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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
After Zach's father throws away all the toys that Zach uses in his made-up adventures with his best friends, Zach is too hurt to tell Alice and Poppy what has happened. Instead, he pretends he doesn't want to play anymore, hurting them in the process. In an attempt to get him playing again, Poppy and Alice drag him along for an adventure, to bury the doll they call "Queen" after Poppy, apparently, begins to dream of a ghost of a dead girl who says her bones were made into the doll. The only way for her to rest, is to be buried in her home - in East Liverpool, Ohio, a few hours from where the kid's are from.
Of course, there are disasters and scary odds along the way. Instead of just playing at adventures with their dolls, the three kids have embarked on a real adventure. This, it turns out, is not nearly as fun as they imagine. Black has them encounter drunkards, authorities, and a myriad of other problems they haven't encountered before, coming from a small town and reliant, as every twelve year old is, on his parents.
We also deal with deeper issues in the novel - of death, of friendships and growing older, growing apart. There are a lot of emotions, felt throughout the cast of characters, including the parents. This ghost doll is catalyst, and whether it really is a ghost doll, or if Poppy is just using it as an excuse to bring it together. Everything is handled beautifully, with lovely illustrations and nice characterisations of the children. I particularly liked Alice.
The biggest nitpick I had was how unrealistic some of the adults came across - particularly the man on the bus, who was exaggerated and a little ridiculous. Also, how easily they were able to steal and break and enter was just ludicrous. Otherwise, a sweet and simple story.
Of course, there are disasters and scary odds along the way. Instead of just playing at adventures with their dolls, the three kids have embarked on a real adventure. This, it turns out, is not nearly as fun as they imagine. Black has them encounter drunkards, authorities, and a myriad of other problems they haven't encountered before, coming from a small town and reliant, as every twelve year old is, on his parents.
We also deal with deeper issues in the novel - of death, of friendships and growing older, growing apart. There are a lot of emotions, felt throughout the cast of characters, including the parents. This ghost doll is catalyst, and whether it really is a ghost doll, or if Poppy is just using it as an excuse to bring it together. Everything is handled beautifully, with lovely illustrations and nice characterisations of the children. I particularly liked Alice.
The biggest nitpick I had was how unrealistic some of the adults came across - particularly the man on the bus, who was exaggerated and a little ridiculous. Also, how easily they were able to steal and break and enter was just ludicrous. Otherwise, a sweet and simple story.
Doll Bones was not the story I expected it to be, based on my impressions of the cover art, the author's reputation, the title and the book description blurb. Unfortunately, once I started reading, it seemed to me that the author didn't know what kind of story she wanted to tell. Is this a story about growing up and having friendships and circumstances change with age and experience? Is this a fantasy about a doll with mysterious, otherworldly influence? Is this the mystery of a long-ago murder? Is it the adventurous escapade of three children on a quest to right a wrong?
The unfortunate answer to all of the above questions is both yes AND no. The three main characters, Poppy, Alice and Zach, never seem to develop enough to convey to the reader which story they ar trying to tell. Poppy and Alice are introduced to the reader first, but when we leave their characters for the next chapter we never really come back to either of them. Zach's character receives the most backstory, but his character's plot line only makes sense occasionally within the larger story arc. There are so many holes in the plotting and the action that feel as though they should be filled with character development that it becomes confusing.
I was alternately frustrated and bored with Doll Bones and will probably not recommend it to other readers of any age. I would be interested, however, in hearing from young readers who have enjoyed Doll Bones, and why.
The unfortunate answer to all of the above questions is both yes AND no. The three main characters, Poppy, Alice and Zach, never seem to develop enough to convey to the reader which story they ar trying to tell. Poppy and Alice are introduced to the reader first, but when we leave their characters for the next chapter we never really come back to either of them. Zach's character receives the most backstory, but his character's plot line only makes sense occasionally within the larger story arc. There are so many holes in the plotting and the action that feel as though they should be filled with character development that it becomes confusing.
I was alternately frustrated and bored with Doll Bones and will probably not recommend it to other readers of any age. I would be interested, however, in hearing from young readers who have enjoyed Doll Bones, and why.
This was a fun book to read, bringing back the days of when I would go on my own adventures.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't love this, but appreciate that it's more to do with my taste than the actual quality of the book. I'm a horror fan, so I wanted more scares than I got, obviously with this being a middle-grade novel. However, this is a well-crafted adventure tale about growing up, and it has a good proper ghost story to boot!
Die Freunde Zach, Alice und Poppy sind seit Kindertagen beste Freunde. Gemeinsam spielen oft nach der Schule zusammen. Meist spielen sie ihr Lieblingsspiel, das von Helden, Piraten, Monstern in einer magischen Welt handelt. Sie denken sich ihre geschichte aus und spielen sie mit verschiedenen Figuren nach. Doch Zach erklärt den Mädchen eines Mittags dass er das Spiel nicht mehr spielen mag. Die Mädchen sind entsetzt und traurig, denn sie kennen Zachs Beweggründe nicht. Nachts darauf wecken Alice und Poppy Zach und erzählen ihm eine gruselige Geschichte. In der Porzellanpuppe von Poppys Mutter soll ein Geist von einem Mädchen stecken. Damit diese Mädchen ihren frieden finden kann müssen sie sie an einem bestimmt Ort vergraben. Zach der zwar skeptisch ist beschließt aber trotzdem mit den Mädchen zu reisen. Die Reise entwickelt sich schon bald anders als gedacht für die drei und auch ihre Freundschaft wird auf die Probe gestellt. Ob sie es wirklich schaffen den Ort zu finden? Denn falls nicht wird der Geist keine Ruhe geben.
Eine abenteuerliche und leicht gruselige Geschichte für Kinder. Der Schreibstil ist schlicht und dadurch lässt sich das Buch sehr gut lesen für Kinder. Auch für Erwachsenen ist dies eine gute Geschichte doch würde man wohl mehr erwarten.
Eine abenteuerliche und leicht gruselige Geschichte für Kinder. Der Schreibstil ist schlicht und dadurch lässt sich das Buch sehr gut lesen für Kinder. Auch für Erwachsenen ist dies eine gute Geschichte doch würde man wohl mehr erwarten.
This was such a sweet and fun adventure! A little creepy, but not actually too much of a horror. Might be a little scarier for the younger audience it's intended for. I didn't expect it to be such an adventure though. These kids did something I always kind of wanted to do. A lot of their interactions and arguments felt very real and so reminiscent of what childhood is like. A lot of reasonable fears about change and growing up and what it means for friendship. I really enjoyed it :)
Excellent book. Story and characters draw the reader into an adventure of three pre-teens, caught in the middle of childhood and adolescence. Quick read.