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Broken Dolls
Author of Ghost Girl and This Appearing House Ally Malinenko brings to life a terrifying middle grade novel about a girl learning to grieve her grandfather and the creepy antique dolls in his house that seem to come alive, perfect for fans of The Doll in the Garden.
One. Two. Three. Are you ready to play?
Ever since Kaye's grandfather died, she's been obsessed with counting the steps to her bedroom, the dolls on her sister's bed, even the threads on her favorite blanket. It's arithmomania, and with the selective mutism that sometimes prevents her from speaking, she literally can't find the words to talk about how she feels now that Grampa is gone. When they take the summer to clean out and renovate his old house, Kaye finds herself counting the days.
That is, until her younger sister, Holly, starts finding dolls. She finds them buried in the backyard, stuffed in the walls, crammed into the closets. From the first one, Kaye knows they aren't like normal dolls. They smile at her like they know something, and sometimes their eyes open and close on their own. Kaye hears her sister talking to them constantly—and she swears she's heard the dolls whispering back.
Everyone assumes that Holly's just a kid with a good imagination. Kaye doesn't think it's a game, because she knows that Holly—and the dolls—are going to make her play with them. Forever.
One. Two. Three. Are you ready to play?
Ever since Kaye's grandfather died, she's been obsessed with counting the steps to her bedroom, the dolls on her sister's bed, even the threads on her favorite blanket. It's arithmomania, and with the selective mutism that sometimes prevents her from speaking, she literally can't find the words to talk about how she feels now that Grampa is gone. When they take the summer to clean out and renovate his old house, Kaye finds herself counting the days.
That is, until her younger sister, Holly, starts finding dolls. She finds them buried in the backyard, stuffed in the walls, crammed into the closets. From the first one, Kaye knows they aren't like normal dolls. They smile at her like they know something, and sometimes their eyes open and close on their own. Kaye hears her sister talking to them constantly—and she swears she's heard the dolls whispering back.
Everyone assumes that Holly's just a kid with a good imagination. Kaye doesn't think it's a game, because she knows that Holly—and the dolls—are going to make her play with them. Forever.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2025
About the author
Ally Malinenko
20 books358 followersAlly Malinenko is the author of Ghost Girl as well as two Bram Stoker nominated books, This Appearing House (Katherine Tegen Press) and Broken Dolls (Harper Collins). She is also the author of The Other March Sisters (Kensington) as well as a number of poetry collections. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and blogs at allymalinenko.com. She can also be found blathering about Doctor Who and David Bowie at @allymalinenko.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
August 18, 2025
4⭐️ This mid-grade horror story was creepy good and so scary!
Kaye and her Brooklyn family are grieving the death of their dear father/grandfather. Kaye suffers from OCD and has been increasingly silent. Her Mom decides to take Kaye and her sister Holly to the country to aid in the remodeling of the grandfather’s house.
While attending a local carnival a strange man called the poppet master gives Holly a mysterious doll as a prize. What ensues is truly terrifying! Possessed dolls are one thing that gives me the creeps, and these dolls and this story is frightening! Of course all the adults are oblivious and it’s up to the kids to save the day!
Well written and fast moving plot with a classic horror feel!
Thank you NetGalley, Ally Malinenko, and Harper Collins publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review
Kaye and her Brooklyn family are grieving the death of their dear father/grandfather. Kaye suffers from OCD and has been increasingly silent. Her Mom decides to take Kaye and her sister Holly to the country to aid in the remodeling of the grandfather’s house.
While attending a local carnival a strange man called the poppet master gives Holly a mysterious doll as a prize. What ensues is truly terrifying! Possessed dolls are one thing that gives me the creeps, and these dolls and this story is frightening! Of course all the adults are oblivious and it’s up to the kids to save the day!
Well written and fast moving plot with a classic horror feel!
Thank you NetGalley, Ally Malinenko, and Harper Collins publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review
February 7, 2025
I was absolutely blown away by this book. It had everything I love about horror, and even though it was written with a middle-grade audience in mind, the writing style had a maturity to it that adults can appreciate. The characters felt fleshed out and real. I really enjoyed Kaye's growth and her struggles with mental health and grief. It all felt extremely realistic and was handled in a way that would be helpful to young readers experiencing grief of their own. The horror scenes gave me actual chills - a rare feat! They were so well done and so well-described, I could picture them perfectly. I'd love to see this on the big screen someday, it definitely has the potential to be a great horror film. Overall, the story was right up my alley, and had this book been available when I was in middle school, it would have been one that I read over and over and over again (and I probably still will as an adult!). I can see why Stephen King took such an interest in this book. Can't wait to have it in print!
I received an ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 22, 2025
This Middle Grade Horror really grabbed my attention and never let up for a second! It's age appropriate but still spooky and the grief horror aspect was done very well. I really felt drawn to Kaye's character and felt that I could empathize with her. Losing a close family member is life shattering and can be even more difficult to process while being a kid and trying to navigate life. The characters were all developed well and the storyline was absolutely amazing. The backstory of how the dolls came to be added even more to the suspense. This was such a fun read and I recommend to any horror reader.
Broken Dolls follows Kaye. Her grandfather has recently passed away and she is really struggling with it. Her and her sister are staying with their uncle for the summer at their grandfather's home and things begin to get strange rather quickly upon their arrival. The cheese festival is a popular annual tradition in the town but what is awaiting the girls is highly unexpected. There is a peculiar man with his table of mysteries. Holly, the youngest sister ends up winning the prize of this strange card game and the prize is none other than a doll but this is no ordinary doll... it looks exactly like Holly. Weird... oh but it gets weirder! You need to grab this book when it releases to find out why!
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins and the author for this ARC. Broken Dolls releases on September 30th, 2025.
Broken Dolls follows Kaye. Her grandfather has recently passed away and she is really struggling with it. Her and her sister are staying with their uncle for the summer at their grandfather's home and things begin to get strange rather quickly upon their arrival. The cheese festival is a popular annual tradition in the town but what is awaiting the girls is highly unexpected. There is a peculiar man with his table of mysteries. Holly, the youngest sister ends up winning the prize of this strange card game and the prize is none other than a doll but this is no ordinary doll... it looks exactly like Holly. Weird... oh but it gets weirder! You need to grab this book when it releases to find out why!
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins and the author for this ARC. Broken Dolls releases on September 30th, 2025.
