Dollhouse (Dollhouse, #1)

May 31, 2012 Marni rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

As I said before...Dang! I would actually give this 4.5 out of 5 stars. I received this as an ARC from the author. She warned me it was going to be dark and a bit scary, and having read many a scary book I wasn't bothered. I should say I wasn't bothered until I was reading, the house was quiet, the story got really moving and I kept hearing the "bumps" in the night! Instead of putting down until daylight, I hunkered in and kept on going, because this was a glorious carnival ride of fun!

The setti...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Brenda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-release, aussie-authors, reviewing-by-request, own-read

Cassie, Lacey, Aisha and Ethan were heading into the Barrington Tops in NSW for the day, on an assignment for school. They had to photograph and record the wildlife and environment as they went. Ethan had been here before with his grandfather, so it was logical for him to be their guide. Ethan and Aisha were also a couple, even though they’d only been together a short time. Higher and higher they all climbed, talking, taking photos, jotting notes, arguing – until they reached the lookout.

When a...more Cassie, Lacey, Aisha and Ethan were heading into the Barrington Tops in NSW for the day, on an assignment for school. They had to photograph and record the wildlife and environment as they went. Ethan had been here before with his grandfather, so it was logical for him to be their guide. Ethan and Aisha were also a couple, even though they’d only been together a short time. Higher and higher they all climbed, talking, taking photos, jotting notes, arguing – until they reached the lookout.

When a bus load of tourists arrived, they decided they’d seen enough, and started to make their way down again. On the way, Aisha decided she wanted to head toward the river, to take more wildlife pictures, so they all followed her, winding their way through the tangle of trees, the undergrowth, the vines hanging down. Suddenly an argument erupted between her and Ethan, and Aisha took off running. Ethan raced after her, while Cassie and Lacey sat down at the edge of the river to wait.

When Ethan returned, totally panicked, saying he had been unable to find any trace of Aisha, they organised for the two girls to return, while Ethan kept looking...they would contact the police.

A few weeks later, with still no sign of Aisha, and everyone blaming Ethan for her disappearance, plus the fact that the area had had young girls disappear without trace before, the search parties had covered every inch of the area, and Ethan was desperate to find her. School holidays were on them, so Ethan took his camping gear and headed for the Tops. Unable to remain behind, Cassie and Lacey followed, unbeknown to their families, who thought they’d gone camping in the Myall Lakes area.

This story is told by Cassie, and the intensity of their situation as it develops is gripping, spine chilling and thrilling...What will they find? Will they find Aisha’s body? Can Cassie trust Ethan, who she has feelings for, but feels guilty about? Are the rumours about Ethan true? And why is Lacey so terrified of dolls?

This is the first of Aussie author Anya Allyn’s Doll House trilogy, and I can’t wait to read the next! I couldn’t put it down, the intensity is terrifying, and the mixture of characters extremely diverse and scary!

Highly recommended!
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Jun 11, 2012 Jody rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all, thank you to Anya Allyn for the ARC of Doll House.
Doll House, is for lovers of scary stories. It was a dark and very twisted paranormal tale full of mystery, telling the story of a little horror that was going on in the middle of the Australian bush.
The bizarre plot makes for a most haunting and terrifying story that will keep you reading on and looking over your shoulder and hearing noises in the middle of the night. I read it quite fast, and it was an easy read with great chara...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, horror, young-adult

This is just about the creepiest horror/paranormal book I have ever read: well structured and evenly paced. The characters are young teens and feel quite authentically flawed, yet also heroic. At times I got a little irritated with the misery. It reminded me of my reaction to The Hunger Games. I just could hardly stand suffering along with the protagonist, page after page. And yet, I couldn't stop and couldn't help admiring Cassie's determination to survive. I really was going to stop and forget...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I came across this free ebook in my daily pixel of ink email. I like the cover (yes im judging a book by its cover; sad i know) and thought it looked interesting. The fact that it takes place in Australia was different for me and appealing. All I have to say is, this book is at a 10/10 on my creepiness scale. It has missing girls, dark secrets, underground caves, creepy clowns/circus attractions and Greek lore. The only thing missing was more of a romance story...I was hoping more would happen b...more

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May 15, 2013 Trinity Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book kept me turning the pages until the abrupt end. I read it on my kindle and felt a panic start to rise at about 90%. I really didn't want it to end. I tend to favor books with a creepy undertone, so this book did not disappoint.

The strongest emotion that came through consistently was desperation. It was not at all difficult to put myself in the place of Cassie, and to experience all that she withstood and witnessed. Fear was also a gripping force throughout the majority of Dollhouse.

My...more This book kept me turning the pages until the abrupt end. I read it on my kindle and felt a panic start to rise at about 90%. I really didn't want it to end. I tend to favor books with a creepy undertone, so this book did not disappoint.

