Bad Girls Don't Die Review

Bad Girls Don't Die (Bad Girls Don't Die #1) by KATIE ALENDER


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 (goodreads)?


Review: 
Katie Alender's spooky novel tells of a girl who has to juggle the average high school drama with the possibility of a vengeful spirit possessing her little sister. Along with thrills of goosebump inducing scenes, I found myself laughing and connecting with the characters which made this novel a joy to read. 
Alexis has her world all figured out. She has bright pink hair and hangs out with who she calls "The Doom Squad." Although these black-clad goth students are not her favorite people in the world, Alexis decides that this is what the high school hierarchy calls for. Her days of glaring at cheerleaders and mocking class elections come to an end when her little sister starts using out-dated words and seems to be targeting random people in the neighborhood for something. 
Bad Girls Don't Die caught my eye with it's spooky cover and promise of an interesting ghost story and I was not disappointed! The novel opens up with Alexis taking pictures of her old house in the wee hours in the morning when she notices a glowing burst of light following her back into her house. There is never a lull in the story which I think is thanks in part tothe writing style. Alexis has such a witty and fun voice that she peaks the interest of the reader until the very last page. From the getgo I had decided who this mysterious spirit was but an interesting twist made me second guess my predicament which I think is what every good ghost story needs; if a plot becomes predictable it becomes boring. 
All of the characters were wonderfully in depth with as many flaws as you would expect. With absent parents, I sympathized with both Alexis and Kasey as they struggled to deal with be shunned by their peers for their personality quirks. Characters like Carter were charming and I loved every interaction between him and Alexis. I noticed that Alender built many walls around Alexis only to have some of the key secondary characters break them down which was refreshing given the world of high school cliches. Alexis also has a really spunky personality that I just adored and made me root for throughout the entire novel. She spoke her mind and was extremely dedicated to her sister, regardless of the evil spirit that was currently living in her body.
Like I stated, the writing style really made this book for me. Alexis has this habit of repeatedly breaking the fourth wall by stating what would happen if this was a fictional event like in a movie or song which I thought was hilarious and entertaining. I also loved how Alexis was so open with her feelings, even though she has a "tough chick" exterior, her voice and thoughts tell an entirely different story which makes her even more interesting. 
Bad Girls Don't Die is a really fun and spooky read. Alexis really made the story shine with her wit fragility, and the ghost story adds a spooky edge full of mystery and history. 
I recommend this novel for everyone who loves a good ghost story with the right balance of light and entertaining moments. 

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