January 27, 2026
This is perfect for middle grade and teens that are interested in a creepy horror story, and as an adult in her 40s, it was enjoyable for me, too.
I hate creepy dolls, and Ally Malinenko did a fantastic job of creating a book full of them.
If my little sister went out into the yard to dig up dolls and I found them alone, hell to the naw, I would burn them.
Reminds me of Furby's!
4.5 Stars rounded up!
I hate creepy dolls, and Ally Malinenko did a fantastic job of creating a book full of them.
If my little sister went out into the yard to dig up dolls and I found them alone, hell to the naw, I would burn them.
Reminds me of Furby's!
4.5 Stars rounded up!
November 2, 2025
5 stars
A very eerie story with a message about loss and grief.
Characters 10
Atmosphere 10
Writing Style 10
Premise 10
Plot 10
Pace 10
Length 10
Structure/Setup 10
Enjoyment/Engrossment 10
Narration 10
A very eerie story with a message about loss and grief.
Characters 10
Atmosphere 10
Writing Style 10
Premise 10
Plot 10
Pace 10
Length 10
Structure/Setup 10
Enjoyment/Engrossment 10
Narration 10
August 24, 2025
This was disturbing in a quiet, clinical kind of way. The setup is eerie from the start, and there’s a constant sense that something is deeply wrong, even when you can’t name it yet. It leans heavily on atmosphere and slow reveals, which worked well for me. While a few moments required some suspension of disbelief, the pacing never dragged, and the payoff was satisfying. It’s one of those books that lingers, not because it’s loud, but because it’s cold.
October 26, 2025
10 stars 🌟 This was the most PHENOMENAL MG Horror I've ever read. The atmosphere, AMAZING. The tone, EXCELLENT. The horror, absolute PERFECTION. Ally Malinenko's writing is nothing short of incredible and this story left me at a loss for words. Stephen King...I completely understand now.
April 24, 2026
4.5 stars
Delightfully creepy
Delightfully creepy
July 2, 2026
This is a great book to suggested to younger spooky readers dealing with grief and or loss of a loved one.
April 27, 2025
“Broken Dolls” is middle grade horror at its best. It’s age appropriate while still being genuinely spooky. The characters are well developed and relatable. I really felt attached to our protagonist early on. The suspense in this book is unbeatable! I found myself on the edge of my seat trying to figure out where this was all going to end up, and I was not disappointed once! Though I’ll definitely look twice at next doll I see!
Thank you to NetGalley did this ARC
Thank you to NetGalley did this ARC
September 28, 2025
thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced digital copy.
this book is out September 30th, 2025.
--
this is the gold standard of middle grade horror lit in my opinion. not just because it's genuinely scary, but because it threads that fear through a deeply emotional, thoughtful exploration of grief. the horror here isn't just about creepy dolls showing up in closets and buried underground (though they do and it's terrifying). it's about the kind of sadness that lingers when someone you love dies, and the way that sadness changes how you see the world around you.
kaye is a standout protagonist. she's grieving the loss of her grandfather and dealing with arithmomania and selective mutism. her internal world feels textured and raw and ally malinenko never talks down to her or to the reader. instead, we're invited to sit with kaye's fear, her silence, her frustration. and the story never tries to "fix" her. instead, it gives her space to be understood. her little sister holly can be annoying at times, which i actually loved. it mirrored the way growing up can sometimes mean growing apart from the people you're closest to.
the representation here is also handled with real care. kaye's uncle is gay, and his boyfriend is not only present in the story, but actively trying to connect with kaye in a quiet, compassionate way. the sudoku scene in particular was so sweet, particularly since it was a way for kaye to connect with something that she loved to do with her grandpa. and then there's a blink-and-you-miss-it moment where kaye casually acknowledges that she likes a girl and no one makes it weird. it's just part of who she is.
the tension is built masterfully. the dolls don't need to be slasher-movie scary. they're unsettling in the way they feel wrong in a room. they whisper. they stare. they watch. and that kind of horror is hard to pull off in middle grade without it feeling watered down or silly. but here it works. beautifully.
i can't recommend this enough. it's soft and spooky and sincere in all the right ways. if you're looking for a middle grade read that'll haunt you a little and hold your heart at the same time, this is the one.
this book is out September 30th, 2025.
--
this is the gold standard of middle grade horror lit in my opinion. not just because it's genuinely scary, but because it threads that fear through a deeply emotional, thoughtful exploration of grief. the horror here isn't just about creepy dolls showing up in closets and buried underground (though they do and it's terrifying). it's about the kind of sadness that lingers when someone you love dies, and the way that sadness changes how you see the world around you.
kaye is a standout protagonist. she's grieving the loss of her grandfather and dealing with arithmomania and selective mutism. her internal world feels textured and raw and ally malinenko never talks down to her or to the reader. instead, we're invited to sit with kaye's fear, her silence, her frustration. and the story never tries to "fix" her. instead, it gives her space to be understood. her little sister holly can be annoying at times, which i actually loved. it mirrored the way growing up can sometimes mean growing apart from the people you're closest to.
the representation here is also handled with real care. kaye's uncle is gay, and his boyfriend is not only present in the story, but actively trying to connect with kaye in a quiet, compassionate way. the sudoku scene in particular was so sweet, particularly since it was a way for kaye to connect with something that she loved to do with her grandpa. and then there's a blink-and-you-miss-it moment where kaye casually acknowledges that she likes a girl and no one makes it weird. it's just part of who she is.
the tension is built masterfully. the dolls don't need to be slasher-movie scary. they're unsettling in the way they feel wrong in a room. they whisper. they stare. they watch. and that kind of horror is hard to pull off in middle grade without it feeling watered down or silly. but here it works. beautifully.
i can't recommend this enough. it's soft and spooky and sincere in all the right ways. if you're looking for a middle grade read that'll haunt you a little and hold your heart at the same time, this is the one.
October 13, 2025
Broken Dolls
By Ally Melinenko
This is a great story that heavily touches on themes of loss and sadness. Ally skillfully weaves her story to tell the tale of how people may feel isolated in their loss and how speaking of loss can help us continue to live through what feels so devastating. I think that this book is a great resource for kids going through grief and loss. The psychological horror is there, but it's not too scary for middle grade kids. I also appreciate, at this political time of denying LGBTQIA+ voices and experiences, that Ally includes a variety of people who aren't straight, making this an even more important resource for kids. Ally's writing flows carrying us along in a story that become richer as we near the satisfying end. This book had me thinking a lot about my own losses and a few tears were shed along my reading journey.
