---
product_id: 18774339
title: "The Girl Next Door"
price: "₹ 1874"
currency: INR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.in/products/18774339-the-girl-next-door
store_origin: IN
region: India
---

# The Girl Next Door

**Price:** ₹ 1874
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Girl Next Door
- **How much does it cost?** ₹ 1874 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.in](https://www.desertcart.in/products/18774339-the-girl-next-door)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

A teenage girl is held captive and brutally tortured by neighborhood children. Based on a true story, this shocking novel reveals the depravity of which we are all capable. This novel contains graphic content and is recommended for regular readers of horror novels.

Review: Hard Read Due to Subject Matter with Amazing Writing - I know I've read about the tragic story of Sylvia Likens before & was not only horrified by what was done to her, but, like most people I'm sure, I couldn't understand how so many people could be complicit in this crime without any of them feeling compelled to stop it somehow. I do think Jack Ketchum found the perfect way to tell this story by having a very conflicted preteen boy named David as the first-person narrator. I devoured this book in one day. Instead of just describing the gruesome details of the crime or trying to sensationalize the story, Jack very successfully humanizes David without whitewashing his part in the abuse, even if he's only a passive witness in his eyes. It helps the reader understand just a little, even if only from one of the abuser's perspectives, how easy it was to succumb to group think. They were groomed by an adult woman, one of the neighborhood's coolest moms that they've known their entire lives, who was able to convince them they weren't doing anything wrong as long as they followed her rules while playing "the game." While she allowed them to string this poor girl up from the ceiling, humiliate her by stripping her naked & encouraged them to beat her, she initially drew the line at letting them molest or rape her & scared them all into keeping quiet. By the time David finally comes to his senses & realizes this can only end one way - bad - he struggles to do the right thing. At 12, he doesn't yet have the capacity to think things all the way through. It doesn't help that this occurred in the 1950s & he's constantly reminded that people should mind their own business & given conflicting answers from adults regarding right & wrong when it came to inflicting violence & witnessing it. We all know how Sylvia's story ended, but a small part of me still hoped for a last minute rewrite with a more hopeful ending. So while it was emotionally difficult to read, especially when some of it was left up to the reader's imagination, by the end, I definitely had a better understanding of how the kids were manipulated, how David found ways to justify his part initially & how something like this could actually happen. Jack was so successful at making you feel what David was feeling, there were times while reading that I could not only feel his amazement, confusion, disgust & utter feeling of helplessness at being a child faced with a situation that was completely out of your control, but I also felt his guilt & heartbreak. You know an author is talented when they can elicit such strong emotions from their readers. This was the first book I've read by Jack & and now I just need to decide which of his books to read next!
Review: This is one of the hardest books I have ever read. - This is one of the hardest books I have ever read. The Girl Next Door is absolutely gut-wrenching. I felt rage, heartbreak, disgust, and sadness almost the entire time I was reading it. There were multiple moments where I physically cringed because of the horrific abuse these girls endure. What makes it even more devastating is that the people responsible are the very people who should have protected and cared for them. I know I love splatterpunk and extreme horror, but this was on another level emotionally. I kept hoping things would turn around, that there would be some moment of relief, but the story just continued to spiral into something darker and more heartbreaking. What made this book even more devastating for me was learning that it was inspired by the real-life torture and murder of Sylvia Likens. Knowing there was a real victim behind the inspiration makes the story feel even more horrifying and heartbreaking. This is an incredibly well-written novel, but it is not an easy read. It is emotionally exhausting, deeply disturbing, and one that will stay with me for a very long time. Please, please check the trigger warnings before picking this one up. If you decide to read it, go in prepared. A powerful, unforgettable horror novel that I won't soon forget.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #9,683 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #344 in Horror Literature & Fiction #507 in Suspense Thrillers #606 in Psychological Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 7,899 Reviews |

## Images

![The Girl Next Door - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61PwDjk-jWL.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hard Read Due to Subject Matter with Amazing Writing
*by J***Y on August 22, 2023*

I know I've read about the tragic story of Sylvia Likens before & was not only horrified by what was done to her, but, like most people I'm sure, I couldn't understand how so many people could be complicit in this crime without any of them feeling compelled to stop it somehow. I do think Jack Ketchum found the perfect way to tell this story by having a very conflicted preteen boy named David as the first-person narrator. I devoured this book in one day. Instead of just describing the gruesome details of the crime or trying to sensationalize the story, Jack very successfully humanizes David without whitewashing his part in the abuse, even if he's only a passive witness in his eyes. It helps the reader understand just a little, even if only from one of the abuser's perspectives, how easy it was to succumb to group think. They were groomed by an adult woman, one of the neighborhood's coolest moms that they've known their entire lives, who was able to convince them they weren't doing anything wrong as long as they followed her rules while playing "the game." While she allowed them to string this poor girl up from the ceiling, humiliate her by stripping her naked & encouraged them to beat her, she initially drew the line at letting them molest or rape her & scared them all into keeping quiet. By the time David finally comes to his senses & realizes this can only end one way - bad - he struggles to do the right thing. At 12, he doesn't yet have the capacity to think things all the way through. It doesn't help that this occurred in the 1950s & he's constantly reminded that people should mind their own business & given conflicting answers from adults regarding right & wrong when it came to inflicting violence & witnessing it. We all know how Sylvia's story ended, but a small part of me still hoped for a last minute rewrite with a more hopeful ending. So while it was emotionally difficult to read, especially when some of it was left up to the reader's imagination, by the end, I definitely had a better understanding of how the kids were manipulated, how David found ways to justify his part initially & how something like this could actually happen. Jack was so successful at making you feel what David was feeling, there were times while reading that I could not only feel his amazement, confusion, disgust & utter feeling of helplessness at being a child faced with a situation that was completely out of your control, but I also felt his guilt & heartbreak. You know an author is talented when they can elicit such strong emotions from their readers. This was the first book I've read by Jack & and now I just need to decide which of his books to read next!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is one of the hardest books I have ever read.
*by M***M on July 10, 2026*

This is one of the hardest books I have ever read. The Girl Next Door is absolutely gut-wrenching. I felt rage, heartbreak, disgust, and sadness almost the entire time I was reading it. There were multiple moments where I physically cringed because of the horrific abuse these girls endure. What makes it even more devastating is that the people responsible are the very people who should have protected and cared for them. I know I love splatterpunk and extreme horror, but this was on another level emotionally. I kept hoping things would turn around, that there would be some moment of relief, but the story just continued to spiral into something darker and more heartbreaking. What made this book even more devastating for me was learning that it was inspired by the real-life torture and murder of Sylvia Likens. Knowing there was a real victim behind the inspiration makes the story feel even more horrifying and heartbreaking. This is an incredibly well-written novel, but it is not an easy read. It is emotionally exhausting, deeply disturbing, and one that will stay with me for a very long time. Please, please check the trigger warnings before picking this one up. If you decide to read it, go in prepared. A powerful, unforgettable horror novel that I won't soon forget.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ the best book!
*by K***A on June 30, 2026*

this is the best book i’ve ever read. i cannot recommend it enough. i don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who’d like to read it. although, i might add that this book is pretty emotionally heavy. i cried reading it and had to have a moment to take in sometimes. i think the worst thing about it is it’s based on a true story. i recommend to read the book and then read or watch about the real case. it’s horrific. as to the edition of the book i think it’s good. nothing particularly outstanding. the size of the letters is normal, the pages are of average thickness. if you like to highlight it’ll be a little bit see-through, not to so much though, i’m just saying this if that’s a deal breaker for anyone. i purchased the paperback version cause i just prefer it better than the hardcover. the layer of the glue on the spine is also good – not too thick and not too thin, which makes it easier to not break the spine. the literary style is pretty easy to understand. english isn’t my first language – my level is upper-intermediate to advanced (b2-c1) and it was pretty easy for me to read it. overall, definitely a 10/10 !

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*Product available on Desertcart India*
*Store origin: IN*
*Last updated: 2026-10-22*