Bad Girls Don't Die [Hardcover]

Katie Alender (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 21, 2009

Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude. 

 

When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger.  Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.

Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president.  Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–9—Although it begins like the average high school misfit story, Alender's novel quickly takes an unexpected turn. Alexis, a self-described anti-cheerleader, defiantly embraces her role as bad student and social outcast, skipping class and spending her time in the darkroom, until the increasingly odd behavior of her little sister, Kasey, draws her into a world of evil spirits and dangerous games. At first, inexplicable dreams and eerie balls of green light hovering around Alexis's house seem like fringe occurrences in a story otherwise concerned with family, friendship, and a tentative romance. But soon, bizarre happenings take over, and Alexis comes to realize that Kasey is demon-possessed and hell-bent on murder. It's difficult to reconcile a teen coming-of-age story with a ghost-populated murder mystery, and Alender succeeds somewhat awkwardly. However, Alexis's story is compelling, and her voice is funny and authentic despite the creepy situations in which she finds herself. A good additional purchase for girls who like to be scared a little—but not too much.—Emma Burkhart, Springside School, Philadelphia, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

High-school junior Alexis seems to be the class bad girl, complete with snide remarks, rebellious attitude, and listless motivation. At home, her overachieving mom has alienated her more laid-back dad, while her doll­-obsessed, 13-year-old sister, Kasey, periodically morphs from a blue-eyed, ordinary girl to a green-eyed, evil child plotting against others in their small town. What has possessed Kasey and their family’s beautiful Victorian home? Alender’s first novel is both a mystery and a trip into the paranormal, in which a child taunted years ago returns to exact revenge for her violent death. It falls to Alexis to sort out the historical details and protect not just herself and her family, but also the descendants of the girls implicated in the original tragic death. With just enough violence, suspense, and romance to keep readers turning the pages, this is a promising debut for a new young author and will be a popular addition to any YA collection. Grades 7-10. --Frances Bradburn

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (April 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423108760
• ISBN-13: 978-1423108764
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #475,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Katie Alender was born and raised in Florida with her three siblings. She attended an arts high school, focusing on writing and video production, and continued her education at Florida State University, majoring in Film. She currently lives with her husband (her college sweetheart) and her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Winston, in Los Angeles, CA, where she works as a freelance producer/writer. For several years, she produced televised dog shows, and she can probably tell you more about dogs than you would ever want to know. When she's not working, she can usually be found at her sewing machine, making quilts and other gifts for friends and readers.

Katie's first brush with publication came in 1991, when her article "So You Want to Live On Mars?" was published in Sassy Magazine's Reader Produced Issue. She loves dogs, the color red, good food, practicing yoga (emphasis on "practicing"), hanging out with her friends, and (of course) reading. She is a Gemini and would probably be a Ravenclaw if she went to Hogwarts. Her favorite authors include Amy Tan, Paula Danziger, Jane Austen, and Stephen King.

"Bad Girls Don't Die" is her first book.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A ghost story for people who don't like ghost stories--and those who do, too, June 8, 2009

By 

Bookduck (Midwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bad Girls Don't Die (Hardcover)

I didn't think I'd like this book; it doesn't take much to scare me out of my wits, and I don't typically read novels dealing with ghosts and possession.

But I read this one anyway. And I LOVED it.

Bad Girls Don't Die is more than a ghost story. There's a touch of romance and an air of mystery, and a challenge to really get to know people before slapping a label on them and deciding you can't be friends with them--a mistake most people, including me, frequently make.

Bad Girls has a well-paced, character-driven, intriguing plot that kept me turning the pages for hours when I only meant to read for minutes. Furthermore, if I had a Top 10 list of my favorite fictional people, Alexis would be on it. She's smart, funny, unafraid of getting her hands dirty, and I really enjoyed her first-person narration. And she has pink hair!

On a couple side notes, Bad Girls is a pretty squeaky clean read, ghosts and all. There's no sex, drugs, or gratuitous swearing--and I really appreciated that. (The cleanliness also felt natural, which is another plus. Cleanliness can feel just as forced as "edginess".) Thank you, Katie Alender, for acknowledging that those things are not a part of every teenager's life. Also, while Bad Girls is exceptionally well put-together, the ending wrapped up a little too quickly--and awkwardly--for me. But it fit. Overall, I have no large complaints.

If Twilight is a vampire book for people who don't like vampire books, Bad Girls Don't Die is a ghost story for people who don't like ghost stories. And I highly recommend it!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Completely engrossing and downright creepy, May 5, 2009

By 

The Compulsive Reader (Big Rapids, MI, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bad Girls Don't Die (Hardcover)

Alexis Warren is a tough, sarcastic loner who is nursing a grudge against the cheerleading team for driving away the only friend she ever had. To deal with her loneliness, she turns to photography and seeks shelter in her dark room. After one peculiar night photographing her 100 year old house, Alexis's sister Kasey begins acting odd. She becomes spiteful and demanding, and she has extreme mood swings. At first, Alexis attributes her strange behavior to the ups and downs of being in middle school--but after a series of accidents that may not have been accidents after all, Alexis has to ask herself, Is something more sinister at work?

Snarky, engaging, and downright creepy, Bad Girls Don't Die is one stellar debut novel; Katie Alender has created one of the most engrossing and consuming novels of the year. The witty, casual tone of the novel, told from Alexis's point of view initially hooks readers, but it is the darker undertones concealed by Kasey's sweet face and her "innocent" doll collection that really ensnares readers and makes Bad Girls Don't Die such an unpredictable and tantalizing read. Alexis is a wonderfully dynamic character--she is strong and opinionated and learns how to deal with her issues in a mature manner, but along the way she also learns to recognize similar qualities in those she previously judged, making her likable without being cliché. Though the haunted house and possession stories have been done many times before, Alender's fresh slant on the topic will enthrall readers and leave them just a bit creeped out.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, April 22, 2009

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bad Girls Don't Die (Hardcover)

Alexis might not be perfectly well-adjusted to high school life, but she finds her niche as an outspoken pink-haired smart-aleck quite satisfying, thank you very much.

Her four-person family is far from perfect, but they have always managed to get by, in their spooky architectural jumble of a house. Alexis' mother spends more time at work than at home, but so do millions of other moms across America. Kasey, her doll-obsessed little sister, is sometimes too passive for her own good, but hopefully the doll-collecting is something she will grow out of. As for her father, they aren't exactly close, but he could be worse.

One night, after a family argument leaves Kasey in tears, Alexis comes to the rescue in the role of comforting big sister. Kasey requests a story, so Alexis soothes her with a made-up story off the top of her head. Since it is for her baby sister, the story revolves around a little girl and her doll, Kasey's favorite topic. Naturally, Alexis doesn't think much of the story, though come to think of it, it is a bit strange at how smoothly the spontaneous story rolls off her tongue.

However, shortly after Alexis' tale, Kasey starts behaving weirdly. More strangely than normal anyhow. It starts small, with her eyes sometimes changing color from blue to green and using old-fashioned language, like "oughtn't." At first, Alexis tries to brush away her foreboding feelings, deeming the odd vibes she is getting from Kasey as a figment of her imagination, nothing serious.

When mysterious lights appear in the middle of the night, doors close themselves, and the air conditioner goes haywire to the point where Alexis can see her breath in the house, she knows it is no overactive imagination. She has no idea what exactly is going on, but something weird is happening in their house, and much as she hates to admit it, Kasey has something to do with it.

Events spiral rapidly out of control, as midnight wanderings progress to thievery and even attempted murder. Alexis has no idea who to turn to - does anyone even believe in the supernatural anymore? People might just lock Kasey up as schizophrenic, but Alexis knows better. Her little sister is not crazy. Kasey is possessed.

Katie Alender's BAD GIRLS DON'T DIE is a haunting tale of one town's murderous history and a ghost that wants revenge.

Reviewed by: Amber Gibson