Librarian in the Living Room

Elizabeth Scott’s teen novel, Living Dead Girl, is a story narrated by a teenaged girl who has been violated by the man who kidnapped her and made her his own for years. The story has been done again and again, but it is still always a story that needs to be explored, and this is a book Scott has written with a fresh and sincere emotion and language. The book is largely very good, the ending however reeks of flatness and a “I need to finish before my deadline” sentiment. But Scott’s voice for “Alice” is true and heartfelt. Characters other than Alice are rather flat, but this seems somewhat purposeful considering the subject of the story.

The chapters are short and read very fast, so it is a great pick for reluctant teen readers who like true-life fiction like Anne Sebold’s Lucky and the work of Ellen Hopkins. The book is graphic in its raw emotional narrative, but not explicit sexually without purpose. This is a good book for adults to read before recommending to individual teens because of its complexity. Living Dead Girl should be read by mature teens who seek books with societal messages and desire empathy, compassion, and understanding as a message in their reading.

Simon Holt’s teen thriller, The Devouring is an engaging and captivating tale that has so much going for it. There is the supernatural mystery element and some gore to keep horror fan teens reading. The story shows the importance of true relationships for teens – a necessity in their MySpacey cyber friend world.

The writing is fast-paced enough to even hook reluctant teen readers.