The Girl Next Door Jack Ketchum Leisure Books version 2008
The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum starts off wonderfully: You think you know about pain? That’s a kicker of a first sentence. Yes, this book is based on a true story and that is what makes it all the more horrifying. The book focuses on David and his experiences. The story is told from the POV of David and relayed as he is writing it down, though he has no intention of showing his soon to be third wife. Davi is 41 now and the events that shaped his life happened back in 1958, when Ruth, Donny and Willie meet Meg Loughlin and her sister Susan.
Admitidly I bought this book after seeing the preview for the movie, which I intend to buy, not because I think the book was fantastic but because I would like to see the movie version. The book itself is not so fantastic, it lolls around a lot and has too much inner termoil and it seemed to take a long time to get into the story fully and some things seemed a little unrealistic — yet it is based on true events, so I guess there are people out there like Ruth, people tilting on the edge on insanity.
Jack Ketchum is an excellent writer and cn weave an awesome story with full back stories and totally engaging. I own another of his books which I enjoyed more: The Lost and have ordered Red for further enjoyment. The Girl Next Door is unfortunatly a let down.
On the front cover, Stephen King says: The Girl Next Door is alive. It does not just promise terror, but actually delivers it. I wonder if we were reading the same book?
On a side note: my wife totally loved the book.
