If you have a strong stomach and can handle reading about very disturbing behavior of human beings towards other human beings, then by all means give this book a shot. Now, fifteen years later, struggling actress Nina Avery - who never doubted her father's innocence - returns to Hoffman when he is paroled and moves home. The events of the story are real enough to make one seriously question how impressionable and easily manipulated children can be and how being in contact with an adult who is screwed up enough in the head could actually encourage them to participate in activities that they KNOW are morally wrong and that will scar their psyches for the rest of their lives. The affluent town of Hoffman, Ney Jersey, was shattered when esteemed doctor Duncan Avery stabbed his wife to death one spring evening. I'd even hesitate to recommend it to those who are parents of children under the age of 18. I would definitely NOT recommend this to anyone under the age of 18. As for whether or not I'd recommend this book to others, I'd have to say yes AND no. Both family's have secrets that they would rather stay hidden. Jane who lives next door is trying to help the family and also making sure that her children are safe. A teenage girl is found murdered in the field behind her house. ***** end spoiler***** I'd have to read more by this author to make a decision on whether or not he's a good writer, but in this case at least, he managed to hold my interest through-out the novel. The Girl Next Door by Phoebe Morgan is a psychological thriller with quite a few twist and turns. *****spoiler***** The fact that the narrator did finally give the reader some retribution at the end albeit too late was a nice moment in an otherwise grisly tale. The horror and revulsion that I felt over the events of the plot plus my absolute frustration at the actions (or inaction)of the narrator were completely over-ridden by a morbid need to know how the terrible events would play out in the end. All this being said, I did find The Girl Next Door to be a riveting page turner, one that I really didn't want to put down in-between readings. It may be unfair to the author to lower a rating a bit based on the subject matter, but I do rate books partially based upon my enjoyment of them and I honestly did not enjoy much about this book. Knowing that it's based on something that actually happened makes me want to vomit. Let's face it, The Girl Next Door is disturbing. On a dead-end street, in the dark, damp basement of the Chandler house, Meg and Susan are left captive to the savage whims and rages. Unless you are teenage Meg or her crippled sister, Susan. However due to the extremely brutal and graphic nature of the subject matter, I just couldn't. Shady, tree-lined streets, well-tended lawns, and cozy homes. I really wanted to rate this book 4 stars, honestly.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |