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Frightville #1
Don't Let the Doll In
Welcome to Frightville... one-stop shopping for all your fears!
The perfect dollhouse needs the perfect doll.
When Mara hears about a new store called Frightville, she can't wait to check it out. On its shelves are strange and unusual gifts of all kinds. It's there that she comes face-to-face with Charlotte, a small figurine of a friendly-looking girl.
Mara instantly feels that Charlotte is meant to live with her. But once Charlotte is in the dollhouse, strange things start to happen. There are odd noises in the night, and objects from Mara's room start to go missing. Is Mara imagining things, or is this doll actually haunted?
The perfect dollhouse needs the perfect doll.
When Mara hears about a new store called Frightville, she can't wait to check it out. On its shelves are strange and unusual gifts of all kinds. It's there that she comes face-to-face with Charlotte, a small figurine of a friendly-looking girl.
Mara instantly feels that Charlotte is meant to live with her. But once Charlotte is in the dollhouse, strange things start to happen. There are odd noises in the night, and objects from Mara's room start to go missing. Is Mara imagining things, or is this doll actually haunted?
112 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2019
19 people are currently reading
239 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 15, 2021
A big thank you to Mike Ford for sending me the Frightville series in exchange for an honest review.
Being a kid in the '90s, I had a front row seat when Goosebumps mania broke out over the entire population. Everything was Goosebumps; books, action figures, board games, school supplies, alarm clocks, bedding, t-shirts, tennis shoes... I'll stop there, otherwise I'll never stop. But one of the things I loved most were the many Goosebumps knock-offs that hit bookstore shelves everywhere. These little series, while not as good as Goosebumps, served to hold me over until the next R.L. Stine book came out. (Back then, you didn't have to wait long, as he was releasing three or four a month.) And then, almost as fast as it came, Goosebumps left, and kids moved onto other things. With it disappeared the many Goosebumps knock-off books that I loved.
But, wouldn't ya know, as soon as Stine started writing Goosebumps once more for modern day kids, the knock-offs (or, as I like to put it, "throwbacks") came back! There are many to choose from, but one of the more recent series is Frightville by Mike Ford. Don't Let the Doll In is a nice start to this spooky new series.
It is about a young girl named Mara who is building a dollhouse with her mom, but before the dollhouse can be considered finished, Mara needs one more important piece: a doll to live in the house. Well, a store by the name of Frightville just opened in town, and they have just the doll for Mara, one that may be host to the spirit of a young girl.
This book definitely gave me Annabelle vibes, though I will say the spirit residing in this doll is far less dangerous. This wasn't a scary book by any means, just a quick, cute read that I think young kids will enjoy. The writing is simple, easier to read than a Goosebumps book even, and has a very simple plot. Most adults probably won't care for this... unless you are a weirdo like me and enjoy a mindless Goosebumps throwback. There are plot holes, yes, so I had to deduct a couple of stars, but I enjoyed this overall. I will definitely continue reading the series.
3 stars. Good cemetery reading material. (Yes, that's a thing for me.)
Being a kid in the '90s, I had a front row seat when Goosebumps mania broke out over the entire population. Everything was Goosebumps; books, action figures, board games, school supplies, alarm clocks, bedding, t-shirts, tennis shoes... I'll stop there, otherwise I'll never stop. But one of the things I loved most were the many Goosebumps knock-offs that hit bookstore shelves everywhere. These little series, while not as good as Goosebumps, served to hold me over until the next R.L. Stine book came out. (Back then, you didn't have to wait long, as he was releasing three or four a month.) And then, almost as fast as it came, Goosebumps left, and kids moved onto other things. With it disappeared the many Goosebumps knock-off books that I loved.
But, wouldn't ya know, as soon as Stine started writing Goosebumps once more for modern day kids, the knock-offs (or, as I like to put it, "throwbacks") came back! There are many to choose from, but one of the more recent series is Frightville by Mike Ford. Don't Let the Doll In is a nice start to this spooky new series.
It is about a young girl named Mara who is building a dollhouse with her mom, but before the dollhouse can be considered finished, Mara needs one more important piece: a doll to live in the house. Well, a store by the name of Frightville just opened in town, and they have just the doll for Mara, one that may be host to the spirit of a young girl.
This book definitely gave me Annabelle vibes, though I will say the spirit residing in this doll is far less dangerous. This wasn't a scary book by any means, just a quick, cute read that I think young kids will enjoy. The writing is simple, easier to read than a Goosebumps book even, and has a very simple plot. Most adults probably won't care for this... unless you are a weirdo like me and enjoy a mindless Goosebumps throwback. There are plot holes, yes, so I had to deduct a couple of stars, but I enjoyed this overall. I will definitely continue reading the series.
3 stars. Good cemetery reading material. (Yes, that's a thing for me.)
October 6, 2023
Goosebumps author R.L. Stine turned seventy-six years old in 2019, the year Scholastic, his publisher, debuted the Frightville series. Were they trying it out as a possible successor? I don't think the similarities in cover design and story are coincidental. Eleven-year-old Mara has built a vintage Victorian dollhouse in her bedroom. She and her mother incorporated all kinds of elaborate elements, from running wires to the little house so the lights actually work, to crafting miniature books with legible titles for the bookcase. After Krish Dhawan, a friend from school, tells Mara about a new horror-themed shop in Crowleyville, Mara visits the place and notices a lovely hand-painted doll for sale. A tiny written message accompanying the doll says her name is Charlotte, and Mara feels she would be a wonderful tenant for her dollhouse. The owner of the Frightville store, a man with slicked-back white hair who goes by the name Odson Ends, cautions Mara to recite a specific rhyme beside the dollhouse each night, directing the doll not to leave her bed. Mara doesn't take his advice seriously, but soon she'll wish she had.
Mara hosts her friend Olivia for a sleepover the first night she has Charlotte, but the fun is spoiled when Mara awakens to find a lock of her own hair has been messily sheared off. Did her brother do it? Seven-year-old Jesse tearfully, angrily denies involvement, and Mara knows Olivia wouldn't have cut her hair. It seems impossible, but Mara notices a miniature pair of scissors in the dollhouse—scissors that weren't there last night—and what looks like a doll-sized lock of hair the same color as Mara's. Unnerved, she secretly researches cursed dolls online and finds reference to a Violeta Grundy from the Eastern United States, known for her handcrafted dolls in the first half of the twentieth century. Her dolls were rumored to contain the souls of dead humans, and when Mara examines Charlotte she finds the initials "VG" on her porcelain body. Things get worse when Mara wakes up during the night as a miniature version of herself, trapped inside the dollhouse while Charlotte, now human-sized, walks around her bedroom. Can Charlotte keep her prisoner forever, or is there a way for Mara to reverse their shift in size? It turns out Charlotte has a sad, dark past, but Mara isn't about to sacrifice her own life for a doll. She needs to flip the script before Charlotte locks her away in a place her family will never think to look for her.
The premise for Don't Let the Doll In is good, but execution is sketchy. No explanation is given for why Charlotte has the power to grow big and shrink Mara to the size of a doll, nor are we told how Charlotte is able to bring her own mother back to life. And what accounts for the twist ending, which raises further unanswered questions? The story falls short of R.L. Stine's classic Goosebumps series from the 1990s, but is comparable to the later Goosebumps books, in the 2010s. I like Kevin Keele's vibrant cover art; it's not as ominous as Tim Jacobus's for the original Goosebumps, but is just about as good as Brandon Dorman's for later Goosebumps iterations. Charlotte's eyes on the cover are a lush blue; they're brown in the story, but that's a minor issue. I rate Don't Let the Doll In one and a half stars, and I'm inclined to read more Frightville books to see how the author expands and improves his vision for the series. The concept has potential.
Mara hosts her friend Olivia for a sleepover the first night she has Charlotte, but the fun is spoiled when Mara awakens to find a lock of her own hair has been messily sheared off. Did her brother do it? Seven-year-old Jesse tearfully, angrily denies involvement, and Mara knows Olivia wouldn't have cut her hair. It seems impossible, but Mara notices a miniature pair of scissors in the dollhouse—scissors that weren't there last night—and what looks like a doll-sized lock of hair the same color as Mara's. Unnerved, she secretly researches cursed dolls online and finds reference to a Violeta Grundy from the Eastern United States, known for her handcrafted dolls in the first half of the twentieth century. Her dolls were rumored to contain the souls of dead humans, and when Mara examines Charlotte she finds the initials "VG" on her porcelain body. Things get worse when Mara wakes up during the night as a miniature version of herself, trapped inside the dollhouse while Charlotte, now human-sized, walks around her bedroom. Can Charlotte keep her prisoner forever, or is there a way for Mara to reverse their shift in size? It turns out Charlotte has a sad, dark past, but Mara isn't about to sacrifice her own life for a doll. She needs to flip the script before Charlotte locks her away in a place her family will never think to look for her.
The premise for Don't Let the Doll In is good, but execution is sketchy. No explanation is given for why Charlotte has the power to grow big and shrink Mara to the size of a doll, nor are we told how Charlotte is able to bring her own mother back to life. And what accounts for the twist ending, which raises further unanswered questions? The story falls short of R.L. Stine's classic Goosebumps series from the 1990s, but is comparable to the later Goosebumps books, in the 2010s. I like Kevin Keele's vibrant cover art; it's not as ominous as Tim Jacobus's for the original Goosebumps, but is just about as good as Brandon Dorman's for later Goosebumps iterations. Charlotte's eyes on the cover are a lush blue; they're brown in the story, but that's a minor issue. I rate Don't Let the Doll In one and a half stars, and I'm inclined to read more Frightville books to see how the author expands and improves his vision for the series. The concept has potential.
August 14, 2023
Kooky supporting characters (umm, hello Odson Ends, owner of Frightville) and genuinely spooky concept. Fun!
July 7, 2021
A book for people that like me love creepy dolls and solving mysteries.
This was such a fun quick read and a great start for this middle grade spooky book series.
Mara is looking for the perfect doll to add to her new dollhouse. There is a new shop in town and rumour has it they have anything you want when it comes to toys. At the store, Mara finds this beautiful perfect oll for her dollhouse and decides she is the one. However she is warned that there is a rhyme she has to say out loud every night before she goes to sleep.
Unfortunately Mara was not really paying attention and forgets all about the lines of that rhyme and this will put her in grave danger.
A perfect Annabelle story for middle grade readers but that will also be a great fun read for adults.
This was such a fun quick read and a great start for this middle grade spooky book series.
Mara is looking for the perfect doll to add to her new dollhouse. There is a new shop in town and rumour has it they have anything you want when it comes to toys. At the store, Mara finds this beautiful perfect oll for her dollhouse and decides she is the one. However she is warned that there is a rhyme she has to say out loud every night before she goes to sleep.
Unfortunately Mara was not really paying attention and forgets all about the lines of that rhyme and this will put her in grave danger.
A perfect Annabelle story for middle grade readers but that will also be a great fun read for adults.
April 27, 2021
Fun, little haunted middle grade series!
Frightville was a rec I picked up off of Library Macabre's "Goosebumps Like" reads and I definitely enjoyed it. Mike Ford did a super job of creating an eerie atmosphere, despite the repetitive backstory that's been done in the past(haunted doll coming to life). There were moments that I was legitimately creeped out. I ordered the rest of the series and am totally excited to dive in!
The first book is definitely targeted for elementary readers, but I had a great time with it. I can see this being PERFECT for some of my middle schoolers. Four stars from me!
Frightville was a rec I picked up off of Library Macabre's "Goosebumps Like" reads and I definitely enjoyed it. Mike Ford did a super job of creating an eerie atmosphere, despite the repetitive backstory that's been done in the past(haunted doll coming to life). There were moments that I was legitimately creeped out. I ordered the rest of the series and am totally excited to dive in!
The first book is definitely targeted for elementary readers, but I had a great time with it. I can see this being PERFECT for some of my middle schoolers. Four stars from me!
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December 8, 2020Eleanor says she can’t say anything about this book except that she loves it. She got it at the book fair at school and it was a little spooky but she really really really liked it. She loves scary stuff.
December 9, 2020
I love it. Spooky at it's finest level I could say. Though I expected little bit more but it was ok enough and I completely loved it...
Mara and her mother building a doll house and from Frightvile Mara did find a doll named Charlotte. At the first site of seeing the doll she immediately fall for it and bring that in her dollhouse. Things begin soon enough to realise that at night she could say she was not alone but something not right with her room. While one day her friend Olivia living in her room for a night Mara could identify something very unusual that the doll named as Charlotte actually got some crazy things about it. Could that be a haunted doll or everything that she's listening or dreaming were all fake or delusion? She needs to act very fast before times ran out from her side...
Giving it 4...
Mara and her mother building a doll house and from Frightvile Mara did find a doll named Charlotte. At the first site of seeing the doll she immediately fall for it and bring that in her dollhouse. Things begin soon enough to realise that at night she could say she was not alone but something not right with her room. While one day her friend Olivia living in her room for a night Mara could identify something very unusual that the doll named as Charlotte actually got some crazy things about it. Could that be a haunted doll or everything that she's listening or dreaming were all fake or delusion? She needs to act very fast before times ran out from her side...
Giving it 4...
October 25, 2021
Frightville was kind of scary but interesting, I would recommend this book for kids grade 4th or 5th.
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November 10, 2022my favorite characters where Mara and Charlotte
i thought the book was good it had a lot mystery but I wish there was more cuz it left with a big cliffhanger
i thought the book was good it had a lot mystery but I wish there was more cuz it left with a big cliffhanger
February 8, 2020
We have been doing a chapter or two a night with my youngest for a few weeks now. Internet is out across the northeast, so we burned through the rest of it today.
The idea of a shop full of strange items sort of reminded me of what I have heard about Needful Things. This book was perfect for my eight year old. It had a bit of creepy lore in it about making dolls to represent the dead. It introduced a few horror tropes. Had an eerie vibe, but never went over the top.
The final solution the protagonist comes up with at the tail end seemed a bit abrupt, and seemed unnecessary.
The characters are all common archetypes. There isn’t a lot of character development, but you can’t expect a lot in a book this short. So you end up with the protagonist and a bunch of foils who carry with them enough for the reader to imprint their own family members onto the characters. Aloof dad joke dad. Aloof and concerned, nurturing mom. Annoying little brother who you loathe and love. It’s all there. And it works. I eat this shit right up.
The twist at the very end was cute, in a Goosebumps sort of way.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series just like we read this one. The first chapter was included in this one. Interesting concept.
The idea of a shop full of strange items sort of reminded me of what I have heard about Needful Things. This book was perfect for my eight year old. It had a bit of creepy lore in it about making dolls to represent the dead. It introduced a few horror tropes. Had an eerie vibe, but never went over the top.
The final solution the protagonist comes up with at the tail end seemed a bit abrupt, and seemed unnecessary.
The characters are all common archetypes. There isn’t a lot of character development, but you can’t expect a lot in a book this short. So you end up with the protagonist and a bunch of foils who carry with them enough for the reader to imprint their own family members onto the characters. Aloof dad joke dad. Aloof and concerned, nurturing mom. Annoying little brother who you loathe and love. It’s all there. And it works. I eat this shit right up.
The twist at the very end was cute, in a Goosebumps sort of way.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series just like we read this one. The first chapter was included in this one. Interesting concept.
April 27, 2020
I read this book along with my second grader and we both enjoyed it. It had some creepy parts, but I think we were expecting more. We found the resolution a bit anticlimactic, but we were still surprised by the ending.
3⭐
3⭐
October 2, 2019
FRIGHTVILLE is a very good book. People who like scary books should read this. Although it's not that scary it's still a very good book. I give this book a 4/5.
October 14, 2020
Warning, this doll comes to life.. and is very interested in your life. Muhahaha.
My first Frightville. I bumped against this series on, I believe, Twitter and was instantly curious about it. I wanted more Halloween books and this one seemed right up my alley. So I got the first 3 books.
In this one a girl has made a gorgeous and beautiful dollhouse, but now she needs an occupant for it. She learns of a shop named Frightville (fabulous name btw) and she visits it. There she gets the doll Charlotte. I was already from that point shouting NOPE NOPE NOPE at my screen. Come on, the shopowner was odd (even more so with his name) and then he goes to the back of the store to some old case with old toys. I just knew it was a bad idea. I guess, maybe if the rhyme had worked, but really, do you think that kids will remember that? Or care for it? This is such a standard thing in horror books, especially for kids. The many times the kids didn’t care in Goosebumps, or in Are you afraid of the dark, or in Eerie Indiana. Do you want me to go? So I was just waiting to see what kind of spooky things would happen when one wouldn’t say that rhyme.
And spooky things happened. Though I have to say, despite this being about a doll coming to life and me being terribly afraid of that, it was only mildly spooky. Maybe a 3 on a scale of 10. But despite it not being that spooky it was a fun read and I had fun seeing how our MC would solve her wandering-around-at-night-problem and later she has another problem on her hands. I was rooting for our MC that she would get out and be able to solve things. Get back to her normal life again. No spooky dolls. Or well, I guess this girl is totally off dolls after this one. 😛
I loved the old ladies we met when our MC, as expected, goes back to the spooky store. I do hope they make another appearance in the next books.
While the ending is not original, it has almost become standard to put a twist in the end of a children’s horror story, I still found it well done and I was grinning ear to ear. That was a good way to end it!
All in all, a good first book, definitely has me curious for the next books. I would recommend it.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
My first Frightville. I bumped against this series on, I believe, Twitter and was instantly curious about it. I wanted more Halloween books and this one seemed right up my alley. So I got the first 3 books.
In this one a girl has made a gorgeous and beautiful dollhouse, but now she needs an occupant for it. She learns of a shop named Frightville (fabulous name btw) and she visits it. There she gets the doll Charlotte. I was already from that point shouting NOPE NOPE NOPE at my screen. Come on, the shopowner was odd (even more so with his name) and then he goes to the back of the store to some old case with old toys. I just knew it was a bad idea. I guess, maybe if the rhyme had worked, but really, do you think that kids will remember that? Or care for it? This is such a standard thing in horror books, especially for kids. The many times the kids didn’t care in Goosebumps, or in Are you afraid of the dark, or in Eerie Indiana. Do you want me to go? So I was just waiting to see what kind of spooky things would happen when one wouldn’t say that rhyme.
And spooky things happened. Though I have to say, despite this being about a doll coming to life and me being terribly afraid of that, it was only mildly spooky. Maybe a 3 on a scale of 10. But despite it not being that spooky it was a fun read and I had fun seeing how our MC would solve her wandering-around-at-night-problem and later she has another problem on her hands. I was rooting for our MC that she would get out and be able to solve things. Get back to her normal life again. No spooky dolls. Or well, I guess this girl is totally off dolls after this one. 😛
I loved the old ladies we met when our MC, as expected, goes back to the spooky store. I do hope they make another appearance in the next books.
While the ending is not original, it has almost become standard to put a twist in the end of a children’s horror story, I still found it well done and I was grinning ear to ear. That was a good way to end it!
All in all, a good first book, definitely has me curious for the next books. I would recommend it.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
November 2, 2022
This is a relatively gentle (despite the title and creepy "Chucky" cover) chapter book exploration of a haunted mourning doll from Victorian times who ends up in a little girl’s bedroom.
At first Mara’s delighted with her new doll, which she got from the new store in town, Frightville. The proprietor tells her not to forget to recite a poem before going to bed in order to keep the doll a doll, not explaining what will happen if the poem’s not recited faithfully.
Mara, of course, promptly forgets to say the poem. At first the doll just moves around, isn’t where Mara expects her to be the next morning. Then Mara hears noises at night, catches glimpses in the dark, but nothing’s certain.
Then Mara wakes up in the middle of the night – but not in her own bed. In the little dollhouse brass bed. Which is frightening enough! But there's more... delightfully frightening more.
I won’t spoil the story or the twist at the end. These chapter books for emerging readers are super short (112 pages) and relatively gentle, compared to some of the other middle grade books I’ve read this month. They invoke slightly more chilling aspects of the RL Stine Goosebumps books.
Enjoy the creepy doll tale!
Looking for more book suggestions for your classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
At first Mara’s delighted with her new doll, which she got from the new store in town, Frightville. The proprietor tells her not to forget to recite a poem before going to bed in order to keep the doll a doll, not explaining what will happen if the poem’s not recited faithfully.
Mara, of course, promptly forgets to say the poem. At first the doll just moves around, isn’t where Mara expects her to be the next morning. Then Mara hears noises at night, catches glimpses in the dark, but nothing’s certain.
Then Mara wakes up in the middle of the night – but not in her own bed. In the little dollhouse brass bed. Which is frightening enough! But there's more... delightfully frightening more.
I won’t spoil the story or the twist at the end. These chapter books for emerging readers are super short (112 pages) and relatively gentle, compared to some of the other middle grade books I’ve read this month. They invoke slightly more chilling aspects of the RL Stine Goosebumps books.
Enjoy the creepy doll tale!
Looking for more book suggestions for your classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
April 27, 2022
I teach fourth grade and read this on a student's recommendation. She is an avid reader and participated in Battle of the Books this year, the first time it has ever been offered to the students at our school, (the first year we've had a librarian that I've been there). Every day she asked me if I read it, of course she gave it to me the day before Spring Break, hello..... Spring Break.... I read, but MY books!
I sat down today to read it. I really enjoyed it and am thankful she thought it was worthy to share with her teacher. It is a quick read for an adult, at a little over 100 pages, in a larger font.
Mara and her mother build a Victorian dollhouse. Her father helps by sewing a quilt made out of some of Mara's old clothes. One day, Mara hears of a new store in town called Frightville that sells dolls and other unusual items. She and her brother stop by and she finds a doll named Charlotte. Charlotte is the "perfect fit" for her house. She gives Charlotte the best room in the house. It is not too long before strange things begin happening...
I think the intrigue is about right for many fourth graders. The writing is easy to understand and lets the readers make inferences about what they think may happen next.
I sat down today to read it. I really enjoyed it and am thankful she thought it was worthy to share with her teacher. It is a quick read for an adult, at a little over 100 pages, in a larger font.
Mara and her mother build a Victorian dollhouse. Her father helps by sewing a quilt made out of some of Mara's old clothes. One day, Mara hears of a new store in town called Frightville that sells dolls and other unusual items. She and her brother stop by and she finds a doll named Charlotte. Charlotte is the "perfect fit" for her house. She gives Charlotte the best room in the house. It is not too long before strange things begin happening...
I think the intrigue is about right for many fourth graders. The writing is easy to understand and lets the readers make inferences about what they think may happen next.
May 12, 2020
Mara and her mother have been working on her dollhouse for months and it is finally done, all it needs is the finishing touch – a doll to live in it. When Mara hears about the new store, Frightville, she knows just where to go. To Mara’s amazement, she discovers a little doll hidden in a glass case. Truly unique in her little red dress, she is the perfect match, but the moment she brings her home, strange things start to happen. The first night, Mara is certain the doll is moving around, then objects start being rearranged, and the clock hands begin to move. Is Mara’s doll haunted, or is this all a bad dream?
Don’t Let the Doll in is the perfect scary read for the 3rd and 4th grade reading levels; pairing just enough scary elements with easy to read chapters and an exciting reading tempo that will keep young readers interested.
For more reviews please visit my Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/amy_forthel...
Don’t Let the Doll in is the perfect scary read for the 3rd and 4th grade reading levels; pairing just enough scary elements with easy to read chapters and an exciting reading tempo that will keep young readers interested.
For more reviews please visit my Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/amy_forthel...
December 6, 2021
This book is more a 2.5-3 than an actual 2. The reason for the lower score, is that this is not the best book in the young-reader thriller genre that I read, but it also is not the worse. I would have probably been on the higher side of ages 8-10 for reading it but know I would have enjoyed the mystery of who was causing trouble in Mara's home. Then, the battle at the end was classic. However, as an adult reading, the flaws come out. This is a spooky story but not over the top. It could be considered a Goosebumps for the slightly younger crowd. If you have a sensitive reader, it might not be the best, but overall, a decent "beach read" for a mystery/thriller/slightly horror (nothing graphic or gory, just supernatural) reader.
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October 2, 2019This book is spooky, and if you want to fit in the holiday, read this book, because you will get spooked.This book is about a girl named Mara, and she bought a doll, because she knew that is was meant fr her, but when she bought the doll, strange things start to happen, objects are miss, and odd noises.
Read this book if you dare.
Read this book if you dare.
October 1, 2020
Don't judge me! When I heard that Michael Thomas Ford (Mike here) writes a children's horror series a la Goosebumps I was sold. SOLD! I love the little touches, like the pony show, and all around it's solidly put together and works. As a fan of Goosebumps, this is better, with just as much weird and camp. Recommended!
November 26, 2019
This book is pretty creepy. Anything with dolls is sure to be a creepy horror story. Author Mike Ford creates just enough suspense and creepiness to keep the story going...and the end is such a cliffhanger I need to know what happens next in the story of Mara and Charlotte.
October 13, 2024
I thought this was a good book for the age it would attract! Another Halloween season read for me that wasn't really "scary" to an adult but for a kid to read I feel like may be a little spooky. Loved the ending AND found the name of the owner of the Frightville store "Odsen Ends" funny 😆!
September 9, 2019
I read this for my daughter. A few creepy parts
October 15, 2019
Not too scary but still not OK for some kids. Know your reader.
July 2, 2020
I love that there is a new scary/creepy series for younger readers. This book is well worth the read!!!
September 21, 2020
Read with my 10 year old. Fun book. Im sure we will read others in the series.
September 24, 2020
Cute. Fun "scary" book for elementary students looking for a spooky story. Can't beat a creepy doll.
October 3, 2020
Excellent readalike to the Goosebumps series.
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October 4, 2020Less scary than Goosebumps, not enough buildup
October 17, 2020
Interesting concept...a little confused about a few things.
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October 26, 2020I loved it! I am a lover of all things horror and I think this book totally reached my expectations.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews