Yes, Living Dead Girl Is Banned!
ISBN: 9781416960591
Elizabeth Scott’s Living Dead Girl is one of the most disturbing and deliberately uncomfortable YA novels ever published. Alice was kidnapped by a man named Ray when she was ten. Five years later, she exists in a state of dissociation, following Ray’s rules, enduring his abuse, and watching him begin to look for her replacement. The novel is written in stripped-down, almost clinical prose that mirrors Alice’s emotional numbness. Scott doesn’t sensationalize the abuse; instead, she renders it with a flatness that’s somehow more devastating than graphic detail would be. The book is short (170 pages) and relentless.
Living Dead Girl recorded 15 ban instances in the 2024-2025 PEN America data, with challenges across multiple Florida school districts including Broward, Hillsborough, and Palm Beach County. The objections cite depictions of child sexual abuse and content considered inappropriate for the book’s target age group. Defenders argue that the novel serves a critical purpose: it gives language to an experience that many young people endure in silence and validates survivors by acknowledging what happened to them. The book includes resources for abuse victims. Removing it from libraries doesn’t make child predation disappear; it just takes away one of the few books willing to look at it directly.
Why Was It Banned?
Where Was It Banned?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Living Dead Girl banned?
Yes, Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott has been banned or challenged in 30 documented instances across 1 states in the United States, including Florida. It remains one of the most frequently challenged books in America.
Why was Living Dead Girl banned?
Living Dead Girl has been challenged and banned for the following reasons: Sexual Content, Violence, Age Inappropriateness. These challenges have come from school boards, libraries, and parent groups seeking to restrict access to the book.
Where is Living Dead Girl banned?
As of 2025, Living Dead Girl has been banned or challenged in Florida. Notable bans include Broward County Public Schools (2025), Flagler Schools (2025), Hillsborough County Public Schools (2025).