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lilawood's review
4.0
That cover caught my eyes at a secondhand bookshop. Oh, what a nice cover! And those illustrations...
At the time I read it I was in a moment in which I needed a bit of inspiration for my decorations, my closet and my mind. Couldn't find a better read. The story is nice, not spectacular nor outstanding, but the book itself with everything that it contains (even the distribution of chapters and parts)is a jewel. Charming.
At the time I read it I was in a moment in which I needed a bit of inspiration for my decorations, my closet and my mind. Couldn't find a better read. The story is nice, not spectacular nor outstanding, but the book itself with everything that it contains (even the distribution of chapters and parts)is a jewel. Charming.
allmadhere106's review
4.0
I love Francesca Lia Block so much! This book explores the idea of dolls having lives of their own, with feelings that aren't so different from humans. Like all of Block's books that I've read, there are lessons and truths strewn throughout and they resonate quite powerfully. I liked the added illustrations as well. I wish there would have been a little more to the book because I'm used to reading her teen stuff, but I enjoyed the quick read just the same.
For: fans of Block; readers wanting a whimsical and poignant story.
Possible red flags: loneliness and feelings of abandonment; jealousy; resentment; discussions of dolls as living things.
For: fans of Block; readers wanting a whimsical and poignant story.
Possible red flags: loneliness and feelings of abandonment; jealousy; resentment; discussions of dolls as living things.
frootjoos's review
3.0
Mo' money, mo' problems
I don't know why I keep trying to read FLB. Always about some whiny rich brat with emotional baggage. The illustrations are cute... saccharine but amusing.
I don't know why I keep trying to read FLB. Always about some whiny rich brat with emotional baggage. The illustrations are cute... saccharine but amusing.
riverdogbookco's review
4.0
Known for being poetic and surreal while featuring elements from the real world, Francesca Lia Block’s latest, House of Dolls, is lovingly illustrated and difficult to sell. Its charming trim size and brightly-colored cover make it appeal to a picture book audience, but the length of the text will make it hard for most children under the age of 8 to sit through.
This reads as an ambitious project, tackling many tough subjects, filtered through the lens of three female dolls, two boyfriend doll-counterparts, and one human girl. The subtle themes of love and loss, family relations, and the larger context of wartime struggles may require some explaining to a younger reader. It is difficult to see quite how the human characters arrive at the ending they do, when the connecting piece is so clearly missing. Part of the story deals with the human girl’s jealousy over the gorgeous doll clothes sewn by her grandmother. At a pivotal point in the book, one doll designs three dresses for herself and her doll friends – this would have been the perfect moment to draw a fourth dress for the little girl, giving the grandmother a clue that she wants to be involved. While the grandmother does eventually make a dress for her granddaughter, it’s a stretch of the imagination to see how she comes to this conclusion. Perhaps the author, in signature style, felt that obvious a plot point did not fit with her writing, but as a reader, it would have helped.
The delightful, delicate, and intricately detailed illustrations are classic McClintock, and lend an air of charm to an otherwise heavily-burdened book that tries to do too much at once.
This reads as an ambitious project, tackling many tough subjects, filtered through the lens of three female dolls, two boyfriend doll-counterparts, and one human girl. The subtle themes of love and loss, family relations, and the larger context of wartime struggles may require some explaining to a younger reader. It is difficult to see quite how the human characters arrive at the ending they do, when the connecting piece is so clearly missing. Part of the story deals with the human girl’s jealousy over the gorgeous doll clothes sewn by her grandmother. At a pivotal point in the book, one doll designs three dresses for herself and her doll friends – this would have been the perfect moment to draw a fourth dress for the little girl, giving the grandmother a clue that she wants to be involved. While the grandmother does eventually make a dress for her granddaughter, it’s a stretch of the imagination to see how she comes to this conclusion. Perhaps the author, in signature style, felt that obvious a plot point did not fit with her writing, but as a reader, it would have helped.
The delightful, delicate, and intricately detailed illustrations are classic McClintock, and lend an air of charm to an otherwise heavily-burdened book that tries to do too much at once.
dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
3.0
Cute enough for what it is but I am unlikely to read it again. It's too short for my taste and I don't really get the ending. Very Block in style and the illustrations are lovely.
happyocelot's review
3.0
This book looks like a young adult story, but it has very adult themes and I would actually classify it as an adult book.
It’s about how a young girl lashes out on her dolls because she’s not feeling loved or given attention to by her parents and family. The minute she is shown kindness by her family, she is nicer to the dolls.
The other secret in the book is that the dolls are almost alive-like in that they lead lives and have love interests and even have families.
A lot of really gut wrenching and heavy themes in such a short number of pages. I would call this sad, but with a happy ending.
Also, it has some beautiful pictures/drawings in the book, so I recommend reading and not listening to it.
It’s about how a young girl lashes out on her dolls because she’s not feeling loved or given attention to by her parents and family. The minute she is shown kindness by her family, she is nicer to the dolls.
The other secret in the book is that the dolls are almost alive-like in that they lead lives and have love interests and even have families.
A lot of really gut wrenching and heavy themes in such a short number of pages. I would call this sad, but with a happy ending.
Also, it has some beautiful pictures/drawings in the book, so I recommend reading and not listening to it.
middlekmissie's review against another edition
5.0
LOVE. It's much less schizophrenic than her books for older readers, and so adorable
starz1121's review against another edition
4.0
Typical Francesca magic in this cute tale of a girl and her dolls. I really enjoyed this book and it's lovely illustrations.
satyridae's review against another edition
3.0
This was... weird. Do I even need to say that a book by FLB is weird? Probably not. The weird is the good kind, with that, "Hmmm, I think I'm slipping under the surface, there's seaweed around my feet, pulling me down and the colors are all purple and sparkly" feeling. There's whimsy and darkness and costumes and frippery. There's sort of a narrative, sort of a story, but mostly it's that FLB feeling, and if you like that, you'll like this.