Series Overview: Bad Girls Don’t Die

Guys, I have been on the roll with ghost books lately, not sure why, it’s still August and summer but, for some reason ghosts is like it for me this month. So I read the entire Bad Girls Don’t Die series and here are my thoughts.

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
Series: Bad Girls Don't Die, #1
Published by Disney-Hyperion on April 21st 2009
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal
Pages: 346
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Library
Buy on Amazon
Rating:

Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude. When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. 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.
Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

The book is about a girl named Alexis who is a bit of an anti-social and is leading a dysfunctional life in school and home. Kasey is an Alexis’ younger sister who is obsessed with collecting dolls and that creeps Alexis out. Things start to happen in the house and Kasey starts to act a bit strange and even worse when her blue eyes shift green. Soon Alexis finds out that something has possessed her little sister and that it might be linked to one of town’s saddest history. Now Alexis must find a way to get rid of whatever is possessing Kasey before her little sister commits any murder.

This was an entertaining read. I loved and enjoyed this author writing so much, I felt like she really knew how to tell a creepy, atmospheric ghost story and it took me to quiet a ride.

I felt bad for Kasey. I felt like she was a bit misunderstood and Alexis treatment of her little sister seemed a little heavy-handed. I definitely didn’t understand the relationship there as my sister and I at this age were actually pretty close. Kasey is definitely my favorite of the two sisters and really made me sad for her, as all she really wanted was to have some friends.

The flow of the story kept me on the edge of the seat and I never found it dull. I liked that Alexis ends up enlisting help in the most unlikely people and despite the fact that her family life is a bit of a mess things seem to work its way out in the end.

I do feel like there was something left out that didn’t get resolved or maybe I missed it ? But there was a scene in the basement where Alexis finds Kasey digging and she runs out of the basement holding something, but I don’t think it was ever mentioned what.

From Bad to Cursed by Katie Alender
Series: Bad Girls Don't Die,
Published by Hyperion on June 14th 2011
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal
Pages: 442
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Library
Buy on Amazon
Rating:

Alexis is the last girl you'd expect to sell her soul. She already has everything she needs--an adorable boyfriend, the perfect best friend, and a little sister who's finally recovering after being possessed by an evil spirit, then institutionalized. Alexis is thrilled when her sister joins a club; new friends are just what Kasey needs. It's strange, though, to see how fast the girls in The Sunshine Club go from dorky and antisocial to gorgeous and popular. Soon Alexis learns that the girls have pledged an oath to a seemingly benevolent spirit named Aralt. Worried that Kasey's in over her head again, Alexis and her best friend Megan decide to investigate by joining the club themselves. At first, their connection with Aralt seems harmless. Alexis trades in her pink hair and punky clothes for a mainstream look, and quickly finds herself reveling in her newfound elegance and success. Instead of fighting off the supernatural, Alexis can hardly remember why she joined in the first place. Surely it wasn't to destroy Aralt...why would she hurt someone who has given her so much, and asked for so little in return?

Second book of the series and although I still enjoyed it, I do have to say it wasn’t my favorite.

Following the events of book one, Kasey is back from the insinuation that the paranormal agent had locked her up in so she could get better. After all, who comes away unscratched from being possessed?

Kasey ends up having a hard time being back in school and everyone starts to look at her funny and treats her differently because they know she has been to the looney bin. Kasey gets kind of mistreated and Alexis with her new found popularity and best friends does nothing to help her sister’s transition. I disliked Alexis in this one a lot at the beginning. Her treatment of her little sister was a little cruel and unfair and the fact that she did not ease her sister’s transition in school made me angry at her lack of concern. Alexis has a boyfriend now, Megan ends up being her best friend and the cheerleaders are no longer so bad.

When a new girl shows up at school, Kasey befriends her. Together they start a club called The Sunshine Club where any girl is welcome. The Sunshine Club has many rules and Alexis is worried that there is something sinister behind it all and that Kasey might be in trouble again, so both her and Megan join the club only to discover a ghost named Aralt is telling these girls what to do and is leading them to success. How can someone that seems to want nothing but good for the girls be evil?

This was creepy, it really was. Aralt wanted the girls to always be pretty and successful and these girls spend a lot of time grooming and primping in order to satisfy his wishes. The entire club turns into a kind of occult and I kept wondering how Alexis was going to be able to stop it especially when Aralt seems to be playing a great hand in Alexis own success with her photography and has been around for a while.

The ending was difficult but sets up the final book.

As Dead As It Gets by Katie Alender
Series: Bad Girls Don't Die,
Published by Disney-Hyperion on May 15th 2012
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal
Pages: 442
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Library
Buy on Amazon
Rating:

It's been three months since Alexis helplessly witnessed Lydia Small's violent death, and all she wants is for her life to return to normal. But normal people don't see decaying bodies haunting photographs. Normal people don't have to deal with regular intrusions from Lydia's angry ghost, sometimes escalating to terrifying attacks.
At first, it seems that Lydia wants revenge on Alexis alone. But a girl from school disappears one night, and Alexis spots one of Lydia's signature yellow roses lying on the girl's dresser the next day. Soon, it becomes clear that several of Alexis's friends are in danger, and that she's the only person who can save them. But as she tries to intervene, Alexis realizes that her enemy is a much more powerful ghost than she's ever faced before... and that its fate is tied to hers in ways she couldn't possibly imagine.
Not even in her worst nightmares.

Third and final book of the series and hard to review without spoilers of the series. After getting rid of Alart and watching Lydia Small die in front of her, Alexis can now see ghosts especially through her photography. Lydia is now haunting Alexis and again strange things start to happen when girls, Alexis knew are starting to disappear and are getting hurt or killed. Alexis thinks Lydia is behind the attacks, especially when she thinks Lydia’s bright light leads them to her and the ghost of the girl always seems to be there.

Soon Alexis realizes that this new ghost she is facing is much more stronger and powerful than before and she is going to rely on herself and an unlikely ally to put a stop to that.

This was kind of dark, a bit darker than the first two books and there is a death in this book that really brought tears to my eyes because I wasn’t expecting it. The story is well told, well written and kept me turning the pages. I read this in the middle of the night and despite the fact that it was super creepy, I could not put this one down. I think of the three I did find this one to be the strongest and one of my favorites.

 

I highly recommend this series if you are looking for ghost stories this October.