Bad Girls Don't Die & say Hello!

I have something INCREDIBLY exciting to share with all of you (well, I'm excited about it at least)!

My younger sister, Dorian, who's 15 years old has agreed to join Esther's Ever After as a book reviewer and poster!

While I'm thrilled with the response I've received to my blog, and how fortunate I've been with interested readers and review requests, I simply can't take on all of them on my own any longer. Dorian has always loved to read as well, although we tend to pick out fairly different books so I'm hoping that our tastes combined will allow for a broader variety of books and reviews on here!

So please welcome her to Esther's Ever After, and leave her some love for her first review on here!

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Release Date: April 21, 2009

Disney ~ Hyperion

ISBN13: 9781423108764

4/5 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

 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 to see their breath in. Kasey is changing, too. Her blue eyes go green and she speaks in 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?

I’m the kind of person who gets scared easily, so when I recently picked up Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender, I was a bit apprehensive. Needless to say, I read the first chapter- no, the first page and I was HOOKED.

 Reasons to Read:

1. The Storyline: This book has a fairly creepy plot.  I mean, what with the psychotic, murderous ghost and the disturbing way of how the ghost came to be, this book will give you shivers the moment the plot is introduced.
2. The Characters: I found that this book had a pleasurable variety of characters.  They were fascinating with intriguing back stories.  Each one wasn’t at all that they seemed.  They all had their good points and their flaws, which I thought made them easier to relate to.
3. Carter and Alexis: I really enjoyed reading about this couple.  The two characters are seemingly polar opposites who end up together.  Although the two are so different, the deep connection between them is very interesting.  Carter is very much a sweater-vest wearing, class president, “prep”; while Alexis is more of a distant, misfit of a person.

The overall storyline is pretty creepy, but it isn't so scary that you’ll be afraid to go to bed at night. I liked how Katie was able to portray an actually disturbing storyline without making it over the top. I found myself captivated by the story and the characters. Each character had a distinct personality that made them different from all the others.

Alexis: the independent outcast.

Kasey: the shy misfit.

Mrs. Warren: the distant workaholic.

Carter: the all-American boy with an unexpected past.

Megan: the all-American girl with a dark secret.

Parts of the story were a bit predictable, but I didn’t really mind being able to guess something that would happen. I did find it a bit frustrating how I had almost pieced together the whole mystery, while the protagonist was still on square one. I did like how it was written. The funny parts were funny, the serious parts were serious, and the creepy/scary/disturbing parts were creepy/scary/disturbing. All the loose ends were tied up at the end of the book with a very satisfying ending.

P.S., If you’re still not sure, pick it up for Carter and Alexis! Hands down one of the best couples I have read about.