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The Girl Next Door

In 1950s suburbia, an abusive aunt holds two orphaned sisters captive. One hesitant boy must choose whether to protect them as her cruelty spreads.

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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.

First published: 1989
Publisher: 47North
Pages: 320
Amazon reviews: Read reviews on Amazon

Book tags

Content warnings

Body Horror / Body Trauma
Bullying
Child Abuse
Child Death
Child Harm
Death of a Loved One
Domestic Violence
Emotional Abuse
Gore
Graphic Violence
Misogyny
Sexual Abuse
Sexual Violence
Torture

Missing warnings do not mean other content is absent.

Horror profile

Scary: 4 out of 5
Creepy: 4 out of 5
Gore: Not rated
Disturbing: 5 out of 5
Weird: 1 out of 5

How we calculate this

These are editorial estimates of intensity, informed by reading and review evidence, then checked before publication. They aren't star ratings, reader-vote averages or a measure of quality.

Each dimension runs from 1 (low) to 5 (exceptionally intense). A 5 is reserved for strongly consistent evidence. People experience horror differently.

Scary: Fear, tension and immediate threat.
Creepy: Unease, dread and an uncanny atmosphere.
Gore: Graphic injury, blood and bodily detail.
Disturbing: Upsetting ideas and lingering psychological impact.
Weird: Surreal, strange and reality-bending elements.

We draw a filled profile only when all five scores have been reviewed. Unrated does not mean mild. Missing scores are not estimated from genre tags or your saved taste. This profile isn't a complete content-warning guide.