By Ally Melinenko
This is a great story that heavily touches on themes of loss and sadness. Ally skillfully weaves her story to tell the tale of how people may feel isolated in their loss and how speaking of loss can help us continue to live through what feels so devastating. I think that this book is a great resource for kids going through grief and loss. The psychological horror is there, but it's not too scary for middle grade kids. I also appreciate, at this political time of denying LGBTQIA+ voices and experiences, that Ally includes a variety of people who aren't straight, making this an even more important resource for kids. Ally's writing flows carrying us along in a story that become richer as we near the satisfying end. This book had me thinking a lot about my own losses and a few tears were shed along my reading journey.
December 19, 2025
We're following Kaye whose grandfather has recently passed away and she's having issue processing her grief. She develops arithmomania which is an obsession with counting things as well as selective mutism. She can't talk about her feelings or really anything for that matter. Her family goes to stay in her grandfather's house while they clean it out and prepare to sell it. Her little sister starts finding dolls and talks to them and says they are talking to her. Kaye tells her mom it's weird and her mom says that's what little girls do, use their imagination. Kaye thinks there is more to it than that. She finds her little sister digging in the ground and they find more creepy dolls. I found the story kind of repetitive as far as her sister finds a creepy doll, starts talking to doll, finds more dolls and talks to those dolls. Kaye does meet a new friend that she is able to talk to and come out of her shell a little bit. Kaye does start hearing voices and thinks she sees the dolls moving around. She finds an old journal from another girl who writes about her experience with the dolls and what's really gone on and what the dolls have planned. She works with her new friend to find a way to stop it. Overall, I felt the story was kind of slow, but I did like the grief representation in it. I think this is a good age-appropriate spooky middle grade book.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. #BrokenDolls #NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. #BrokenDolls #NetGalley
May 18, 2025
Broken Dolls is such a special book. Not only is it super creepy, but it offers a unique look at grief and how differently each person handles it.
Kaye was very near and dear to my heart as she struggled to understand and handle her OCD and the loss of her grandfather. Both things I have gone through in my life.
It was really something to watch as Kaye came to terms with sadness and understanding that it’s something okay to feel.
And the dolls??? No, thank you 😅 SO creepy.
“Just because they are a different kind of sad doesn’t mean that you don’t get to be your kind of sad too.”
Kaye was very near and dear to my heart as she struggled to understand and handle her OCD and the loss of her grandfather. Both things I have gone through in my life.
It was really something to watch as Kaye came to terms with sadness and understanding that it’s something okay to feel.
And the dolls??? No, thank you 😅 SO creepy.
“Just because they are a different kind of sad doesn’t mean that you don’t get to be your kind of sad too.”
October 7, 2025
I don't have that much to say about it to be honest. It's a nice book for kids! Handles important topics like grief and family pretty well. It's quite basic but I don't think you need more for middle grade books like this. I'm a big doll lover on top of being an adult so naturally it wasn't that scary to me, but I can definitely see how this might be creepy to a child.
Overall it's a good age appropriate introduction to horror for younger readers, and I would definitely recommend it if you have any young ones you'd like to wean into spooky stuff this Halloween!
Overall it's a good age appropriate introduction to horror for younger readers, and I would definitely recommend it if you have any young ones you'd like to wean into spooky stuff this Halloween!
November 2, 2025
Although horror about grief is my favorite kind of horror, creepy dolls are not my cup of tea. The premise works well, especially the reveal of the doll's origins, but I wasn't crazy about the writing. That being said, I'm grateful to find a compelling middle reader horror. I'll definitely be getting a copy for my classroom!
May 28, 2026
An extremely solid middle grade horror novel. Deftly handling the themes of grief and fear and mental health. Dolls are already pretty creepy, but this book takes that up to a whole new level. Not too scary for middle grade readers, but just spooky enough to give 'em a little fright. Very fun, and very well-written.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2026
Dolls is like the joy of watching Are You Afraid of the Dark as a young kid!!
February 17, 2026
Good, scary middle grade book. LGBTQ representation as well. Themes of grief and book included therapy for MC who was struggling with selective mutism after the death of her grandfather. Definite buy for my library.
April 10, 2026
4.5 stars. This was really good and freakier than quite a lot of thriller/horror middle grade, which appealed to me. I've always found dolls creepy so of course I seek out horror with them to scare myself. This did a great job with the overall creepiness factor, as well as great writing, good character development, realistic portrayal of a girl dealing with grief and selective mutism, as well as family relationship drama, and wanting a best friend. Kids who like things more psychologically scary rather than gory should love this, but also can handle some emotional depth and a bit of body horror. I'll be looking for more of this author's stories.
May 27, 2026
Creepy middle grade books will always be something that I want to read. And so I needed to give this book a try. And the cover is just so beautiful. I had high hopes that I would love this one. But I'm sorry to say that I did not. I'm ending up at two stars, which hurts my heart a little. As I so wish I could have loved this story.
But it was simply not for me. This is also the third spooky middle grade book by this author that I am reading. Also the third one I am not liking much. Oops. I guess her writing style just is not for me. Although the plot of her books all sounds so good. They just end up not being for me, sadly. Have so many thoughts to share.
But I will say that I hope children will love this book. As I can see why others would enjoy it. I have just read better ones. This one fell a little flat for me. I'm going to try keeping my review short, as this was a quick and easy book to read. But I have a little bit too much to share about it. I did not hate this story. Not at all. There was nothing that I disliked, I just simply did not like it either. Ack. It was too boring for me and not creepy enough. First mentioning the writing. I had a few small issues with it. Mostly that the conversations felt wrong, in a way. Too showy, maybe. Not sure how to describe it. Just felt off to me. And that whole mention of turning her blood cold. I can't help it; that line is not for me, haha. The main girl also felt much older than eleven, yet also younger.
My biggest issue was the use of the word Grampa. I have never experienced this before, but it physically hurt me to read the word. I got this weird pain in my mouth when I read the word. Less painful as I read it more later in the book. But in the beginning, it hurt a whole lot. As the word is used often. I cannot explain it. Never had it happen before. But it drove me nuts. Did not have an issue with grandpa. Just the other one. Not blaming the author for this, of course. I just found it very weird that it caused me that much pain.
