A review by tiiiger35
Doll House by John Hunt

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A
dark & menacing book that made my skin crawl at times. The intensity is anxiety inducing & the brutality, stomach churning. subconsciously I double checked all my doors & windows were locked & the closet empty before bed. It’s been a long time since a book had such a visceral & psychological effect on me. 

The pace is fast & delves in to the kidnapping immediately. The kidnappers, the ‘Jackal’ & the ‘Gorilla’ are barbaric monsters, who imprison girls, including the protagonist ’Olivia’, in pink rooms, fit for a ‘doll house’. Within these pink torture chambers the psychopaths inflict 5 years of rape, brutality & psychological warfare on their victims. 
These monstrosities of men clearly underestimate just how resilient the human psyche can be, even under extreme duress. Olivias strength & bravery were astonishing during her
escape & rescue of the other girls.

Once free from her own personal hell, it became clear the Jackals all consuming obsession would not relent, it was his driving force to get Olivia & the girls back. Freedom doesn’t come easy after such a soul destroying experience. However, Brutus the German Shepard becomes her saviour, in more ways than one. My only spoiler is the dog survives, I wanted to know this upfront. I hate doggy snuff books/films. 
The last part of the novel, is thrilling, the tension created by ‘Hunt’ was palpable. I can’t believe I got the identity of the ‘Jackal’ wrong. Up until the very last moment I thought I’d cracked it.
At times the writing can be a little repetitive & clunky but, overall, a good horror & thriller. I think the cover should definitely come with some trigger warnings. Although the rape scenes aren’t described the horror & gore is still there. 



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