“Every generation has its story about the horror of growing up.” That’s the tagline for the film Deadgirl (2008), a story about high school boys who find a young woman to torture, and learn that she cannot die. Deadgirl: The Novelization by Bridgett Nelson, released by Encyclopocalypse Publications, takes the story to new places.
Nelson divides the book into two perspectives. Every other chapter follows either the story of the boys, Rickie and JT, and their time with the Deadgirl, or the story of Ivy, a young lesbian in 1945. The chapters focusing on the male characters in 2008 are faithful to the original story in the film. Some scenes and lines of dialogue are exactly the same in the book as they are in the film. The reader can picture the movie in their mind as they read. Some of the dialogue lifted from the film works better on screen than it does on the page. For example, there are several passages in the book wherein JT and Rickie are trading curses, and without the strong performances of Noah Segan and Shiloh Fernandez, the lines fall a little flat. Still, fans of the film will find plenty of familiarity in the book.
However, the chapters from Ivy’s perspective are a completely new element to the story. The film Deadgirl doesn’t offer any backstory or explanation for the titular dead girl. Nelson brings Ivy into the tale to flesh out the young, trapped woman who is tortured by the boys. It’s clear from the start that Ivy will end up as the Deadgirl, but the story of how she gets there is fascinating, and offers a more well-rounded character to the world the film invented.
Also Read: ‘Dead By Dawn’ Review: Bloated Holiday Horror [SXSW London 2025]
While Ivy’s background is both captivating and heartbreaking, her chapters were, at times, jarring to read. The language used by the characters in the 1945 timeline does not seem historically accurate. One character describes another as a “narcissistic bully with an inferiority complex,” and that’s likely not representative of how average girls spoke in that time. Calling people narcissistic in casual conversation is a recent phenomenon. However, this may have been an intentional choice by Nelson. The modern language of the girls in 1945 and the frightening story of what the boys do in 2008 demonstrate how these problems are timeless and cyclical. Domestic violence, oppressing queer people, rape culture, and misogyny are, unfortunately, tales as old as time. The girls in the 1945 story could be girls in 2008, or even 2025. When viewed through that lens, the language choice seems less inaccurate, but more purposeful and cutting.
For lovers of special features, the book also includes forewords by Fernandez and Segan, an interview with screenwriter Trent Haaga, and a short story about a fan of the film looking for his own Deadgirl. At just over 200 pages, it’s a quick read. Fans of the film will find this book enjoyable, as it stays true to the original story and characters, while making sure to expand on i. For viewers who didn’t love the film, the book is worth a try—the addition of Ivy’s perspective offers fresh ideas for readers to connect with.
https://ift.tt/aERbG0I https://ift.tt/bIlwCV9
No comments:
Post a Comment