The strongest emotion that came through consistently was desperation. It was not at all difficult to put myself in the place of Cassie, and to experience all that she withstood and witnessed. Fear was also a gripping force throughout the majority of Dollhouse.

My review is based on the content of the story, not on grammar and spelling. I feel that Dollhouse was very well thought out. Yes there are what seem to be plot holes, but please bear in mind that this is a trilogy. Having also read the second installment, I can say that a great many of my questions were answered. This story would make an excellent mini series or perhaps even a feature length film.

Dollhouse was creepy, but I wouldn't call it terrifying. Of course, it does contain some things that are massive phobias, but I am not frightened by those things. Reader mileage may vary.

I have been reading the reviews for this book and have seen a few critiques that may be a bit unfair.

1. The time in the dollhouse is tedious and mundane. It is not necessary to rehash it again and again.
~While I can see how this might be an issue in other books, it works well here. It really drives home the point that this is what our characters are living day after agonizing day.

2. Many have stated that the spelling and grammar were poor, with at least one person mentioning that one of the characters constantly used the wrong words.
~Admittedly, there were a few errors that ought to have been caught by beta readers. However, a particular character in this book is meant to use the wrong words. Perhaps those who couldn't grasp that fact are better suited to reading at a different level.

3. Countless reviewers have admittedly given Dollhouse a lower rating than they would have because of the ending.
~My thinking tells me that if so many people invested themselves deeply enough into the story so as to be perturbed by the ending, it must be well done. This was an excellent strategy on the part of Ms. Allyn. I downloaded Dollhouse for free. I had never purchased a single book from amazon until I reached the end of this book. I had to know what happened next. If I were watching a tv show that ended on a cliffhanger, I would not swear off the series and tell everyone that it was not good just because it left questions unanswered. I would tune in to the next episode. All along, the author has been very up front about the fact that this is to be the first installment of a trilogy.

4. The main character uses Australian terms.
~Yes. She is also a teenage girl trying to fit in in a new place. I didn't find this hard to believe.

I recommend this book to anyone with the ability to suspend disbelief.
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May 02, 2013 Isis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magical-being, paranormal-sci-fi-and-or-fantasy, romance, young-adult

Cassie and her mother move from Miami to Australia to be with Cassie's mother's new man. Too bad he turns out to be a real creep and ditches them. Cassie is not particularly happy to be in Australia, but when she begins school she meets, much to her shock, a popular girl that is actually nice. Aisha takes Cassie under her wing and introduces her around... and then Cassie sees Ethan and falls head over heels for him. Suddenly Ethan goes from potential boyfriend material to off-limits when he and...more Cassie and her mother move from Miami to Australia to be with Cassie's mother's new man. Too bad he turns out to be a real creep and ditches them. Cassie is not particularly happy to be in Australia, but when she begins school she meets, much to her shock, a popular girl that is actually nice. Aisha takes Cassie under her wing and introduces her around... and then Cassie sees Ethan and falls head over heels for him. Suddenly Ethan goes from potential boyfriend material to off-limits when he and Aisha begin dating.

While on a school field trip up in the mountains, Aisha, Cassie, Lacey, and Ethan are teamed up to complete their assignment - rather like a scavenger hunt for all kinds of different things found in nature. It turns out the area they are in has had at least four girls disappear - one each year. And when Aisha and Ethan get into a fight, Aisha takes off running. After hours of searching no one can find her. Ethan sends the girls back down the mountain and stays to keep looking. Months of searching turns up nothing - other than lots of fingers pointing at Ethan and his grandfather.

Ethan stops by Cassie's house one night and crashes there before he takes off to live on the mountain and keep searching before they can arrest him. Then Lacey, the police detective in charge of the case, tells Cassie that she copied her dad's files. The two decide to go look for Aisha themselves, but know that they must lie about where they are headed if they are going to do it.

The two girls run into Ethan on the mountain and the three reluctantly join forces, with Cassie as the glue that holds them all together. They decide to search the really creepy house out in the middle of the forest, once the scary owner takes his dogs and leaves for a bit. There they discover a hidden tunnel, and in the entrance is the cover to Aisha's cell phone. At this point they decide to look further instead of going back for the police.

Rather than spoil the story I'll stop here, but I will say the storyline is very original and compelling, with characters that pull you in from the beginning of the book. And there are some very interesting plot twists that are unexpected and surprising. As soon as I finished this book I immediately began reading (and finished) the second book in the series. Now I am eagerly awaiting the release of the third book. I am hoping that the third book will be a bit more like the first than the second, but that isn't to say the second was in any way badly written. I simply was more strongly drawn into the first book.

