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Crow Face, Doll Face
"Beautifully written, tender and terrifying." UNA MANNION
Annie surrendered her fantasy of travelling the world, settled instead for marrying her beloved Peter and becoming a mother.
When her two youngest daughters – her Crow Face and her Doll Face – perform a seemingly impossible act of levitation at a family picnic, Annie realises that they are truly extraordinary. Magical. And it's her role to protect them. With growing paranoia and a bitter fatalism, she spirits her daughters away from their home and the wreck of her marriage. But she commits a terrible, unthinkable, unmotherly act on the way.
Crow Face, Doll Face is an uncanny, brooding tale of domestic disturbances, dysfunctional families, flawed mothers, and unfulfilled dreams.
"I can't think of anyone who's currently writing more assuredly, or more enjoyably, in the fantastical tradition of Angela Carter, Emma Tennant and Elizabeth Bowen." STEVE DUFFY
"Deliciously unsettling… delicately peels away the layers of ordinary family life to reveal dark truths underneath." CATRIN KEAN
"Unflinching in its authentic and raw portrayal of the complexities of motherhood." PHILIPPA HOLLOWAY
Annie surrendered her fantasy of travelling the world, settled instead for marrying her beloved Peter and becoming a mother.
When her two youngest daughters – her Crow Face and her Doll Face – perform a seemingly impossible act of levitation at a family picnic, Annie realises that they are truly extraordinary. Magical. And it's her role to protect them. With growing paranoia and a bitter fatalism, she spirits her daughters away from their home and the wreck of her marriage. But she commits a terrible, unthinkable, unmotherly act on the way.
Crow Face, Doll Face is an uncanny, brooding tale of domestic disturbances, dysfunctional families, flawed mothers, and unfulfilled dreams.
"I can't think of anyone who's currently writing more assuredly, or more enjoyably, in the fantastical tradition of Angela Carter, Emma Tennant and Elizabeth Bowen." STEVE DUFFY
"Deliciously unsettling… delicately peels away the layers of ordinary family life to reveal dark truths underneath." CATRIN KEAN
"Unflinching in its authentic and raw portrayal of the complexities of motherhood." PHILIPPA HOLLOWAY
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 12, 2023
2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Carly Holmes
24 books24 followersI'm a writer living and writing on the west coast of Wales. When not writing I love to read, and discover books and authors that are new to me. My favourite writers include Jon McGregor, Stephen King, Angela Carter, Peter Carey, Julian Barnes and Daphne du Maurier. I've had a number of short stories published in journals and placed in competitions, and my debut novel, The Scrapbook, was published by Parthian in May 2014. I'm currently working on a collection of ghost stories. I'm on the editorial board of The Lampeter Review (http://lampeter-review.com) and host and manage The Cellar Bards, a group of writers who meet monthly in Cardigan, Wales, for an evening of spoken word poetry and prose (https://www.facebook.com/groups/33354...)
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 23, 2023
Annie's dream has always been to travel the world. When Annie married Peter the love of her life and became a mother she knew this wasn't going to happen, because Peter didn't want to travel. Annie had Julian first, followed by Elsa, but her relationship with Elsa wasn't good, she wore gloves when she picked her, which wasn't that often, (I feel like she may have had PND). Everything was different when she had Kitty, she was beautiful and they would call her Doll Face, shortly after they after Leila, who looked like a crow, so they would call her Crow Face. Annie thinks there is something extra special about Kitty and Leila, and they are treated different to their brother and sister. I know some parents do treat their children different from each other, but how far would you go? I don't want to say much more, apart from you need to read this book. I have to say I loved the cover and I think it fits the book well. It had me gripped from the start, even at times I wanted to put it down but there was always something that made me to keep on reading to the end. I will be looking for more books by Carly Holmes.
November 17, 2023
In Crow Face, Doll Face, by Carly Holmes, we follow 40-year-old Annie as her marriage and mind unravel.
After her husband, Peter, leaves her for another woman, Annie runs far away to live in a rented cottage with the youngest two of her four children – Kitty, nicknamed “Doll Face”, and Leila, nicknamed “Crow Face”.
Annie’s oldest child, Julian, is already living with Peter and his glamorous-seeming new girlfriend, Bet. But what becomes of Elsa, Annie’s ill-favoured second child? And are Kitty and Leila truly extraordinary, as Annie has come to believe?
