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Living Dead Girl Hardcover – September 2, 2008

by Elizabeth Scott (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 1,968 ratings
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Once upon a time, I was a little girl who disappeared.

Once upon a time, my name was not Alice.

Once upon a time, I didn't know how lucky I was.

When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends -- her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.

Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her.

This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    176 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
  4. Publication date
    September 2, 2008
  5. Grade level
    10 - 12
  6. Reading age
    16 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    5.75 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    1416960597
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1416960591
  10. Lexile measure
    870L
  11. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
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  1. It will be over soon, finally, but the thing about hearts is that they always want to keep beating.
    Highlighted by 132 Kindle readers
  2. I thought living dead girls couldn’t feel pain, thought I was emptied out but I’m not, I’m not.
    Highlighted by 105 Kindle readers
  3. THREE LIFE LESSONS: 1. No one will see you. 2. No one will say anything. 3. No one will save you.
    Highlighted by 104 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Fans of Scott's YA romances Perfect You or Bloom may be unprepared for the unrelieved terror within this chilling novel, about a 15-year-old girl who has spent the last five years being abused by a kidnapper named Ray and is kept powerless by Ray's promise to harm her family if she makes one false move. The narrator knows she is the second of the girls Ray has abducted and renamed Alice; Ray killed the first when she outgrew her childlike body at 15, and now Alice half-hopes her own demise is approaching (I think of the knife in the kitchen, of the bridges I've seen from the bus... but the thing about hearts is that they always want to keep beating). Ray, however, has an even more sinister plan: he orders Alice to find a new girl, then train her to Ray's tastes. Scott's prose is spare and damning, relying on suggestive details and their impact on Alice to convey the unimaginable violence she repeatedly experiences. Disturbing but fascinating, the book exerts an inescapable grip on readers—like Alice, they have virtually no choice but to continue until the conclusion sets them free. Ages 16–up. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—The numb voice of a teen who has been devastated by five years of captivity and compliance, a girl who has been named "Alice" by her abductor, relates her grim story. At 15, she still believes the threat by which Ray controlled her when she was almost 10 and he walked her away from a school field trip: he's made it clear that if she bolts he will kill her family. The trauma of multiple rapes on a child is portrayed, as is Ray's ongoing need to control her and his daily, multiple demands for sexual submission. Now that she's a teen, Alice is being starved; his disordered logic tells him that this will keep her a little girl. His control over her is so absolute that, although she can leave his apartment during the day and goes on her own to have a wax job, her only rebellion is to steal small amounts of food. When Ray decides it is time for a new little girl, Alice complies by locating a likely next victim. In the process she meets a needy teen boy and a police officer, both of whom suspect she is in trouble and want to help her, but all does not end happily. This story lacks the vivid characters and psychological insights of Norma Fox Mazer's chilling The Missing Girl (HarperCollins, 2008). For an ultimately hopeful, but still realistic portrayal of a damaged survivor of abduction and sexual imprisonment, see Catherine Atkins's When Jeff Comes Home (Putnam, 1999)—Carolyn Lehman, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (September 2, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1416960597
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1416960591
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 16 years and up
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 870L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 1,968 ratings

About the author

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Elizabeth Scott

Elizabeth Scott

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Hey there, I'm Elizabeth. I write young adult novels. I've had a bunch of jobs over the years--I've sold pantyhose, hardware, and once spent three days burning cds during the dot.com boom (worst. job. ever.)--but hands down, writing is the best! You can read lots more about my books at my website, http://www.elizabethwrites.com

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
1,968 global ratings
Not a new book
2 Stars
Not a new book
Have not read the book yet. I am only giving two stars due to the fact that I purchased this book new and it arrived bent up and torn. Very disappointed
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Top reviews from the United States

Lynn
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2009
Verified Purchase
Plot/Storyline: 5 Stars

"Alice" tells the story through diary-like entries of her abduction and subsequent living arrangements with her kidnapper. This is a gritty, hard-core tale sunk deep into the mire of the reality of what happens to many children who disappear without a trace.

