Toyland

by Florence Ramie

The evil past in the form of a ghostly little girl haunts the MacKenzie family with visions of danger and death.

Genres: Horror

400 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1986

Reviews

[Chewie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Toyland for what it was. I’ll admit I went in with different expectations based on the title, but it still delivered a solid, eerie story. A twist on the classic, “new house, dark secrets” setup. It follows a family that’s been through their share of hardships and is hoping for a fresh start in a new home. Only to find something sinister waiting for them from the moment they arrive. What I really enjoyed was how the focus shifted to the kids as they tried to uncover what was happening, rather than the adults taking center stage. It gave the story a fun, youthful edge and made the mystery feel more immediate. If you like the movie Poltergeist or Amityville, you’ll enjoy this book.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toyland tells the story of a charming family nearly torn asunder by infidelity who make the jump for a new life in an old home that seems to carry its own dangerous baggage. The Mackenzies gave me Freeling family (of Poltergeist) vibes that I enjoyed - even bringing me to the point of becoming emotional *with* the kids on the page, like a great Spielberg film usually does!
The kids all wise up quick to the funny goings-on after a few nasty “accidents” and eldest Ian sets out to find answers. There’s a fantastically creepy 1904 time jump that serves up a few of those answers. Dad is busy with the new job, leaving his wife to the stresses of moving as she experiences vivid nightmares, an entity called “Abigail” that threatens the children, and visions from a sordid past that just won’t quit. She’s just doing her best, the poor thing!
I found myself pleasantly nervous for the last act as I began to question whether certain things were real and feared for the family’s safety as I read. Books like that stay with me. A great read, I recommend it!

[Mitchell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started off cool but all the religious BS got really annoying.