I absolutely loved Crow Face, Doll Face. The author’s meticulous observations of family life, and the sinister and spooky undercurrents that lace the book, had me enthralled.
I was on tenterhooks throughout due to the constant sense that something terrible was about to happen, as Annie’s thoughts became increasingly irrational, and her immature daughters were able to take more and more control of her.
I was especially fascinated by the relationships Annie and Peter had with each of their children, as well as those between the children themselves.
When I was reading up on experiences of siblinghood for my thesis, I was particularly captivated by the idea that children from the same household can’t be described as having grown up in the same environment, for a number of reasons including parental favouritism. I was also very interested in the ways that having siblings doesn’t guarantee companionship. Both of these ideas play out to devastating effect in this novel.
As the oldest, the only boy, and having been an easy baby, Julian is especially favoured by Annie, so it hits her hard that he’d rather live with Peter and Bet than with her.
By contrast, Annie had (undiagnosed) post-natal depression (PND) with Elsa, forever affecting their relationship. Elsa is also less charismastic and more needy than her brother and sisters.
To make things worse for Elsa, Kitty is a beautiful child (hence the nickname “Doll Face”) and very obviously Julian’s favourite, and so strongly bonded with the striking Leila (hence “Crow Face”) that Annie treats them as a unit.
This has implications for the older children. At first, Julian and Elsa gang up against their two younger siblings. When Julian grows away from Elsa, then exits the household altogether, though, Elsa is left feeling even more unwanted and isolated.
The cruelties the siblings deal out to one another, as well as their mother, contribute considerably to the book’s unsettling tone, and ring true. I got major Shirley Jackson vibes, which is a very good thing!
Holmes’ vivid portrayal of the trials and tribulations of parenthood and the plain weirdness of small children put me in mind of Jackson’s humorous memoirs of family life, Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons.
Holmes’ no-holds-barred descriptions of the children’s casual awfulness to one another, meanwhile, have affinity with The Road Through the Wall, which I read after Crow Face, Doll Face to prolong the atmosphere.
Another element typical of Jackson, that Holmes deploys to great effect, is claustrophobia. She doesn’t make it explicit when Crow Face, Doll Face is set, but I put it in the ’70s or ’80s. The absence of cultural references adds to the impression that Annie is very cut-off, and gives the story a timeless feel.
Annie’s isolation is intensified by the fact she doesn’t have a landline, so she has to rely on neighbours and phoneboxes to maintain her dwindling wider connections.
Furthermore, having PND at a time when the condition is poorly understood and highly stigmatised, Annie has no way of knowing she’s not alone in her experience. Her sense of shame for having been a “bad mother” during this period underlies many of her subsequent thoughts and actions.
Crow Face, Doll Face is brilliantly vivid, compelling, and unsettling.
After her husband, Peter, leaves her for another woman, Annie runs far away to live in a rented cottage with the youngest two of her four children – Kitty, nicknamed “Doll Face”, and Leila, nicknamed “Crow Face”.
Annie’s oldest child, Julian, is already living with Peter and his glamorous-seeming new girlfriend, Bet. But what becomes of Elsa, Annie’s ill-favoured second child? And are Kitty and Leila truly extraordinary, as Annie has come to believe?
I absolutely loved Crow Face, Doll Face. The author’s meticulous observations of family life, and the sinister and spooky undercurrents that lace the book, had me enthralled.
I was on tenterhooks throughout due to the constant sense that something terrible was about to happen, as Annie’s thoughts became increasingly irrational, and her immature daughters were able to take more and more control of her.
I was especially fascinated by the relationships Annie and Peter had with each of their children, as well as those between the children themselves.
When I was reading up on experiences of siblinghood for my thesis, I was particularly captivated by the idea that children from the same household can’t be described as having grown up in the same environment, for a number of reasons including parental favouritism. I was also very interested in the ways that having siblings doesn’t guarantee companionship. Both of these ideas play out to devastating effect in this novel.
As the oldest, the only boy, and having been an easy baby, Julian is especially favoured by Annie, so it hits her hard that he’d rather live with Peter and Bet than with her.
By contrast, Annie had (undiagnosed) post-natal depression (PND) with Elsa, forever affecting their relationship. Elsa is also less charismastic and more needy than her brother and sisters.
To make things worse for Elsa, Kitty is a beautiful child (hence the nickname “Doll Face”) and very obviously Julian’s favourite, and so strongly bonded with the striking Leila (hence “Crow Face”) that Annie treats them as a unit.
This has implications for the older children. At first, Julian and Elsa gang up against their two younger siblings. When Julian grows away from Elsa, then exits the household altogether, though, Elsa is left feeling even more unwanted and isolated.
The cruelties the siblings deal out to one another, as well as their mother, contribute considerably to the book’s unsettling tone, and ring true. I got major Shirley Jackson vibes, which is a very good thing!
Holmes’ vivid portrayal of the trials and tribulations of parenthood and the plain weirdness of small children put me in mind of Jackson’s humorous memoirs of family life, Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons.
Holmes’ no-holds-barred descriptions of the children’s casual awfulness to one another, meanwhile, have affinity with The Road Through the Wall, which I read after Crow Face, Doll Face to prolong the atmosphere.
Another element typical of Jackson, that Holmes deploys to great effect, is claustrophobia. She doesn’t make it explicit when Crow Face, Doll Face is set, but I put it in the ’70s or ’80s. The absence of cultural references adds to the impression that Annie is very cut-off, and gives the story a timeless feel.
Annie’s isolation is intensified by the fact she doesn’t have a landline, so she has to rely on neighbours and phoneboxes to maintain her dwindling wider connections.
Furthermore, having PND at a time when the condition is poorly understood and highly stigmatised, Annie has no way of knowing she’s not alone in her experience. Her sense of shame for having been a “bad mother” during this period underlies many of her subsequent thoughts and actions.
Crow Face, Doll Face is brilliantly vivid, compelling, and unsettling.
February 11, 2024
I was lucky enough to attend a reading and Q&A with Carly Holmes, the author of this fine novel, during which the host – Elaine Canning, herself a novelist – proclaimed her admiration for Crow Face, Doll Face and stated that she’d read it three times. I was somewhat taken aback by this as it has only relatively recently been published. However, now that I’ve read it for myself, I completely understand. My first thought after setting it down that final time was that I really needed to read it again.
The story of Crow Face, Doll Face is told through the eyes of Annie, wife to Peter and mother to one son and three daughters. The title refers to Annie’s two youngest girls, Leila and Kitty. Annie has long since surrendered her own dreams and ambitions to tend to her family, as so many people do, and is a loving and stoic mother, but quietly troubled and unfulfilled. However, the grind of everyday existence is disrupted during a family picnic when she witnesses Leila and Kitty apparently performing an act of levitation. Annie’s world shifts on its axis as she realises that her two youngest children may actually be magical, causing her to stumble into a downward spiral of fear, anger and depression.
The book is set in an unnamed and unremarkable English town sometime in the late 70s/early 80s, judging by the period details. There is no internet or mobiles phones to speak of, but there are kettles that sit atop hobs and whistle, electric milk floats and coin operated phone boxes. I myself am a child of that era, when black and white TVs were still relatively common and coal was delivered weekly to the house, and I found it all hauntingly and evocatively evoked.
But what makes this tale so captivating is Annie herself. The author digs so deep into her psyche, exposing her ragged nerves, her drowning sense of self, that it almost feels like a psychological autopsy. So open is she that, as readers, we find ourselves all but wearing her skin, flinching at every slight, jolting at every barb as Annie does her best to negotiate the demands of her extraordinary daughters, as well as the ups and downs of ordinary family life.
When the story reached its conclusion, I found myself wanting to revisit all the pivotal moments that Annie experienced, such as the astonishing act of levitation and a few other examples of possible uncanniness, in order to discover new meanings, new significances.
Crow Face, Doll Face ticked a lot of boxes for me. Firstly, it’s extremely melancholic, and I’m a sucker for a bit of melancholy. Secondly, it deals with the fantastical while avoiding all the usual tropes (such as prophecies, a secret magical heritage, an evil nemesis etc). And thirdly, and this is the biggie, it’s so beautifully written. Alright, a lot of novels are beautifully written, but this one is on a whole other level. I mean, it’s just exquisite.
I devoured this book in just a few days (albeit not literally). It’s raw, beguiling, emotional and compelling, and like the two girls at its heart, it deserves to soar. During the Q&A with the author, it was mentioned that there had been a gap of nine years between her first novel, The Scrapbook, and this one, her second. On the strength of this book, I find myself hoping that we won’t have to wait another nine years for her next one.
