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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Definitely not scary...,
I think that this book would function just as well as a juvenile book.
I think that this book would function just as well as a juvenile book.
This book was way better than I had anticipated. I bought this book when I was in elementary school and never actually got around to reading it. So it is safe to say this is a children's book...but a very good one. It is creepy enough to be good and really makes me reminisce in being a child and playing make-believe games.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Grief
3.5 stars. This was pretty cute even if there wasn't much to it. The cover definitely doesn't fit the story...
*popsugar 2019 ghost story
*popsugar 2019 ghost story
Zach, Alice and Poppy create these magical worlds using their action figures as characters. The worlds they create and wonderful along with their characters, but when Zach's father throws out all of his toys the magical worlds he has created with Alice and Poppy are in jeopardy. To try and get him back into it, the girls meet up with Zach and tell him about this china doll and they are set off on an adventure.
So, dolls freak me out. They are creepy and I get chills looking at them. I mean I was surrounded by them and I thought I was going to be murdered. Dolls freak me out. There were moments in this that I really was creeped out. The descriptions of the doll and then some of the things that happened had me screaming NOPE. Granted, in the best way possible. I was living for it. Loved every second. But, that was the highlight of it for me.
I do feel like this book could have been better and then it just kinda fell a little flat for me. The friendship throughout this was nice. They went through ups and downs and you got to see the characters grow through that, but it didn't grab me like I was hoping it would have.
So, dolls freak me out. They are creepy and I get chills looking at them. I mean I was surrounded by them and I thought I was going to be murdered. Dolls freak me out. There were moments in this that I really was creeped out. The descriptions of the doll and then some of the things that happened had me screaming NOPE. Granted, in the best way possible. I was living for it. Loved every second. But, that was the highlight of it for me.
I do feel like this book could have been better and then it just kinda fell a little flat for me. The friendship throughout this was nice. They went through ups and downs and you got to see the characters grow through that, but it didn't grab me like I was hoping it would have.
Strange and creepy story about growing up and leaving behind childish things, while still finding a way to keep the spark of imagination alive. Kids go on a morbid adventure to solve the mystery of a weird doll, made of bone china, that helps explain the mysterious death of a young girl. Not my favorite book, but might captivate a child with a darker taste in literature. Did not like the family relationships in the book.
Even though this was written for middle school, I am glad I read it during the day because it was creepy, but creepy in a good way. There are 3 friends, Poppy, Zach, and Alice who love to play make believe and use their imaginations. As they reach an age where interests start to change, they find themselves with a creepy doll that may or may not be haunting them. Do they go on a quest to help put the doll to rest? Or do they break apart as friends. A fun read for middle school students who like to be scared.
If you are looking for a creepy-but-not-too-creepy book to read, this is a good one.
I may be a little biased because dolls creep me out anyway (probably a result of my late Grandma's massive doll collection, which stared from behind their glass prisons everywhere you went in that house) but the whole concept of the book is delightfully shivery. And some of the scariest parts are the most subtle, like the way people keep seeing four children where there are only three.
The relationships between characters develop nicely throughout the course of the book too. Zach, Poppy, and Alice are at a point in their lives where they have to figure out how to balance new interests (basketball, boys, etc.) with their longtime friends and the elaborate imaginary world they've created. They end up on a quest that tests their friendships and changes the nature of their game forever.
My favorite quote from the whole book comes very near the end, so I'll spoiler tag it just in case:
"It made him feel, for a moment, like maybe no stories were lies. Not Tinshoe Jones's stories about aliens. Not Dad's stories about things getting better or things getting worse. Clearly, not Poppy's stories about the Queen. Maybe all stories were true ones."
I may be a little biased because dolls creep me out anyway (probably a result of my late Grandma's massive doll collection, which stared from behind their glass prisons everywhere you went in that house) but the whole concept of the book is delightfully shivery. And some of the scariest parts are the most subtle, like the way people keep seeing four children where there are only three.
The relationships between characters develop nicely throughout the course of the book too. Zach, Poppy, and Alice are at a point in their lives where they have to figure out how to balance new interests (basketball, boys, etc.) with their longtime friends and the elaborate imaginary world they've created. They end up on a quest that tests their friendships and changes the nature of their game forever.
My favorite quote from the whole book comes very near the end, so I'll spoiler tag it just in case: