Customer Reviews

Living Dead Girl

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Terrifying. Devastating. Tragic.

Those are the three words that come to mind when I think of Elizabeth Scott's Living Dead Girl. After finishing it in one sitting late last night, I'm still trying to catch my breath and desperately trying to get rid of the weight that seems to have settled on my chest. But I think it will be a long time before this happens because what has happened to "Alice" in the book can happen to a child in real life...probably has happened.

The book is told from the point of view of "Alice" a fifteen-year old girl who was kidnapped on an elementary school field trip when she was 10. Her captor, Ray, has sexually and physically abused her every day since he kidnapped her. He starves her because he doesn't want her to physically mature, he terrorizes her and tells her that he'll kill her parents and burn their house down if she tries to escape. I'm putting "Alice" in parentheses because that is not her real name. It's the name Ray gave her, the same name he gave the girl he kidnapped and killed before he kidnapped the second Alice.

Alice calls herself a "living dead girl." She's numb inside, she's hungry, she's been tortured so much that she wishes for death. She's waiting for it, hoping for it, expecting it any day; but Ray has something different in mind that is even more terrifying to the reader, and he needs Alice's help.

I've always heard stories about people getting kidnapped and having many opportunities to escape, but they don't. This is Alice's case. There are multiple opportunities for her to tell someone, to run away, to ask for help, but Ray has instilled so much fear in her that she doesn't even think about it anymore.

She truly believes that he will kill her parents, and at one point she says, "I could run, but he would find me. He would take me back to 623 Daisy Lane and make everyone who lives there pay. He would make everyone there pay even if he didn't find me. I belong to him. I'm his little girl. All I have to do is be good" (p. 34).

What is most profound is that Ray has brainwashed her to the point of her believing that she's bad, she's selfish, and that it's all her fault. On the day of the kidnapping, she wouldn't share her lip gloss with her friends. They walked away from her, leaving her alone and exposed to a monster, but she blames herself, thinks if she wouldn't have been so selfish, her life would be different. It's truly heartbreaking.

But the worst part is that people look the other way. They know something's not right, but don't step in.

Scott's writing is gripping, captivating, and horrifying. She draws you in from the very beginning, and Alice immediately becomes real, someone you ache for, someone who you want to make it, someone you want to pluck out of this nightmare of a life. If you're wondering about the language and descriptions in the book, it is evident that Ray is sexually abusing Alice. It's evident that sexual acts are being performed, but the language itself is not graphic.

When discussing why she wrote Living Dead Girl, Elizabeth Scott says, " I wrote Living Dead Girl because it demanded to be told, and I hope it speaks to you as strongly as it did to me." (read more at Simon & Schuster's website).

Did I like the story? Honestly, no. I don't like stories about children being sexually abused. Was it well-written? Absolutely. Should every parent read it? Absolutely. Should teens read it? I want to say yes. I want to say that it could potentially save lives, but it's scary. All I want to do is scoop my daughter up and never let her go.

Living Dead Girl is beautifully written. The main character is complex and her voice shines originally throughout the novel. Scott's style fits the novel perfectly. I read it through in one sitting. I couldn't put it down.

So what was my problem with this novel? I can see I'm in the minority, but I feel I have to put my opinion out there. I wish I had never read this story. Obviously it has been a positive experience for some, based on other reviews, but I found it too disturbing, too haunting, too compelling. While I do not advocate everyone sticking their heads in the sand and ignoring the very real and very terrible issues addressed in Living Dead Girl (kidnapping; sexual, physical, and verbal abuse), I could have done without the in-your-face, real-time portrayal of such a tragedy, fictional or not.

That said, I did finish the book; I couldn't put it down. I just wish someone had written a review like this so I would have known what I was getting into, and I could have made a more informed choice about what I read. Kyla's story and the abuse-laden images from the book will probably haunt me forever--and I don't think this is a good thing.