The story of Crow Face, Doll Face is told through the eyes of Annie, wife to Peter and mother to one son and three daughters. The title refers to Annie’s two youngest girls, Leila and Kitty. Annie has long since surrendered her own dreams and ambitions to tend to her family, as so many people do, and is a loving and stoic mother, but quietly troubled and unfulfilled. However, the grind of everyday existence is disrupted during a family picnic when she witnesses Leila and Kitty apparently performing an act of levitation. Annie’s world shifts on its axis as she realises that her two youngest children may actually be magical, causing her to stumble into a downward spiral of fear, anger and depression.
The book is set in an unnamed and unremarkable English town sometime in the late 70s/early 80s, judging by the period details. There is no internet or mobiles phones to speak of, but there are kettles that sit atop hobs and whistle, electric milk floats and coin operated phone boxes. I myself am a child of that era, when black and white TVs were still relatively common and coal was delivered weekly to the house, and I found it all hauntingly and evocatively evoked.
But what makes this tale so captivating is Annie herself. The author digs so deep into her psyche, exposing her ragged nerves, her drowning sense of self, that it almost feels like a psychological autopsy. So open is she that, as readers, we find ourselves all but wearing her skin, flinching at every slight, jolting at every barb as Annie does her best to negotiate the demands of her extraordinary daughters, as well as the ups and downs of ordinary family life.
When the story reached its conclusion, I found myself wanting to revisit all the pivotal moments that Annie experienced, such as the astonishing act of levitation and a few other examples of possible uncanniness, in order to discover new meanings, new significances.
Crow Face, Doll Face ticked a lot of boxes for me. Firstly, it’s extremely melancholic, and I’m a sucker for a bit of melancholy. Secondly, it deals with the fantastical while avoiding all the usual tropes (such as prophecies, a secret magical heritage, an evil nemesis etc). And thirdly, and this is the biggie, it’s so beautifully written. Alright, a lot of novels are beautifully written, but this one is on a whole other level. I mean, it’s just exquisite.
I devoured this book in just a few days (albeit not literally). It’s raw, beguiling, emotional and compelling, and like the two girls at its heart, it deserves to soar. During the Q&A with the author, it was mentioned that there had been a gap of nine years between her first novel, The Scrapbook, and this one, her second. On the strength of this book, I find myself hoping that we won’t have to wait another nine years for her next one.
November 26, 2023
I genuinely went in not knowing what to expect. The blurb sounded entirely fascinating which is why I asked to be on the blog tour. But nothing could have prepared me for how intense the reading experience would be.
Annie had dreams of travelling and life but when she accidentally becomes pregnant her whole life changes before her.
Annie tries to navigate her ever growing family whilst trying to remember who she once was before and the dreams she had.
I could relate to Annie on so many levels. I too was going to go travelling but found myself accidentally pregnant at 23. I suffered quite bad post natal depression, I loved being a Mum but found it so hard to navigate my new life. And still I think to this day it's something not many people talk about.
I am so lucky to have got out the other end of that situation and my child is now almost 10 😭😂. And I love everything about being a Mum. But for others it doesn't always go that way.
This book does not tell you when it's set but I get the feeling it's in a time when Post Natal depression was brushed under the carpet even more than modern times.
Annie is an unreliable protagonist, the story is told from her point of view and it's hard to really trust everything she tells you. Lots of things happen and I've seen reviews where people have said they disliked Annie but I can't help but feel sorry for her. And her life.
This book was written perfectly it's done so in a way that's quite sinister and there are always undertones of never knowing where the story might go.
I think it's also done in a way that's super realistic about how difficult life is sometimes and the effect the relentless grind of carrying on can have on Mums who find motherhood tricky at times.
Beautifully written.
5 stars from me - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Annie had dreams of travelling and life but when she accidentally becomes pregnant her whole life changes before her.
Annie tries to navigate her ever growing family whilst trying to remember who she once was before and the dreams she had.
I could relate to Annie on so many levels. I too was going to go travelling but found myself accidentally pregnant at 23. I suffered quite bad post natal depression, I loved being a Mum but found it so hard to navigate my new life. And still I think to this day it's something not many people talk about.
I am so lucky to have got out the other end of that situation and my child is now almost 10 😭😂. And I love everything about being a Mum. But for others it doesn't always go that way.
