“AS DEAD AS IT GETS”
Shelby Bender
10/13/14
Period 1
The book "As Dead as It Gets", by Katy Alender, shows a young girl named Alexis being claimed as a freak for her reclusive behavior. After a battle with a demon she is cursed with a horrible ability to see ghosts in her own favorable past time, photography. Soon it becomes her worst nightmare as she sees a new poltergeist appearing as a bright light in her photos.

Alexis is really closed off person everyone seems to think that she is a murderer and a freak she states that there was "no place to hide. From the stares, the whispers, the suspicion... the ghosts..."(3). Besides a boy named Jared, Alexis is completely closed off from friends and basically all family. However as the story goes on Alexis gains new friends, a new poltergeist, and a new boyfriend who causes the conundrum of the poltergeist. Alexis soon finds out the only way to get rid of the newfound guys is to kill her new boyfriend Jared.

Some of the kids at Surrey High School claim Alexis is a murderer because after trying to save a girl named Lydia from being possessed by her demon boyfriend she was killed in a fire. Lydia continues to haunt Alexis because she is fixed on the fact that it was Alexis who killed her. Lydia is a really rude ghost she claims Alexis A "coward and a freak" (52). The only friend Alexis appears to have is Jared her long time photography buddy. Alexis claims "he was the only non-blood relative to even ask her to do anything" (). Although after dating it seems that Jared only becomes more possessive as the relationship continues. His death soon ends the poltergeists death rampage.

The actual time of the book seems pretty modern. They talked about computers and cameras a lot in Alexis' yearbook club. Almost throughout the whole book it’s really ominous and not really scary. Although you feel like something is always going to pop up around the corner. It’s either Lydia, the poltergeist, a new death, or a new problem they have to solve. There is always something happening you can't really get bored with the book.

The moral or an all-out theme of the story is that you need to be open and friends will stick by you no matter what other people say about you. Even if people are afraid of you you'll be alright while you have friends to lean on. Alexis gained five new friends, Lydia claims it was the most she had since freshman year.