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arwenauthor 's review for:
Doll Bones
by Holly Black
Doll Bones tells the story of three 12 year olds, Zachary, Alice and Poppy and a quest they embark on. Without giving too much away, it's a sort of coming of age/growing up story, with a twinge of horror and a healthy dose of adventure.
I really enjoyed it. It's such a quick read (I inhaled it in an afternoon) that I wished it was longer, but it is probably perfect for the age range it is written for. The central character is Zachary, but you get to see lots of insights of Poppy and Alice too. Holly Black is very much a master of "show don't tell;" the readers infer a lot of things through description rather than direct statements. There's a lot squeezed into this slim novel; it touches on so many themes in an accessible way.
It was also surprisingly creepy! Although it's a children's book, I think I would have felt edgy if I had been reading this at night, rather than a sunny afternoon! I'd be interested to see whether a child would find it creepy or whether I'm just less accustomed to horror than modern children.
It was a very traditional adventure story too, complete with chases, pirates and break ins! It was exciting - and such fun; this was just simply a joy to read, without needing any real effort on my part - Holly Black did all the work for me. Wonderful.
(I'll also tell a little secret. I may have enjoyed this more than Tithe, probably Black's most famous book. But don't tell anyone - my literary reputation may be besmirched!)
I really enjoyed it. It's such a quick read (I inhaled it in an afternoon) that I wished it was longer, but it is probably perfect for the age range it is written for. The central character is Zachary, but you get to see lots of insights of Poppy and Alice too. Holly Black is very much a master of "show don't tell;" the readers infer a lot of things through description rather than direct statements. There's a lot squeezed into this slim novel; it touches on so many themes in an accessible way.
It was also surprisingly creepy! Although it's a children's book, I think I would have felt edgy if I had been reading this at night, rather than a sunny afternoon! I'd be interested to see whether a child would find it creepy or whether I'm just less accustomed to horror than modern children.
It was a very traditional adventure story too, complete with chases, pirates and break ins! It was exciting - and such fun; this was just simply a joy to read, without needing any real effort on my part - Holly Black did all the work for me. Wonderful.
(I'll also tell a little secret. I may have enjoyed this more than Tithe, probably Black's most famous book. But don't tell anyone - my literary reputation may be besmirched!)