This book does not tell you when it's set but I get the feeling it's in a time when Post Natal depression was brushed under the carpet even more than modern times.
Annie is an unreliable protagonist, the story is told from her point of view and it's hard to really trust everything she tells you. Lots of things happen and I've seen reviews where people have said they disliked Annie but I can't help but feel sorry for her. And her life.
This book was written perfectly it's done so in a way that's quite sinister and there are always undertones of never knowing where the story might go.
I think it's also done in a way that's super realistic about how difficult life is sometimes and the effect the relentless grind of carrying on can have on Mums who find motherhood tricky at times.
Beautifully written.
5 stars from me - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
April 18, 2024
📚BOOK REVIEW📚Crow Face Doll Face by Carly Holmes🌿
This was a really interesting concept of a book! In this book we follow Annie, who after believing her two youngest daughters have special powers, goes out of her way to protect them at all costs.
Annie has 4 kids: Julian, Elsa, Kitty and Leila. When Annie met her husband Peter I think their grand plan was to travel the world together and not have any real responsibilities until she fell pregnant. When she gave birth to Elsa I think she was suffering with Post Natal Depression and therefore relented to wearing gloves so she couldn't make a proper connection with her new baby girl. I think poor Elsa felt unloved all the way through this book and ever more so when she was left in the maze!
I have to admit Crow Face and Doll Face were making me question myself at points in this book! I wasn't sure whether they actually were quite menacing or whether she was hallucinating everything they were telling her to do.
I definitely felt on edge reading this book. It seemed to be as soon as things started to settle for Annie and the children the two girls would cause some sort of chaos to unravel it all again. I also think this highlights perhaps what a lot of children might feel whilst living at home and not quite feeling as acknowledged or 'special' as their sibling which is so sad.
I thought this was a greatly detailed written book that is thought provoking and a little haunting.
This was a really interesting concept of a book! In this book we follow Annie, who after believing her two youngest daughters have special powers, goes out of her way to protect them at all costs.
Annie has 4 kids: Julian, Elsa, Kitty and Leila. When Annie met her husband Peter I think their grand plan was to travel the world together and not have any real responsibilities until she fell pregnant. When she gave birth to Elsa I think she was suffering with Post Natal Depression and therefore relented to wearing gloves so she couldn't make a proper connection with her new baby girl. I think poor Elsa felt unloved all the way through this book and ever more so when she was left in the maze!
I have to admit Crow Face and Doll Face were making me question myself at points in this book! I wasn't sure whether they actually were quite menacing or whether she was hallucinating everything they were telling her to do.
I definitely felt on edge reading this book. It seemed to be as soon as things started to settle for Annie and the children the two girls would cause some sort of chaos to unravel it all again. I also think this highlights perhaps what a lot of children might feel whilst living at home and not quite feeling as acknowledged or 'special' as their sibling which is so sad.
I thought this was a greatly detailed written book that is thought provoking and a little haunting.
November 16, 2023
I’m not sure what I’ve just read. I don’t know how to describe it or what genre it falls into. Maybe it doesn’t. Perhaps it’s its own genre. I just know I found it terrifying and at times was scared to read on.
Annie wants to travel and see the world. But she marries Peter and he doesn’t. So she gives it all up. They have their first child – a boy they call Julian – followed by a girl. Annie struggles to love Elsa and believes that touching her will taint her with her mother’s disdain. She wears gloves on the rare occasions she handles the baby. At this point, I would have diagnosed her with post natal depression, maybe postpartum psychosis, but this was then, not now. I’m unsure if this is the 70s – it never gives the date, but they still use pound notes, though there are 50ps, there are no mobile phones or internet.
Then Kitty is born. She is so beautiful, they call her Doll Face. Peter is obsessed. Finally they have Leila, whose dark, shiny hair and slightly beaky nose make her look like a crow so they call her Crow Face. Leila and Kitty are inseparable. Annie is slightly jealous that she isn’t needed by either of them, emotionally at any rate.
I felt so sorry for Elsa at this point. She’s plain and clumsy and gets pushed out all the time. She adores Julian, who is the only one who is kind to her.
Annie believes that the two youngest are special in some way and she must protect them, even at the expense of everyone else. It’s hard to tell whether she is delusional or her post natal depression is spiralling out of control. I found her hard to like, even though she is as much a victim as anything else. She never wanted to be a mother, she never wanted to be like her own mother where having children was enough for her. Peter’s behaviour is pretty awful as well, though having clipped Annie’s wings, he’s left her to falter on the ground.
It’s a remarkable book, but don’t expect everything to be neatly packaged. You’ll be disappointed.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
Annie wants to travel and see the world. But she marries Peter and he doesn’t. So she gives it all up. They have their first child – a boy they call Julian – followed by a girl. Annie struggles to love Elsa and believes that touching her will taint her with her mother’s disdain. She wears gloves on the rare occasions she handles the baby. At this point, I would have diagnosed her with post natal depression, maybe postpartum psychosis, but this was then, not now. I’m unsure if this is the 70s – it never gives the date, but they still use pound notes, though there are 50ps, there are no mobile phones or internet.
Then Kitty is born. She is so beautiful, they call her Doll Face. Peter is obsessed. Finally they have Leila, whose dark, shiny hair and slightly beaky nose make her look like a crow so they call her Crow Face. Leila and Kitty are inseparable. Annie is slightly jealous that she isn’t needed by either of them, emotionally at any rate.
I felt so sorry for Elsa at this point. She’s plain and clumsy and gets pushed out all the time. She adores Julian, who is the only one who is kind to her.
Annie believes that the two youngest are special in some way and she must protect them, even at the expense of everyone else. It’s hard to tell whether she is delusional or her post natal depression is spiralling out of control. I found her hard to like, even though she is as much a victim as anything else. She never wanted to be a mother, she never wanted to be like her own mother where having children was enough for her. Peter’s behaviour is pretty awful as well, though having clipped Annie’s wings, he’s left her to falter on the ground.
It’s a remarkable book, but don’t expect everything to be neatly packaged. You’ll be disappointed.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
November 16, 2023
Looking for your next thriller read that will leave you reeling?
Im a big thriller/horror girlie and this book read like I was watching a scary movie. Right off the bat Carly does an amazing job of describing to us these two sisters and their scary bond. I was fascinated by these girls from the start, this gave me the vibes of that movie the shinning with those two creepy twins and I was eating this right up. Crown and Doll have love for trickery and games which really keeps you entertained while reading, I couldn't get enough of these two and their wicked ways.
If you're a lover of all things spooky like me this is definitely a must read. The author does an amazing job of mixing the scary Side of magic with a gothic feel that has the hair on your arms rising as you read. I really enjoyed the depiction of the mother and the struggles that emerge as she tries to make sense of what's happening only for it to inevitably lead to her downfall. Holmes is a very strong writer that does an amazing job of not only describing vivid scenes but getting you to connect and feel empathy for her characters.
This was such a good book to devour in October when I was in my spooky szn feels but if you're a physiological thriller fan then this book will hit all year round and is something you should have on your TBR.
Im a big thriller/horror girlie and this book read like I was watching a scary movie. Right off the bat Carly does an amazing job of describing to us these two sisters and their scary bond. I was fascinated by these girls from the start, this gave me the vibes of that movie the shinning with those two creepy twins and I was eating this right up. Crown and Doll have love for trickery and games which really keeps you entertained while reading, I couldn't get enough of these two and their wicked ways.
If you're a lover of all things spooky like me this is definitely a must read. The author does an amazing job of mixing the scary Side of magic with a gothic feel that has the hair on your arms rising as you read. I really enjoyed the depiction of the mother and the struggles that emerge as she tries to make sense of what's happening only for it to inevitably lead to her downfall. Holmes is a very strong writer that does an amazing job of not only describing vivid scenes but getting you to connect and feel empathy for her characters.
This was such a good book to devour in October when I was in my spooky szn feels but if you're a physiological thriller fan then this book will hit all year round and is something you should have on your TBR.
November 14, 2023
Crow Face and Doll Face (Leila and Kitty) are joined at the hip. Their uncanny obsession with each other seems unnatural - supernatural after they perform a magic levitating act at a family picnic. Despite the completely normal family and domestic setting, we are lead to question whether these children are something more, something special.
What I absolutely loved about Crow Face, Doll Face is the sheer amount of emotions the writing evokes. Written from the perspective of a brutally honest mum, we witness her slow spiral from a sane loving parent into a paranoid mother. We witness Annie’s joys and pains of motherhood, her biggest regrets, and her grief over her marriage. As the story progresses, her narrative becomes less reliable - fantasy and desperation lurking in the corners of her perspective. You can feel something brewing, maybe something sinister, maybe just something unnerving, but there is an underlying tone to the writing that compels you to turn each page.
This gothic, psychological thriller will have you hooked. While the story itself is fairly simple, the subtle undertones and exquisite threading of emotion will have you questioning what you believe as much as the mother herself.
What I absolutely loved about Crow Face, Doll Face is the sheer amount of emotions the writing evokes. Written from the perspective of a brutally honest mum, we witness her slow spiral from a sane loving parent into a paranoid mother. We witness Annie’s joys and pains of motherhood, her biggest regrets, and her grief over her marriage. As the story progresses, her narrative becomes less reliable - fantasy and desperation lurking in the corners of her perspective. You can feel something brewing, maybe something sinister, maybe just something unnerving, but there is an underlying tone to the writing that compels you to turn each page.
This gothic, psychological thriller will have you hooked. While the story itself is fairly simple, the subtle undertones and exquisite threading of emotion will have you questioning what you believe as much as the mother herself.
February 15, 2025
I picked this book up expecting something truly chilling. Having picked it up in the horror section, and seeing the intriguingly creepy cover, I was ready for a sinister, unsettling read. I craved the kind of creepy, uncanny vibes that get under your skin and linger. Unfortunately, Crow Face, Doll Face didn’t deliver.
At first, the story hinted at darker, supernatural forces, and I kept convincing myself that the unsettling moments were building toward something horrific. But as I read on, I realized this wasn’t a horror story at all. What unfolded was simply a tale about a terrible mother — not the eerie, malevolent forces I’d been led to expect.
The real disappointment came at the end. The book felt like it was constantly teasing something bigger, stringing me along with the promise of a payoff that never arrived. Instead, I was left feeling let down and unsatisfied, like the story had no real purpose or resolution.
The only redeeming quality? The book's brevity. At just 212 pages, it’s a quick read, though I’m not sure that makes up for the frustration it left me with.
If you’re expecting horror, I’d steer clear. If I wanted a story about a toxic parent, I’d go relive my youth.
At first, the story hinted at darker, supernatural forces, and I kept convincing myself that the unsettling moments were building toward something horrific. But as I read on, I realized this wasn’t a horror story at all. What unfolded was simply a tale about a terrible mother — not the eerie, malevolent forces I’d been led to expect.
The real disappointment came at the end. The book felt like it was constantly teasing something bigger, stringing me along with the promise of a payoff that never arrived. Instead, I was left feeling let down and unsatisfied, like the story had no real purpose or resolution.
The only redeeming quality? The book's brevity. At just 212 pages, it’s a quick read, though I’m not sure that makes up for the frustration it left me with.
If you’re expecting horror, I’d steer clear. If I wanted a story about a toxic parent, I’d go relive my youth.
June 17, 2025
I picked up this book expecting a thrilling horror that would be unsettling throughout, however I was pretty disappointed.
Spoiler warning:
I was in suspense for most of the story, Holmes has an excellent way of building this eerie feeling. The story begins by hinting at these dark supernatural forces between Crow Face and Doll Face, two of the protagonist Annie's children, which sends her spiralling into a frenzy. However, as the book goes on it is increasingly obvious that these supernatural forces were something of the imagination.
The connection between Annie and these two children is tender and beautiful however her family becomes split in two when this connection grows, and the story became focused on Annie's neglect. The main disappointment came at the end because I was expecting some sort of explanation to the supernatural that occurred at the beginning and had been building throughout, however, it was never explained, or even really addressed. I felt a little bit cheated as the eerie cover and built suspense had led me to thinking that this would have a dark and unsettling ending.
I don't be any means think that the story or its writing was bad, it just left me with too many unanswered questions and it wasn't what I was expecting.
Spoiler warning:
I was in suspense for most of the story, Holmes has an excellent way of building this eerie feeling. The story begins by hinting at these dark supernatural forces between Crow Face and Doll Face, two of the protagonist Annie's children, which sends her spiralling into a frenzy. However, as the book goes on it is increasingly obvious that these supernatural forces were something of the imagination.
