Your serious relationship has ended, perhaps abruptly, and that person you’ve shared so much with has moved on. And it’s a before that I feel many can relate to. In some cases, like Carly’s, there is a before. There is no before or reason to their creepy, unacceptable behavior. Understandably, there’s a stigma surrounding the word “stalker.” For me, stalkers just are. Of course, the reader discovers this as the novel progresses, but, at least in my case, I think I would have been more apt to pick it up right from the start with this title… I would have wanted to know why she had changed. Yes, the main character is a stalker, but she wasn’t always like this. Like STALKER GIRL, it draws me in, but it also transforms Carly into a more relatable character right from the start. While I love the straightforward final title and its ability to lure potential readers into browsing the description, I prefer this first incarnation. In an interview with the author, I read that STALKER GIRL was originally titled SHE WASN’T ALWAYS LIKE THIS. It turns out, I identified with Carly more than I ever could have imagined.

It took only a handful of pages to completely draw me in and I was shocked at what I found. Then I stumbled upon the book trailer and it somehow lodged itself in my mind I decided to give STALKER GIRL a try. When I browse contemporary YA titles, I generally look for topics and characters I can identify with, and, when I think of words to describe myself, stalker typically doesn’t come to mind. I couldn’t help but think it might be just a bit too creepy.

I almost passed on Rosemary Graham’s STALKER GIRL.

Stalker Girl by Rosemary Graham