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The Dollhouse: A Ghost Story
A creepy, mysterious dollhouse takes center stage in this atmospheric middle-grade mystery for fans of Doll Bones and Small Spaces .
Alice's world is falling apart. Her parents are getting a divorce, and they've cancelled their yearly cottage trip -- the one thing that gets Alice through the school year. Instead, Alice and her mom are heading to some small town where Alice's mom will be a live-in nurse to a rich elderly lady.
The house is huge, imposing and spooky, and everything inside is meticulously kept and perfect -- not a fun place to spend the summer. Things start to get weird when Alice finds a dollhouse in the attic that's an exact replica of the house she's living in. Then she wakes up to find a girl asleep next to her in her bed -- a girl who looks a lot like one of the dolls from the dollhouse . . .
When the dollhouse starts to change when Alice isn't looking, she knows she has to solve the mystery. Who are the girls in the dollhouse? What happened to them? And what is their connection to the mean and mysterious woman who owns the house?
Alice's world is falling apart. Her parents are getting a divorce, and they've cancelled their yearly cottage trip -- the one thing that gets Alice through the school year. Instead, Alice and her mom are heading to some small town where Alice's mom will be a live-in nurse to a rich elderly lady.
The house is huge, imposing and spooky, and everything inside is meticulously kept and perfect -- not a fun place to spend the summer. Things start to get weird when Alice finds a dollhouse in the attic that's an exact replica of the house she's living in. Then she wakes up to find a girl asleep next to her in her bed -- a girl who looks a lot like one of the dolls from the dollhouse . . .
When the dollhouse starts to change when Alice isn't looking, she knows she has to solve the mystery. Who are the girls in the dollhouse? What happened to them? And what is their connection to the mean and mysterious woman who owns the house?
360 pages, Hardcover
First published August 31, 2021
32 people are currently reading
1135 people want to read
About the author
Charis Cotter
14 books147 followersCharis Cotter is a writer, editor and storyteller living in Newfoundland. She grew up in Cabbagetown and Parkdale in downtown Toronto. After taking a degree in English at Glendon College, York University, she went on to study acting at The Drama Studio in London, England. After several years as an actor, she moved into publishing, where she has been working as a freelance editor and writer for more than 20 years.
In 2005 Charis won the Heritage Toronto Award of Excellence for her book, Toronto Between the Wars: Life in the City 1919–1939. Since then she has written several critically acclaimed children’s books, including a series of biographies about extraordinary children and an illustrated book about international ghosts. Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors was a finalist for the 2010 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-fiction.
Charis first toured schools as an actor in a Young People’s Theatre production of W. O. Mitchell’s "Jake and the Kid." Her favourite part of the show was interacting with the students during the question period after the play. Today Charis is known for her lively school presentations, based on her books. She has toured Canada from coast to coast, entertaining children with her alter egos: Queen Elizabeth II (complete with gown, crown and royal attitude) and the Scottish Silky Ghost, who dusts everything in sight, including children. Her fascination with ghosts has led her to many far corners of Newfoundland, looking for ghost stories.
In 2013 Charis founded her own publishing company, Baccalieu Books, to publish The Ghosts of Baccalieu. She created this book with the students from Tricon Elementary School in Bay de Verde, with funding from ArtsSmarts.* Students contributed drawings and traditional ghost stories collected from the community. Charis has sold The Ghosts of Baccalieu to libraries, bookstores and the general public, with a portion of the revenue going back to Tricon Elementary.
Charis continues to do ghost storytelling workshops at schools, community centres and book festivals. She reviews children’s books for the National Reading Campaign, Quill and Quire and The Canadian Children’s Book News.
The Swallow: A Ghost Story, was published by Tundra Books (Random House) in September 2014. This spooky gothic novel, set in Cabbagetown, Toronto, in the 1960s, is partially based on Charis’s childhood experiences living behind a cemetery. The German translation rights have been purchased by cbjVerlag/Random House Germany, who will publish it as Das Unsichtbare Mädchen (The Invisible Girl). The school presentation for The Swallow features a theatrical performance of an excerpt from the book and a ghost-story writing workshop.
*ArtsSmarts is sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the Department of Education through the Cultural Connections Strategy.
In 2005 Charis won the Heritage Toronto Award of Excellence for her book, Toronto Between the Wars: Life in the City 1919–1939. Since then she has written several critically acclaimed children’s books, including a series of biographies about extraordinary children and an illustrated book about international ghosts. Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors was a finalist for the 2010 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-fiction.
Charis first toured schools as an actor in a Young People’s Theatre production of W. O. Mitchell’s "Jake and the Kid." Her favourite part of the show was interacting with the students during the question period after the play. Today Charis is known for her lively school presentations, based on her books. She has toured Canada from coast to coast, entertaining children with her alter egos: Queen Elizabeth II (complete with gown, crown and royal attitude) and the Scottish Silky Ghost, who dusts everything in sight, including children. Her fascination with ghosts has led her to many far corners of Newfoundland, looking for ghost stories.
In 2013 Charis founded her own publishing company, Baccalieu Books, to publish The Ghosts of Baccalieu. She created this book with the students from Tricon Elementary School in Bay de Verde, with funding from ArtsSmarts.* Students contributed drawings and traditional ghost stories collected from the community. Charis has sold The Ghosts of Baccalieu to libraries, bookstores and the general public, with a portion of the revenue going back to Tricon Elementary.
Charis continues to do ghost storytelling workshops at schools, community centres and book festivals. She reviews children’s books for the National Reading Campaign, Quill and Quire and The Canadian Children’s Book News.
The Swallow: A Ghost Story, was published by Tundra Books (Random House) in September 2014. This spooky gothic novel, set in Cabbagetown, Toronto, in the 1960s, is partially based on Charis’s childhood experiences living behind a cemetery. The German translation rights have been purchased by cbjVerlag/Random House Germany, who will publish it as Das Unsichtbare Mädchen (The Invisible Girl). The school presentation for The Swallow features a theatrical performance of an excerpt from the book and a ghost-story writing workshop.
*ArtsSmarts is sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the Department of Education through the Cultural Connections Strategy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
August 19, 2021
An isolated manor house, a possibly haunted dollhouse, and one girl who doesn't know what is real, where is real, or if she is real.
This proved so much less horrifying but so much more intriguing than I imagined it would be. I was initially drawn to this story for the Gothic elements it hinted at containing but the multiple mysteries are what kept me hooked. There were some unanticipated reveals and a great eerie tone delivered throughout. I could not guess what direction the story would go in but was really pleased by the ingenuity of what was delivered and the open-ended conclusion means there is hopefully a sequel to come at some point too.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Charis Cotter, and the publisher, , for this opportunity.
This proved so much less horrifying but so much more intriguing than I imagined it would be. I was initially drawn to this story for the Gothic elements it hinted at containing but the multiple mysteries are what kept me hooked. There were some unanticipated reveals and a great eerie tone delivered throughout. I could not guess what direction the story would go in but was really pleased by the ingenuity of what was delivered and the open-ended conclusion means there is hopefully a sequel to come at some point too.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Charis Cotter, and the publisher, , for this opportunity.
November 5, 2022
2.5 stars
I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
But I had a bad habit of getting lost in my imagination. Sometimes it got me into trouble.
Alice is twelve years old when her parents have drifted so far apart that her mother decides that her father will never put his family ahead of his work. As a nurse that works on contract, Alice's mother decides to take a job that will have her and Alice staying with an elder lady who has just broken her leg and will take care of her until it heals. Alice already has an overactive imagination, so when the residence they are staying at turns to be a turn of the century Victorian house that comes equipped with secret passages and, possibly, ghosts, she starts to question her reality.
The ghost bed. The ghost girl. Now I was sure. It wasn't a nightmare.
The Dollhouse was a young adult story that started off acknowledging the story's point-of-view was from an unreliable narrator, Alice. Readers are given multiple examples of how Alice spun instances out of control, her mother being late home one night has Alice thinking she died in a car cash and imagining her father dating and marrying a woman who hates Alice. So, when Alice arrives at the Victorian house, readers aren't sure if they should trust how Alice is “seeing” circumstances and events, thus, giving the story a mystery, thriller, and spooky feel without having to give truly scary moments for younger readers.
There was nothing else there except---a dollhouse.
On the way to the house, Alice and her mother take a train and when the train makes an abrupt stop, Alice hits her head hard. She starts to think there was a big train accident and even though her mother tells her she just bumped her head, the question of was there a dangerous accident, floats through the story. Is Alice trying to be a unreliable narrator, is her concussion playing a part in her foggy mind, or is there something supernatural going on that ties into the house they're staying at? Things pick up pretty quick as on the first night Alice stays at the house, she wakes up to a girl in her bed, thinking she is a ghost, she of course freaks out but her mother and the older woman, work to convince her it was a just a dream. A secondary character that plays a big part is the housekeeper's daughter, an intellectual disabled girl named Lily. Lily claims to see the ghost girl too and the two end up playing off each other.
When they discover an exact replica dollhouse of the Victorian home in the attic, things start to feel like they are spinning out of control when they notice that wherever and however they dress the dolls, affects how Alice sees the ghost girl and her sister when she visits them when she falls asleep. The story had a little bit of The Others and Last Night in Soho movies. I thought the addition of Alice's parents divorce felt shoehorned in at times but it had it's moments of playing into the theme of don't keep your emotions locked away; a theme I'm not sure middle-schoolers would completely get. This would be a fun book for a parent to share with their child for the Halloween season and discuss the issues and keep each other guessing if Alice is getting lost to her imagination or if something supernatural is going on.
I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
But I had a bad habit of getting lost in my imagination. Sometimes it got me into trouble.
Alice is twelve years old when her parents have drifted so far apart that her mother decides that her father will never put his family ahead of his work. As a nurse that works on contract, Alice's mother decides to take a job that will have her and Alice staying with an elder lady who has just broken her leg and will take care of her until it heals. Alice already has an overactive imagination, so when the residence they are staying at turns to be a turn of the century Victorian house that comes equipped with secret passages and, possibly, ghosts, she starts to question her reality.
The ghost bed. The ghost girl. Now I was sure. It wasn't a nightmare.
The Dollhouse was a young adult story that started off acknowledging the story's point-of-view was from an unreliable narrator, Alice. Readers are given multiple examples of how Alice spun instances out of control, her mother being late home one night has Alice thinking she died in a car cash and imagining her father dating and marrying a woman who hates Alice. So, when Alice arrives at the Victorian house, readers aren't sure if they should trust how Alice is “seeing” circumstances and events, thus, giving the story a mystery, thriller, and spooky feel without having to give truly scary moments for younger readers.
There was nothing else there except---a dollhouse.
On the way to the house, Alice and her mother take a train and when the train makes an abrupt stop, Alice hits her head hard. She starts to think there was a big train accident and even though her mother tells her she just bumped her head, the question of was there a dangerous accident, floats through the story. Is Alice trying to be a unreliable narrator, is her concussion playing a part in her foggy mind, or is there something supernatural going on that ties into the house they're staying at? Things pick up pretty quick as on the first night Alice stays at the house, she wakes up to a girl in her bed, thinking she is a ghost, she of course freaks out but her mother and the older woman, work to convince her it was a just a dream. A secondary character that plays a big part is the housekeeper's daughter, an intellectual disabled girl named Lily. Lily claims to see the ghost girl too and the two end up playing off each other.
When they discover an exact replica dollhouse of the Victorian home in the attic, things start to feel like they are spinning out of control when they notice that wherever and however they dress the dolls, affects how Alice sees the ghost girl and her sister when she visits them when she falls asleep. The story had a little bit of The Others and Last Night in Soho movies. I thought the addition of Alice's parents divorce felt shoehorned in at times but it had it's moments of playing into the theme of don't keep your emotions locked away; a theme I'm not sure middle-schoolers would completely get. This would be a fun book for a parent to share with their child for the Halloween season and discuss the issues and keep each other guessing if Alice is getting lost to her imagination or if something supernatural is going on.
October 22, 2021
Wow. Wow. WOW. I LOVED this! This was mind blowing AMAZING! And I MEAN mind blowing. I would have gotten such a headache trying to write something like this, & then have it all come together & make sense? This author did this brilliantly! My brain was in literal knots trying to figure out what was real, what was a dream or Magic or WHAT! I had NO idea what was going to happen next, & I couldn’t wrap my head around everything good enough to even begin to tell you how it might end. And WHAT AN ENDING! So GOOD! It all came together, & was just so beautiful. Everything I wanted answers for was answered.
And when I say atmospheric, boy do I mean ATMOSPHERIC! This old house that looks like it’s stuck in time in the 1920s inside, the strange cantankerous old lady upstairs, & the DOLLHOUSE! I always wanted one like the one described(minus all the spooky stuff lol), but now….not so sure! Trains are so atmospheric themselves, even just the mentioning of the whistle blowing. They can be tragic too(I’ve been on 1 train. 8th grade. We stopped on the way back & nobody told us why for hours. We hadn’t felt anything. But a man with his young son tried to beat the train instead of stopping & waiting. It was tragic, & we blamed ourselves because our class made the train late in leaving..it was awful).
Amazing characters as well. Alice is such a tough kid-with so much change & everything happening, plus what she has to go through in this house & with the dollhouse. Lilly though. Lilly has my heart. “I think so.” Yes she does. Such a bright light in Alice’s dark time. So glad Alice had her. Such a hauntingly beautiful read. The intrigue remained high, & I read the last almost 65% in 1 go. So literally couldn’t put it down. Great themes in here as well. So much adventure, mystery, friendship, family, & imagination. HIGHLY recommend. I have quite a few of the authors other books, & now I want to read them all ASAP lol. STUNNING cover by Chloe Bristol too!💜
And when I say atmospheric, boy do I mean ATMOSPHERIC! This old house that looks like it’s stuck in time in the 1920s inside, the strange cantankerous old lady upstairs, & the DOLLHOUSE! I always wanted one like the one described(minus all the spooky stuff lol), but now….not so sure! Trains are so atmospheric themselves, even just the mentioning of the whistle blowing. They can be tragic too(I’ve been on 1 train. 8th grade. We stopped on the way back & nobody told us why for hours. We hadn’t felt anything. But a man with his young son tried to beat the train instead of stopping & waiting. It was tragic, & we blamed ourselves because our class made the train late in leaving..it was awful).
Amazing characters as well. Alice is such a tough kid-with so much change & everything happening, plus what she has to go through in this house & with the dollhouse. Lilly though. Lilly has my heart. “I think so.” Yes she does. Such a bright light in Alice’s dark time. So glad Alice had her. Such a hauntingly beautiful read. The intrigue remained high, & I read the last almost 65% in 1 go. So literally couldn’t put it down. Great themes in here as well. So much adventure, mystery, friendship, family, & imagination. HIGHLY recommend. I have quite a few of the authors other books, & now I want to read them all ASAP lol. STUNNING cover by Chloe Bristol too!💜
November 25, 2021
"Some things are better locked away."
I really wanted to enjoy this slightly magical, slightly spooky mystery. Alas, my reading experience was ruined by the author's ableism. There are two side characters with disabilities (Lily and Bubble) whom the author infatilises every time they make an appearance on the page. There is no scene with these characters in which the author doesn't draw attention to their physical age vs. supposed "mental" age.
For example:
"She spoke like a little girl, but she looked almost grown-up."
"She was obviously older than Fizz, but she talked and played like a little girl."
"Bubble certainly looked twenty-one tonight, but everyone in that room knew that she was just a little girl in every other way."
Disability is also romanticized, as when the main character (Alice) says:
"I suddenly wished more than anything that I was Lily and not me. She was just so happy."
In the author's note, it's revealed that these two side characters were inspired by the author's interactions with an ACTUAL disabled person named Sarah, whom she calls her muse. The author says:
"I liked her a lot: she was engaging, affectionate and enthusiastic. I learned that she had developmental differences, and would always have a child's outlook on life. I couldn't stop thinking about her, and I knew I wanted a character like her in one of my books."
Inspiration porn, much? Gross. This book gets a firm NOPE from me.
I really wanted to enjoy this slightly magical, slightly spooky mystery. Alas, my reading experience was ruined by the author's ableism. There are two side characters with disabilities (Lily and Bubble) whom the author infatilises every time they make an appearance on the page. There is no scene with these characters in which the author doesn't draw attention to their physical age vs. supposed "mental" age.
For example:
"She spoke like a little girl, but she looked almost grown-up."
"She was obviously older than Fizz, but she talked and played like a little girl."
"Bubble certainly looked twenty-one tonight, but everyone in that room knew that she was just a little girl in every other way."
Disability is also romanticized, as when the main character (Alice) says:
"I suddenly wished more than anything that I was Lily and not me. She was just so happy."
In the author's note, it's revealed that these two side characters were inspired by the author's interactions with an ACTUAL disabled person named Sarah, whom she calls her muse. The author says:
"I liked her a lot: she was engaging, affectionate and enthusiastic. I learned that she had developmental differences, and would always have a child's outlook on life. I couldn't stop thinking about her, and I knew I wanted a character like her in one of my books."
Inspiration porn, much? Gross. This book gets a firm NOPE from me.
September 11, 2021
Hmm. I have teetered back and forth between 2 and 3 stars for this one. I think I'm settling on a 2.5 rounded down and I'll explain why.
Let's start with the good: this was a creative story. It kind of reminded me a little bit of that movie The Others with Nicole Kidman. It didn't have the same plotline or anything, but it did give me the same vibes. I liked that the line between the real word and the dollhouse world became thinner and thinner to the point that the reader couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't.
But here is where I roll into what I had the major problem with... by the end of the book, I still couldn't tell if certain things were real and actually happened or if they were just fake memories. Alice had several memories or dreams of things that did/didn't happen and there was no closure or explanation. Sure, we found out what really happened in Mrs. Bishop's life, but I still have no clue what went on in Alice's. I don't know what the parallels mean and what actually happened.
Some will argue that's the beauty of a good ghost story. Not me. I need answers. Otherwise, what did I spend my time reading this book for? I went through all of the confusion to get to the end and leave feeling.... confused? Argh.
It was compelling enough and it was something different that I haven't read before, but it's just not the type of ghost story I like.
Let's start with the good: this was a creative story. It kind of reminded me a little bit of that movie The Others with Nicole Kidman. It didn't have the same plotline or anything, but it did give me the same vibes. I liked that the line between the real word and the dollhouse world became thinner and thinner to the point that the reader couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't.
But here is where I roll into what I had the major problem with... by the end of the book, I still couldn't tell if certain things were real and actually happened or if they were just fake memories. Alice had several memories or dreams of things that did/didn't happen and there was no closure or explanation. Sure, we found out what really happened in Mrs. Bishop's life, but I still have no clue what went on in Alice's. I don't know what the parallels mean and what actually happened.
Some will argue that's the beauty of a good ghost story. Not me. I need answers. Otherwise, what did I spend my time reading this book for? I went through all of the confusion to get to the end and leave feeling.... confused? Argh.
It was compelling enough and it was something different that I haven't read before, but it's just not the type of ghost story I like.
August 5, 2021
*thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books and Charis Cotter for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
3 stars.
Overall this was a good read. From the very beginning I had guessed what had happened but that didn't ruin the story for me because while is guessed the main part, I discovered that there were man details I hadn't figured out.
I did find about 20% of it dragged, somewhere around the middle of it. But by the 70% mark, it had captured my interest again.
I wouldn't class this as creepy as it's stated. I actually forgot it was ment to be. I am keeping in mind that this is a middle grade age range story but even so, it wasn't creepy at all. Mysterious yes. Creepy, no.
I'm glad I got to read this. I found it to be well written for the most part and a great story.
3 stars.
Overall this was a good read. From the very beginning I had guessed what had happened but that didn't ruin the story for me because while is guessed the main part, I discovered that there were man details I hadn't figured out.
I did find about 20% of it dragged, somewhere around the middle of it. But by the 70% mark, it had captured my interest again.
I wouldn't class this as creepy as it's stated. I actually forgot it was ment to be. I am keeping in mind that this is a middle grade age range story but even so, it wasn't creepy at all. Mysterious yes. Creepy, no.
I'm glad I got to read this. I found it to be well written for the most part and a great story.
June 4, 2023
The premise of this book really interested me, it sounded like something I'd love, but in the end I would label it as just "okay". I'm giving it 3 stars because I think this is something I would have liked when I was younger and the intended audience.
First I'll talk about the things I liked, which was mostly the overall atmosphere and setting. I liked the house and I liked the train. The idea of the mystery is good, and I liked how the mystery of what happened to the people in the dollhouse concluded. The main character Alice has an overactive imagination that causes her to confuse reality with what's in her head. Sometimes I enjoyed this, but other times I felt like it made things more confusing or was used for convenience to not explain things fully.
Now for the things I didn't like. I'll start with one part that just felt odd to me, I'm pretty sure there's some romanticizing of disability in this book? Which, I did not expect. I'm not someone with a disability, so I can't speak to how it might make someone feel who does have one, but the description and treatment of some of the characters just felt... weird to me. There are two characters with developmental disabilities who are portrayed in this idealized light, and something about it just didn't sit right with me.
This book was also way longer than it needed to be, especially given the intended audience being middle school children. There was repetitive over descriptions that could have been cut down significantly to make the book more digestible I think. There may also have been room to cut some things out that didn't add much to the overall story being told.
I would label this more as a mystery than a horror novel. If you're reaching you could describe it as atmospheric horror I guess, but the mystery was the centerpiece of the story with the only scary thing (in my opinion) being described in the description of the book: waking up to a girl laying next to you in your bed.
You learn parts of the mystery, but Alice's imagination makes it so a lot of the story is open ended as to what was actually going on. I don't mind some open-endedness, but I wanted a bit more explanation for this one.
Anyway, after writing this I'm thinking to myself "Should this actually be a 2 star?", but I'm going to leave it as a 3.
Thank you, I hope you have a nice day.
First I'll talk about the things I liked, which was mostly the overall atmosphere and setting. I liked the house and I liked the train. The idea of the mystery is good, and I liked how the mystery of what happened to the people in the dollhouse concluded. The main character Alice has an overactive imagination that causes her to confuse reality with what's in her head. Sometimes I enjoyed this, but other times I felt like it made things more confusing or was used for convenience to not explain things fully.
Now for the things I didn't like. I'll start with one part that just felt odd to me, I'm pretty sure there's some romanticizing of disability in this book? Which, I did not expect. I'm not someone with a disability, so I can't speak to how it might make someone feel who does have one, but the description and treatment of some of the characters just felt... weird to me. There are two characters with developmental disabilities who are portrayed in this idealized light, and something about it just didn't sit right with me.
This book was also way longer than it needed to be, especially given the intended audience being middle school children. There was repetitive over descriptions that could have been cut down significantly to make the book more digestible I think. There may also have been room to cut some things out that didn't add much to the overall story being told.
I would label this more as a mystery than a horror novel. If you're reaching you could describe it as atmospheric horror I guess, but the mystery was the centerpiece of the story with the only scary thing (in my opinion) being described in the description of the book: waking up to a girl laying next to you in your bed.
You learn parts of the mystery, but Alice's imagination makes it so a lot of the story is open ended as to what was actually going on. I don't mind some open-endedness, but I wanted a bit more explanation for this one.
Anyway, after writing this I'm thinking to myself "Should this actually be a 2 star?", but I'm going to leave it as a 3.
Thank you, I hope you have a nice day.
October 4, 2022
Eerie and creepy this middle grade read will delight young readers. Alice's summer is not off to a great start. Instead of going to the cottage to kick off her summer break it looks like her parents will be getting a divorce. Her dad has blown them off again and her mom is over it. She packs off Alice and they hop on the train to journey several hours away for her mom to start a new job. An old woman needs a live in nurse and she resides in a big old house so there is plenty of room for Alice too. The house is old and spooky, but really magnificent - it looks as if the house is caught in time. When Alice is snooping around the house she discovers a hidden entrance to the attic in her bedroom and the only thing in the attic is a dollhouse that is the exact replica of the house. When she starts moving the dolls around weird things happen in her dreams and if she's not mistaken there is an extra doll in the dollhouse and it looks exactly like her. A little confusing towards the end, but it's a fun ghost story.
May 1, 2022
I loved this - more to come.
January 15, 2022
Read this review on Got Fiction? Book Blog
My 8 year old is really into creepy mysteries, so our librarian has been amazing and keeps hooking us up with excellent books.
*Quick Note: This book deals with divorce and grief, it is pretty heavy for an 8 year old. Luckily my daughter was more interested in the mystery surrounding the dollhouse than the deaths and such.
In this book, which takes place in the late '90s, Alice's mom and dad are separating, and her mom takes Alice to Blackwood house where her mom will be a private nurse to an old woman who fell down the stairs and broke her leg. On the way there, Alice imagines a horrific train crash with many deaths and it seems, even her own. The second she comes back to Earth from her daydream, the train she and her mother on hits a downed tree.
From this point on, everything changes. The accident isn't the same as the crash she envisioned, but she did hit her head. The train starts up again with passengers having only suffered minor injuries. They disembark and make their way to Blackwood House. Through it all, Alice swears that the accident was much worse than it was.
The housekeeper and her daughter Lily greet them and introduce them to Mrs. Bishop, the owner and the woman who fell down the stairs. Lily is kind and sweet and while she's about 16 or so, she's very childlike. She is so excited to meet Alice that she shows her to her room and places one of her favorite dolls she's found in the house on Alice's bed.
The first night she's in her new room for the summer, Alice wakes up to someone beside her in the middle of the night. A ghost who looks exactly like the doll Lily placed in her bed! Lily even tells her about the dollhouse. This is an exact replica of Blackwood House, down the furniture and clothes for the dolls. And they all seem to match an old black and white photograph Alice found that looks about 1920s-ish. And in that photograph? the ghost/doll!
Every time Alice falls asleep she is transported into this doll's world...but it's the same house. The dollhouse. So many times Alice questions her sanity. It isn't until closer to the end that she finally realizes what's been going on and throughout it all...nothing feels real. Or worse, everything feels real. The dollhouse world is real, the real world is real...but neither of them feel fully right. At one point her ghost, a girl named Fizz, tells her it's because Alice is a ghost, duh. But...Alice is still alive, right? That train accident wasn't a crash, it was just a minor accident right?
This book is intense, it's heavy, the mystery is really intriguing. My daughter and I stayed up way too late on school nights reading this, but it was worth it. Although...the ending...I wanted more! It was a good ending for the characters, but I wanted more. An epilogue maybe?
This book is perfect for middle schoolers on up. My third grader really enjoyed it, but I don't know as I would have had her read it alone. I'm glad we read it together so we could talk about our theories and I could explain a few things to her.
My 8 year old is really into creepy mysteries, so our librarian has been amazing and keeps hooking us up with excellent books.
*Quick Note: This book deals with divorce and grief, it is pretty heavy for an 8 year old. Luckily my daughter was more interested in the mystery surrounding the dollhouse than the deaths and such.
In this book, which takes place in the late '90s, Alice's mom and dad are separating, and her mom takes Alice to Blackwood house where her mom will be a private nurse to an old woman who fell down the stairs and broke her leg. On the way there, Alice imagines a horrific train crash with many deaths and it seems, even her own. The second she comes back to Earth from her daydream, the train she and her mother on hits a downed tree.
From this point on, everything changes. The accident isn't the same as the crash she envisioned, but she did hit her head. The train starts up again with passengers having only suffered minor injuries. They disembark and make their way to Blackwood House. Through it all, Alice swears that the accident was much worse than it was.
The housekeeper and her daughter Lily greet them and introduce them to Mrs. Bishop, the owner and the woman who fell down the stairs. Lily is kind and sweet and while she's about 16 or so, she's very childlike. She is so excited to meet Alice that she shows her to her room and places one of her favorite dolls she's found in the house on Alice's bed.
The first night she's in her new room for the summer, Alice wakes up to someone beside her in the middle of the night. A ghost who looks exactly like the doll Lily placed in her bed! Lily even tells her about the dollhouse. This is an exact replica of Blackwood House, down the furniture and clothes for the dolls. And they all seem to match an old black and white photograph Alice found that looks about 1920s-ish. And in that photograph? the ghost/doll!
Every time Alice falls asleep she is transported into this doll's world...but it's the same house. The dollhouse. So many times Alice questions her sanity. It isn't until closer to the end that she finally realizes what's been going on and throughout it all...nothing feels real. Or worse, everything feels real. The dollhouse world is real, the real world is real...but neither of them feel fully right. At one point her ghost, a girl named Fizz, tells her it's because Alice is a ghost, duh. But...Alice is still alive, right? That train accident wasn't a crash, it was just a minor accident right?
This book is intense, it's heavy, the mystery is really intriguing. My daughter and I stayed up way too late on school nights reading this, but it was worth it. Although...the ending...I wanted more! It was a good ending for the characters, but I wanted more. An epilogue maybe?
This book is perfect for middle schoolers on up. My third grader really enjoyed it, but I don't know as I would have had her read it alone. I'm glad we read it together so we could talk about our theories and I could explain a few things to her.
March 5, 2022
This book was fantastically odd and utterly wonderful, I think so.
When Alice's parents decide that they're getting divorced, it ruins their plans for an annual cottage trip. She and her mother leave her father behind and go to live in the big, possibly haunted house where her mother will be live-in nurse to Fiona, the lady of the house.
Right from the start, this book twists and turns and throws you for a loop. It's unlike any middle grade book I've read. I have read several middle grade mysteries and ghost stories. Love them! But they're all fairly straight forward, simple, linear, and you can pick out the villain or unravel the mystery. The Dollhouse was not like that. It took so many twists and turns that I struggled to keep up - in a good way!
However, there are still many things that remind you it's written for children, from the point-of-view of a child. The adults don't always behave like typical adults, but you must remember their actions are all seen through the eyes of Alice. You're seeing them as this little girl sees them. That made the story and the writing more interesting to me.
The characters are wonderful as well. The ghost story is so intriguing and keeps you guessing, but the characters are what really drives the story. Alice and her best friend, Lily are intelligent, sweet kids. The first line of my review is a nod to Lily because I think she was my favorite character. She really brought the whole story together.
This book is difficult to review without spoiling, but I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good middle grade mystery.
CW: ableist language (I think this was done intentionally to show the mind of a little girl who doesn't understand these things and describes them or talks about them the only way she knows how and that makes sense to me given how the book is set up, but I wish it would have been handled in a different, better way.)
When Alice's parents decide that they're getting divorced, it ruins their plans for an annual cottage trip. She and her mother leave her father behind and go to live in the big, possibly haunted house where her mother will be live-in nurse to Fiona, the lady of the house.
Right from the start, this book twists and turns and throws you for a loop. It's unlike any middle grade book I've read. I have read several middle grade mysteries and ghost stories. Love them! But they're all fairly straight forward, simple, linear, and you can pick out the villain or unravel the mystery. The Dollhouse was not like that. It took so many twists and turns that I struggled to keep up - in a good way!
However, there are still many things that remind you it's written for children, from the point-of-view of a child. The adults don't always behave like typical adults, but you must remember their actions are all seen through the eyes of Alice. You're seeing them as this little girl sees them. That made the story and the writing more interesting to me.
The characters are wonderful as well. The ghost story is so intriguing and keeps you guessing, but the characters are what really drives the story. Alice and her best friend, Lily are intelligent, sweet kids. The first line of my review is a nod to Lily because I think she was my favorite character. She really brought the whole story together.
This book is difficult to review without spoiling, but I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good middle grade mystery.
CW: ableist language (I think this was done intentionally to show the mind of a little girl who doesn't understand these things and describes them or talks about them the only way she knows how and that makes sense to me given how the book is set up, but I wish it would have been handled in a different, better way.)
September 9, 2021
3 1/2 stars rounded down
Not as creepy as I was hoping, but more mysterious. I struggled to connect with the adults in this book, especially Fiona. They did not come across as realistic representations of adults.
I listened to the audiobook version and I could not stand the voice of Fiona's character.
Overall, a good middle grade read and I think my favorite character was Lily.
Not as creepy as I was hoping, but more mysterious. I struggled to connect with the adults in this book, especially Fiona. They did not come across as realistic representations of adults.
I listened to the audiobook version and I could not stand the voice of Fiona's character.
Overall, a good middle grade read and I think my favorite character was Lily.
February 25, 2022
What a surprising read. I will give away nothing but will say I think everyone should read this book. Do not put it down. It's worth every minute.
December 14, 2021
*Overdrive app *
Narration: 4 stars 🌟
Story/characters: 4 stars 🌟
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Narration: 4 stars 🌟
Story/characters: 4 stars 🌟
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June 12, 2021
**This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.**
2 stars
I love a middle-grade ghost story, and was looking forward to a suitably creepy little tale here. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with this book in the way I have to other spooky stories for the age group.
My main problem, I think, was the dialogue. None of the characters, especially the adult characters, felt ‘real’ to me, or like they had a fully formed voice; oddly enough, I had the fewest problems with the dialogue during the dreamlike sections where Alice (our protagonist) interacts with ghosts.
I also felt uncomfortable with the way developmental disability featured in the story. I know from the author’s note that Cotter based her disabled characters on a real-life girl she knew, and consulted with that girl’s mother and sibling to get things right, and I don’t want to speak for them; however, the depictions of Lily and Bubble, the two developmentally delayed girls in the story, played into several tropes that made me raise my eyebrows. There’s a long history of people with cognitive disabilities being portrayed as extra-sensitive to magic/ghosts/otherworldliness in fiction, and while often well-meaning, it’s so closely interrelated to harmful and ableist narratives about who’s normal and who’s ‘other’ that I felt uncomfortable watching Lily function as our protagonist’s ‘spirit guide’ or ‘guardian angel’ at points in the story.
2 stars
I love a middle-grade ghost story, and was looking forward to a suitably creepy little tale here. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with this book in the way I have to other spooky stories for the age group.
My main problem, I think, was the dialogue. None of the characters, especially the adult characters, felt ‘real’ to me, or like they had a fully formed voice; oddly enough, I had the fewest problems with the dialogue during the dreamlike sections where Alice (our protagonist) interacts with ghosts.
I also felt uncomfortable with the way developmental disability featured in the story. I know from the author’s note that Cotter based her disabled characters on a real-life girl she knew, and consulted with that girl’s mother and sibling to get things right, and I don’t want to speak for them; however, the depictions of Lily and Bubble, the two developmentally delayed girls in the story, played into several tropes that made me raise my eyebrows. There’s a long history of people with cognitive disabilities being portrayed as extra-sensitive to magic/ghosts/otherworldliness in fiction, and while often well-meaning, it’s so closely interrelated to harmful and ableist narratives about who’s normal and who’s ‘other’ that I felt uncomfortable watching Lily function as our protagonist’s ‘spirit guide’ or ‘guardian angel’ at points in the story.
October 30, 2021
I really did enjoy this story, but have personal triggers for traumatic brain injury and suicide (a character "lets" themselves fall down the stairs, expecting to die), so thought I'd mention it here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2024
One of those spooky books where the *really* spooky part is actually the gaslighting and the not being believed by people who care about you 😳
This was really good, and while I did have some minor quibbles (I feel like it took us a bit longer to know Alice than I'd like, and I still feel slightly uncomfortable about the way disabled characters were viewed / included in the story) I overall found it very effective. The ending especially did a fantastic job of bringing together the realistic and possibly supernatural elements.
CW: Gaslighting, train crash, grief, ableism
This was really good, and while I did have some minor quibbles (I feel like it took us a bit longer to know Alice than I'd like, and I still feel slightly uncomfortable about the way disabled characters were viewed / included in the story) I overall found it very effective. The ending especially did a fantastic job of bringing together the realistic and possibly supernatural elements.
CW: Gaslighting, train crash, grief, ableism
September 18, 2021
Very good, feels mysterious, scary, and comforting all at the same time. It just missed the mark, because the book was too anti-climactic for a ghost story.
April 29, 2022
THE DOLLHOUSE is an extremely creative story! I really thought the premise was great and it had a lot of vibes with other stories/movies that I enjoyed, too. There were a few times I lost my footing and got a little lost, and I am not sure if that was something with the book or just me as the reader. Sometimes I guess I just was not sure what was real, a dream, or what. But I still had an overall enjoyable time with this book and think it hits tons of the marks for a successful MG horror story!
August 30, 2021
This is a spooky, interesting story and I enjoyed seeing the tale unfold and guessing what was really going on. Alice and her mother are on their way to a new town to live with an elderly woman who needs a nurse after a bad fall. After the train stops abruptly, causing Alice to have a concussion, things start getting strange. Alice starts having vivid dreams that take place in the twenties and has visions of things that may or may not have happened.
Alice is a fun main character, she tries to make sense of everything going on and isn't afraid to stand up to grumpy Mrs. Bishop. She makes a cute friend named Lily, who helps her investigate the mysterious dollhouse and how it relates to the dream world. The girls had a sweet relationship and their interactions were my favorite parts.
I did think there would be more ghosts or scary scenes, but since this is a middle grade read I understand not making it too creepy. The ending has a nice wrap up but leaves a bit of mystery for readers.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the copy.
Alice is a fun main character, she tries to make sense of everything going on and isn't afraid to stand up to grumpy Mrs. Bishop. She makes a cute friend named Lily, who helps her investigate the mysterious dollhouse and how it relates to the dream world. The girls had a sweet relationship and their interactions were my favorite parts.
I did think there would be more ghosts or scary scenes, but since this is a middle grade read I understand not making it too creepy. The ending has a nice wrap up but leaves a bit of mystery for readers.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the copy.
September 4, 2021
There were a lot of really cool elements here, but on the whole I must confess that I found it rather confusing. Particularly as a middle grade-themed book. I'm still not entirely sure what was real and what wasn't - and not in a good way.
I really enjoyed the descriptions and the setup. But as the back-and-forth got more intense and there seemed to be no rules, rhyme, nor reason to any of it, I found myself floundering both in my feelings of coherence about the story and, frankly, in my connection to it. It never occurred to me to stop reading, I was constantly on the lookout for the thread that would tie it all together, but it never came. As a result it left me confused rather than entertained.
Still, there was a lot of really fantastic stuff here. The description and characterizations very interesting, and there are some novel constructs that I really enjoyed seeing introduced. But the whole thing felt really fuzzy, and I'm not sure I'd easily be able to recommend it as a result...
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
I really enjoyed the descriptions and the setup. But as the back-and-forth got more intense and there seemed to be no rules, rhyme, nor reason to any of it, I found myself floundering both in my feelings of coherence about the story and, frankly, in my connection to it. It never occurred to me to stop reading, I was constantly on the lookout for the thread that would tie it all together, but it never came. As a result it left me confused rather than entertained.
Still, there was a lot of really fantastic stuff here. The description and characterizations very interesting, and there are some novel constructs that I really enjoyed seeing introduced. But the whole thing felt really fuzzy, and I'm not sure I'd easily be able to recommend it as a result...
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
January 5, 2023
This book took me about 10 years to read and I'm honestly shocked I even finished it. The characters were bland and annoying, and were never fully developed. The premise behind the story is fascinating and I liked the feel of it, but it spent too much time describing unnecessary details that didn't add any value to the story; it completely detracted from the plot and made it painful to read. Had the author edited it down more, it had potential. I'm also curious as to the age range for this book because it talked a bit about adultery and death in such a throwaway fashion that never seemed to rattle the young protagonists.
All-in-all, I'd recommend this book to no one.
All-in-all, I'd recommend this book to no one.
January 27, 2022
I wouldn't call this a ghost story in the typical vein of, for example, Mary Downing Hahn; it's more like a time slip tale or maybe a dark fantasy. In any event, it's an excellent story, even if there's not a decent mother character out of the three presented - atmospheric, beautifully written, and just creepy enough to keep you on your toes.
October 28, 2023
I love books set in old houses and I love dollhouses so obviously I loved this book.
October 11, 2021
Instead of spending her summer with her parents and friends at a fun cottage, Alice now must spend her summer with her mom and her nursing patient, Mrs. Bishop in Blackwood House while her parents contemplate divorce. On their way to Blackwood House, Alice's train makes a hard stop and Alice gets a concussion and must spend time resting. Blackwood House is full of antiques that Alice can't touch and the cantankerous Mrs. Bishop; however, Alice finds a friend in the house cleaner's daughter, Lily. Together, they explore Blackwood House and find a dollhouse replica of Blackwood House in the attic. Alice begins to dream of the dolls in the dollhouse and slowly, what happens in Alice's dream dollhouse world begins to affect real life and real life begins to affect what is happening in the dollhouse.
The Dollhouse is a haunting and magical middle grade mystery. Though written for a middle grade level, I was easily pulled in by the intrigue of the dollhouse and the wonderfully written characters. Alice was highly imaginative and anxious, placed in a setting where her imagination could run wild and dealing with many novel situations. Lily has a developmental difference that allows her to see the world as open and welcoming. I really enjoyed that Alice and Lily were fast friends. The dollhouse world was fascinating. I equally enjoyed the girls in the dollhouse, Bubbles and Fizz and how they reflected people in Alice's real world. The mystery of the dollhouse and how Alice was connected to it kept me guessing until the end. The themes that Alice and Mrs. Bishop dealt with throughout the book, grief, divorce and loss of self identity are just as engaging.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Dollhouse is a haunting and magical middle grade mystery. Though written for a middle grade level, I was easily pulled in by the intrigue of the dollhouse and the wonderfully written characters. Alice was highly imaginative and anxious, placed in a setting where her imagination could run wild and dealing with many novel situations. Lily has a developmental difference that allows her to see the world as open and welcoming. I really enjoyed that Alice and Lily were fast friends. The dollhouse world was fascinating. I equally enjoyed the girls in the dollhouse, Bubbles and Fizz and how they reflected people in Alice's real world. The mystery of the dollhouse and how Alice was connected to it kept me guessing until the end. The themes that Alice and Mrs. Bishop dealt with throughout the book, grief, divorce and loss of self identity are just as engaging.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
August 17, 2021
The Dollhouse is a wonderfully atmospheric read, which blends seamlessly the ghostly with everyday life.
Our main character is Alice, a young girl whose parents are talking about getting a divorce. Alice is obviously in a state of upheaval, so it takes some time to establish what is happening and what is a reaction to those events. When her mother takes Alice to her new job - caring for the elderly recluse Mrs Bishop - Alice is struck by the strangeness of the home she has come to, but she puts her initial unease down to the lingering effects of the concussion she received in a train crash on the way down.
Mrs Bishop is suitably cantankerous, and Alice - understandably - is curious about this rambling home she has been brought to. When she discovers secret passages and locked rooms, of course she wants to know more.
The first part of the book sets up the characters well. There then felt to be a rather lengthy period where Alice is experiencing strange events linked to the dollhouse she finds in the locked attic. This part of the book was slow, and it seemed quite obvious what was happening. However, as we move further along it started to feel rather more ominous, and there was a noticeable creepiness to some of the events taking place.
All in all this was rather predictable in parts, but it was genuinely entertaining and well written. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this before publication.
Our main character is Alice, a young girl whose parents are talking about getting a divorce. Alice is obviously in a state of upheaval, so it takes some time to establish what is happening and what is a reaction to those events. When her mother takes Alice to her new job - caring for the elderly recluse Mrs Bishop - Alice is struck by the strangeness of the home she has come to, but she puts her initial unease down to the lingering effects of the concussion she received in a train crash on the way down.
Mrs Bishop is suitably cantankerous, and Alice - understandably - is curious about this rambling home she has been brought to. When she discovers secret passages and locked rooms, of course she wants to know more.
The first part of the book sets up the characters well. There then felt to be a rather lengthy period where Alice is experiencing strange events linked to the dollhouse she finds in the locked attic. This part of the book was slow, and it seemed quite obvious what was happening. However, as we move further along it started to feel rather more ominous, and there was a noticeable creepiness to some of the events taking place.
All in all this was rather predictable in parts, but it was genuinely entertaining and well written. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this before publication.
May 7, 2023
I've been after a dollhouse haunted house story for quite a while now, so when I found this one I was very excited to pick it up!
I mostly enjoyed it, however I think it was a bit too young for me. Sometimes I pick up a YA which has me hooked, but this one is maybe on the lighter side of YA. It's a very easy read, and although it was creative, it lacked any creepiness which you'd expect from a ghost story. But, it is aimed at younger audiences, so I won't judge it too harshly for its lack of scare factor!
I was probably left more confused than I would have liked. I want a ghost story to have a powerful ending with a clever twist which you just didn't think would be possible. But this one doesn't really achieve that.
I mostly enjoyed it, however I think it was a bit too young for me. Sometimes I pick up a YA which has me hooked, but this one is maybe on the lighter side of YA. It's a very easy read, and although it was creative, it lacked any creepiness which you'd expect from a ghost story. But, it is aimed at younger audiences, so I won't judge it too harshly for its lack of scare factor!
I was probably left more confused than I would have liked. I want a ghost story to have a powerful ending with a clever twist which you just didn't think would be possible. But this one doesn't really achieve that.
December 16, 2021
Thank you Netgalley and Tundra Books for the gifted book I read along with the library audio.
This book sucked me in and transported me into the dollhouse. It is the perfect balance of Gothic horror and middle grade that makes it not too scary but still a bit haunting. And every moving complicated piece of the story about a possibly haunted dollhouse, and the ties it has to the past were handled so deftly that I didn't have to overthink how everything worked and was just able to enjoy the narrative.
Content Warning: This book deals with grief and divorce.
This book sucked me in and transported me into the dollhouse. It is the perfect balance of Gothic horror and middle grade that makes it not too scary but still a bit haunting. And every moving complicated piece of the story about a possibly haunted dollhouse, and the ties it has to the past were handled so deftly that I didn't have to overthink how everything worked and was just able to enjoy the narrative.
Content Warning: This book deals with grief and divorce.
June 13, 2022
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
The Dollhouse follows the story of a young girl named Alice while she is dealing her parents divorce and her mom’s new job. Alice and her mom move into an old house where the only resident is an elderly women in need of care. As Alice begins to explore, she discovers a magical dollhouse. But as learns more about the dollhouse her reality and dreams begin to blur together.
Pros:
-I loved the concept of this book, it was very cool and reminded me a lot of Coraline
-there were so many plot twists and i enjoyed how the element of mystery remained throughout
Cons:
-from the middle on felt slow and quite repetitive
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
The Dollhouse follows the story of a young girl named Alice while she is dealing her parents divorce and her mom’s new job. Alice and her mom move into an old house where the only resident is an elderly women in need of care. As Alice begins to explore, she discovers a magical dollhouse. But as learns more about the dollhouse her reality and dreams begin to blur together.
Pros:
-I loved the concept of this book, it was very cool and reminded me a lot of Coraline
-there were so many plot twists and i enjoyed how the element of mystery remained throughout
Cons:
-from the middle on felt slow and quite repetitive
November 7, 2022
Creo que la autora se complicó mucho intentando unir las dos historias. Al final era como si tuviera que justificarse para que entendiéramos por qué estaba pasando lo relacionado a la casa de muñecas.
Además, pienso que de los 3 libros que he leído de ella —donde está la dinámica de dos niñas amigas y de algo “sobrenatural” pasando—, The dollhouse es la más débil en trama.
Si te interesa la autora te recomiendo que mejor leas The swallow.
2.5 estrellas.
Además, pienso que de los 3 libros que he leído de ella —donde está la dinámica de dos niñas amigas y de algo “sobrenatural” pasando—, The dollhouse es la más débil en trama.
Si te interesa la autora te recomiendo que mejor leas The swallow.
2.5 estrellas.
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