The connection between Annie and these two children is tender and beautiful however her family becomes split in two when this connection grows, and the story became focused on Annie's neglect. The main disappointment came at the end because I was expecting some sort of explanation to the supernatural that occurred at the beginning and had been building throughout, however, it was never explained, or even really addressed. I felt a little bit cheated as the eerie cover and built suspense had led me to thinking that this would have a dark and unsettling ending.
I don't be any means think that the story or its writing was bad, it just left me with too many unanswered questions and it wasn't what I was expecting.
February 5, 2025
Ooh, this is so creepy! I absolutely loved it!
Annie and Peter are happily married and have 4 children. The children are, as Annie has always wanted, the best of friends and always together, the two youngest sharing a particularly strong bond. During a perfect family picnic, Annie witnesses her two youngest (Crow Face and Doll Face) seemingly levitate, she knows that they are beyond special. This is the beginning of the end of their happy family. Slowly the relationship between the siblings shatters, and with it, her marriage to Peter. After Peter leaves her for another woman, taking their oldest and only son, Annie becomes consumed by fear that he will take the remaining 3 girls away from her and so she decides to move to a new house, making sure Peter cannot find her and take them away. This starts a series of catastrophic events which left me chilled to the bone.
This had me absolutely hooked from the first page and I read it all in one evening! This was full of suspense and chills. A short read but one that certainly packed a punch. If you are looking for an atmospheric read, you will love this.
Annie and Peter are happily married and have 4 children. The children are, as Annie has always wanted, the best of friends and always together, the two youngest sharing a particularly strong bond. During a perfect family picnic, Annie witnesses her two youngest (Crow Face and Doll Face) seemingly levitate, she knows that they are beyond special. This is the beginning of the end of their happy family. Slowly the relationship between the siblings shatters, and with it, her marriage to Peter. After Peter leaves her for another woman, taking their oldest and only son, Annie becomes consumed by fear that he will take the remaining 3 girls away from her and so she decides to move to a new house, making sure Peter cannot find her and take them away. This starts a series of catastrophic events which left me chilled to the bone.
This had me absolutely hooked from the first page and I read it all in one evening! This was full of suspense and chills. A short read but one that certainly packed a punch. If you are looking for an atmospheric read, you will love this.
October 12, 2024
This book is amazing. I borrowed it from the library, but bought my own copy before I was halfway through because I knew I'd want to have it on my shelves to re-read and dissect. It also made me scurry away to buy her previous book, The Scrap Book, which I would also highly recommend.
This book is vivid, raw and so beautifully fragile, an unadorned look at the complexities of motherhood. Read it NOW.
This book is vivid, raw and so beautifully fragile, an unadorned look at the complexities of motherhood. Read it NOW.
February 21, 2024
I love a dark family story and this book is just that. It tugs on your heartstrings if you have a parent who was not meant to be a parent yknow.
The supernatural and horror elements made the journey even better.
The final act/ending lost me a bit, but overall very very good!
The supernatural and horror elements made the journey even better.
The final act/ending lost me a bit, but overall very very good!
July 18, 2024
I loved this book and read it really fast with its eerie undercurrent pulling me to quickly turn the page. Holmes writes beautifully capturing the complexity of family relationships and dynamics. Deffo recommend for any lovers of dark fairytales.
November 22, 2023
Crow Face, Doll Face was dark, disturbing and an absolute delight to read.
The gothic undertones set the scene, the underlying sense of claustrophia and fear were palpable throughout the pages.
Annie's mind begins to slowly fall apart, with the trials and tribulations of parenthood beginning to take their toll. with daughters Doll Face and Crow Face's mind games and magic adding to an already fragile mind. Is it magic or is there something more sinister at play?
Bleak, brilliant and tugs at your emotional strings.
The gothic undertones set the scene, the underlying sense of claustrophia and fear were palpable throughout the pages.
Annie's mind begins to slowly fall apart, with the trials and tribulations of parenthood beginning to take their toll. with daughters Doll Face and Crow Face's mind games and magic adding to an already fragile mind. Is it magic or is there something more sinister at play?
Bleak, brilliant and tugs at your emotional strings.
March 13, 2025
A beautifully written account of the pure horror of a motherhood forced upon you, of the fear that comes with the fierceness of that kind of love, that kind of resentment. Quite a simple story, but very rich. Visceral and shocking in the honesty of its horror. Quite a cathartic read, and stunningly written.
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