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exorcismofemilyreed's review
I had high hopes for The Toy Thief, and I think it that the book has a really promising concept. I was interested in the monster, but entirely too much of this book is focused on a very annoying narrator and her personal issues. This story constantly jumps around & you pretty much need an Adderall to be able to follow along with the narrator's train of thought. It didn't flow at all.
The Toy Thief would have been much better as a novella or short story. The chilling moments are few and far between, and much time is spent on the narrator talking about herself - how pretty she is, how smart she is, how fat other people are, etc. I can deal with being in the head of a character like this if the rest of the book balances it out, but this one does not. I think it could probably use some more editing, and a lot of unnecessary information could have been removed.
This potentially awesome story was overshadowed by an attempt to write a "cool girl" character. It was a struggle to connect with The Toy Thief, and this was one I had really been looking forward to.
The Toy Thief would have been much better as a novella or short story. The chilling moments are few and far between, and much time is spent on the narrator talking about herself - how pretty she is, how smart she is, how fat other people are, etc. I can deal with being in the head of a character like this if the rest of the book balances it out, but this one does not. I think it could probably use some more editing, and a lot of unnecessary information could have been removed.
This potentially awesome story was overshadowed by an attempt to write a "cool girl" character. It was a struggle to connect with The Toy Thief, and this was one I had really been looking forward to.
theliteraryhooker's review
3.0
The Toy Thief is an interesting little horror novel. It has your typical monster that goes bump in the night, but it's also very much a study of complicate sibling relationships. While the monster was definitely intriguing and unique, I felt like there was too much going on in this novel for me to ever really connect with it.
Jack's family life is good, but not ideal. Her mother died in childbirth with her, leaving her father a single parent to Jack and her older brother, Andy. When Jack accidentally captures footage of a mysterious creature stealing a toy from her home in the night, their family dynamic becomes even more complicated as Jack tries to save her toys and her surly teenaged brother.
The Toy Thief himself is a really interesting monster. I wish there had been a bit more focus on him, because I really enjoyed the concept of having this terrifying, evil being who is simultaneously very human and vulnerable. There's some time spent on his creation, the idea that there's a demon at the heart of his corruption, but not enough to fully round him out.
On the whole, I didn't love the back and forth between adult Jack and 9-year-old Jack. I didn't feel like the present day part of the story was really necessary, and some of the childhood background also really bogged things down. This novel gets off to a very slow start and while there are some terrifying moments, for the most part they're dampened by all of the day-to-day sections surrounding them. If this had been a novella that focused only on Jack and Andy's confrontations with the Toy Thief, I think it would have appealed to me a lot more. Grown-up Jack just wasn't all that interesting to me, and her sections take up at least a third of the novel. I also had a bit of an issue with how frequently the author used "kid logic" as an out to explain why certain events happened the way they did. The ending especially (which fed into why adult Jack is such a hot mess) could have been much more satisfying had it been handled differently and not just explained away by kid logic.
I've seen some mixed reviews for this book, and I'd say I'm very middle of the road on it. I didn't love it, and I did have some fairly major issues with certain aspects, but I definitely appreciated the creativity and uniqueness of the concept. The Toy Thief is definitely not your typical horror novel, but I think as a coming of age novel with horror elements, it does okay for itself. I could see teenaged readers enjoying this and identifying with the characters more than I did. For the most part, this was an entertaining read that would have been better for me had it been a little more focused.
Jack's family life is good, but not ideal. Her mother died in childbirth with her, leaving her father a single parent to Jack and her older brother, Andy. When Jack accidentally captures footage of a mysterious creature stealing a toy from her home in the night, their family dynamic becomes even more complicated as Jack tries to save her toys and her surly teenaged brother.
The Toy Thief himself is a really interesting monster. I wish there had been a bit more focus on him, because I really enjoyed the concept of having this terrifying, evil being who is simultaneously very human and vulnerable. There's some time spent on his creation, the idea that there's a demon at the heart of his corruption, but not enough to fully round him out.
On the whole, I didn't love the back and forth between adult Jack and 9-year-old Jack. I didn't feel like the present day part of the story was really necessary, and some of the childhood background also really bogged things down. This novel gets off to a very slow start and while there are some terrifying moments, for the most part they're dampened by all of the day-to-day sections surrounding them. If this had been a novella that focused only on Jack and Andy's confrontations with the Toy Thief, I think it would have appealed to me a lot more. Grown-up Jack just wasn't all that interesting to me, and her sections take up at least a third of the novel. I also had a bit of an issue with how frequently the author used "kid logic" as an out to explain why certain events happened the way they did. The ending especially (which fed into why adult Jack is such a hot mess) could have been much more satisfying had it been handled differently and not just explained away by kid logic.
I've seen some mixed reviews for this book, and I'd say I'm very middle of the road on it. I didn't love it, and I did have some fairly major issues with certain aspects, but I definitely appreciated the creativity and uniqueness of the concept. The Toy Thief is definitely not your typical horror novel, but I think as a coming of age novel with horror elements, it does okay for itself. I could see teenaged readers enjoying this and identifying with the characters more than I did. For the most part, this was an entertaining read that would have been better for me had it been a little more focused.
kalventure's review
2.0
"Brothers and sisters are like that, the best and worst of relationships, the entire world rolled into one."Have you ever read a book that was both everything you wanted and everything you hated at the same time? Unfortunately, that was my experience reading The Toy Thief: I really enjoyed the main storyline but I didn't enjoy the main character or the narrative style.
The book is written in first person and is narrated in such a way that feels like you are listening to someone try to tell a story - it is completely stream of consciousness and she jumps around her life, weaving a story that largely paints her as a horrible and unlikable character, which is in stark contrast with her as a child. The way Adult Jack talks about herself gave me vapid TifAni from [b:Luckiest Girl Alive|22609317|Luckiest Girl Alive|Jessica Knoll|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1425975301s/22609317.jpg|42099141] flashbacks, which is one of my least favorite reads. I found myself absolutely hating the book whenever we were in any time other than that summer when she was nine years old.
As far as horror goes, the central story and backstory of the Toy Thief was creepy and interesting. If the book had been told in the present tense and skipped the weird time jumps and fat shaming of a blind date, I would have thoroughly enjoyed this book. The Toy Thief is really about Jack growing up, and I read the Toy Thief as a metaphor for lost innocence. I would have liked to see the Sallie/doll side story resolved a bit; while not integral to the story overall, it felt as if something bigger was alluded to but was largely left unexplored.
Overall, I thought The Toy Thief was a fast paced horror read with many layers: it isn't just about the horrors of the rat-like monster that has come into their home but also about the horrors of losing oneself, of growing up, and of loss. My enjoyment of the book was somewhat hampered by the adult persona of Jack and I did personally struggle with the stream of consciousness "confessional" narrative style. I was really excited for this book but it missed the mark for me personally. If this book sounds like something you would be interested in, I definitely recommend that you pick it up!
cw: animal death, bullying, death, body horror, loss of a loved one, suicide
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me an electronic advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Quotations taken from an uncorrected proof and may change upon final publication. The Toy Thief will be released on October 6, 2018.
alwaysneedmorebooks's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this! As I've said before, I really enjoy horror and I'm thrilled Flame Tree Press have a great catalogue of authors writing some seriously creepy books! I must admit, I wasn't sure about a monster than steals toys...it didn't seem very scary! But the descriptions of the monster and it's actions are really horrible! Told from Jack's point of view as a grown up looking back, the book flits between her life now, what happened to her and Andy as children and the effects it had on the rest of their lives. Jack as an adult isn't all that nice but I had sympathy for her as there are reasons for it. The story is well paced...just the right amount of tension to make you want to keep reading yet still saving some shocks for the end. Great fun and it would make a great movie!
Many thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours, Flame Tree Press and D W Gillespie for inviting me to be part of this tour.
Many thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours, Flame Tree Press and D W Gillespie for inviting me to be part of this tour.
daniellelouis_'s review
2.0
I had quiet high hopes for The Toy Thief, I hoped it would get me into the creepy October spirit, but I personally felt that the book was more focused on a self-living narrator and her family situation,rather than the creepy rat - like monster, that steals toys.
The storyline, jumps from a young Jacqueline to an older version (aka Jacks) but there's no clear indication when that's going to happen, most books I have read with this type of storyline provides alternative chapters. As it was, it felt quite disorganised.
The writing itself was imaginative but I felt maybe the imaginatively was aimed at a more irrelevant area of the book? For example,the home life; which really distracted from the main story. The creepy episodes occurred sparsely; far and few inbetween, Jack's first actual physical interaction with the toy thief was creepy but considering this was categorised as a horror, I was expecting a bit more.
I would have rated this a 2.5 Because for a debut novel, it is satisfactory but I really was hoping for a keep me awake horror! I've added the 0.5 due to the front cover being amazing!!
The storyline, jumps from a young Jacqueline to an older version (aka Jacks) but there's no clear indication when that's going to happen, most books I have read with this type of storyline provides alternative chapters. As it was, it felt quite disorganised.
The writing itself was imaginative but I felt maybe the imaginatively was aimed at a more irrelevant area of the book? For example,the home life; which really distracted from the main story. The creepy episodes occurred sparsely; far and few inbetween, Jack's first actual physical interaction with the toy thief was creepy but considering this was categorised as a horror, I was expecting a bit more.
I would have rated this a 2.5 Because for a debut novel, it is satisfactory but I really was hoping for a keep me awake horror! I've added the 0.5 due to the front cover being amazing!!
tja055f6's review
5.0
I thought this was supposed to scare me but instead, it gave me so many feelings gosh i just want to cry
astoldbybex's review
2.0
Note: I received a copy of The Toy Thief by D.W. Gillespie via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Love it or hate it -- I'm more of a neither kinda ghoul. Not a lot of emotions were evoked in me, while giving The Toy Thief a read. I didn't lay awake at night, page-turning in anticipation for something amazing to happen. I'm not saying I expected a life-changing experience, but I did expect more of something. The Toy Thief is another book I can throw into the category of, 'I probably won't remember this next week.'
& now, I'm not saying this was a horrible read. Not at all. & I know someone else will pick up The Toy Thief & probably absolutely adore it. But, if you are anything like me, you might say meh and quickly move onto something else.
I suppose one of my biggest complaints is that I just didn't care for Jack, the narrator, until the end. And, even then I can't say I really cared about her. Her personality, especially as an adult, was very irksome. In my opinion, she was incredibly rude (& yes, I'm looking at that judgmental blind-date she went on) -- which is usually never a complaint coming from me. I love a woman with an attitude, maybe it's a kink, but with this character is wasn't working for me at all.
I also didn't enjoy the way in which this story was told. The Toy Thief bounces between past & present & for a while, I guess I couldn't see why I would even care about her present-day anecdotes. Granted, it does tie together in the end, but I would have much preferred reading a story that strictly took place in the timeline of Jack's childhood. That's where all the creepy things take place & that's honestly what I'm here for. In general, I felt there were a lot of unnecessary anecdotes.
Speaking of unnecessary anecdotes, I have one for you.
When I was a wee lil' ghoul, I was banned from watching Pixar's Toy Story. Me? Banned from Toy Story? Me? A person who grew up watching Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers & Jason Voorhees destroy teenagers was banned from Toy Story? & it was all because I had a nightmare about that damn doll head attached to the mechanical body.
While reading The Toy Thief, I kept having flashbacks to that horrid doll. The description of The Toy Thief didn't necessarily fit with aforementioned doll, but it's definitely what I kept imaging & I felt that did add a more of a personal creepy feel for me. So, bonus points for that? Also, minus what I imagined, the creature was actually really creepy & I definitely would not want to wake up to seeing that on my ceiling.
There is one thing I truly enjoyed in The Toy Thief, and that is the relationship between siblings, Jack & Andy. It started off as a rocky ride between the two & it doesn't get entirely better, but there's definitely a strong development. & I, Becca, am a sucker for development.
For more reviews, check out my blog!
Love it or hate it -- I'm more of a neither kinda ghoul. Not a lot of emotions were evoked in me, while giving The Toy Thief a read. I didn't lay awake at night, page-turning in anticipation for something amazing to happen. I'm not saying I expected a life-changing experience, but I did expect more of something. The Toy Thief is another book I can throw into the category of, 'I probably won't remember this next week.'
& now, I'm not saying this was a horrible read. Not at all. & I know someone else will pick up The Toy Thief & probably absolutely adore it. But, if you are anything like me, you might say meh and quickly move onto something else.
I suppose one of my biggest complaints is that I just didn't care for Jack, the narrator, until the end. And, even then I can't say I really cared about her. Her personality, especially as an adult, was very irksome. In my opinion, she was incredibly rude (& yes, I'm looking at that judgmental blind-date she went on) -- which is usually never a complaint coming from me. I love a woman with an attitude, maybe it's a kink, but with this character is wasn't working for me at all.
I also didn't enjoy the way in which this story was told. The Toy Thief bounces between past & present & for a while, I guess I couldn't see why I would even care about her present-day anecdotes. Granted, it does tie together in the end, but I would have much preferred reading a story that strictly took place in the timeline of Jack's childhood. That's where all the creepy things take place & that's honestly what I'm here for. In general, I felt there were a lot of unnecessary anecdotes.
Speaking of unnecessary anecdotes, I have one for you.
When I was a wee lil' ghoul, I was banned from watching Pixar's Toy Story. Me? Banned from Toy Story? Me? A person who grew up watching Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers & Jason Voorhees destroy teenagers was banned from Toy Story? & it was all because I had a nightmare about that damn doll head attached to the mechanical body.
While reading The Toy Thief, I kept having flashbacks to that horrid doll. The description of The Toy Thief didn't necessarily fit with aforementioned doll, but it's definitely what I kept imaging & I felt that did add a more of a personal creepy feel for me. So, bonus points for that? Also, minus what I imagined, the creature was actually really creepy & I definitely would not want to wake up to seeing that on my ceiling.
There is one thing I truly enjoyed in The Toy Thief, and that is the relationship between siblings, Jack & Andy. It started off as a rocky ride between the two & it doesn't get entirely better, but there's definitely a strong development. & I, Becca, am a sucker for development.
For more reviews, check out my blog!
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