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May 01, 2013 Kristi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. The genre tag grabbed me from the very beginning: 'YA gothic horror'. I went into the book not knowing much about it. It was one of the free books on Amazon that I learned about from pixel of ink. I often download those books without much regard to whether I think I'll actually enjoy it or not. I'm not investing any money so if I don't like it, nothing lost. However, this one was a book that I absolutely would have paid for. It IS horror and it's got twists that I nev...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Bryn rated it 3 of 5 stars

In a moment of deep desperation, I pulled this off the free Amazon downloads to read while I waited for my ride to pick me up (I had hours).

I think that should just about cover the low, low, low expectations I had here. But I ended up being pleasantly surprised.

The very first line drew me in, and the description continued to keep me interested. This is a good writer. She has a way of phrasing things that do more than just tell a story. Occasionally the phrasing takes on a magic of its own in th...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Maki Kotone rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really, really wish I had known what I was getting into when I started this book.

I thought it was just a typical paranormal romance/urban fantasy book, based on the descriptions of it I had read. In hindsight, I probably should have attached more significance to the title.

I don't get disturbed easily. I've read true crime stories about serial killers, hundreds of murder mysteries, sat through all of the Hellraiser movies...I never batted an eyelash. But not even halfway through this book, I wa...more I really, really wish I had known what I was getting into when I started this book.

I thought it was just a typical paranormal romance/urban fantasy book, based on the descriptions of it I had read. In hindsight, I probably should have attached more significance to the title.

I don't get disturbed easily. I've read true crime stories about serial killers, hundreds of murder mysteries, sat through all of the Hellraiser movies...I never batted an eyelash. But not even halfway through this book, I was writing to my husband, begging him to make the book stop. His advice was to stop reading, which I just can't do.

Now, I'll grant it that a lot of the book's horror comes from a personal phobia of mine. I won't mention which part of it had me uncomfortably squirming. However, there's plenty of creepy thrown in there to scare everyone. Sociopaths kidnapping children in the woods, the underground, the circus paraphernalia, clowns, the monster snake trying to eat everybody, the feeling of being locked up when you have no hope of escape or rescue...the book's got it covered.

The way the book transitioned from the beginning to the actual plot was wonderful. As it opens, you fall safely into the assumption that this is a paranormal murder mystery, with a heavily romance-influenced plot. It strings you along, letting you believe that the book's purpose is all about finding Aisha. Then, when you're least expecting it...BAM! You get thrown into the REAL story.

Not a lot of information is given out in this book, and the bits of story you *do* get are slow in coming. But the overall atmosphere of the book is so disturbing, it sort of slips your mind that you still don't have any answers about what exactly is going on.

The book ended in a cliffhanger I saw coming miles away (not what happened, but the fact that the book would go out in a cliffhanger), but it didn't feel very open ended, or leave me screaming in frustration. It could easily have been a standalone novel - albeit, one with an ending that leaves you with more questions than answers.(less)

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Apr 18, 2013 Anna Ray rated it 3 of 5 stars

Be warned, I'm about to speak freely, there may be spoilers....

Ahhh...where to start? Well, I guess I'll begin with the fact that I liked the story, for the most part. It is extremely creepy. However, I didn't like the fact that there wasn't a lot of depth to the characters. Aaand in some bits there wasn't much description. I want to be able to picture what I'm reading, but some descriptions were almost as confusing as the whole story. What is with the Henry-dream thing? Instead of being gently...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Kerry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, at least I am not the only one who is confused with what the hell is going on in this book. But, I get the impression that even by the end of this book, that this is exactly what Allyn wanted. And because of that, I am actually fond of this. It makes reading the next book a must, rather than a want. Not many books achieve that with me.

Cassie played jealous very well. She was not set up as a character that you were supposed to admire. She was set up to be hated, and for you to almost enjoy...more Well, at least I am not the only one who is confused with what the hell is going on in this book. But, I get the impression that even by the end of this book, that this is exactly what Allyn wanted. And because of that, I am actually fond of this. It makes reading the next book a must, rather than a want. Not many books achieve that with me.

Cassie played jealous very well. She was not set up as a character that you were supposed to admire. She was set up to be hated, and for you to almost enjoy her repercussions. I liked that. I liked that I wasn't expected to root for her, and hope she got what she wanted. Yet, by the end of the book, you get pulled in anyway.
There was not much character development, but at the same time, it wasn't needed for me. I was more interested in what was happening, rather than who it was happening to. Which is odd, I typically like to know who I'm reading about. The underlying story and plot was just much more interesting to me, and that is what I found myself focusing on.
I am very curious about who Jessemine is. I want to know how she came to be what she is. How it is possible, what her family ties have to do with anything. And how the dollhouse even came into existence. I like that Ethan is still a question mark. I am hoping there is a lot of explaining done about him, and why these girls had anything to do with what's going on. If that is left untouched, I will be very irritated.

I do have some gripes.
How were Ethan and Cassie pretending to eat? Where were they putting their uneaten food? How did Jessimine go undetected by Cassie for so long if everyone else knew? And why was she not informed by her friends? I would have liked there to have been a little more focus on what was going on with Ethan, just to have the curiosity piqued about him kept up throughout the book.
The whole ordeal with the owner of the house--whose name evades me right now--was extremely confusing, and I don't think was delivered very well. I don't mind some mystery, but this book answered very little questions. And it was, at times, more like walking through a labyrinth trying to keep up with the plot.
Cassie was supposed to be American. I didn't get that feel from her. She acted and spoke very Australian to me.
Things took too long to come together. There's nothing wrong with dragging things out, so long as you have a decent limit on it. But once it has become glaringly obvious to the reader, there is no real purpose to keep your character in the dark. It becomes tedious, and annoying at that point. Unfortunately, that happened a lot in this.

This book was still very interesting. I haven't read a book like it. And I do think I will pick up the next one.(less)

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Feb 17, 2013 H. Smith rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, mystery, for-fun, young-adult-fiction

I don't know how I finished this. The plot was confusing and strange. It just didn't seem to be tied down at all to anything realistic. Some elements of it, like whatever Greek monster was mentioned, could have interesting, but they just felt flat and thrown in. The writing was also not so great. There was a lot of telling and not very much showing. I felt like I knew nothing about the main character's personality by the end and I even forgot her name a few times while reading. There were a few...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Kimsandara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blah-read, love-triangle, ya-books, it-s-not-you

This book falls into the 'It's not you,it's me' category.

I'll admit that it had potential.I mean the book was creepy as hell but I could not care less about what was happening to the characters.
I can't barely remember the heroine's name AND I read it last week.
The least I can say is that the cast did not make a (good) lasting impression.
Aisha was hateful, her boyfriend was a w...p and mention spéciale to Cassie,who spends a ridiculous amount of time mooning over Ethan (which I find absolutely ir...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Scimone Jackson rated it 2 of 5 stars

Leave it to me to be the only one who gives this book a low rating. Seeing as though i am the minority...i'm ok with thinking that i am the one that's wrong. Idk i just didn't get this book. I tried but...i don't blame the author. I blame myself. I think i tried stepping out of my comfort zone. Horror movies i love! But Horror books...i guess not so much. I can't help but realize this is the second horror book with high ratings that i've discarded into my unfinished pile...so i'm willing to acce...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

[This review also appears on Andi's Young Adult Books. I received a complimentary ebook in exchange for my honest review.]

This was one of the creepiest stories I have read in a long time. I mean creepy in a good way, and not quite scary. The first third of the book seemed okay and did go by quickly. The friends were out and about, trying to find their missing friend. Suddenly, they are swept into a dark and macabre world that is absolutely horrifying. What's real? What isn't? Your head spins lik...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, book-tour

OMG! This book scared me silly. I did not get much sleep last night I was so creeped out by it. Our lead character Cassie has moved with her mother to Australia. She and her three friends, including crush, Ethan are out in the woods working on a school project. Her friend, Aisha gets ticked because she thinks Cassie and Ethan (her boyfriend) are getting too close, and she runs off. Ethan goes to look for her but can't find her. A search team looks and looks but Aisha seems to have just disappear...more OMG! This book scared me silly. I did not get much sleep last night I was so creeped out by it. Our lead character Cassie has moved with her mother to Australia. She and her three friends, including crush, Ethan are out in the woods working on a school project. Her friend, Aisha gets ticked because she thinks Cassie and Ethan (her boyfriend) are getting too close, and she runs off. Ethan goes to look for her but can't find her. A search team looks and looks but Aisha seems to have just disappeared without a trace. Ethan and his grandfather are somehow getting the blame for her disappearance, so Cassie, Ethan, and the third friend, Lacey sneak away to look for Aisha.

In the search they find a secret underground place with a clown that makes me shudder and creepy dolls that move around on their own. Between the history of missing girls and these creepy dolls, the book is enough to keep you up at night. I really don't want to get to much into the plot. This book is so well done, that I feel that if I give away too much it might ruin parts of the story. Let's just say Cassie is left not knowing who she can trust - and at times wonders if her crush on Ethan is preventing her from seeing that he may or may not be who she thinks he is.

The plot is excellently done. 5 Star excellent. It's a perfectly paced book that keeps you frantically turning pages to find out what happens next. I read it in one sitting. Here's the thing though, you probably shouldn't read it at night ... especially if you're home alone. It's seriously that scary. And by scary, I don't mean gorey scary. I mean, messes with your head, creepy- never look at dolls the same way scary. The characters are believable. Sometimes they do things and I was screaming,, "No, Don't do it!" But, the kids are fifteen so it's very believable that they would do these things. My understanding is that this book is part of a three part series - though it could have been a standalone the way that it was written.

So, can Cassie really trust Ethan? Will they find Aisha? What are these creepy dolls and why are they there? You will have to read and find out. I hope I've given you just enough information to tempt you to check it out.(less)

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May 21, 2012 David Adams rated it 5 of 5 stars

Anya Allyn's Doll House begins with a suspenseful, teasing prologue about a trio of youngsters exploring an underground passage in search of their missing forth member. I'll admit to a distinct fondness for the 'in medas res' beginning and in this case it was executed perfectly; the setting and delicately woven prose caught my attention right away, and I could tell within a few pages that I was going to like this story. The prologue was neither too short nor too long... just long enough to grab...more Anya Allyn's Doll House begins with a suspenseful, teasing prologue about a trio of youngsters exploring an underground passage in search of their missing forth member. I'll admit to a distinct fondness for the 'in medas res' beginning and in this case it was executed perfectly; the setting and delicately woven prose caught my attention right away, and I could tell within a few pages that I was going to like this story. The prologue was neither too short nor too long... just long enough to grab you and drag you in and no longer. Right in the Goldilocks zone and with a spoonful of delicious plot teases to keep me interested.

So, my appetite whet, I started this novel cautious but impressed and, just like the three kids in the prologue, I began my journey into the Doll House.

The first chapter cuts back to an earlier time and there was a distinct, but subtle, mood shift here. Now we were watching through a somewhat jealous schoolgirl's eyes as the boy of her dreams asks out someone else. Now things started to get a little... worrying. I'm a "oh God thirty is coming" male and I write sci-fi with heaps of swearing, so I kind of prefer that kind of thing when I read. Getting into the head of a fifteen year old schoolgirl is fairly difficult for me, but I felt Doll House made it easy. The prose in this section was very impressive, an improvement over even the already excellent prologue, so my looming fears that I was going to become bored were swiftly waylaid. In fact, if anything, I felt Anya found her stride in this first chapter which meant my reviewer brain rose to the challenge and kicked into brutal mode.

Because of my preference towards swearing, violence and aliens I tend to cut Young Adult authors a fair bit of slack when I review. I instinctively have my kid gloves on, so to speak, and little errors, minor plot issues and clumsy sentences are usually brushed over and forgiven. That is, unless the book is good enough on its own merits to dispel those biases and have me treat it on a level playing field. No underarm bowling, no soft balling, no mercy... which is going to make me sound very foolish because I really struggled to find a lot wrong with this book. I won't say too much more about the plot -- it's much better to experience it yourself, and I recommend you do.

The book soon swings back into light-horror mode, perfectly tailored for its audience, and that's where the book shifts into high gear. To be honest, I find the kind of subtle horror that Doll House displays to be far more preferable than outright gore; the setting is creepy, vibrant... and twisted. The prose throughout the whole work is tight, expressive and easy on the eyes. The characters are believable and interesting, with the kids being kids and doing kid things. Anya writes using all her senses; things feel and smell and sound, which is a technique many authors neglect. There are a few small formatting errors, one or two missed words and a few typos, but really these issues are not noticeable and don't detract from the story.

While my bitter and twisted heart begged for something really nasty to say about this upstart first-time author who can write better prose than me, I couldn't find much at all. The whole piece is well polished and crafted, and all the clues make sense by the absolutely screw-tight ending which was mighty fine storytelling.

I read this story in bits -- a chapter here, a chapter there -- and I felt that wasn't how it was intended to be read. It's best read in one sitting... the pacing is very well done and doing so will probably help your immersion.

One thing I was confused by, though, was that his book is also available in novella form. I wondered, perhaps, what had been removed since every scene seemed important. I worry that the novella edition's pacing may be less skilled, so I'll have to read the novella, too, to find the differences. For now I recommend the full novel. There's no fluff, no filler here, and it's well worth your time.

I got the distinct feeling that Anya loved this story. She wrote the kind of book that she wanted to read, and it shows. The book is polished. Smooth. Enticing. Better, in many ways, than a lot of professionally published works in the same genre. I think Anya is an up and comer in the self-publishing world, someone who can craft eloquent, well written tales with strong endings... and she's someone whose's got a bright future ahead of her.

I eagerly await her next novel... and my return to the Doll House.(less)

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Dec 30, 2012 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: young-adult

I read a lot of reviews before going into this so I knew the beginning would drag, but what no one said was that the dragging never stops. I only even finished because I paid for the book and wasn't gonna waste the 99 cents.

Even knowing about the pacing problems, I went in for the creepy factor. The dollhouse premise (or what I thought was the premise) appealed to me. Unfortunately the supernatural elements were drowned under the monotony of dollhouse life and the very real dangers of malnutriti...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Andrea Heltsley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this book for free for my Kindle on Amazon. As with all free books, I go in not knowing what to expect. The story was more of a MG than a YA/teen book. However, it turned out to be a great book.

It was full of creepy elements and had a very dark feel. If I could explain it, think Tim Burton's Coraline crossed with Tim Burton's Alice and Wonderland. It reads like a typical horror book, where the characters go in search of their missing friend without telling the police where they even are. W...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Original review for this book AND the second book (Paper Dolls) posted on my blog http://ashhreads.blogspot.com

This book is definitely the most strangest, weird, twisted book I have ever read. I don't know at this point if it was a good thing or a bad thing. I seriously spent 80% of the time while reading this book sitting there thinking "Wait, what?". It got really confusing sometimes and the writing in it was very choppy.

As you can tell from the description, A girl named Aisha disappears in a

...more Original review for this book AND the second book (Paper Dolls) posted on my blog http://ashhreads.blogspot.com

This book is definitely the most strangest, weird, twisted book I have ever read. I don't know at this point if it was a good thing or a bad thing. I seriously spent 80% of the time while reading this book sitting there thinking "Wait, what?". It got really confusing sometimes and the writing in it was very choppy.

As you can tell from the description, A girl named Aisha disappears in a forest on a school hiking trip while she is with her friends. The Last person who went to look for her is her boyfriend Ethan, so right away all fingers point to him for her disappearance. The story is told from Cassie's POV, who is a friend of Ethan and Aisha. She really wants to try to prove that Ethan is innocent (or is he?) so her and her friend Lacey (another friend of theirs) set out in the forest to try to find Aisha. So basically, all of the characters get thrown into this nightmare world that is sick and twisted, and yada yada. This was nothing like I expected it to be, and I was really shocked when I learned where the title Dollhouse came from.

The first chapter of this book caught my attention pretty well, but throughout the story it went really slow. It picks up towards the middle of the book, but then slows down again. So this book was really up and down for me. I felt like the pace couldn't get comfortable. The writing style of this book was really choppy. I felt like I was constantly having to go and re read a lot of the sentences because they just didn't make sense or seemed out of place. This whole book left a lot of questions unanswered and that bothered me a lot. The characters seemed kind of empty in the beginning and we didn't really get to know them very well. Some things that were talked about seemed unnecessary and didn't have a point to them. The characters in this book are 15 years old, and a lot of the stuff that happens seems really unlikely for them. Like really, are two 15 year old girls going to camp out in the woods for a week, while trying to find their disappeared friend, and they both convinced their parents they were going on a school trip over break right after their friend went missing in the woods? No.

I didn't find the characters in this book to be anything special. They all kind of seemed to run together and had similar personalities. Cassie, the main character was okay. I did sort of like Ethan in the beginning but I'm not sure how I felt about him in the end, and now I'm even more confused about him after finishing book two. I did enjoy Jessamines character for some reason though, even if she was 'one of the bad guys.'

A thing that I did like about this book was its originality. I have never read anything like this book before, not even remotely close. I still am not sure if that is a good or bad thing but I do have to give the author credit for the originality of this book. The parts that weren't slow, I was actually really engaged in the book and I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. I read each of these books really fast, I read them in 2 days (so 4 days total). The ending totally leaves you hanging, so I have to start reading the next book right away. If the ending didn't leave me having, would I have picked up the 2nd book? Probably not.

(less)

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Feb 28, 2013 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to give this book four stars, but it suffers from what is sadly becoming a common problem these days. No resolution. Authors these days seem to have forgotten one key thing: Even if a book is part of a series or trilogy, it is still needs to have a start, a ramping up of the plot, and some sort of resolution. If you don't have resolution you're not writing a trilogy, you're just splitting one book into three...which is annoying. In my opinion this book is unfinished.

Other than th...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Richard (Bound & Determined...) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has been...difficult to review. I liked it, but it frustrated me too.

The cover is so pretty. I’m not usually one to gush over a cover, but look at that jpeg up there!

The prose was disjointed at times. It felt jumpy, like the thoughts were incomplete. Kinda like you’re inside Cassie’s head, participating in the moment with her. Which isn’t a bad thing, I just didn’t work for me. With this book.

I didn’t care a thing for Cassie. She wavered too much, sometimes embracing her role as heroin...more This book has been...difficult to review. I liked it, but it frustrated me too.

The cover is so pretty. I’m not usually one to gush over a cover, but look at that jpeg up there!

The prose was disjointed at times. It felt jumpy, like the thoughts were incomplete. Kinda like you’re inside Cassie’s head, participating in the moment with her. Which isn’t a bad thing, I just didn’t work for me. With this book.

I didn’t care a thing for Cassie. She wavered too much, sometimes embracing her role as heroine, and others just collapsing in on herself unable to cope with all that’s going on. I realize she’s only 15, and there’s a lot of things to deal with, that the “dark secret” is a lot to deal with, but she never seemed vulnerable, just weak. Her strength coming too little too late. AND, she’s American, but speaks in phrases and using words that are distinctly Australian. That created a little disparity for me—that’s a major detail to get wrong.

I got this book from Amazon for Kindle, and it was free (it’s not anymore). Even free/inexpensive books should be completely edited. This wasn’t. Blatantly under-edited. I don’t like reading final-print books that are poorly edited. It’s frustrating.

The story itself was pretty good. I was completely drawn in and read it on my iPhone any chance I could find, even staying up late into the night finish it. I liked where the story was headed, we just had some trouble getting there. Allyn left too many questions unanswered for me, too many holes that have yet to be filled. And just when things have reached a boiling point, and the pot’s about to explode all over the place, the story ends. It just ends! Leaving me reeling, disoriented, and very confused. To find out what happens, you have to read the next book! What?!? I like a little more resolution than that.

And here’s where my biggest issue of all is...am I invested enough to pay $3.99 for the next book in the series? I just don’t know.

For now I’m just going to pull a Cassie and waiver.(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Jen*The Geeky Book Gal* rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mar-yc-aussie, horror, urban-fantasy-paranormal

Amazon's summary:
DOLLHOUSE is a dark, Gothic, Young Adult Horror.
Four teenagers chance across a mysterious, crumbling mansion in the depths of the mountains....
One of them is about to vanish.
One of them is lying about what he or she knows.
None of them will escape the fate awaiting them in the terrifying Dollhouse beneath the old mansion--a place of nightmarish horrors and insanity.
A slow-burn nightmare, a world of supernatural darkness and strange secrets.
Six months ago, fifteen-year-old Cass...more Amazon's summary:
DOLLHOUSE is a dark, Gothic, Young Adult Horror.
Four teenagers chance across a mysterious, crumbling mansion in the depths of the mountains....
One of them is about to vanish.
One of them is lying about what he or she knows.
None of them will escape the fate awaiting them in the terrifying Dollhouse beneath the old mansion--a place of nightmarish horrors and insanity.
A slow-burn nightmare, a world of supernatural darkness and strange secrets.
Six months ago, fifteen-year-old Cassie Claiborne reluctantly moved from her home in Florida with her social worker mom. In her new home--a remote, mountainous Australian town, Cassie meets new friends--Aisha Dumaj, Ethan McAllister and Lacey Dougherty.
For the first time, Cassie falls in love. The only problem is that the boy she falls for is her friend, Ethan--and he and Aisha are already an item. When Cassie goes on a school hike to Devils Hole with her new friends, she tries desperately to keep her feelings for Ethan secret.
Aisha disappears on the hike without a trace--with the police believing she was murdered.
When Cassie, Ethan and Lacey return to the mountains to search for Aisha--Cassie begins to realize she never really knew any of her friends. Everyone has their own secrets. She discovers the stranger lurking inside everyone she thought she knew.
The darkest secret of all waits beneath the old mansion in the mountains--a secret from which there is no escape....

My thoughts:
I'm not really sure WHAT to say about this book. Did I like it? I think "like" or "enjoy" aren't the right words to use here. Maybe because of the subject matter? What starts out as a search for a missing girl turns into a paranormal "eekfest" which had me totally creeped out from about the middle of the book to the startling end. It is reminiscent of The Flowers in the Attic books that I used to read when I was a teen..that same sort of disquiet prevails all throughout and reading at night definitely gave me the willies!

I will say it was well written and although it started out a bit slow, the pace picked up and it definitely kept me guessing until the very end. However, once I got there, I wondered how this book could turn into a trilogy, as this would work well as a standalone novel.

All in all, I have to say, although disquieting, I DID want to finish it so I would have to give it a 3.5/5. If you like horror stories with paranormal elements, or are a VC Andrews fan, this would be an engrossing read for you.

For this and other reviews please see http://geekybookgal.blogspot.com (less)

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Jun 04, 2012 Katie Conigliaro rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-request, 2012-reading-challenge

Review straight from my blog: The Fiction Diaries

**EDIT** I have received confirmation from the author that the version I read is considerably shorter than the final book. She believes that it is either an earlier draft of the book or that something went wrong went converting it. That being said, obviously this review will only be so accurate. 150 pages is quite a few missing scenes and if it turns out it was a draft copy there could have been any number of edits between it and the final copy of...more Review straight from my blog: The Fiction Diaries

**EDIT** I have received confirmation from the author that the version I read is considerably shorter than the final book. She believes that it is either an earlier draft of the book or that something went wrong went converting it. That being said, obviously this review will only be so accurate. 150 pages is quite a few missing scenes and if it turns out it was a draft copy there could have been any number of edits between it and the final copy of the book. I apologize for all the confusion. Please take this review with a grain of salt as I can't be sure how big the difference is between the one I read and the one available for purchase. I may in the future read the correct version of the book and change the review accordingly, but unfortunately I simply do not have the time to do so at the moment.

Okay, so I'm not entirely sure if formatting was the reason why my version was so much shorter page wise or if my version was missing things that were put into the final version (I received a pre-release copy from the author).

This book definitely creeped me out. I always try to avoid anything that is going to scare me because I have a very overactive imagination so for me personal this probably wasn't my best decision, but if you like creepy books this is one to check out.

I personally thought this book dragged a bit. There are long conversations that don't seem to have any real purpose except to fill a few pages. Even once the creepy stuff finally started happening it felt like there was a lot of time with nothing of importance going on; the characters go through similar days over and over again and as a reader you just sit and watch waiting for something new to happen to move the plot forward again.

The characters were a bit ify for me as well. Although the book is written in first person point of view from Cassie's perspective, I feel like I never really got to know Cassie. She's always describing what is going on around her but we rarely get to hear what is going on in her head. It feels more like a book meant to be written in third person and all the "I"s are just added in. I also found it a bit hard to believe that a girl who moved to Australia from the US would be using British vernacular without a thought after only a few months.

All things aside, the story itself is an interesting one and definitely succeeds in creeping a reader out. I knew fairly early on that this was not going to be my next favorite book, but I still wanted to know how it all ended because the plot itself is rather unique - it does keep you guessing and I was determined to find out what was going on. I do feel like there were a few things that never really get explained, like why the doll house was created to begin with, but that will probably be explained in the next book.

Basically the story itself is an interesting read but the writing, to me, got in the way a bit. If you are a fan of creepy books, which I now remember I am not, then this is one to check out. For this book, I think it really all comes down to taste; I personally didn't love it, but quite a few other people have really enjoyed it.(less)

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Feb 03, 2013 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I agree with Andrea's review that would place this as a middle grade instead of a young adult book, from the emotional maturity of all of the central characters. They are just a bit too young to be dealing with adult decisions. That said, this book ( and the second) are highly imaginative, interesting books. The backstory is really what makes the whole thing so compelling, and I wish that had been brought more to the forefront in the first book. It also does drag a bit, as one gets used to their...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Amira rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, simply wow. I won an online edition of this book from a contest I entered not too long ago, and I am very happy that I did, otherwise I'd never have read this amazing but creepy book. Plus isn't the cover simply stunning? One of my favorite book covers I've laid eyes upon! Anyways, before I lose track of what this review is for, I want to warn you all, do not read this if you're easily frighten, or like I - home .. alone, in the middle of the night. It's not that's it's filled with blood or...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Kasi rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

I really didn't like this book. It was very boring, I couldn't get into it at all, the characters didn't seem to have any real motivations or substance. I finished it, because not finishing a book is not something I can do, but by the end my boyfriend kept asking "Why are you even bothering to finish it, you keep making that annoyed noise you make whenever you read science text books".

The author would have been better to just make up a fantasy world rather than trying to place this story into th...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Catherine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So, this book is scary. I would give it more stars because it was uniquely scary and complicated but that I hate the cover. I know, I know - don't judge a book by its cover; but be realistic, its human nature to do so. This book is psychologically tense and almost ends with a note of emotional desolation that drives you to distraction. I sat going "What? No, you can't stop here I need resolution or I will have nightmares!". Big scary toys will haunt me for ahwile. However, you look at the cover...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Rikki rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Either I have too much of a "horror tolerance" or this really isn't as scary as everyone is making it out to be. This is more like a thriller than a horror. And both covers for this novel are too goody-two shoes to match the entire plot of this.

If you've seen Doctor Who, you know that unless you pay attention to every little detail, the show can be a little bit confusing because there's so many bits and pieces that are out of order and blah dee blah dee blah blah. This is kind of what's happenin...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Paranormal and Ho...: YA horror, Dollhouse, has gone free everywhere	2	8	May 09, 2013 08:17pm
♥!The Young Adult...: Dollhouse has just gone free everywhere (forever :))	2	11	May 09, 2013 07:36pm
YA Golden Book Hunt: May 2013: Dollhouse	8	8	May 05, 2013 04:47pm
Apocalypse Whenever: Free on Kindle: Dollhouse	1	15	Mar 26, 2013 07:36am
Aussie Readers: Doll House - YA Gothic Mystery set in Australia	9	51	Jun 01, 2012 07:06pm

title link	preview: Dollhouse
avg rating	preview: Dollhouse Goodreads rating: 3.62 (356 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13565822-dollhouse?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1334792240l/13565822.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13565822-dollhouse?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Dollhouse by Anya Allyn[/url]

Dollhouse (Dollhouse #1)

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