Review: The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

This is my first time ever having read this author. I only heard of this author because I recalled something I read about Stephen King and he had mentioned this author. Of course, I had seen a few films based on Ketchum's books. Which were not for the faint-hearted. One thing I learned about this book was that it was based on a real-life murder of a young girl named Sylia Likens. Upon completing this book the author writes his thoughts on this book and he wanted to bring attention to child abuse and how tragic it is. Warning this book is very graphic in detail....even more graphic is what the real girl had gone through.

Jack Ketchum's writing totally sets up the environment like no other author I have read. He really puts you there and you feel like you can really envision the place and people he describes. This adds to the horror of the abuse the girl suffers and as if you were not already sickened by the pure evil of an adult over a child. He also reminds you what it feels like to be a child and to be powerless because adults rule over them. You would never imagine that things of this nature are even possible, but they are and have happened. The author captures the feel of the time period and how a lot of people were not even thinking this can happen. This was definitely a page-turner and one that I couldn't put down. You are in shock and awe most of the time wondering and even when you know how it will turn out you are still caught like a deer in headlights. The scenes were very gruesome in details and how cruel the characters could be when they would torture an innocent girl were beyond shocking. If you cannot easily stomach things of a graphic nature I would avoid reading this or the original case notes. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars based on how well the author has with words and really capturing an event. I intend to read a few of the other books by him in which I have seen films.