The Girl Next Door

To set the record straight, I do not love this book. I still haven’t come to a decision if I even like it. It isn’t the “best” book on my list, yet it is the most disturbing. And it is a must-read.

A warning, though. It’s a book that you won’t be able to stop and you’ll likely feel very guilty for even reading it. It dives into human behaviors that we don’t want to think about and surely would not intentionally want to take part in. I’ve a question for you: Is there a limit to what you would… show more.

Reading this book was one of the most intense experiences of my life and I will never forget reading it. Based on a true story of the extreme abuse of a young girl by an evil aunt and some neighborhood kids, this book makes you feel like you were actually present at the crime. While most books I read are tame in comparison, this book is truly and uniquely disturbing and deserving of its reputation as a top-notch horror novel.

The themes of this book are the loss of innocence and the savagery of human nature. It’s fiction but it’s based on true events. The story can be very disturbing and brutal in parts as it deals with mental and physical abuse (to a child, no less), but it is also touching and an emotional roller-coaster. Some of you might not finish this book. Some of you might but never recommend it to anyone else. But all of you (if you’re a fan of unapologetic horror) should read it.