Bad Girls Don't Die: Review

Title: Bad Girls Don't Die
Author: Katie Alender
Release Date: April 2009
Published By: Hyperion
Pages: 352
Goodreads Rating: 4.03 stars

Review: Alexis' little sister, Kasey, has always been a little different, considering she loves to collect dolls. So when Kasey becomes obsessed with an antique doll and carries it everywhere, Alexis doesn't think anything of it. But then things become stranger. Kasey's eyes change color, she begins speaking in old-fashioned language, and when she does return to normal, she's forgotten huge chunks of time. That's not even the worst part: she wants revenge. And Alexis just might be the only person who can stop her.

I'm not the best with scary stories. Reading a horror book can leave me wide awake at night for days, so if I choose to pick one up, it means the summary really appealed to me. And not only that, it means that I want to be scared. BAD GIRLS DON'T DIE could be a little frightening from time to time - it definitely had its moments - but for the most part, I didn't find this to be particularly scary, which disappointed me.

I feel like the reason this wasn't as frightening as it could have been is because the plot was a bit on the cliché and predictable side. I could see things happening way before they did, and you can already tell from the summary that this is a book about possession. Reading this made me think of those cheesy B horror movies where the audience knows what's going on way before the protagonist. However, I don't mean that in a necessarily bad way. Although I would have preferred for it to be scary, I still enjoy those movies just like I enjoyed this book.

There were still many parts that were undoubtedly suspenseful and had me flipping pages to find out what happened next. That, combined with the easy-to-read protagonist voice, completely sucked me in to the story. It was very easy to lose myself in this book, and though the circumstances I read this in didn't allow me to finish it all at once, I can see people going through this in one sitting. I guess the only way to describe this book is addicting. What the plot lacks is more than made up for in the characterization and good writing.

BAD GIRLS DON'T DIE is an engrossing, suspenseful read that takes you on a wild ride. Although it doesn't bring anything new to the table when it comes to ghost and possession horror stories, it's clear that Katie Alender is a talented writer who knows how to keep your eyes glued to the page. I did wish that it was a bit scarier, but overall, I greatly enjoyed this book and will definitely be picking up the sequel.

Cover Love

Let's have some cover love for...

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender!

The first thing I'd have to say is that I love what they did with the model. The way she's sitting can mean a lot of different things, but to me, it makes her seem a little more child-like. Her legs are drawn up to her chest and her hands are sitting in her lap, and it seems like the kind of position you might want to take when trying to protect yourself. Plus, you can't really see anything except her legs, so there's really no telling if she's a child or not.

I like the flowy pink skirt she's wearing as well. It's gauzy and light, and the way it kind of flows out to the left is neat. The best part about her is the way the curtain drapes over most of her, casting her face into shadow and hiding anything above her knees. This again brings to mind something you would do if you were hiding, which gives this cover a lot of creepy undertones.

The bright light emanating from the window is very interesting. That could mean a lot of things, but I think it might be a reference to the title. Lights are often associated with death and/or heaven, so that could be why. Regardless, that light makes intriguing patterns along the walls and floors, and pretty much casts the entire girl in shadow.

The placement of the title and author name are nice, and I like that the author's name isn't absolutely humongous. The attention-grabbing title deserves more space! I also have to say that the border is cute and adds a nice touch. The only thing I don't like that much is that there seems to be some sort of object in the lower right, except I can't really tell what it is.

So, there you have it! What do you think of this cover?