Bad Girls Don't Die

I found out about Katie Alender through the amazing website/blog called Free Book Friday Teens edition, which branches of the main website Free Book Friday, that is both founded by author Jessica Brody. I'm so glad that I read and even heard the wonderful podcast interview of Jessica and Katie talking about her young adult debut novel Bad Girls Don't Die, which is about a young girl whose younger sister starts to act funny and then things get really scary after she tells a ghost story. I also recommend that you all listen to it also so you can decide for yourselves if you agree with me about Katie Alender's experience in writing her young adult debut novel.

I have been really getting into the world of young adult novels since I started visiting Free Book Friday Teens and I've found some wonderful authors to enjoy. Katie Alender's debut young adult novels takes place in the the world of fifteen-year-old Alexis Warren who is just a pink-haired troublemaker with a somewhat dysfuntional family. She doesn’t have any real friends, and her parents are way too wrapped up in their own problems to bother with hers so pretty much the only things Alexis can count on are the photographs she creates in her darkroom and her little sister Kasey. Though she doesn't have such a close relationship with Kasey who has a fascination with collecting dolls I think they might just get closer to one another throughout this novel. Alexis wants to understand her sister but I get the feeling that there is something going on with Kasey that is making their relationship strain to the point it can never be fixed.

Then one night, to help take Kasey’s mind off a vicious family argument, Alexis makes up a story—the first thing that comes to mind, really, just a harmless fairytale about a little girl with no friends. But Kasey seems to take the whole thing a little too seriously because Alexis feels that there might be truth to the story that just popped up into her head out of no where and gave her a vibe that didn't go away. Before long, she’s actually bringing parts of the story to life—and people are getting hurt but Alexis knows she has to find a way to stop her sister before something really terrible happens that can't be fixed and could get way too serious. But with no friends and no help from her parents, she’s basically on her own—until help turns up in the unlikeliest form—Alexis’ archnemesis Megan Wiley, who happens to be the captain of the cheerleading squad. And she starts to fall in love with a boy named Carter who she never thought would notice her and who she never thought she would ending up liking way too much.

This novel took me in from the very first chapter and it didn't let me go even though I finished the book in less than a day. I really loved reading about Alexis and her family as well as the friends that she ends up making throughout the novel. While reading this book I really got chills because Katie really makes me believe that everything going in the novel with Alexis and her siseter Kasey is real and not just fiction that she came up with. From the podcast interview that Jessica Brody and Katie Alender had she said that when she started writing this book she didn't know it would end up like a ghost story novel since she doesn't read that type of novels. I think she did amazing in her debut novel and I really see a potential that she could write up a sequel to this novel because I get a feeling that Alexis, Kasey, Megan and Carter have more to tell in a future novel. I give this book 4 Open Books:

Here is the description from the cover flap of the book and picture:

BAD GIRLS DON'T DIE by Katie Alender $ 15.99 (346 Pages)

To the world, fifteen-year-old Alexis Warren is just a pink-haired troublemaker. She doesn’t have any real friends, and her parents are way too wrapped up in their own problems to bother with hers. Pretty much the only things Alexis can count on are the photographs she creates in her darkroom and her little sister Kasey.

One night, to help take Kasey’s mind off a vicious family argument, Alexis makes up a story—the first thing that comes to mind, really, just a harmless fairytale about a little girl with no friends. But Kasey seems to take the whole thing a little too seriously. Before long, she’s actually bringing parts of the story to life—and people are getting hurt.

Alexis knows she has to find a way to stop her sister before something terrible happens. But with no friends and no help from her parents, she’s basically on her own—until help turns up in the unlikeliest form—Alexis’ archnemesis Megan Wiley, who happens to be the captain of the cheerleading squad.