Bad Girls Don't Die (Bad Girls Don't Die Series #1)

Reviewed by Amber Gibson for TeensReadToo.com

Alexis might not be perfectly well-adjusted to high school life, but she finds her niche as an outspoken pink-haired smart-aleck quite satisfying, thank you very much.

Her four-person family is far from perfect, but they have always managed to get by, in their spooky architectural jumble of a house. Alexis' mother spends more time at work than at home, but so do millions of other moms across America. Kasey, her doll-obsessed little sister, is sometimes too passive for her own good, but hopefully the doll-collecting is something she will grow out of. As for her father, they aren't exactly close, but he could be worse.

One night, after a family argument leaves Kasey in tears, Alexis comes to the rescue in the role of comforting big sister. Kasey requests a story, so Alexis soothes her with a made-up story off the top of her head. Since it is for her baby sister, the story revolves around a little girl and her doll, Kasey's favorite topic. Naturally, Alexis doesn't think much of the story, though come to think of it, it is a bit strange at how smoothly the spontaneous story rolls off her tongue.

However, shortly after Alexis' tale, Kasey starts behaving weirdly. More strangely than normal anyhow. It starts small, with her eyes sometimes changing color from blue to green and using old-fashioned language, like "oughtn't." At first, Alexis tries to brush away her foreboding feelings, deeming the odd vibes she is getting from Kasey as a figment of her imagination, nothing serious.

When mysterious lights appear in the middle of the night, doors close themselves, and the air conditioner goes haywire to the point where Alexis can see her breath in the house, she knows it is no overactive imagination. She has no idea what exactly is going on, but something weird is happening in their house, and much as she hates to admit it, Kasey has something to do with it.

Events spiral rapidly out of control, as midnight wanderings progress to thievery and even attempted murder. Alexis has no idea who to turn to - does anyone even believe in the supernatural anymore? People might just lock Kasey up as schizophrenic, but Alexis knows better. Her little sister is not crazy. Kasey is possessed.

Katie Alender's BAD GIRLS DON'T DIE is a haunting tale of one town's murderous history and a ghost that wants revenge.

16 out of 17 people found this review helpful.

Bad Girls Don't Die review from Just Blinded Book Reviews

If I could use only one word to describe 'Bad Girls Don't' Die' it would be spooky. I must tell you that if a book can spook me then it must be pretty creepy because I am not one to get scared easily. It kind of reminded me of those fun, scary teen movies that we all love but are too embarrassed to say that it actually scared us. Hold on, I have to tack another adjective on to describe the book, which would be fun. So it was spooky but it was also a blast to read.

Alexis' younger sister Kasey's obsession with dolls was just the icing on her crazy cake. I am terrified of dolls so that was really creepy for me! She was such a strange character, for the first part of the book I couldn't understand or get any kind of grasp on her. Though it was soon revealed why she was so eerie and it made perfect sense. I think I even gasped at one scene in the book because what happened was so unexpected.

The mystery aspect of it--to quote a cliché--kept me on the edge of my seat. When I thought that I had everything figured out Katie Alender spun everything around until I wasn't sure of anything anymore, which was a wonderful change for me!

To say the least, it was a wonderful book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It is released on the 21st, so I would advise you to pick up a copy as soon as you can!

10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

Great Book!

The previous reviews did a great job summing up this book, so I won't write a synopsis.

It's a great read by a terrific new author. Since I am an adult and thoroughly enjoyed it, I can say it's not just for teens.

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Love it! Creepy but sooooo good

This book was how can I say......CREEPY! But a good creepy. Like almost like Steven King creepy but for kids.


Alexis notices weird things going on with her sister Kasey. All of the sudden Kasey is losing time. Alexia claims she saw her somewhere and Kasey doesn't remember. Then Alexis starts to see what is really inside of Kasey. A evil little girl bent out for revenge.


Now this book I would LOVE to see in a movie. The whole story in general was great. It did start off slow, but boy did it pick up. After that, you were sucked into everything. Some parts even gave me goosebumps. This is one book that I would not read at night. I love paranormal and all, but messing with the whole possession stuff is umm.. something I would not read before I go to bed. I was glad that I read this during broad daylight, with my husband right next to me. At times I was even glancing up to make sure he hadn't left.


(SPOLIER)
Plus, I don't like dolls.


If you want a good thrill, read this book! It is a great written story with great detail. Even the romance touch to it was just right. Nothing was too much and the way if all fit in, in the end was superb!

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

ONE OF ME FAVORITES

I couldnt put it down and i often heard my parents say 'quit reading' (how often do you here that) because i was reading this book non-stop! amazing!

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. It was creepy, even scary at times. The dolls were quite eerie, but they did add a nice touch to the plot itself. Before reading the book, I read a ton of reviews, and still I wasn't prepared for this story. I really got into this book, and every little detail seemed so real. I remember reading a scene while I was on my front porch - it was daylight out - and a bird fluttered its wings. It scared me and I ended up jumping three feet off the ground. Thankfully, no one was around to witness my embarrassing moment.

I would say the first couple of chapters were somewhat slow because we are introduced to the characters and the setting. But after we learn who's who and where things are going to go down at, the story really starts to pick up. With twists and turns that I didn't expect, and suspense that kept me on my toes and wanting more. I have to congratulate Katie Alender for writing such a fantastic ghost story!

I felt the characters were very well-developed; some even had their own hidden secrets. Alexis is very determined, especially in finding clues that could help save her sister. Her sarcastic attitude was entertaining to read. And I loved how passionate she was about her photography, which does come in handy in certain parts of the book. Megan, the snobby cheerleader. I was surprised to see her become such an important character, and even more surprised to learn she isn't what she seems to be. You'd think her life was perfect, but it's just a cover to hide her tragic past. Then there's Carter, who is bound and determined to help Alexis. I thought Carter was going to be another one of those preppy characters, but I was wrong. He has a past that is very dark, which made his character that much more believable and realistic.

All in all, a fantastic debut novel. And for some good news: Katie Alender is writing TWO more sequels to Bad Girls Don't Die. So keep an eye out for those, I know I will definitely being buying them!!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Bad girls just wanna have fun!

Bad Girls Don't Die was a totally amazing book! I honestly could not put it down, though I wanted to when things got a little too creepy! An excellent ghost story that will be sure to raise some goosebumps! I would suggest that this be read during daylight hours if you are the sort of person who gets really paranoid after watching movies like The Exorcism Of Emily Rose or Poltergeist. Otherwise, you may not sleep and stare suspiciously at your younger siblings for signs of possession.

I really enjoyed Alexis's personality! It reminded me a little of Poe from Brutal in that they both tried to fight the system, but haven't quite mastered the social charms to pull it off. Yet their arch-nemesis manages to do so with ease and turns out to be a lot nicer than expected. Again, I had fun reading about how Alexis tried to motivate change but failing.

The supporting characters were also phenomenol, and they countered Alexis's lone-wolf personality quite nicely. It was great to see Alexis decide to ignore clique boundaries and become friends with the class president Carter and head cheerleader Megan, both whom "got" her as things got weird with Kacey.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Great book!

I don't typically enjoy ghost stories, but this one had me turning page after page waiting to see what would happen. I highly recommend this book to anybody looking for a quick read. Can't wait for Alender's next book!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing!

This will probably be one of the greatest books i have ever read. it was scary yet comforting. it had a good story line that u could follow and her sister is weird and exciting. she has multiple personality disorder and its amazing to see what she goes thru struggling with that. i would definately recommend this book!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great Debut!

Now I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I have to admit, I soo do. And, I was immediately drawn to this one. On to the actual book--it was amazing. I couldn't put it down. I definitely recommend this to anyone.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Great Debut

I really enjoyed reading this book. The only problem I had with it was the fact that the pages didn't turn fast enough. I loved the last chapters. Alender is an author whose books I will keep an eye out for.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

So creepy

This book was such a pleasant surprise! I bought it last year (another product of the panic that ensued when Borders closed) and forgot about it. While I was rearranging my bookshelves a couple of weeks ago I found it and decided to give it a go. I wasn't expecting much, and I couldn't have been more pleased that I was wrong. This was a fun and enjoyable read from the first to the last page. The characters were well-developed and diverse and the story, while familiar, was so well-formed that I finished the book in less than 24 hours. I love a good old-fashioned ghost story and Alender did a great job of bringing the classic haunted house to a YA book.

LIKES:

Alexis! I love the main character. She's such a sad character at first. Her parents don't understand her (welcome to being a teenager), her little sister is klingy and she has zero friends, in fact everyone at her school is afraid of her. As the book progresses she matures and begins to realize that the stigma she has attached to other groups of kids at her school (e.g. the cheerleaders, the preps and the jocks) may not be well-founded. The author uses Alexis to get across the message that people are not stereotypes, but individuals. There were times during this book where I forgot I was reading a horror story because the coming-of-age aspect of the book was so strong. That being said, Alexis maintains her weirdness and individuality through the book. She doesn't have to assimilate to be accepted and as cliche` as that may sound, that is not a message that got through to me all of the time in high school. Alexis's love and compassion for her obsessive, strange younger sister is also very sweet and that relationship and her need to save her sister drives the entire plot of the story. The supporting characters are also well-developed and those relationships don't seem forced or fabricated for the purpose of the message of the book. The best part about the book, though, is that it is actually really scary, and not in the headless-corpses-with-bloody-stumps-for-hands way, in the best way: psychological and subtle. There were times in the story where Alexis was talking to her sister and about half way through the conversation you realize it isn't her sister at all. Little things like that mad this book super creepy in the best possible way.