This book raises issues which should not be ignored. Scott was brave in publishing such a story. Perhaps I am not brave enough to appreciate it.

ETA: This book is not smut. And it's the responsibility of parents to be aware of what their children are reading.

I'm an adult, and the content was horrifying to me. That doesn't mean it was a bad book; it just means it was a bad book for ME. I've read plenty of Scott's other books since this one, and she's an excellent storyteller. If anyone's worried about content, I'd recommend other books of hers--Stealing Heaven, for example, or The Unwritten Rule.

This book kept me engaged right from the beginning. I sat down and read it in one sitting. This is always a sign of a good book.

This story, told through the eyes of Alice (self proclaimed Living Dead Girl), is of a girl who was abducted five years ago on a school field trip just before her tenth birthday. It tells of what life is like with Ray the man who abducted her, the man who controls every aspect of her life including how much and what she can eat. Like her, the book is very bare bones- yet chocked full of raw emotion of being stuck living a life with no emotion. A life of being a girl that no one sees...no one will save. A girl who wants out of the misery she feels, yet sees no way out.

When I got it I was surprised that the book was seemingly so short- however I was unable to put this book down. I was equally horrified and yet left wanting to know what was going to happen next. I can only give this book four stars however, because I was disappointed in the way it ended. It was far too abrupt and left this reader wanting to know more about what happened after the end of the book. I don't want to go too much into detail and ruin the story- but it was far too abrupt.

A fair warning: This book does deal with strong subject matter and violence. Young or sensitive readers might want to select an alternate book or parents of such readers may want to read this book with their young adults.

This book is small, short, sparse. Not a lot of pages or words but the imprint of what is written will linger long after you put the book down. I read a lot of thrillers and a lot of YA. I thought I'd probably have read this story before, wondered how this author would approach the topics of child abduction, molestation, rape, imprisonment. Suffice to say that Scott was master of the task. The life of Alice in Ray's prison was hell and terror, fright and pain. She was starved, abused, beaten and repeatedly forced to sexual surrender to a man who was himself abused by a sexual sadist (his mother). Alice no longer hopes for release or for any other life, that dream has been destroyed along with her girlhood. As she grows from a child of 10 to a teen of 15, Ray no longer is happy with her body or her attitude. He wants a new girl and has assigned Alice to help him acquire her. Alice is powerless to resist, beaten down by 5 years of submission and only longs for the substitute to release her from this bond. She can't say NO. The new girl has been chosen and then what will happen to Alice? The last Alice was killed, and yet, that is a release of sorts. No one sees, no one hears, no one there to help.
Highly recommended.

First of all, this book is intended for mature readers, I know it says 16 and up, and well I'm fourteen, so I feel that my age and up can handle this novel, IF they are mature readers. Eleven year olds SHOULD not read this book, so all those reviews from mothers about their daughters crying and having nightmares is total garbage. Living Dead Girl is realistic. Reading this book, I didn't exactly feel like I was eating cotton candy and riding carnival rides, but I didn't want to go hide in my closet either. Granted, that's my opinion, and I may just be able to stomach more violent topics. This book isn't explicit. Heck, I don't even think she cusses once. When you pick this novel up, don't expect it to sound like a porno, for the author to describe in explicit detail what happens to "Alice" because she doesn't. The worst part about this book is that, I think because of the topic, your imagination already conjures up all the horrible things that have happened to "Alice" before you get to chapter 3. The book isn't gripping in the sense that putting down is impossible, it's gripping in that you NEED to finish it, to make YOURSELF feel better. It's compelling in that you NEED to finish Alice's story, you need to know what happens to her. The ending is ambiguous, I have to say, and I had to read it a few times to fully understand what happened, and even then it leaves it open to the reader to decide what happened. This definetly isn't number one on my must reads list, but I do think everyone should read this book, even if you end up not enjoying the novel, the story, or the message it sends. I think everyone should understand what it feels like to be a living dead girl.

"It will be over soon, finally, but the thing about hearts is that they always want to keep beating."

