Began reading: 2.5.2017
Completed reading: 7.5.2017
Overall rating: 4 stars
When Alexis's little sister, Kasey, becomes obsessed with an antique doll, Alexis thinks nothing of it. Kasey is a weird kid. Period. Alexis is considered weird, too, by the kids in her high school, by her parents, even by her own goth friends. Things get weirder, though, when the old house they live in starts changing. Doors open and close by themselves, water boils on the unlit stove, and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough for the girls to see their breath. Kasey is changing too. Her blue eyes go green, and she uses old-fashioned language, then forgets chunks of time.
Most disturbing of all is the dangerous new chip on Kasey's shoulder. The formerly gentle, doll-loving child is gone, and the new Kasey is angry. Alexis is the only one who can stop her sister - but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?
Trigger warning: this book contains suicide.
Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender is a young adult novel that contains paranormal, horror and fantasy elements. When I went to the library, I was looking for a book similar to The Beguiled by Thomas Cullinan because I CAN’T WAIT for the upcoming remake (23 June – I think)! I saw the cover of this book and knew that I should read it. I wasn’t disappointed, and I found myself thinking about it even when I was busy studying, haha! I’m so excited to read the rest of the series, but I’m not sure if I like the way the story is going…
Alexis is seen as the weird kid in high school – introverted, doesn’t fit in, and has a doll-obsessed younger sister, Kasey. When the sisters spend time together at home, Alexis notices that strange things occur, such as the unplugged air conditioner blasting cold air, doors slamming shut of their own accord, and switched off stoves boiling water. Things take a turn for the worse when Kasey begins acting more aggressively, speaking oddly, stealing other students’ reports, referring to a hit list, and her eyes change colours. When Alexis realises the reason behind Kasey’s bizarre behaviour, Alexis and her new friends have to stop Kasey before she is possessed to kill those on her list. Will they get to her in time, or will the blood-thirsty spirit finally get revenge after so many years?
For a debut novel, Alender did a fantastic job with her writing. The book was well-written, with only a few grammatical errors. The novel was well-paced and perfectly structured. Alender utilised literary techniques, such as tone, suspense and similes, to help the story flow. There were also a couple of great quotes, including:
That’s the pathetic thing about high school. Everyone tries so hard to be something they aren’t. It’s gotten so I don’t know who I am, so how can I even try to be who I am, much less someone I’m not? (p. 30).
A lot of people shoot digital pictures now, which is fine – it’s just not for me. To me, taking digital pictures is like finding something. But working with film is like making something” (p. 88).
Could evil seep through the walls of the house, plant a seed of obsession in someone’s heart? (p. 323).
More quotes from the book can be found here.
I get scared easily, so I avoid everything related to horror. I decided to take a chance with this book because my interest in the plot outweighed my fear. I thought that the storyline was interesting, but not necessarily unique – how many doll-possessed books, tv shows and movies can you think of? Anyway, I liked the obsession that Kasey had with her dolls. It played a significant role in the primary plot line, but seemed innocent in the beginning of the book. I have always been suspicious of dolls and other toys coming alive, so I definitely experienced some level of fear while I was reading. I also thought that the flashbacks or dreams that Alexis had of Sarah was interesting because I didn’t realise until later how important they were.
Speaking of scary, I was expecting something frightening. Luckily, this wasn’t the case – it was more along the lines of disturbing and creepy, rather than scary. I will admit, my mum likes porcelain dolls and she’s put some in my room, so I’m gonna have to keep an eye on them. Their blank stares are eerie and make me uncomfortable. Anyway, I think this element of horror was balanced seamlessly with other sub-plots. Alexis’s relationship with her family members, how she interacts with students and teachers, romance and learning about what happened in her neighbourhood are just some examples of this book’s sub-plots. Like I said, this combination of plot lines kept everything balanced, which was great!
I feel that having relatable characters in a book is very important, as it gives readers someone to associate with. This book definitely had a range of relatable characters, and I could see myself and my family in Alexis’s. Both of parents are workaholics, and I’m no longer as close to my dad as I used to be. I don’t have a possessed little sister, but my younger sister is crazy. I found myself relating to Alexis, and sympathised with her when her mother blamed her for hurting her sister (been there, done that). I liked that there were enough characters for readers to connect with, and I look forward to meeting more characters in the next book.
Another thing that I found beneficial was the lack of insta-love or straight up ‘happily ever after’. Of course, I didn’t even expect a love interest in this book, but it surprised me and I found that I liked it. The romance was slow, maybe even barely there. It was realistic and sweet – which is always a good thing. Even the conclusion of the book held little romance, with only a kiss. Obviously, I won’t reveal who the two characters are, but they are adorable! I am so excited to see how this relationship will progress in the sequel. I hope they last!
In every book, I always observe each of the characters and consider their role in the plot. It irritates me when one of the main characters appears to be redundant – and unfortunately, this happened in this novel. Megan no doubt had a role to play in regards to the history of Alexis’s house, but that’s where her function in the plot ended. Alexis asked Megan for assistance with Kasey, and I assumed that Megan would do some kind of exorcism, as she said she had some kind of experience with demonic possession. She mentioned that she did some reading as a child on spirits and the like, but she didn’t do much at Alexis’s house. To be honest, aside from her mother’s death, her role in the story was unnecessary. I know that she will have a bigger role in the sequel, so I anticipate seeing her interact more with the spirits and helping Alexis.
My favourite character was Alexis because she was loyal, courageous, perceptive and relatable. Like I’ve mentioned, I saw myself in Alexis – quiet, shy, but protective of her loved ones. Carter and Megan are notable characters.
Alexis’s parents irritated me because of their disregard for their kids. I understand that they worked a lot, but would they believe Alexis if she told them how Kasey had been behaving towards her? I doubt it. They were aloof and distant, so I wonder how they came to believe Alexis’s story.
My favourite parts of the book were Alexis’s photography scenes, as well as those with Megan. Reading about Alexis’s photography took me back to my high school days when I studied photography, and used the darkroom and chemicals. I liked the idea of Alexis hating Megan in the beginning of the narrative, then growing to be friends with her. It mimics similar friendships in reality, and I believe that their friendship will last through the next two books!
Recommendation time! If you like Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe, the Ruined series by Paula Morris, The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington, and Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Annabelle, the Paranormal Activity series, All Cheerleaders Die, and the 2010 version of Mother’s Day.
I will also be reviewing the rest of the Bad Girls Don’t Die series, including: From Bad to Cursed and As Dead As It Gets.
Happy reading!
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