DISLIKES:

There really isn't anything that stands out to me as a dislike except maybe that the romantic aspect of the book could have been explored a bit more. There is an absolutely adorable guy, Carter, who doesn't get nearly the amount of page time he deserves, at least according to me. Maybe he'll play a bigger role in the next book (fingers crossed). The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because, while it was fun, it wasn't groundbreaking. It's just a good old fashioned ghost story. There aren't really any new concepts here and it isn't profound. But I think that's part of what makes it so enjoyable. It's a good lazy read. The over-arching concepts (family, acceptance, teen angst, etc.) aren't hard to grasp so the reader can kind of sit back and relax and get a little spooked.

This is the best book ever!

Honestly , i couldn't have read a better book in the genre. Most teenage dark - romance novels are about vampires and werewolfs, but this book/ series changes perspective to reality of ghosts. I've been captivated by this series and its by far my favorite.

Suspenseful, yet totally thrilling

I finished this book in 2 days!its so suspenseful and it doesnt save the goo parts for the end. I am amazed by the creativity from the author. I will admit i was slowly becoming afraid by the elaborate events. Amazing!!!

Adults like it, too.

I devoured this book in a few hours. It' s a quick read, but it's a great story. This author certainly understands teenagers. She gets what makes them tick and what makes them wary of adults. She writes about the loneliness not of just the obvious outsiders in a high school, but the insiders, too. She successfully captures that love/hate thing between sisters (Who hasn't been certain that a sister MUST be possessed at least once?) and she understands that when, united against adversity (in this case, a little girl's ghost bent on revenge), teens tend to drop the cliques and reach out--a lesson we adults would do well to learn. CAN'T WAIT to read the next in the series.
I'd like to make note of something else, too. Maybe it's because I spent over 20 years teaching high school, but I just gotta say...Y.A. fiction is so much fun, and so is this book! This genre has taken a HUGE leap forward in terms of quality and development--so much so that it's become one of my favorite types to read. And, there's another great reason it's great to read. Plot arcs, exposition, characters are every bit as well-developed as many adult novels--without having to suffer through some author's favorite sexual fantasy every few pages. Publishers take note: Y.A. fiction is one of the hottest things on the market because so many ADULTS are buying it. Hint, hint---maybe I'm not the only one who finds it a refreshing change!

Finished In Two Days!

This book was amazing. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into when I started reading this book. I usually don't read anything out of my comfort zone. (Girly love stories written by Sarah Dessen etc.) So reading this book got me out of that. Pleasently surprised there was a little love story inside of this scary, bone chilling, mystery-thriller. I finished this novel in two days amd cant wait to start the next one. I didn't know there was a series, so finding the other book was awesome. I know what I'm doing thid weekend.(; This is defiantly a MUAT READ BOOK. ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ IN A WHILE!!

This book is amazing. At first, I was really neutral about the s

This book is amazing. At first, I was really neutral about the synopsis; i didn't think it was anything too special, but I would still read it if I had an extra ten dollars lying around.

I was sooooo wrong to not read this book sooner.


This book is creepy, and AWESOME, and keeps you wondering whats going to come next. I stayed up til one in the morning because I couldn't stop reading. Another thing I really liked was that the author didn't keep any edge-of-your-seatness until the last ten pages. She unleashes it throughout the whole book, which I really appriciate.

Trust me, if you into paranormal books--or any kind of books really-- YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!!

Amazing!

I loved this book. It doesn't have anything bad in it. I just hate when teen books have adult content in them. I mean, we are still kids, right? It was very suspensful and eerie. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a good ghost story.

Extremely thrilling story

I love this book it take you on a thrilling ride it is AMAZING Vvv

Buy This Book!!! :)

Bad Girls Don't Die is an amazing (let me repeat, AMAZING!!!) book!! I'm a total bookwarm, and I'll be going to high school next year so I can sort of relate to Alexis. This book is FULL of suspense that I finished in maybe 2 or 3 hours because I couldn't put the book down until I finished. It gets you hooked from the first few pages when Alexis is taking pictures in the wee hours of the morning and her and her sister Kasey see a ball of light. Things start unraveling not too long after that. With doors opening and closing, Alexis being able to tell a story off the top of her head so vividly, and romance. Also a very unlikely friendship with Megan, one of the most popular girls in the high school. And Megan's past plays a HUGE role in the plot. You should honestly buy this book. It's NOT a waste of money. It's definately one of my favorite books!