Talk:The Girl Next Door (Ketchum novel)

Contradiction
In the introduction it says that the book is, "loosely based on the true story of the murder of Sylvia Likens" while the Based on Actual Events section says that it is "closely based on true events that happened in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1965". So which sentence is correct? Is the book "loosely" or "closely" based on what happened in real life? Millionsandbillions (talk) 20:55, 19 February 2008 (UTC)


 * After reading the Wikipedia entries for Sylvia Likens and Gertrude Baniszewski I think that "loosely" based would probably be more accurate. The story presented in the book differs on a large number of points from what is presented on those Wikipedia pages. For example the book is set in another decade than the real murder of Sylvia Likens. Her parents weren't dead, as they were said to be in the book, they were carnival workers who payed Baniszewski (to whom they weren't related) to take care of their children. There was no boy next door who tried to save her. These are just a few examples, there are lots more. I have therefore edited the page so it doesn't say "closely based" anymore. DonRuba (talk) 23:31, 15 April 2008 (UTC)


 * There are a few name changes, the parents weren't dead in real life, and Ketchum felt the need to tack on rape and a blowtorch cliterectomy to an already rotten historical incident. "An exploitative reinterpretation of something that actually happened" would be as accurate as any other statement used here.  214.29.65.246 (talk) 18:04, 8 August 2013 (UTC)Steve

Over-inflated Language
The phrase "was forced to undergo unspeakable abuse" has been replaced with "was tortured". The abuse is not unspeakable; it is delineated in detail in the Wikipedia article on the Linken case (and in a number of books and studies on the case). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.249.142.35 (talk) 22:38, 15 February 2009 (UTC)