Title: Doll Bones
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Genres: MG, Adventure
Reviewed by: Angie Edwards
My rating: 3/5
SUMMARY
Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for
ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical
world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning,
Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is
furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to
stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night
the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious
occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who
claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must
return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three
children will be cursed for eternity . . .
REVIEW
This is
the first book I’ve read written by Holly Black, but definitely not the last. I
honestly don’t have much to say about Doll
Bones, though. Everything about it was just okay. I was enticed by the
cover and the book summary, and I was hoping for some action and maybe a little
horror, or at the very least a menacing doll that would raise the hairs on the
back of my neck, but apparently this is not quite such a book.
I’m
giving Doll Bones a three-star rating
because I managed to finish it in two sittings, and because the writing is
good. As an adult reader, I wasn’t too impressed with this novel. I understand
and appreciate that the plot revolves around the bonds these three friends
have, about growing up and leaving some small part of their childhood behind
without sacrificing their friendship. I got that, but the summary promised a
sinister doll and that’s what I didn’t get from this story. It felt as though I
was dragged along on a tiring trip to another state to bury the remains of a
dead girl in which I had absolutely zero interest. Not even the illustrations
were enough to evoke a few feels.
All in
all Doll Bones is a good story that
many a young reader might enjoy. It has its merits, but mostly I was rather
bored while reading it and kept getting distracted. I didn’t feel invested in
the characters in any way, and the doll was more an afterthought than the main
plot. Doll Bones lacks adventure and excitement, but still has enough
elements to entertain both boys and girls in the age group for which it was
written.
PURCHASE LINKS
ABOUT the AUTHOR
Holly Black is a best-selling author of
contemporary fantasy novels for kids, teens, and adults. She is the author of
the Modern Faerie Tale series (Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside), The Spiderwick
Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi), and The Good Neighbors graphic novels (with
Ted Naifeh) The Poison Eaters and Other
Stories, a collection of short
fiction, and The Curse Worker series (White Cat, Red Glove, and Black Heart). She is also the
co-editor of three anthologies, Geektastic (with Cecil
Castellucci), Zombies vs. Unicorns (with Justine
Larbalestier), and Welcome to Bordertown (with Ellen Kushner).
Her most recent works are the middle grade novel, Doll Bones, and the dark fantasy
stand-alone, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.
She lives in
Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library.
Follow us with:
No comments:
Post a Comment