Review - Doll Bones by Holly Black

Title: Doll Bones
Author: Holly Black
Pages: 256
Release Date: May 7th 2013
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
Source: Asda
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis:

My name is Eleanor Kerchner.

You can call me the Queen.

I died in 1895.

Now it's time to play.

Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity . . .

This is the first novel by Holly Black that I have read. It reminds me of my childhood (minus the creepy factor). My cousin, sister and friends would always make up stories and play along all day, just like anyone at a young age.

Doll Bones is about friendship and an adventure between the three friends Alice, Poppy and Zach, who have been friends for a long time. They make up adventures with action figures and the Queen of their imaginative land is a doll that is locking in a glass cabinet in Poppy's house, they even keep playing while other children laugh at them and when Zach's dad thinks he is to old to be playing with action figures.

I hate horror movies and when I saw this book I was wondering if it was going to like Doll Bones. Even though it is bordering on the creepy/horror level for me it is more about what it means to grow up from a child to a teenager rather than scaring the living daylights out of you - like I though it would. and the imagination of the three children - the various people along the way - is what brings this book to life and their friendship keeps the story going.

Poppy announces that the doll spoke to her in a dream which is one of the creepiest parts of the book at first I was sure that Poppy made this up because Zach had decided that he didn't want to play their game anymore because of his dad throwing his figures away but while they are off on their adventure Zach notices strange things with the doll.

Did the doll really move and talk to Poppy or did Poppy just read about a story and decide she was going to make it up and get Alice and Zach to go on an adventure with her? we don't actually find out but while on the adventure while there asleep Zach reckons that the doll spoke to him and when he woke the doll had moved, did it really happen or did animals ruin the campsite?

Although the three children have a lot of arguments and lots of things try to stop them on their way to where they need to go on this adventure they still really care and look out for each other.

The main theme of the book is that even though you are growing up your imagination is still a huge part of our lives and we should not forget that even though we are older. We should also never forget the friends we had as children as they helped us to become the people we are today, some people may feel abandoned like Poppy did after Zach decided not to play the game anymore, she doesn't want to be left behind.

The book is very cute and aimed at young children but even someone of my age and older can enjoy it.