I was amazed at how well this author handles the sexual scenes. The narrator relates her abuse in a very sideways, casual manner. This doesn't shield the reader; instead, it drives home the horrific truth: This young girl is so inured to the abuse she suffers from daily, that it really is an almost casual thing for her.

I could not put this novel down. It was not only about finding out what happens to Alice at the end; although, that was a major pulling point. It was staring into the abyss of Alice's world.

Throughout the first half of the novel, I wondered at how her kidnapper, Ray, could maintain such control over her. She had freedom during the day. She could have run away, told someone, or even called her family. Yes, there were threats, but I kept thinking as she got older that she should have seen through them. Later, I realized the depths of the man's insiduousness. As Alice related the tale of his previous deduction, and its gruesome ending, I realized why her belief was so strong.

I found the ending, though abrupt, to be fitting and really the only way to end this work.

Character Development: 5 Stars

Alice is an interesting character. She elicits sympathy from the reader, but at times also invokes a kind of disgust at her actions. Her character is compared and contrasted with her abductor's in subtle ways.

Through Alice, the reader sees glimpses of Ray's childhood. However, because of Alice, the reader really cannot feel sympathy for him.

What's interesting about the characterization is the question of how we can feel such sorrow for Alice, yet none for Ray. Ray was abused and grew up to be an abuser. Alice is abused and planning to help Ray abuse another, even participate in the abuse. Yet, Alice still evokes sympathy in the reader, but there is none left over for Ray.

Writing Style: 5 Stars

The sentences are stark and simplistic, befitting the viewpoint of an uneducated teenager. The author does a terrific job of staying in character. The descriptions are left mostly to the imagination of the reader, as Alice simply sees her world as drab and colorless.

Editing/Formatting: 5 Stars

Both were of professional quality.

Rating: R for Sexual Abuse of a child and Violence

---------------------------------

For more reviews, along with articles and author commentary, subscribe to my blog. Just search Amazon for "Red Adept".
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C.J. Listro
4.0 out of 5 stars A chilling account of a girl's worst nightmare
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2012
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Read more: [...]

the basics
Chilling. Devastating. Living Dead Girl is a story of every parent's, and every child's, worst nightmare. We enter the world of Alice, five years after she has been kidnapped by the abusive Ray. The story winds between her memories of that fateful day and her struggle to escape his new plan for her: find a new Alice. This isn't for the weak stomached. Alice goes through some of the worst torture, physical and sexual, a person can experience. In books like this, it's easy for the the violence to become maudlin or offensively exploitative. Instead of a meaningful book, it becomes little better than a shower scene in a slasher film. Scott avoids that pitfall. By focusing on Alice's mental and emotional reactions rather than the details of the tortures, she shows a faithful picture of the horror without making it tacky. Alice is instantly lovable and her story is a mix of thriller and memoir that picks up and doesn't let go.

plot . 5/5
There's no slow buildup. You're thrown right into Alice's hell. It's an interesting choice. We see the kidnapping and glimpses of the past several years in flashback chapters, but not directly. We see her memories. It allows the story to pick up right away and to avoid getting down in a lot of exposition. It also allows us to come in at Alice's worst moment: the moment Ray says he has a new plan for her. This plan, to steal another child, is horrifying in itself, and a clever literary choice. It shows us just how broken Alice is mentally--so desperate for freedom from her abuse that she'll do anything to remove Ray's attention from her. The ending is abrupt, but I don't think it would have been good for it to drag either.

concept . 5/5
You see it a lot on crime shows, but this is the first book I've read about it. It's a rare and horrific thing, kidnapping and sexual slavery. It make for a book that could be sensationalized. Used as "torture porn." It's not. Scott does a great job of portraying Alice's life faithfully. The story focuses mostly on her inner thoughts and reactions, so we see the true damage caused by this situation, beyond just the physical. It's an important point to make, and it underscores the message of the title--Living Dead Girl--perfectly.

characters . 5/5
There aren't many characters. Alice lives a secluded life with her abuser, who doesn't even appear in the text as often as you'd expect. However, we still know him intimately. We know him through Alice's descriptions of his abuse. Her fear of him. The details she slips about his life and his threats. We even pity him, briefly, while still hating him. In the same way, Jake is both lovable and loathable. He's no prince charming, but he's as deeply broken as Alice and looking for any way to escape. He's that dark part of all of us.

style . 5/5
The style is beautiful, lyrical, poetic at times. But not in a flowery way. It shows how deeply Alice lives in her inner world. Dead, but still moving through the world. Still forming impressions. Her voice has a dreamlike, trancelike quality to it--perfect for a zombie, a Living Dead Girl. It's gorgeous writing that you don't get to see much in the young adult genre.

mechanics . 5/5
Part flashback, part thriller, part philosophy. We get impressions, memories, thoughts, dreams--it's like being inside of Alice's head. And of course the formatting is polished and pretty.

take home message
A chilling slice of a tortured life that shows just how deeply abuse can leave scars, in and out.
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Lindsey B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend but its sad..
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book is amazing once I started reading it I didnt stop until I fished it (not lieing I finish it in less than a day now I need a new book lol) the only bad part is how detailed and sad it is some parts made me sick to my stomach. So as long as you can handle the messed up things in this book I 100% recommend it.
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Top reviews from other countries

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JennyL
5.0 out of 5 stars Disturbingly good
Reviewed in Canada on December 4, 2021
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Caution, not for the weak at heart but if you can handle it, it's a great read.
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Wasn't long enough for me
Reviewed in Australia on January 11, 2018
Verified Purchase
I'm a little disappointment with myself for not looking to see how long this book was before I paid 10 bucks for it! The story was about a little girl whom got abducted well on a school trip by a sicko who terrorised her body and mind for 5 years! This book didn't go into much detail about her abuse which was fine by me! But I think with what the book was about it could have gotten a bit deeper with the plot!
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TR
5.0 out of 5 stars Das MUSS man an einem Stück lesen!
Reviewed in Germany on April 18, 2011
Verified Purchase
Vor langer Zeit, war ich ein kleines Mädchen, das verschwand.
Vor langer Zeit war mein Name nicht Alice.
Vor langer Zeit, wusste ich nicht wie glücklich ich war.

Inhalt...

Als Alice zehn Jahre alt war, nahm Ray sie ihrer Familie weg, ihren Freunden - ihrem Leben. Sie musste lernen all ihre Kampfgeist aufzugeben, all den Schmerz zu ertragen. Sie wartete darauf, dass der Albtraum zu Ende geht.

Jetzt ist Alice Fünfzehn und Ray hält sie immer noch gefangen, aber er spricht mehr und mehr über ihren Tod. Doch was er nicht weiß ist, dass sie sich danach sehnt. Und sie weiß nicht, dass er etwas viel schrecklicheres als den Tod für sie bereit hält.
Das ist die Geschichte von Alice. Es ist eine die ihr nie gehört habt und eine die ihr nie, niemals wieder vergessen werdet.

Buchgestaltung...

Warum es eine Schleife sein musste? Kein Plan, aber das Cover ist schön schlicht gehalten und schwarz passt sehr gut zur Geschichte.

Meinung...

Ich war ja wirklich skeptisch, ob es sich lohnt für 176 Seiten - nun das dünnste Buch in meinem Regal - knapp 7 auszugeben. Dann dachte ich mir, fang ich mal nen paar Seiten an zu lesen, als das Buch vorgestern kam....tja, ich habs in einem Rutsch durchgelesen und hätte wohl auch das Doppelte für die Geschichte bezahlt: sie ist einfach so richtig gut. Und anders. Ich habe bisher kein Buch gelesen, das sich hiermit vergleichen lässt. Nachdem ich durch war musste ich mich erst einmal hinsetzten und eine Viertelstunde ins Leere starren. Das Buch war der reinste Trip: so unglaublich spannend, schockierend, Nervenaufreibend.

