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jbolwerk8's review against another edition
4.0
I read this because a student had requested it but it is currently marked as YA so she could not...if I approved of the content, I would let her check it out.
I admit, I was NOT sold after reading the first like three chapters. As I have become familiar with in YA scary stories, the plot was just moving too fast and it seemed rushed.
I don’t remember at what point, but I definitely did get hooked into the book; I read like 200 pages in one sitting.
Short plot: Sophie’s friend dies after a bad fortune from a ouija board app where they let Sophie’s dead cousin Rebecca’s spirit out. Sophie goes to Scotland to visit that family, and her cousins Cameron, Piper, and Lilias. Cameron is brooding, Piper is peppy, and Lilias is a little weird and believes these Frozen Charlotte dolls are talking to her. Lots of bad things have gone down on this property, and the dolls play a part.
The one big thing that kept me hooked and I did not expect: daaaaaaang Piper. You a bad girl.
I admit, I was NOT sold after reading the first like three chapters. As I have become familiar with in YA scary stories, the plot was just moving too fast and it seemed rushed.
I don’t remember at what point, but I definitely did get hooked into the book; I read like 200 pages in one sitting.
Short plot: Sophie’s friend dies after a bad fortune from a ouija board app where they let Sophie’s dead cousin Rebecca’s spirit out. Sophie goes to Scotland to visit that family, and her cousins Cameron, Piper, and Lilias. Cameron is brooding, Piper is peppy, and Lilias is a little weird and believes these Frozen Charlotte dolls are talking to her. Lots of bad things have gone down on this property, and the dolls play a part.
The one big thing that kept me hooked and I did not expect: daaaaaaang Piper. You a bad girl.
eliane813's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
paulina1996's review against another edition
5.0
I cannot remember the last time that I started and finished a book in a single day. I could not put this book down.
Sophie is set to spend some time with her mum’s brother and his family in Scotland. Cousins that she’s met a few times before seem even stranger than before, and she is left with not only the grief she is experiencing after her best friend drowns, but also her very creepy cousins. Feeling guilty and in need of answers about her cousin who died a few years ago Rebecca, Sophie wants to find out more about the death of her cousin, and if she had anything to do with the death of her best friend and the premonition that they got from an Ouija board app on the day that he died.
I wouldn’t class this as a massive horror, I definitely felt a bit creeped out while reading it however I wouldn’t describe the book as that scary. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the book, the storyline, the creepy children, the dolls and everything in between. I was really gripped by the writing style of Alex Bell and his characters.
There’s a lot of mystery surrounding Rebecca’s death, the origins of the dolls, and what was happening in the present time at the house. Alex created a rollercoaster filled with mystery and creepy sensations throughout the novel and it really made for a great read. I honesly felt like I was watching a movie that's how descriptive this book was.
I’ve not dabbled in the horror genre before, I am a massive horror movie fan and enjoy a good scare however I never pictured a horror novel being as successful. After reading this one I looked up the rest of the books in the Red Eye series and I am excited to be trying out some more horror themed books.
I haven’t stopped thinking about the storyline and the story itself for a few days now. I honestly felt like I’ve read this before, or seen a film that is exactly like the book. I can’t shake this DeJa Vu feeling.
Sophie is set to spend some time with her mum’s brother and his family in Scotland. Cousins that she’s met a few times before seem even stranger than before, and she is left with not only the grief she is experiencing after her best friend drowns, but also her very creepy cousins. Feeling guilty and in need of answers about her cousin who died a few years ago Rebecca, Sophie wants to find out more about the death of her cousin, and if she had anything to do with the death of her best friend and the premonition that they got from an Ouija board app on the day that he died.
I wouldn’t class this as a massive horror, I definitely felt a bit creeped out while reading it however I wouldn’t describe the book as that scary. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the book, the storyline, the creepy children, the dolls and everything in between. I was really gripped by the writing style of Alex Bell and his characters.
There’s a lot of mystery surrounding Rebecca’s death, the origins of the dolls, and what was happening in the present time at the house. Alex created a rollercoaster filled with mystery and creepy sensations throughout the novel and it really made for a great read. I honesly felt like I was watching a movie that's how descriptive this book was.
I’ve not dabbled in the horror genre before, I am a massive horror movie fan and enjoy a good scare however I never pictured a horror novel being as successful. After reading this one I looked up the rest of the books in the Red Eye series and I am excited to be trying out some more horror themed books.
I haven’t stopped thinking about the storyline and the story itself for a few days now. I honestly felt like I’ve read this before, or seen a film that is exactly like the book. I can’t shake this DeJa Vu feeling.
tobyyy's review against another edition
4.0
Read in one sitting ~
Very dark and creepy, especially for a YA novel. There were some really good scary moments throughout the book as well.
This is about my limit for scary stories though — for truth, though, this would be a GREAT Halloween read!
I loved all of the twists and turns, and how Bell wasn’t afraid to go to some pretty eerie lengths with her characters.
Very dark and creepy, especially for a YA novel. There were some really good scary moments throughout the book as well.
This is about my limit for scary stories though — for truth, though, this would be a GREAT Halloween read!
I loved all of the twists and turns, and how Bell wasn’t afraid to go to some pretty eerie lengths with her characters.
florence_09_29's review against another edition
got scared icl, i’ll probably return to it when i forget how scared i got
ggmgyliz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
If there's anything I find completely creepy, it's dolls. So mix that with a good spooky horror story and you'd have me hooked.
Sophie's had a rough time. Suddenly losing her friend, she decides to go to an island and visit family to get away from it all (and so her parents can still go on the trip they've planned). But the family she goes to visit - they've also been touched with tragedy. A cousin of Sophie's died many years ago and she's decided to focus on trying to understand how she died instead of focusing on her most recent lost.
But as things begin to happen around the house and she becomes more and more confused by the behavior of the rest of her cousins, Sophie has to decide if she's cracking up or if she's truly not imagining it all. This was a good mystery and even though I called it early on, it was a good adventure to finish reading. I loved it!
Sophie's had a rough time. Suddenly losing her friend, she decides to go to an island and visit family to get away from it all (and so her parents can still go on the trip they've planned). But the family she goes to visit - they've also been touched with tragedy. A cousin of Sophie's died many years ago and she's decided to focus on trying to understand how she died instead of focusing on her most recent lost.
But as things begin to happen around the house and she becomes more and more confused by the behavior of the rest of her cousins, Sophie has to decide if she's cracking up or if she's truly not imagining it all. This was a good mystery and even though I called it early on, it was a good adventure to finish reading. I loved it!
hiking_pages's review against another edition
3.0
Read this with my y8 class - and they enjoyed it.
A good slice of horror, risqué but intriguing for KS3
A good slice of horror, risqué but intriguing for KS3
mayapapaya7's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
yet another re-read of a book i liked in middle school. fun and quick! not sure how i feel about the Jay/Cameron romance but the horror actually had me on my toes sometimes and I enjoyed re-reading this one.