Silent Ray

They call him "Silent Ray" at work. He likes that. He is in control. The police woman in the park likes him, too. They both feel sorry for the skinny, little girl because she doesn't look as if she has anyone caring for her. They agree that it's such a pity the way some children are treated. Ray hates to see them hurt. They're special and magical --- especially little girls. There are people out there, they call them "perverts," who do awful things to kids. Ray has no use for anything like that. He has his own little girl and takes very good care of her. She is his and does anything he says. Yes, he takes very good care of his "Alice." But something is happening to Alice --- she's getting taller, and no matter how little he lets her eat, she's growing. That's just not good. Something has to be done.

Living Dead Alice

Her name isn't really Alice. She used to be Kyla. She was 10 years old and thought the man was being so helpful. Now Kyla is dead because that is the only way to be with Ray. Her heart keeps beating, but it's dead. How can that be? Ray will kill her parents if she runs. If only they knew what happens when the door closes and he takes her. Sometimes he almost kills her and then kisses away the bruises, the bloodied lips, the torn flesh, the bite marks. She belongs to him. He is all-powerful, she is nothing. Ray's charm fools them all, but Alice knows:

"Ray is missing something other than his soul. It's like you see him, and he's a person, but if you look close enough, you can tell that he's not. Like underneath his skin, he's not hollow. He's rotted out."

She wants to be free, away from his hot hands, his grasping and his hurting. No one sees, no one hears, no one does anything to help her. If she dares save herself, what is the cost? Where is freedom? Could it be the boy in the park and his little sister? The police woman? The neighbor? Please, somebody, before it's too late, too late, too late.

Like Robert Cormier, Elizabeth Scott has dared to take a picture no one wants to see. This is, without question, one of the most emotionally difficult reads I've experienced. Any parent will cringe at the flawless way Ray is able to kidnap Kyla. Anyone reading this book will be so horrified they won't want to finish it, yet they will not be able to put it down. Scott's spare language, as she speaks through Alice's character, is powerful, gripping and heart-wrenching. The final page will leave you stunned. For mature readers only, be ready for some deep discussions on this one.

--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts

I read this book six months ago, and for six months I considered whether nor not I would review it. Today I decided not to, because the book had stuck with me in such a powerful and painful way. But here I am now offering a review.

Living Dead Girl is an intense, graphic and frightening story that sadly though fiction is a telling of a truth we all know is out there. I have never read anything that felt so real and was so painful. It is a story about Alice, a 15-year-old girl who was kidnapped at age 10 by a pedophile. The reader walks with Alice through her tortured life. Feeling her pain even more at this point than the often numb young girl who is doing what must be done to survive.

My heart went out to Alice, and I know that there are many Alice's out there. Many young children whose lives have been consumed by some of the most twisted individuals to walk the earth. Living Dead Girl painfully lets the reader into the very sad existence of a stolen child whose identity has been systematically dismantled while she has been forced into a nightmare reality. This story was so painful for me that I wanted to just push it away. I truly did not know whether or not to share this review, because it was so painful. I had read reviews of this book long before I read it, and each was very good and clear with their opinion. Amazingly, nothing really prepared me for what I was going to read.

According to School Library Journal it is recommended for grades 9 and up. Publishers Weekly recommended age 16 and up. My recommendation will take a lot longer than just listing an age. Mainly it is only this, Living Dead Girl is a disturbing novel. It is extremely well written and heart wrenching. It definitely impacted me. It disturbed me. It made me sad. It tore me up. It is a book that certainly opens the eyes to the nightmare of an abducted child.

I do not have a daughter, but I do have a son. This is a book that I would not give him to read. He is 16. What this book did for me is it gave me enough new perspective to revisit the dialogue we have had in the past about abduction and about what he should do if he ever notices something that seems not right about a child or a child's guardian. For me that was the important aspect of the book. It got me to talk with him again about not just about the "bewares" of life but the "be awares" of life if that makes sense. It was totally disturbing for me, and I don't think he could handle actually reading it. No...I know he wouldn't. I know him well. I would recommend it for an adult only. At the very least I would recommend that a parent should read it first, and decide if it is something that they think their child can handle. We all know our own children best.