We get to know Kaye in this book. She is eleven years old. She is spending the whole summer with her mom and her little sister Holly, at their late grandfather's house. He died just a little while ago. The house now belongs to Uncle Stan. Their Guncle, gay uncle. That was just too weird of a word, ha. But it was not the only one. In the beginning of this book, there were so many weird nicknames. I honestly did not like it at all. Nicknames are just not for me, to be honest. Her uncle and his boyfriend were so sweet, but weird.
But I did like getting to know Kaye. I did not love her, but I loved parts of her. She is in so much pain from missing her grandpa. From wanting him to come back. She has this thing where she counts often. And I liked that. I liked the parts where she remembered him. Though she is trying to get past feeling sad, when she needs to learn to live with it. It made me think too much of my own grandpa, who died so sudden less than two years ago. It still hurts me too much to think about. I'm unsure if this was a good reminder or not.
We do learn a whole lot about Kaye. She came out as bi to her uncle a year ago, when she was ten. That seemed a little young to me. Which is why I say she felt older. But I don't know. Maybe it is normal. Kaye was such a sweet girl, and I did adore her. She talks to a therapist. Which is good, I guess, but their two conversations in the book felt a little pushy, in a way. Kaye is also unable to speak. As her words just stop when she stresses. I loved this. But then, she speaks with her sister. Wish she had spoken less, honestly.
As that was one of my favorite parts of her. That she was going through a lot of pain. But she is trying her best. I felt like there was so much we did not get to know about her, though. There were many hints at her past, and her grandpa, that were just not explained. It also took way too long before we learned her little sister, Holly, was six years old. She was cute, but a little pushy. This book is about Kaye and Holly being at a fair, where they meet a magician. Where Holly wins a doll, that looks a little like her. Called Holly-doll.
Okay, that part was just weird to me. Simply because the word Holly-doll is in the book all the time. This grew to bother me a bit too much. Then Holly ends up finding more dolls outside in the garden. Creepy ones. While Kaye is busy making friends with the neighbor girl, Joey. Whom she ends up liking. I did like their small friendship a lot, though. Joey seemed great. And they just had fun together. But Holly needed Kaye. And she was just not there for her. Though, well. This book takes place in about a week. Too short.
I have already written too much about this book. Oops. But anyway. This book is about the creepy dolls. More keeps turning up. And Holly is always talking to them, and making it look like they are talking back to her. It creeps Kaye out. It did not creepy me out. Probably because Kaye keeps thinking the dolls are moving and talking. Then thinking no, they did not. So it goes again and again. It grew tiring. These dolls barely did anything. I was expecting more pain and hurt. I was hoping for scary scenes. There were none.
It may also be that I compared this book to several movies and some books that are like this one. And I thought they did it better. Ack. I just wish this book had been more. It was a bit too little for me. Holly may be turning into a doll. Kaye is too slow in actually figuring it out. Their mom sees nothing. But it is also a book about grief. And I think it did that part well, which is what I liked about this book. Broken Dolls was not all I wanted it to be. But I am glad I gave this a try even so. And I think you should all give it a try too.
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This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2026...
But it was simply not for me. This is also the third spooky middle grade book by this author that I am reading. Also the third one I am not liking much. Oops. I guess her writing style just is not for me. Although the plot of her books all sounds so good. They just end up not being for me, sadly. Have so many thoughts to share.
But I will say that I hope children will love this book. As I can see why others would enjoy it. I have just read better ones. This one fell a little flat for me. I'm going to try keeping my review short, as this was a quick and easy book to read. But I have a little bit too much to share about it. I did not hate this story. Not at all. There was nothing that I disliked, I just simply did not like it either. Ack. It was too boring for me and not creepy enough. First mentioning the writing. I had a few small issues with it. Mostly that the conversations felt wrong, in a way. Too showy, maybe. Not sure how to describe it. Just felt off to me. And that whole mention of turning her blood cold. I can't help it; that line is not for me, haha. The main girl also felt much older than eleven, yet also younger.
My biggest issue was the use of the word Grampa. I have never experienced this before, but it physically hurt me to read the word. I got this weird pain in my mouth when I read the word. Less painful as I read it more later in the book. But in the beginning, it hurt a whole lot. As the word is used often. I cannot explain it. Never had it happen before. But it drove me nuts. Did not have an issue with grandpa. Just the other one. Not blaming the author for this, of course. I just found it very weird that it caused me that much pain.
We get to know Kaye in this book. She is eleven years old. She is spending the whole summer with her mom and her little sister Holly, at their late grandfather's house. He died just a little while ago. The house now belongs to Uncle Stan. Their Guncle, gay uncle. That was just too weird of a word, ha. But it was not the only one. In the beginning of this book, there were so many weird nicknames. I honestly did not like it at all. Nicknames are just not for me, to be honest. Her uncle and his boyfriend were so sweet, but weird.
But I did like getting to know Kaye. I did not love her, but I loved parts of her. She is in so much pain from missing her grandpa. From wanting him to come back. She has this thing where she counts often. And I liked that. I liked the parts where she remembered him. Though she is trying to get past feeling sad, when she needs to learn to live with it. It made me think too much of my own grandpa, who died so sudden less than two years ago. It still hurts me too much to think about. I'm unsure if this was a good reminder or not.
We do learn a whole lot about Kaye. She came out as bi to her uncle a year ago, when she was ten. That seemed a little young to me. Which is why I say she felt older. But I don't know. Maybe it is normal. Kaye was such a sweet girl, and I did adore her. She talks to a therapist. Which is good, I guess, but their two conversations in the book felt a little pushy, in a way. Kaye is also unable to speak. As her words just stop when she stresses. I loved this. But then, she speaks with her sister. Wish she had spoken less, honestly.
As that was one of my favorite parts of her. That she was going through a lot of pain. But she is trying her best. I felt like there was so much we did not get to know about her, though. There were many hints at her past, and her grandpa, that were just not explained. It also took way too long before we learned her little sister, Holly, was six years old. She was cute, but a little pushy. This book is about Kaye and Holly being at a fair, where they meet a magician. Where Holly wins a doll, that looks a little like her. Called Holly-doll.
Okay, that part was just weird to me. Simply because the word Holly-doll is in the book all the time. This grew to bother me a bit too much. Then Holly ends up finding more dolls outside in the garden. Creepy ones. While Kaye is busy making friends with the neighbor girl, Joey. Whom she ends up liking. I did like their small friendship a lot, though. Joey seemed great. And they just had fun together. But Holly needed Kaye. And she was just not there for her. Though, well. This book takes place in about a week. Too short.
I have already written too much about this book. Oops. But anyway. This book is about the creepy dolls. More keeps turning up. And Holly is always talking to them, and making it look like they are talking back to her. It creeps Kaye out. It did not creepy me out. Probably because Kaye keeps thinking the dolls are moving and talking. Then thinking no, they did not. So it goes again and again. It grew tiring. These dolls barely did anything. I was expecting more pain and hurt. I was hoping for scary scenes. There were none.
It may also be that I compared this book to several movies and some books that are like this one. And I thought they did it better. Ack. I just wish this book had been more. It was a bit too little for me. Holly may be turning into a doll. Kaye is too slow in actually figuring it out. Their mom sees nothing. But it is also a book about grief. And I think it did that part well, which is what I liked about this book. Broken Dolls was not all I wanted it to be. But I am glad I gave this a try even so. And I think you should all give it a try too.
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This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2026...
May 1, 2026
Ally Malinenko tackles another tough subject with Broken Dolls. Grief and finding your voice. Malinenko writes so clearly and so raw that it is very relatable. The dolls get scarier as we meet each new one, entertaining and suspenseful. Written for kids but adults will love it as well.
If you have ever wanted to comfort or just let a quiet child know that they were not alone and didn't have the words, with this book, Ally Malinenko wrote the words for you. It's an important story even if you haven't lost anyone yet, because you will remember it when you do, and will teach empathy for those that have and are struggling.
It should be in every public library, school library, little library, and community center. Please help spread the word about this amazing book. This one both broke my heart and helped heal it. 🖤
Definitely recommend for everyone.
5 Stars 🫶
If you have ever wanted to comfort or just let a quiet child know that they were not alone and didn't have the words, with this book, Ally Malinenko wrote the words for you. It's an important story even if you haven't lost anyone yet, because you will remember it when you do, and will teach empathy for those that have and are struggling.
It should be in every public library, school library, little library, and community center. Please help spread the word about this amazing book. This one both broke my heart and helped heal it. 🖤
Definitely recommend for everyone.
5 Stars 🫶
December 2, 2025
Ugh. So many cliches and frustrating "close calls," then the MC goes on to make ridiculous decision after ridiculous decision. MG horror readers are desperate, though, so this one needs to make it into most collections.
April 9, 2026
Very underwhelming and boring. It got a little interesting towards the end but it was still meh.
October 5, 2025
Broken Dolls grabbed my attention right from the first pages and never really let up, to the point where I read it in one sitting because I didn't want to stop reading it. It had the perfect blend of atmosphere, creepy elements, disturbing situations, and the thematic elements of grief running through all of this. Losing a close family member can be traumatizing and to read about it through the eyes of an 11 year old is very impactful. I thought this was a perfect blend of character and plot development for a juvenile fiction book.
Kaye is suffering with arithmomania, also known as counting OCD, often driven by anxiety and a desire to avoid anything catastrophic or disturbing. On top of this, she has also developed selective mutism that prevents her from speaking as she grapples with grief from her grandfather's death. Knowing how worried this makes her mother and her uncle, she struggles with her emotions by trying to placate them which makes the situation almost worse at times. I really connected with Kaye and felt very empathetic to what she was going through. With my own kids losing their grandfather at the same age, I definitely understood the difficulties from both Kaye's and her mother's point of view. She was a very well-developed character and I enjoyed her journey throughout the book. I also thought the other characters had their own personalities, but they were not as developed as Kaye, not that they needed to be, not for this story.
I thought the book had the perfect blend of horror for a juvenile fiction book. I mean, we are talking about dolls. Ugly dolls, Dolls that get up and move. Dolls that talk. That would be enough to send me out the door, thank you very much. Kaye had more strength than I would have had in the same situation because the moment that doll started moving, well, back in the ground it would have gone. There are no really big jump scares in this book, but it definitely has a creepy element running throughout it, one that doesn't let up throughout the entire book. I loved how the author kept the tension at a pretty high level and kept me invested. There are twists and turns and discoveries to be made, something I would have loved as a kid. I also thought the author did a fantastic job of weaving the element of grief throughout the story and allowed Kaye to grieve and find her own path. That was so well done.
Broken Dolls is a great book for anyone who loves the terrifying doll trope, even if the book was written with the juvenile audience in mind. The author does a great job of building tension in this book and I loved the relationship between Holly and Kaye. Maybe I am a bit biased when it comes to this book as I read a lot of horror and not a lot of things bother me, but dolls will send me packing, fast. I definitely recommend this book as it has a main character to whom you can relate and the author did a great job at building the tension without making it too scary for those younger readers.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Kaye is suffering with arithmomania, also known as counting OCD, often driven by anxiety and a desire to avoid anything catastrophic or disturbing. On top of this, she has also developed selective mutism that prevents her from speaking as she grapples with grief from her grandfather's death. Knowing how worried this makes her mother and her uncle, she struggles with her emotions by trying to placate them which makes the situation almost worse at times. I really connected with Kaye and felt very empathetic to what she was going through. With my own kids losing their grandfather at the same age, I definitely understood the difficulties from both Kaye's and her mother's point of view. She was a very well-developed character and I enjoyed her journey throughout the book. I also thought the other characters had their own personalities, but they were not as developed as Kaye, not that they needed to be, not for this story.
I thought the book had the perfect blend of horror for a juvenile fiction book. I mean, we are talking about dolls. Ugly dolls, Dolls that get up and move. Dolls that talk. That would be enough to send me out the door, thank you very much. Kaye had more strength than I would have had in the same situation because the moment that doll started moving, well, back in the ground it would have gone. There are no really big jump scares in this book, but it definitely has a creepy element running throughout it, one that doesn't let up throughout the entire book. I loved how the author kept the tension at a pretty high level and kept me invested. There are twists and turns and discoveries to be made, something I would have loved as a kid. I also thought the author did a fantastic job of weaving the element of grief throughout the story and allowed Kaye to grieve and find her own path. That was so well done.
Broken Dolls is a great book for anyone who loves the terrifying doll trope, even if the book was written with the juvenile audience in mind. The author does a great job of building tension in this book and I loved the relationship between Holly and Kaye. Maybe I am a bit biased when it comes to this book as I read a lot of horror and not a lot of things bother me, but dolls will send me packing, fast. I definitely recommend this book as it has a main character to whom you can relate and the author did a great job at building the tension without making it too scary for those younger readers.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
August 25, 2025
4.5 out of 5.
Three Words That Describe This Book: grief, terrifying dolls, immersive dread throughout
A great MG Horror read for adults. Just as scary as anything for adults, maybe bait more because of how intense and relatable the grief is here.
This is an example of why I love MG horror right now. It is just as terrifying as adult horror. It is no less "scary" and in fact might be more immersive than adult because -- as Malinenko demonstrates here-- you have to make the reader feel the fear with their entire body without resorting to gore or visceral digust.
I do not want to give away the plot here, but I will tell you that the main character, Kaye is hurting after the death of her grandfather. She is hurting a lot! As is the entire family, but Kaye can't see past her own grief which is literally paralyzing her at times. She is counting everything to cope and has pretty much stopped talking. We are inside her head so we see more than she shares.
Kaye is a kid and this is written for kids so I love how readers are so fully inside of her brain and point of view that we also lose sight of the others in the family and what they are going through. We get snippets but while most of the plot is about the dolls and their terrifying history, the story is really about grief and how everyone grieves and hurst differently. And how those differences reflect the person hurting.
Now, I read this as an adult and I am a librarian who matches adults with books to read, and while this book was not written for an adult audience, I think it is a GREAT read for anyone who loves the terrifying doll trope. And let me make myself clear here-- again no spoilers because the story behind the dolls, their history, and their agenda, is very well done-- these dolls are not harmless. Malinenko does an excellent job of building the story from unease to dread to concern to all out terror. It flows naturally even though what is happening is anything but natural.
This book is immersive. There is a scene early on where the kettle sister goes digging at the base of a tree and pulls out some dolls and I straight up was in my yard and saw our big tree and was like....NOPE, not walking over there for a while.
I am going to give people readalikes from the adult fiction perspective, meaning if you read adult horror as I will list, you should 100% try this book. It will not disappoint.
If you like super intense grief horror as written by Clay McLeod Chapman read this. Stay on the Line (novella and in his new collection Acquired Taste), Kill Your Darling, or Ghost Eaters especially.
Doll Horror: The Motion fo Puppets by Keith Donohue is a backlist title that fits this one perfectly. How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. The House of Small Shadows by Adam Nevill. The Doll Collection edited by Ellen Datlow. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell.
This terrified my as much at THE NEST by Oppel. It's on that level. Enjoy!
Three Words That Describe This Book: grief, terrifying dolls, immersive dread throughout
A great MG Horror read for adults. Just as scary as anything for adults, maybe bait more because of how intense and relatable the grief is here.
This is an example of why I love MG horror right now. It is just as terrifying as adult horror. It is no less "scary" and in fact might be more immersive than adult because -- as Malinenko demonstrates here-- you have to make the reader feel the fear with their entire body without resorting to gore or visceral digust.
I do not want to give away the plot here, but I will tell you that the main character, Kaye is hurting after the death of her grandfather. She is hurting a lot! As is the entire family, but Kaye can't see past her own grief which is literally paralyzing her at times. She is counting everything to cope and has pretty much stopped talking. We are inside her head so we see more than she shares.
Kaye is a kid and this is written for kids so I love how readers are so fully inside of her brain and point of view that we also lose sight of the others in the family and what they are going through. We get snippets but while most of the plot is about the dolls and their terrifying history, the story is really about grief and how everyone grieves and hurst differently. And how those differences reflect the person hurting.
Now, I read this as an adult and I am a librarian who matches adults with books to read, and while this book was not written for an adult audience, I think it is a GREAT read for anyone who loves the terrifying doll trope. And let me make myself clear here-- again no spoilers because the story behind the dolls, their history, and their agenda, is very well done-- these dolls are not harmless. Malinenko does an excellent job of building the story from unease to dread to concern to all out terror. It flows naturally even though what is happening is anything but natural.
This book is immersive. There is a scene early on where the kettle sister goes digging at the base of a tree and pulls out some dolls and I straight up was in my yard and saw our big tree and was like....NOPE, not walking over there for a while.
I am going to give people readalikes from the adult fiction perspective, meaning if you read adult horror as I will list, you should 100% try this book. It will not disappoint.
If you like super intense grief horror as written by Clay McLeod Chapman read this. Stay on the Line (novella and in his new collection Acquired Taste), Kill Your Darling, or Ghost Eaters especially.
Doll Horror: The Motion fo Puppets by Keith Donohue is a backlist title that fits this one perfectly. How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. The House of Small Shadows by Adam Nevill. The Doll Collection edited by Ellen Datlow. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell.
This terrified my as much at THE NEST by Oppel. It's on that level. Enjoy!
January 10, 2026
Broken Dolls follows Kaye, a girl struggling to process the recent death of her grandfather. Her grief manifests as arithmomania—an obsessive need to count—and selective mutism. She can’t talk about her feelings, and eventually can barely speak at all. When her family goes to stay in her grandfather’s house to clean it out and prepare it for sale, things begin to unravel.
Kaye’s younger sister, Holly, “wins” a doll at the local Velveeta Festival (yes, really)—a doll that looks exactly like her. After that, Holly starts finding more dolls, talking to them, and insisting they talk back. Kaye is immediately unsettled and tries to warn her mother, but she’s brushed off with the usual dismissal that this is just how little girls play.
Kaye believes there’s something far more sinister happening—and she’s right. She catches Holly digging in the yard, uncovers more dolls, and begins to notice increasingly disturbing behavior. Unfortunately, the story leans hard into a repetitive cycle: Holly finds a creepy doll, talks to it, finds more dolls, talks to those too. While the escalation is clear, the repetition slows the pacing significantly.
One bright spot is Kaye’s relationship with a new friend she meets in town. This connection allows her to slowly come out of her shell, and it’s through this friendship that she begins to reclaim her voice—literally and emotionally. As the story progresses, Kaye starts hearing voices herself and believes she sees the dolls moving. She also discovers an old journal from another girl that reveals what’s really been happening in the house and what the dolls have planned. Together with her new friend, she works to stop it.
The adults in this book are, frankly, useless. No one listens to Kaye. No one notices the dolls. No one investigates anything. I kept wondering why the parents were even present in the story, since they serve no real function beyond dismissal.
One element I particularly disliked was a flashback chapter dropped near the end that explains why everything is happening. It’s abrupt, misplaced, and completely deflates the tension. Either it should have been woven in earlier—or, preferably, left out altogether.
Overall, the story felt slow, though I appreciated the way grief was portrayed and tied into Kaye’s mental health. The ending, however, is rushed and could have benefited from more space to breathe. And there’s a larger logic issue I couldn’t ignore: how are there so many dolls? How many people have lived in this house, disappeared, or been affected with no rumors, news stories, or urban legends at all? That part felt silly and underdeveloped.
That said, this is an age-appropriate spooky middle grade novel, and for that audience, it largely works—especially for readers drawn to creepy dolls and emotional themes tied to loss.
Kaye’s younger sister, Holly, “wins” a doll at the local Velveeta Festival (yes, really)—a doll that looks exactly like her. After that, Holly starts finding more dolls, talking to them, and insisting they talk back. Kaye is immediately unsettled and tries to warn her mother, but she’s brushed off with the usual dismissal that this is just how little girls play.
Kaye believes there’s something far more sinister happening—and she’s right. She catches Holly digging in the yard, uncovers more dolls, and begins to notice increasingly disturbing behavior. Unfortunately, the story leans hard into a repetitive cycle: Holly finds a creepy doll, talks to it, finds more dolls, talks to those too. While the escalation is clear, the repetition slows the pacing significantly.
One bright spot is Kaye’s relationship with a new friend she meets in town. This connection allows her to slowly come out of her shell, and it’s through this friendship that she begins to reclaim her voice—literally and emotionally. As the story progresses, Kaye starts hearing voices herself and believes she sees the dolls moving. She also discovers an old journal from another girl that reveals what’s really been happening in the house and what the dolls have planned. Together with her new friend, she works to stop it.
The adults in this book are, frankly, useless. No one listens to Kaye. No one notices the dolls. No one investigates anything. I kept wondering why the parents were even present in the story, since they serve no real function beyond dismissal.
One element I particularly disliked was a flashback chapter dropped near the end that explains why everything is happening. It’s abrupt, misplaced, and completely deflates the tension. Either it should have been woven in earlier—or, preferably, left out altogether.
Overall, the story felt slow, though I appreciated the way grief was portrayed and tied into Kaye’s mental health. The ending, however, is rushed and could have benefited from more space to breathe. And there’s a larger logic issue I couldn’t ignore: how are there so many dolls? How many people have lived in this house, disappeared, or been affected with no rumors, news stories, or urban legends at all? That part felt silly and underdeveloped.
That said, this is an age-appropriate spooky middle grade novel, and for that audience, it largely works—especially for readers drawn to creepy dolls and emotional themes tied to loss.
October 13, 2025
Creating truly scary but not gory horror for upper elementary and middle school readers is tough, but Ally Malinenko proves up to the challenge. Following the death of her beloved grandfather, 12-year-old Kaye, her little sister Holly, and their mom head to upstate New York for the summer to stay with the girls’ “Guncle” Stan as he renovates the family manse. Kaye mourns her grandfather’s passing and is experiencing selective mutism as she struggles with her grief, although she can speak to Holly. When the two excitedly tear through a local cheese festival, they stumble upon a mysterious magician who gives them a creepy porcelain doll bearing an uncanny resemblance to the younger sister. Soon after, Holly recruits Kaye to help her uncover two more dolls buried in the backyard, one a decapitated head with just a few strands of realistic hair clinging to its scalp. Although Holly begins whispering with the dolls and Kaye swears they can blink and even move, she has a hard time convincing her mom and uncle that anything is wrong. An ally emerges when Kaye befriends her neighbor Joey, a spirited, athletic redhead who believes her story and joins forces to fight the menacing horde. Malinenko cleverly weaves together her metaphors in a way that even young readers will appreciate. Kaye struggles to speak and the dolls, of course, are mute; the dolls are worn, chipped, and dirty while Kaye sees herself as broken. And the dolls are evil – is Kaye? She certainly feels bad about resisting Holly increasingly erratic demands as the little girl succumbs to the dolls’ malevolent control.
Malinenko really knows how to build spooky set pieces. Initially, the creepy incidents occur at night, with Kaye isolated and frozen in place with terror. As the dolls multiply and gain confidence, they begin moving during the day, although only Kaye sees them. When she attends virtual therapy sessions to work on her mental health, something disrupts her Wi-Fi signal causing her therapist to glitch and appear like a creepy, jerky marionette on the screen. A scene in which a seemingly benign Raggedy Ann torments Kaye hits especially hard, as does the mounting tension as Holly begins to mutter about finding the penultimate poppet – Miss Abyss. A flashback sends readers to the frightening 1919 flu epidemic to receive a brief but contextually plausible explanation of the supernatural events. The book owes a strong debt to Stephen King (a personal favorite), who contributed a blurb for the front cover! Characters cue as white. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
Malinenko really knows how to build spooky set pieces. Initially, the creepy incidents occur at night, with Kaye isolated and frozen in place with terror. As the dolls multiply and gain confidence, they begin moving during the day, although only Kaye sees them. When she attends virtual therapy sessions to work on her mental health, something disrupts her Wi-Fi signal causing her therapist to glitch and appear like a creepy, jerky marionette on the screen. A scene in which a seemingly benign Raggedy Ann torments Kaye hits especially hard, as does the mounting tension as Holly begins to mutter about finding the penultimate poppet – Miss Abyss. A flashback sends readers to the frightening 1919 flu epidemic to receive a brief but contextually plausible explanation of the supernatural events. The book owes a strong debt to Stephen King (a personal favorite), who contributed a blurb for the front cover! Characters cue as white. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
November 9, 2025
This book grabs you by the throat from the get-go. Every time you turn around, it’s finding new ways to creep you out, just like the dolls in the book. This one is atmospheric horror at its best and it packs a punch. See, Kaye and her family are all dealing with the loss of a family member. Kaye has taken the death of her grandfather particularly hard since he was one of her best friends and a person who understood her more than most.
That’s why, when Kaye’s mom takes her and her sister, Holly, down to Grandpa’s old house to help with renovations, Kaye is less-than-thrilled to go. Renovating the house and getting rid of Grandpa’s things just seems like her family is trying more and more to forget him. However, her mom thinks it’s a good idea because it could help Kaye with her mental health and it could be good for her to make new friends over the summer in a new town. One day, Kaye’s family convinces her to go to the carnival with Holly in hopes that she’ll have some fun. The rides are great, but Kaye can’t stop thinking about Grandpa. And when her sister wins a weird doll at the magician’s booth, Kaye gets a really bad feeling.
Soon, the feeling of dread that accompanied the doll at the carnival becomes something much more. Soon after the doll comes to the house, more dolls start to appear. And they aren’t friendly. Something sinister has arrived at Grandpa’s old place. As things start to get dangerous, Kaye wonders if she’s losing her mind. Dolls can’t hurt people, can they? Still, she worries about Holly and the effect the dolls have on her. There is no denying she’s changed and there’s no denying what Kaye has seen. But how will she convince anyone that what is happening is real if all they see are innocent little dolls?
This is first and foremost a book about family and the grieving process. The author wrote it while grieving the losses of her parents. Kaye’s pain (and everyone else’s) is evident on every page of this book. The author did a great job of really getting into the fears we have around death and how those impact others around us. The dolls are an effective and creepy way of showing how repressed feelings show up in our lives, especially when we lose a loved one. The dolls are about control. We want a way to control what happens in the future, but we can’t. In order to survive, we must learn to accept certain truths and somehow, keep going.
Having lost several people in my life, I related to this book so much and I am so glad it is here! Thank you, Ally, for writing this book.
#SpookyStories #Grief
That’s why, when Kaye’s mom takes her and her sister, Holly, down to Grandpa’s old house to help with renovations, Kaye is less-than-thrilled to go. Renovating the house and getting rid of Grandpa’s things just seems like her family is trying more and more to forget him. However, her mom thinks it’s a good idea because it could help Kaye with her mental health and it could be good for her to make new friends over the summer in a new town. One day, Kaye’s family convinces her to go to the carnival with Holly in hopes that she’ll have some fun. The rides are great, but Kaye can’t stop thinking about Grandpa. And when her sister wins a weird doll at the magician’s booth, Kaye gets a really bad feeling.
Soon, the feeling of dread that accompanied the doll at the carnival becomes something much more. Soon after the doll comes to the house, more dolls start to appear. And they aren’t friendly. Something sinister has arrived at Grandpa’s old place. As things start to get dangerous, Kaye wonders if she’s losing her mind. Dolls can’t hurt people, can they? Still, she worries about Holly and the effect the dolls have on her. There is no denying she’s changed and there’s no denying what Kaye has seen. But how will she convince anyone that what is happening is real if all they see are innocent little dolls?
This is first and foremost a book about family and the grieving process. The author wrote it while grieving the losses of her parents. Kaye’s pain (and everyone else’s) is evident on every page of this book. The author did a great job of really getting into the fears we have around death and how those impact others around us. The dolls are an effective and creepy way of showing how repressed feelings show up in our lives, especially when we lose a loved one. The dolls are about control. We want a way to control what happens in the future, but we can’t. In order to survive, we must learn to accept certain truths and somehow, keep going.
Having lost several people in my life, I related to this book so much and I am so glad it is here! Thank you, Ally, for writing this book.
#SpookyStories #Grief
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October 1, 2025Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
Broken Dolls by Ally Malinenko is a third person-POV Middle Grade horror. Since her grandfather's death, Kaye has been very withdrawn and has even stopped speaking in most situations. When she and her sister Holly go to the local fair and a man calling himself the Poppet Maker convinces them to play a game and awards them a doll, things start to get very strange very fast.
This book would have given me nightmares as a kid. My mom had this photo of a museum piece that included a doll and as a kid, at night, I was convinced I saw the doll’s head move to stare right at me. Even as an adult, I was still getting the heebie-jeebies because something about dolls moving is just unsettling at any age. That all being said, I didn't find anything in this book to be inappropriate for anyone over the age of ten and if a young reader really wants to get scared, this will probably do the trick.
A decent chunk of the book is about grief and how people mourn differently. Kaye takes her grandfather’s death exceptionally hard because they were so close but Holly, as far as Kaye is concerned, is doing fine. Part of that could be Holly’s age since she's only six and sometimes children that young don't fully comprehend death, which leads to Kaye feeling resentment. I thought this was very well-done and realistic for the age group as well as the ages of the characters.
Kaye is a bit more quiet and doesn't have a sarcastic or super strong voice like some readers might expect from an MG. She's a bit more distant and detached. Given the circumstances, I thought this was fine and I think MG should have a variety of voices for different kids to connect to. Her personality comes out more in how she counts numbers and in her interactions with others.
I would recommend this to young readers who want a scary book and can handle dolls coming alive and readers in the 9-12 range who are gravitating to shorter books
Broken Dolls by Ally Malinenko is a third person-POV Middle Grade horror. Since her grandfather's death, Kaye has been very withdrawn and has even stopped speaking in most situations. When she and her sister Holly go to the local fair and a man calling himself the Poppet Maker convinces them to play a game and awards them a doll, things start to get very strange very fast.
This book would have given me nightmares as a kid. My mom had this photo of a museum piece that included a doll and as a kid, at night, I was convinced I saw the doll’s head move to stare right at me. Even as an adult, I was still getting the heebie-jeebies because something about dolls moving is just unsettling at any age. That all being said, I didn't find anything in this book to be inappropriate for anyone over the age of ten and if a young reader really wants to get scared, this will probably do the trick.
A decent chunk of the book is about grief and how people mourn differently. Kaye takes her grandfather’s death exceptionally hard because they were so close but Holly, as far as Kaye is concerned, is doing fine. Part of that could be Holly’s age since she's only six and sometimes children that young don't fully comprehend death, which leads to Kaye feeling resentment. I thought this was very well-done and realistic for the age group as well as the ages of the characters.
Kaye is a bit more quiet and doesn't have a sarcastic or super strong voice like some readers might expect from an MG. She's a bit more distant and detached. Given the circumstances, I thought this was fine and I think MG should have a variety of voices for different kids to connect to. Her personality comes out more in how she counts numbers and in her interactions with others.
I would recommend this to young readers who want a scary book and can handle dolls coming alive and readers in the 9-12 range who are gravitating to shorter books
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