Die Kapitel sind kurz, die Schreibweise suchterzeugend und mitreißend. Die Geschichte wird aus der Sicht der derzeitigen Alice geschrieben, die Ray festhält, ist daher simple, abgestumpft, erschreckend nüchternd.

Wenn ich daran zurück denke bekomme ich doppelte Gänsehaut.
Die Handlung lässt einen in einem Abgrund eintauchen, der alles andere als schön ist, düster, hoffnungslos und brutal. Die Dinge die Alice beschreibt, die sie durchmacht, die sie ertragen muss...all das Leid, der Schmerz, die Angst haben mich tief betroffen gemacht. Das Buch war auf einer Ebene unterhaltsam von der ich nicht genau weiß, wie ich sie einstufen soll. Es ist ungewöhnlich, nicht der typische Krimi/Thriller, sondern viel realistischer, Angsteinflößender...ich würde keiner 16 jährigen dieses Buch in die Hände drücken. Die vielen Dinge, die Ray Alice antut werden zwar nicht Detailgenau beschrieben, aber Elizabeth Scott versteht es die Phantasie des Leser anzuregen...ich musste durchweg daran denken: so etwas kann wirklich jederzeit passieren. Vielleicht passiert es schon irgendjemanden da draußen...eine ganz schreckliche Vorstellung!

Ich finde es gut, dass die Autorin dieses Thema mit in ihr Buch hat einfließen lassen. Es zeigt, wie Menschen durch ein bisschen mehr Aufmerksamkeit im Alltag, das Leben anderer Personen retten können. Es war so verdammt erschrecken, wenn ich an so viele kleine Momente im Buch zurück denke, wo so manche Leute sich einen Dreck um Alice geschert haben. Es hat mich richtig mitgenommen und zum Nachdenken angeregt.

Fazit...

Wirklich nichts für zarte Gemüter, aber lesenswert für alle die eine schockierende, spannende Geschichte lesen wollen, die Kritik an unsere Mitmenschlichkeit ausübt und richtig zum Nachdenken provoziert.
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Sammee (I Want To Read That)
5.0 out of 5 stars Living Dead Girl
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2009
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I knew this wasn't going to be an easy read but I wasn't completely prepared for how brutally realistic it was going to be. I loved Bloom and was astonished that this was written by the same author - it was just so different. It was beautifully written though, almost like verse in a way, and I truly believed in Alice's voice. I had so many emotions while reading it - horror, sympathy, hatred, unease and for some reason guilt. It almost felt as if I was reading something I shouldn't really be reading - which in itself is testament to Scott's talent as a writer.

The story is devastatingly sad. It scared the hell out of me too and I realised that Alice's three rules - No one will see you. No one will say anything. No one will save you - are unfortunately true. How many times do we `not see' the things we don't want to see? How many times to we not want to get involved? It also gave me an insight into abuse that I had never really considered. I have never understood why someone would stay, would not tell someone what was happening - but I didn't really understand the impact of fear as a motivator. I realised after reading this though that fear for oneself is not the only type of fear - the threat against her family was so strong I could understand why it had the impact it did and it terrified me that essentially love can be used against you in this way. It also scared me that I could see signs in Alice that she too had the potential to become an abuser - how that the need to escape, to not be abused anymore overtook everything else.

Would I recommend this book? Hell yes! It's not the most comfortable read but Elizabeth Scott does an outstanding job bringing the story alive. It was absolutely heartbreaking to read but Alice will be a character I remember for a long time.
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Ell
4.0 out of 5 stars Overall Well Enough
Reviewed in Canada on August 9, 2021
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Overall a good book that makes you feel a range of emotions. However the ending was unexpected and in my opinion crap.
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