoroughly spooked throughout Bad Girls Don’t Die. She
threw in the works, complete with creepy dolls, doors randomly opening and
closing, the thermostat dropping, an eerie house with a perilous past, and a
young girl possessed by a ghost seeking revenge.
At
times the book felt a bit predictable, and some of the spooky plot points could
be easily figured out, but Katie Alender always managed to throw a curveball
that changed things around. Things were
tied up pretty well at the end of Bad
Girls Don’t Die, so I’m interested to see where things go in the sequel, From Bad To Cursed.
Bad Girls Don’t Die is a spooky read that manages to stay light with a
witty narrator. Alexis may be up against
more than she can handle when it comes to the dark side. Join Alexis, as she tries all she can to rid
Kasey of her ghost, all the while trying to save herself in, Bad Girls Don’t Die!
-This is T.B. with Another Book Back on the Shelf…
Until Next Time, Keep Reading!
My signed copy of Bad Girls Don't Die from Bridge To Books' YA In Bloom Event! Thanks so much Bridge To Books, and Katie Alender!
Check out my post on the Orange County Children's Book Festival where I also got to see Katie Alender. You can check out the post here.
Check out Katie Alender's website at www.katiealender.com
Ahhhh! I just watched a scary movie so this seems even more intense than normal. I'm getting nervous just reading this review. Your description of the creepy dolls and the sister's possession really seem to add to the ghostly atmosphere of the story. Great job!
ReplyDeleteOne of the best books that I have read in a long time! I an downloading the second book as I am typing this! Loved it!
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