I want to again clarify that I think Living Dead Girl is well written. It is just one of the most painful stories I have ever read. The author did an amazing job taking me to a place I hope to never revisit.

Elizabeth Scott has done it again. Living Dead Girl is an amazing, gripping novel that will have you hooked, wanting to know Alice's story.

The topic is something that has never been touched upon by young adult authors and I'm glad that Elizabeth Scott was brave enough to get it published - knowing that some people would probably criticize her about her choice of topic.

The book is told in alternating chapters of Alice's live before and then back to the present. You are constantly learning new stuff about Alice, and that's what really makes this story extra unique.

One of my favorite things, however, is that the ending is left to your imagination. You know what happens dealing with Ray, but you can leave what happens after that all up to your own imagination. I like novels like that where the author doesn't give a play-by-play about how the characters life is, but lets you leave it to your imagination.

Living Dead Girl is a book that will leave you wondering, a book you will never ever forget.

I read this book in one day. It was disturbing, psychologically creepy, and evoked images unforgivingly etched in my memory.

Ray, an evil souled sexual child abuser has cleverly abducted Alice, a child of ten from a class trip. She becomes his child baby doll until she is fifteen. Ray who was also abused as a child doesn't want Alice to grow-up and she fears when the time comes he will kill her. Repeated sexual, physical and psychological abuse are part of her daily life lessons. Fear, intimidation, threats to her family and starvation are just a few other ways he uses to perpetuate his power over her. She would rather be dead, than live this way. She calls herself "the living dead girl." Will death be her only solution?

Elizabeth Scott said this story was meant to be told after she awoke from a dream that she had about Alice. I was compelled to listen with the passion I suspect Scott had in telling it. We want to think the sick psychopathic behavior in the story is just another fiction tale, but we know better. Gripping the book, I notice as I leave my chair for a break how tense I have become. I need a break a few times to ponder the story and take a breath. You can't put this book down for long, you will finish it before you sleep with my guarantee.

Elizabeth Scott's story is marvelously written with great momentum, surprise and suspense. I highly recommend this thriller

Aside from having no real point to it other than being as horrifying as possible, this book bothers me primarily for another reason. Which is, it is exactly the kind of fear-mongering that leads to paranoid, helicopter parenting which is so detrimental to normal, healthy child development. If you want to know what I mean, read all the reviews warning parents to read this book and take heed before letting their child play in a park, or outside with friends, or ANYTHING without being RIGHT BY THEIR SIDE... because a horrifically evil man like Ray is probably living somewhere on their block!!! I have no doubt that evil, insane people like Ray exist and have hurt children; but I also believe that people this disturbed are a VERY small minority, and should NOT be used as justification for never letting a child take risks or learn to be independent. The world is not safe. Life is not safe. No matter how much you hover, something awful could happen to your child at any given moment, and that is just the way of it. That reality should not impair your judgment to the point of raising developmentally stunted children (as this book may easily lead you to do). Even the main character was abducted while on a school field trip; should we all hold our children back from field trips now, or insist on chaperoning every time? Think about it. This is a dangerous road to go down.

My guess would be that the author's goal was to lead people to understand how abducted victims come to a state of mind where they can't even fathom getting outside help, even if they have plentiful opportunities. She accomplished this, but this goal is not enough of an achievement to warrant the overall negative impact on families this book causes.

I begrudgingly give it two stars instead of one because the writing is good, if at times a bit over-impressed with itself, but I do not recommend this book to anyone. It is horrific, depressing, and will only end up inducing irrational paranoia in the minds of parents. Parents, if you want to have paranoid nightmares for no justifiable reason, go ahead and read this book.