Doll Bones by Holly Black - review
I never have really been one for horror stories, probably because I have a bit of an over-active imagination. It probably wasn't the best idea to read Doll Bones in the dark then!
Doll Bones follows the story of Zach and his two best friends, Alice and Poppy. The three friends are twelve years old, but still all love to play with dolls and make up stories together. However, when Poppy takes an old doll from a glass cabinet which she has been forbidden even to touch, she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for! The doll always has featured in their games as the queen, trapped in her glass tower and unable to escape. When Poppy makes the mistake of getting her out strange things begin to happen. Poppy gets nightmares about the doll, and soon the trio find out she is no ordinary doll. The Queen is made from the bones and ashes of a dead girl.
With this information, the friends set out on a quest, wanting to be like the heroes of their stories. But is this story true?
Though it is short, I think Doll Bones is very well written. It is scary and eerie at times, but most of the time things are suggested rather than told or shown, which gives the book a better storyline. There are also lots of subplots also going on, which keep you intrigued and hooked. Doll Bones also tackles the problems of growing up. As the friends change, they start to grow apart, wanting and thinking about different things. Above all, Doll Bones makes you wish children didn't have to grow up so fast.
I would recommend Doll Bones to readers over the age of 10, as although it is quite spooky it isn't as frightening as the cover suggests and has a good storyline. I would rate it 7/10 because I enjoyed it whilst it had me scared but nothing in it is extra special.
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