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Mister Tender’s Girl

by Carter Wilson
Sourcebooks Landmark, February 2018, $15.99

The plot of this book could have come right from recent headlines—similar to the real-lfe Slenderman case involving teenagers who attacked a classmate at the behest of a fictional character,. A young girl is stabbed by her classmates as a sacrifice for “Mister Tender,” a character in a graphic novel written by the victim’s father. A decade later, she’s moved to another country and established a lonely but safe life—until she realizes that hundreds of people are still following her story, including someone who wants her dead.

Though Alice Hill survived her attack, she still suffers from fear and paranoia, which is made worse when someone claiming to be Mister Tender begins to intrude on her life, sending packages and contacting her through social media. The tension rises with each page as Alice’s stalker ups the ante, contacting her on a website dedicated to her case and offering “solutions” to problems from her past that she has kept secret. Forced to confront the fact that she can’t handle Mister Tender alone, she finally shares her story with friends and family—who may or may not have her best interests at heart.

It is almost impossible to put this book down, especially when Alice returns to England—the birthplace of everything bad in her life—to try to discover the identity of Mister Tender. While Alice is looking for closure, her investigation into her past opens up even more shocking secrets, and puts her even further at risk. At times, this book is akin to a horror movie, where you’re yelling at the actor not to open the door, even as you’re dying to see what’s behind it.

Despite all that she’s been through, Alice is a strong heroine and I found myself looking forward to the final confrontation between the victim and her nemesis. While Mister Tender may be a fictional character, the battles in this book—both mental and physical—will inspire some real thrills.

Vanessa Orr
Teri Duerr
5959
Wilson
February 2018
mister-tender-s-girl
15.99
Sourcebooks Landmark