She's a Doll

by Barbara Truelove, Tegan Bourke (Narrator)

Lucy isn't a normal girl. Ghost. Victim. Killer. She's a doll on a mission—to find the man who killed her and return the favor.

Lucy McQuinn has been murdered, but she's not about to go quietly.

If she doesn't get to keep breathing, then neither does Kyle, her killer. Possessing the body of an antique doll, she sets out on a quest for revenge. But it's hard when you're eighteen inches tall and made of porcelain.

For help, she turns to Nicola, a human and fellow outsider with her own reasons to hate Kyle. But in their small idyllic town, no one wants to hear the truth, especially not about such a promising young man. If they can't expose his crimes, Lucy will have to roll up her lacy little sleeves and teach him a lesson the old-fashioned way—as slowly and painfully as possible.

From LA Times bestselling author Barbara Truelove, She's a Doll is a ghoulish and gleeful tribute to the unstoppable power of female rage and a love letter to the friends who have our back—in this life and the next.

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Fiction, LGBT, Queer, Fantasy, Adult

Audible Audio

First published September 8, 2026

About the author

I write about werewolves and sometimes other things.

Reviews

[Esta · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Chucky meets Australian Toy Story with female rage and a mullet.

(Is that a stretch? Perhaps but yeah nah. You can read it and judge for yourself).

Do you get infuriated at men who murder and sexually assault and get away with it? Do you get outraged that women get gaslit, victim-blamed and the man gets perhaps a light slap on the wrist at best case scenario? Then She’s a Doll by Barbara Truelove might be for you!

Lucy McQuinn is not like other girls dolls. And that’s because she’s a haunted porcelain doll with a missing eye who will tell you to go fuck yourself a lot.

But the real question is why? Why is this freaky ass porcelain doll haunted by Lucy McQuinn? Well, see. She was murdered by an absolute deadbeat named Kyle and her spirit kinda latched onto the closest thing which happened to be a doll. NWGFFO Kyle.

The Australian setting of this thriller with a dash of mild horror really resonated with me, as someone born and raised in Australia, from the screeches of cockatoos, to your friendly wall-puppy huntsman spiders (they may look intimidating but they're good guys! fr), to the iconic mullet hairstyle representation, to the descriptions of small town suburbia. But the darker side of the Aussie setting is how it hits home when it comes to men killing or hurting women, as Kyle did to Lucy in this book. [Not a spoiler, this happens at the beginning]. Lucy might be a murderous haunted porcelain bride doll, but the anger, devastation and grief driving this story is all too real, as are the statistics: As of September 2026, men have killed 49 women this year in Australia, according to Australian Femicide Watch.

Friends, I think I’ve found myself a new favourite author because this was unhinged, emotional and profound all at once. The female friendships were an absolute standout. Love the ace and queer and disability (hearing loss/hearing aids) rep. My heart just burst with emotion for Lucy, Nic and Ginger. And also Cookie (we don't deserve dogs), Grandma and Claudia. Who is Claudia? You will have to read it to find out. (It's definitely not an arachnid with the voice of an old English lady).

Anyhow, this is a campy (compliment), deranged, paranormal thriller that played out in technicolour in my mind, with a fresh, zippy writing style and tip top banter that kept me gripped, infuriated and also very satisfied. Scary is subjective: I can say this didn't scare me, rather it thrilled, if anything!

I may upgrade my rating to five stars in a week or so, if I'm still thinking about it, let's see ;) Highly highly recommend.

PS. Do not skip the bookclub questions at the end! And then once you read those, circle back to the content warnings at the beginning... TRUST ME.

PPS. I feel that Australia's homegrown cult classic banger, Pride playlist staple and Aussie national anthem, Untouched by The Veronicas, pairs well with the vibes and themes in this story.

Thanks so much to Bindery Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

___

bad news, shes dead.
good news, she's possessed an antique porcelain doll so she can enact revenge on her killer.

Hope this is as unhinged as it sounds!

[Chewable Orb · Rating 4 out of 5]

She’s a Doll by Barbara Truelove
4.10 rounded down to 4🔮orbs
Pub. Date: Sept. 8, 2026
Bindery Books



A sneak peek…

💡 Orbs Prologue: The doorbell chimes throughout the house. Our peaceful setting suddenly succumbs to a barking chaos as our dog, Cookie's, protective disposition kicks in. Lucy May McQuinn remains the only one present in the residence at the moment. Through my fish-eyed lens, Lucy spies a young man. "Kyle Lawson, but how does he know where I live?" she mutters. The twin brother of her best friend, Krissy, stands with a bottle of alcohol on the front porch. Perhaps against better judgment, Lucy swings the door open and greets her uninvited guest. As I, the clear tunnel with which to warn and stave off intrusion, remain flat against a side wall….

🧐 A small glimpse: Lucy is quirky. She always has been a bit different. Marching to her own beat, she is invited to a party thrown by Ginger, one of the more popular girls back in her high school days. Barbara Truelove, author of the previous sensation, Of Monsters and Mainframes, takes Lucy’s hand, adorned in a lovely cosplay outfit, and walks her into Ginger’s home. Once in the house, it is apparent that Lucy is unique, with several of the attendees trying to hold their tongues. Ginger stays nice, for she is that rare person with the beauty and social smarts to become both popular and likeable. As the story progresses, a phone call is made to Krissy, Lucy’s best friend, with whom her brother Kyle picks up and sparks up a conversation that leads to him coming to Lucy’s house unannounced. Truelove then decides that the niceties are over, presenting a scenario that will undoubtedly keep readers in fright. One-upping the standard horror trope, we begin to unwind into something quite quirky and, dare I say, comical. Truelove will have us looking at characters through glass eyes and toil in misconceptions that have been created in the public opinion…

👍 Orbs Pros: Lucy! A fabulous main character!Is she anti-social? Is she slightly awkward? Socially unaware? All of the above! And I loved it! Truelove, Barbara Truelove! You are quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. This was such a diversion from Of Monsters and Mainframes, and yet the prose still kept me glued to the edge of my seat. Chucky! Oh, that wonderful doll, you brought so much joy to a younger me. If you love the Chucky franchise, I venture to guess that you might enjoy this novel as well. Humor! This is where the book shines. The quips and snarky comments transcend the angsty persona of Lucy’s character, bringing Lucy to life!

👎 Orbs Cons: Hmm, tough! There wasn’t anything that I would personally complain about. The subject matter, violence, and some sporadic, terrifying scenes might rub some the wrong way. Kyle, the narcissist, will leave an unpleasant taste in the mouth. However, I don’t think there was any gratuitous violence or gore just for the sake of it. People on the fence with horror should have no problems with this one.

Highly recommended! This was great! For a fan of those iconic horror films that added a bit of humor, this one might be right up your alley. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Truelove, but I was pleasantly satisfied with this novel in all aspects!

💡 Orbs Epilogue: As Lucy shuts the heavy oak door, I am now privy to a strange conversation between two strangers. With Cookie being safely locked in a different room, Kyle’s body remains intact. Lucy's voice sounds alarmed, as if this situation is all too surreal. Kyle begins to subtly stalk his prey. His charming nature is quickly rebuked, leading to harsher tones and physical violence, which, at first glance, he appeared wholly incapable of. Throaty sounds of desperation, followed by a stillness in movement, are offset by Cookie’s frantic snarling and growling in protest. I hear the cadence of worried footsteps coming, and the door swiftly opens. Kyle noiselessly shuts the door and peers down the concrete walkway. No one is coming, and that bodes well for his escape. You see, dear readers, Kyle is good at what he does…

Many thanks to Bindery Books for the ARC through NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride) · Rating 5 out of 5]

7 books in 7 days! (Read It or Unhaul It Sprint #2)

Day 7/7
Prompt: Horror from a New-To-Me Author

YouTube reading vlog: https://youtu.be/pMxpUQ2Rv70

Mini reviews…
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dcp1gZ...
TikTok: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSVvnMhna/

Written review: on the way

You can find me on...

Youtube | Instagram | TikTok

You can join our book club over on Patreon...

PBB Book Club

[Liana Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 ⭐️ Imagine being mauled by an antique doll. How hard might this be if you're only 18 inches tall and made of porcelain?

A young woman, Lucy is murdered by her friend's brother and finds her consciousness trapped inside a porcelain doll. Lucy is and feels trapped. She can't do anything normally. She lost everything that made her human and she's feeling very helpless. At the same time, Lucy wants revenge. She wants Kyle dead. But Kyle is a man who appears respectable, someone well thought of in a community, a person who would never do such a thing! But she's a doll and she can't confront him. Not until she meets Nicola, an outsider who hears Lucy through her hearing aid. Nicola, to Lucy's surprise, has a past grudge of her own that involves Kyle! How does a tiny doll and her companion prove that Kyle isn't a sweet, respectable young man but a cold blooded killer?

On a surface this feels like a haunted, horror novel about revenge, but I thought this novel is more about grief and friendship on a deeper level. My most favorite aspect of this book was the 'ride or die' friendship between Nicola and Lucy. Nicola was a bit hesitant to believe Lucy at first but the two women developed a deeply unconventional and respectful friendship. Having her own reason for hating Kyle essentially turned Nicola to become Lucy's lifeline. Seeing them together on a revenge mission made their bizarre interactions even more entertaining and darkly funny.

Lucy's life has been cut short. She is angry, she is grieving, she is upset that people do not know what actually happened to her. She is no longer a person and she struggled with that. Not until she meets Nicola. They have a genuine connection and while it takes Lucy a long time to move past her rage, she eventually does. I think underneath all of her quirkiness, Lucy is someone who simply wanted to be heard and understood. She wanted someone to lend her an ear, to listen to what she has to say and believe her. She wanted to feel 'alive' regardless of the fact that she's a porcelain doll. Underneath the haunting premise, the emotional weight of this story came from their connection and friendship. Lucy, despite being a doll, was very human-like and felt like an actual person. I connected with her character greatly.

She's a Doll is perfect for fall or late fall/winter season! I have always found dolls to be too creepy for my taste. Maybe Chucky did it for me--it's the dead eyes and lifelessness that gave him a terrifying realism. But there is nothing terrifying or creepy about Lucy! She's the sweetest doll ever!




Many thanks to NetGalley, Bindery Books and the author, Barbara Truelove for an early copy.

Publication date: September 8, 2026

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This felt like if Toy Story was a horror movie laced with feminine rage!
Exactly the kind of campy horror I love thats unhinged and fun! I was hooked right away by Lucy's dark humor and being in her head the entire book was such a ride.

[Seri ❤ (no sleep) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!
Murdered girl's soul possess a creepy porcelain doll with the intent to kill her killer.

You know what I didn’t expect in a book about death and doll possessions? One of the best female friendships between an inanimate object and an outcast that I’ve ever read. They’re snarky to each other AND both hella twisted in the head, but there’s no denying that Nicola and Lucy are ride or die! The fact that they both hate the same person is simply fate at its finest! ✨✨

A funny interaction that perfectly sums Lucy and Nicola’s relationship:
“Have you considered eating real food?” (About a McDonald’s milkshake)
“Have you considered that you’re still on thin ice, you porcelain piece of shit?”

The second half of this book was UNPUTDOWNABLE! I lived through the murder with Lucy and watching her chase after revenge was like chicken soup for my soul. The first half, however, was tedious with LOTS of talking, being stuck in display cases, and reading about a porcelain doll shattering and being hot glued back together. Trudge through that part to get to the riveting and ohhhh so satisfying second half!

Overall it’s a solid book. Interesting premise for those looking to read about revenge, female friendships, and creepy dolls possessed by a sarcastic dead girl on a murder mission. 😈

*For anyone horror adverse like myself:
This book is NOT scary at all! The descriptions are NOT overly gorey or gross. The horror is NOT traumatizing. (IMO)
My credentials? I’m a scaredy cat. 😅

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the arc! All opinions are my own 🩵

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨🩷 She’s a Doll 🩷✨

Oooof this one was devastating.

I came for the feminine rage and stayed for the emotional damage 😭💔

This book absolutely wrecked me. The anger, grief, and sadness throughout the story was so deep and consuming. 😭😭

I do think the ending and epilogue kept this from being a full 5 star read for me though. I’m not even fully sure what I needed from the ending, but I wanted just a bit more closure after everything. And I am not sure I liked Lucy's situation.

🔪 What to Expect
• Possessed doll FMC
• Revenge
• Female rage
• Small town secrets
• Murder mystery
_ _ _

⭐ Final Score: 4.5 Stars
📅 Pub Date: September 8, 2026
📝 Thank you to Bindery Books, Ezeekat Press, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Ricarda · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

What a relatable book. I, too, hate it when I'm being murdered and my spirit gets stuck in an ugly porcelain doll. That's so annoying and the protagonist Lucy McQuinn really knows all about it. She is murdered by a guy she thought she knew for absolutely no reason, which keeps her soul alive and powered by rage. Her grandmother's doll becomes her new body and so Lucy spends a long time sitting on a shelf, unable to move. She first has to learn how to use her new vessel and how time works for an inanimate object, but she eventually does find someone to communicate with. But by the time she gets the attention of Nicola, the girl who works in the secondhand shop where Lucy ended up in, years have passed since her death and her killer never faced any consequences. And now I was ready for an unhinged revenge story featuring a murder doll, but it just really wasn't and I'm so disappointed by that. The book is actually about the strong friendship that forms between Lucy and Nicola and while I have nothing to criticize about that, it also absolutely wasn't what I came here for. I personally think that the book is majorly mismarketed in that regard. The ending saved it a bit for me, but almost nothing happens until we get there. I was actually bored for a big part of the book and that's honestly such a shame with a premise like this. On top of that I really didn't like the writing style. It was simple and juvenile and every single character felt so awkward that I was constantly cringing while reading. The book is also filled with annoying pop culture references. They can ruin the best-written book for me and here they just added to a mediocre reading experience. I see that other readers are having a blast with this book, especially praising the relationship between the characters and the queer representation, but that was not enough to make me get over my own expectations.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there a point when one must age out of feminist revenge stories? I hope not. They’re one of my guilty-pleasure reads.

Based on the amazing review by my Goodreads friend Esta from Australia, I was immediately motivated to get She’s a Doll by Barbara Truelove. Read Esta’s spot-on review here.

This is a campy feminist revenge story, and really, how often do “campy” and “revenge” team up? The campiness keeps it fun and prevents it from feeling like a typical YA story, while the revenge keeps you completely invested. Don’t we all want a little revenge when we’ve been wronged? Is that revenge grisly? No. It’s deliciously amusing.

The story centers on a one-eyed porcelain bride doll possessed by the spirit of Lucy McQuinn, who was brutally murdered by Kyle, the twin brother of a friend. Does Lucy want revenge? Heck yeah! And so does the reader.

Thankfully, Lucy has Nicola, a friend who is more than happy to assist the crazed porcelain doll, or should I say Lucy, in settling the score. Lucy may be trapped inside a doll, but that certainly isn’t going to stop her. Her determination, a little help from Nicola, and plenty of righteous rage just might make revenge a reality.

I chose the audiobook, narrated by Tegan Bourke, and she does a fantastic job. I recommend She’s a Doll for anyone looking for a fun, campy, and very satisfying feminist revenge story where justice can be had with a little help from your friends and a healthy dose of righteous rage.

[Sidney · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's a Doll was a pleasant surprise & also nothing like I was expecting.

The premise was really refreshing & fun, what do you mean she came back & possessed a doll to seek revenge?! sign me all the way up!!! I will say if you're like me & thought based off the synopsis this was going to be a more serious toned book, full of feminine rage & a Tiffany Valentine vibe from our MC...you might want to tweak your expectations a little bit friends. While it really didn't deliver on those things I still had a lot of fun with it!

It's quirky, it's wildly entertaining & so so funny! I seriously can't remember the last time I laughed out loud so much while reading a book. She's a Doll keeps you on your toes, not so much in a nail biting or suspenseful kind of way but more in a " I know where this is going " kind of way & then Barbara says "you thought!" & takes it in a completely different direction.

I really loved the friendship & banter between Nicola & Lucy. I could not get enough of them going back & forth...no spoilers or anything but that toy car TOOK ME OUT EVERY SINGLE TIME! 😂

Despite how much I laughed & overall enjoyed this I really wish the rage & revenge was more intense & fleshed out! I expected more blood, more anger, more justice, more...horror? I can't wait to dive into Of Monsters & Mainframes soon, if it's anywhere near as funny I know I'm in for a treat.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a blast with this one. It was soooo darkly funny and the audiobook was so engaging, I listened to this entire book on one long bus ride. I loved Lucy's character, and I also loved the asexual rep in this book! This is one of those female rage / female gets revenge against a man who has wronged her kind of stories that I tend to love, it was right up my alley with what I like in horror.

I read this while on my trip in South Korea, you can hear more of my thoughts in this vlog: https://youtu.be/zGNq4lGKaf8

[Susan Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so unexpected. Genre-wise, I don't even know where this belongs. Some murder happens, but it's not a thriller. It's even in the synopsis who did it! Lucy's death and what led up to that is horrific, but I wouldn't say this is a horror. It's not fantasy but it has a fantastical element. It was just so damned good. I never thought based on the cover and the synopsis that I would be laughing out loud and crying both.

Lucy as a character is one of a kind, and not just because her spirit has moved into the body of a broken one-eyed porcelain doll. She is a beautiful human. She is a bit tortured, by self-doubt and not really knowing her place in the world before her death and by the obvious aftermath of her soul being in a doll and the unrelenting grieving and loss that she feels after. I thought maybe I would be laughing at the absurdity of it all, but I was laughing at the things Lucy and Nicola say. There was comedy gold between the two of them. And the friendship and the female rage and revenge was just perfection. I finished this book in one sitting. I could not put it down.

[MagretFume · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook absolutely slaps! 

Beyond the ridiculous premise, this is the perfect blend of rage, vulnerability, despair, love and humour. 

I loved the narrator, she was perfect for the characters. 

I had a fantastic time. 

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's a Doll follows Lucy McQuinn, who is not like other girls main characters. Even though she's smart and sweet, Lucy doesn't quite fit in with her contemporaries.

The thing that really sets her apart though, happens after she's murdered by a vile man named Kyle. At the time of her death, her soul takes possession of an 18-inch porcelain doll and she's ticked.



Vowing to get revenge, Lucy, in her new form, wants to find Kyle and end his life like he ended hers. That proves tricky though. Her size and the fact that she's made of porcelain, it all works against her. She's gonna need some help.

Lucy turns to Nicola, a gal she knew in life, a fellow outsider, and someone who also hates Kyle. Understandably, it's initially difficult to get Nicola to believe what she's hearing and seeing. I mean, can you imagine a doll coming to you and proposing you work together to kill someone?



We then follow their friendship and their mission, as both women grapple with the unfairness of it all. Will Lucy be able to find the peace she deserves, or will she be forced to stalk the Earth an angry doll forever?

This is such a creative story. I enjoyed it so much. With the synopsis, I wasn't sure how campy Truelove would end up taking it, as I've never read from her before, so was unsure of her style. I was impressed with the nuance in the story, and appreciated all that Truelove brought to the table here.

It's actually a really nice blend of humor with darker, more serious topics that were thoughtfully explored. It actually packs quite the punch emotionally, and had quieter moments that definitely pulled at my heartstrings.



The audiobook, narrated by Tegan Bourke, was super fun and I definitely recommend that format if you have it available to you. Tegan's accent and delivery were perfect for Lucy's character. The narration added such life to the story, and I found it very believable.

Overall, I think this is a great book, offering up much more depth than I initially anticipated. Readers are going to love it. A perfect read for your Spooky Season.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media and Bindery Books, for providing me with copies to read and review. I'm so stoked to read more from this author!

[gabbie (trying to catch up 🥲) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe the true revenge are the friends we made along the way?

She's a Doll follows Lucy, recently murdered, recently pissed off, and now eighteen inches tall with all the logistical issues that come with being a porcelain doll. She wants revenge. How do you murder your murderer when you can't even fully move your elbows? Which is how Nicola gets involved. The thing is, Nicola's idea of justice looks pretty different from Lucy's. But Lucy is open to compromise. Or at least, that's what she'll tell you.

After reading the premise, I was expecting "Bride of Chucky goes on a murder mission," and the book is not really that, but it's also quirkier and funnier than the blurb suggests. It's a story about revenge, feminine rage, and a deep friendship forming in the middle of it all. There are fun moments, but there's also emotional weight underneath: grief, trauma, and the frustration of being a woman who isn't believed.

The writing is clean, quick, and easy to fall into. The style borders on YA at times, but never feels juvenile. Barbara Truelove is clearly a nerd, and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible. The gaming and tabletop references are a delight. I love reading something that feels like it was written by a fellow nerd/gamer.

Where it fell a little short for me was in character depth and development. Lucy and Nicola's whole dynamic revolves almost entirely around the revenge plot, which would make more sense if this were a more violent, action-focused story, but for something that's more focused on a friendship forming, I wanted more of who they are outside of their plot for revenge. There's queer and disability representation woven in too, which I love (and would have loved to see even more of).

Still, it's a fun, fast read with a creative premise and a lot of heart and humor.

A big thanks to Netgalley, Bindery Books, Ezeekat Press and author Barbara Truelove for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Brooke 𝜗𝜚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

—— 4 ☆

❝𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚍𝚘𝚕𝚕. 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔.
𝙸𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚎.❞

📖: 𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐀 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞
📜: 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 𝟹𝟷𝟹
🏷️: 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝙻𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝙷𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚛
📆: 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝟷𝟶/𝟷𝟹/𝟸𝟼-𝟷𝟶/𝟷𝟺/𝟸𝟼
💬: 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
「 ”Lucy McQuinn has been murdered, but she's not about to go quietly. Possessing the body of an antique doll, she sets out on a quest for revenge. But it's hard when you're eighteen inches tall and made of porcelain. For help, she turns to Nicola, a human and fellow outsider with her own reasons to hate Kyle, Lucy’s murderer. But in their small idyllic town, no one wants to hear the truth, especially not about such a promising young man. If they can't expose his crimes, Lucy will have to roll up her lacy little sleeves and teach him a lesson the old-fashioned way: as slowly and painfully as possible.”」

──── ୨୧ ──── ──── ୨୧ ──── ──── ୨୧ ────

❝𝙷𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚖𝚢 𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚎, 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚝, 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎.
𝙸𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚎. 𝙸𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛.❞

ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★★
ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟺.𝟷𝟸 ☆ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ: 🎃
ᴘᴀɪʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ: ꜱᴛʀᴀᴡʙᴇʀʀʏ ᴄʀᴜɪꜱᴇʀꜱ 🍹
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ?: 👍🏼
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴅᴏʟʟꜱ — ʙᴇʟʟᴀ ᴘᴏᴀʀᴄʜ
0:23 ———♡——— 2:12

⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

╭───
┆
╰⪼ cause baby, dolls kill. don’t provoke us or we will push you downhill. might be pretty, but we're still bitter as much as we're sweet, knife hidden under the sheets.

⊱ ────── {⋆ ‧₊˚♪𝄞 ⋆} ────── ⊰

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
🔪 ꜰᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ ʀᴀɢᴇ
🔪 ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʀᴇᴠᴇɴɢᴇ
🔪 ʜᴀᴜɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴏʙᴊᴇᴄᴛꜱ
🔪 ʙᴜʙʙʟᴇɢᴜᴍ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ
🔪 Qᴜᴇᴇʀ & ᴅɪꜱᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ʀᴇᴘ

❝𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 . . . 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚐𝚘 𝚘𝚏.❞

──── ୨୧ ──── ──── ୨୧ ──── ──── ୨୧ ────

💭: 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
• Toy Story, but make it creepy & full of female rage & with a lot of heart.

──── ୨୧ ──── ──── ୨୧ ──── ──── ୨୧ ────

❝𝙷𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜, 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚕, 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚙𝚒𝚎𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜, 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚕, 𝚊 𝚐𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚝. 𝙱𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍.❞

[Barbara Truelove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing this book was a five star experience. Hopefully, reading it is too. 💙

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chaotic horror romp following a girl who was murdered and then haunts a doll - not disembodied, doll-embodied.🪆
Lucy decides to embrace the wronged-dead-girl-possessing-a-porcelain-doll thing and lean into her rage.

They lied to you. When you die, you don’t see a light. Actually, it’s the opposite. It’s a darkness that creeps in, bit by bit, like pixels on a broken laptop screen, blazing into technicolor for a brief, vivid moment before sputtering out, one by one.

It is as zany as it sounds.
The only person who is able to hear Lucy is a childhood semi-friend through her hearing aids. It doesn’t need to make sense: this book is camp and crazy. 

Just like Of Monsters and Mainframes, this is funny, but also tender and tackles dark topics. Think a darker Becky Chambers. 

What I adore about Truelove’s writing is the ability to say it as it is. To pull out those thoughts you keep tucked away and voice them with humorous relatability. 

Talking to strangers felt a little like being an underqualified worker at a nuclear power plant—following checklists, monitoring reactions, hoping nothing was about to explode.

The female friendship is a standout here. Their connection is electric and messy and complicated. Ride-or-die, but also, will-you-go-and-actually-die-and-leave-me-alone (but not really)?

Aside from the actual horror - think the spider baby from Toy Story, Truelove focuses on Lucy’s interior horror. She is fixated on her trauma, on her lack of agency and action. 

I appreciated that she felt extremely guilty and ashamed - still stuck on what SHE did wrong to ‘invite’ SA and her death. That’s typically the case with women - we are taught to be accommodating, kind, self-conscious. 

“Well, no, I’m not. No two humans are perfectly alike. Also, I’m a haunted doll.”
"I think the point might’ve nicked you as it skated over your head there."

Finally, YAY - this is ACTUALLY a female revenge story. So many recent books promising female rage and revenge fall short. This goes there. 

You have to suspend your belief and lean into the craziness, but that’s what I adore from Truelove. 

A new auto-read author. 

Arc gifted by Bindery Press.

Bookstagram
Tiktok

[Fern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic - funny, heartwarming, and gut wrenching. I flew through these pages!! So creative and well done.

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ☆

”They anchored me in the world of the living, but anchors don’t need to be solved to free yourself of them .. they just need to be let go of.”

a unhinged book for sure, the portrayal of the fmc’s rage was done so well. i liked that this didn’t necessarily follow all the usual points you think it would, i don’t think i’ve read anything quite like this book before.

Lucy is murdered by someone she thought she could trust, then later finds herself possessing a porcelain doll & seeking payback for what was done to her. the ace rep, along with the lesbian and bisexual rep was appreciated, especially with the way the “romance” turned out. the side character Nicola was a fun inclusion too, she added some drama to the story & an unlikely friendship dynamic with Lucy. i just wish the pacing wasn’t so wonky, but other than that.. i really enjoyed it.

➻ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bindery Books for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[♡ retrovvitches ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

UGH THIS WAS EVERYTHING!! it had me hooked, this will captivate you and break your heart all at the same time. this was the embodiment of feminine rage. i really didn’t think id get so attached to a haunted doll, a must read!!!

[Aardvark Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s create a linguistic mood board here, shall we? This book is dead goth girl-turned-bridal doll, chipped porcelain and ripped veils, emo music and Manic Panic hair dye, teacups and Mad Hatter cosplays, glue-guns and safety pins and staples, punk rock DIY meets Lewis Caroll surrealism. It’s queer and feminist and totally anti-establishment, a “fuck you” howled into the void or graffitied across a bathroom stall—except instead of nihilistic, it feels hopeful, and heart-warming, and fun.

She’s a Doll is as strange as it looks—a seething slasher told from the POV of a literal antique doll who will stop at nothing in her quest for revenge. It’s a wild ride: sometimes serious, sometimes campy as hell, with all the absurdity you might expect from an eighteen-inch toy hellbent on a vicious, blood-soaked killing spree.

August reading vibes: Read this book in the parking lot, carseat sticky with sweat as you wait for the spoils of your family Costco run or IKEA trip or whatever is your personal equivalent. This one’s for the suburban summer: we’re talking scorched concrete, endless days of summer holidays surviving off vodka-spiked gatorade and gas-station jerky. It’s all the boredom and rage of a wronged woman right on the cusp of something more—of becoming the person (or…doll?) she was always meant to be.

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s only natural to jump into a doll body when you’re being murdered, right?
Right?

In horror movies being a hunted doll always looks so easy. I mean, look at Chucky.
But after being murdered and sticking her soul into a bride doll, Lucy realizes it’s damn hard.
Time is not on your side (literally) and it takes a lot of work to move.
But rage, real unfiltered rage gets you moving. As good as revenge does.

A book full of female rage, female friendship and badass woman.
This book not only made me smile, but also made me oh so mad at the world.

I had so much fun reading it, I flew through it in under 24 hours.

For all my horror loving girlies (and boys etc), try this one out.
You won’t regret it!

[Kurryreads (Kerry) · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTURxk5Xn/

This is what I’d classify as girly pop horror. While it handles hard topics, it’s approached with whimsy. It’s fun, it’s chaotic, it’s ridiculous, it’s filled with feminine rage, it’s emotional, it is perfect.

I just had a blast from start to finish. Some horror is scary, some is fun. I hate this ideology that if a horror book isn’t scary that it isn’t horror.

I literally only have great things to say about this book. It was perfect, 5 stars, and I won’t be accepting any criticism at this time, thank you

[Katie Colson · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

[Sara (sarawithoutanH) · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

a good dose of female rage and friendship

[The Reading Frog (Less online ATM) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Barbara Truelove, Bindery Books & NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review

Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐
CW: Explicit | Choking, death, internalised victim-blaming, murder
Moderate | Entrapment, grief, non-consensual kissing/sa, victims not being believed
Mild | Description of a dead animal (some gore), hoarding, implied off-page rape, (internalised) sexism, mention of suicidal ideation, off-page pet death, (past) parental death, soft drugs
CWs as stated by the author | Heads up, this book contains descriptions of murder, grief, sexual assault, domestic violence, suicidal thoughts, strong language, and one very large spider.
My chosen soundtrack(s): The Doll People - SOFIA ISELLA | Mad Woman - Sevdaliza

"Why did he do that to me?
Why couldn't I stop him?
What's going to happen now?"

Representation
╰┈➤ Queer characters and dynamics
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Ace Lesbian MC
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Unspecified sapphic MC
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Bisexual SC
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Background WLW dynamic
╰┈➤ Disability
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Disabled MC, deaf/HoH, uses a hearing aid
╰┈➤ Mental Health
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Nothing explicitly stated, but the MC deals with symptoms associated with PTSD, suicidal ideation, and dissociation.


Themes
Agency/bodily autonomy or the lack thereof, anger, being an active/passive participant in life, popularity, powerlessness, revenge, self-discovery, social hierarchies, social norms, solidarity, the horror of "not knowing"/unanswered questions, the nuances and variety of victimhood/survivorship, wealth gap.


Tropes/What to expect
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Non-human POV
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Fuck the 5 stages of grief! Anger it is.
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Revenge and female rage
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ A monster who looks unassuming. A survivor who looks monstrous.
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Reluctant allies to ride-or-die


⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆


What I liked/loved
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Great opener! I love it when an author immediately throws you in the thick of it, setting the tone for what's to come.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Unique take on the haunted doll/revenge after death trope. This is one of my favourite aspects of this book, and one I don't know how to highlight without spoiling anything. I've typed this specific segment about 5 times now...
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Just believe me when I say this book will take you on a very unexpected journey without ever losing the aspects that lured me in from reading the blurb. Even though this is a fantastical story focusing on survivorship, grief, revenge, and justice, it isn't sensationalistic or glamorising in its depictions. There was something very real, raw, personal and introspective about it.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Non-human POV, my beloved! Lucy's essence/soul inhabits a porcelain doll, and as soon as she does, every internal thought or bodily experience is defined by this fact. I tend to love prose that uses adjectives that suit the theme/vibe of a story. But TrueLove took it a step further.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ We tend to use human norms and take a little step to the left or the right to showcase something that is "other", still relying on that frame of reference to define what falls outside of it.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ In this case, those human norms weren't anywhere in sight. The way Truelove describes having a porcelain doll body, a different centre of gravity, limbs that are fixed, a floppy, stuffing-filled torso, completely changing how to go about moving around felt very out-of-the-box. Lucy encounters both limitations and perks extremely unique to this new body, and in this way portrays a completely alien experience of self. It was intrinsic and ever-present on every page. Not once did I forget that Lucy no longer had a human body.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Short chapters. Love em or hate em! I personally love them and was very enthused about this format.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Unexpected time-shenanigans. Super unique and intriguing. Sorry, not gonna share more than that.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Somewhat of a campy concept, yet still deep and complex with a great execution.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ The dynamic between Nicola and Lucy was so intriguing to me. In some ways, they were like mirrors of each other. In other ways, they were complete opposites.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ There are lots of nuances to this often disagreeing, yet ride-or-die duo. Lucy often goes from one extreme to the other when thinking about Nicola, and Nicola seems to do the same. For better or for worse, they are bound together in ways that feel impossible to untether. In a way, they only have each other.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ I like how this book makes it clear that Kyle isn't only a killer; he is also a sexual predator. Truelove establishes this without unnecessary graphic depictions. Now, I personally am most of the time okay reading more graphic or explicit stuff, but I know this isn't the case for a lot of readers. I can imagine this portrayal in She's a Doll is something many readers will probably appreciate.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Discourse on being an active or passive participant in life and how this ties in with (internalised) victim blaming.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Lucy has this all-encompassing NEED to be an active participant in exacting her revenge, preferably independently. Which is hard to do when you're literally a small, not very mobile, easily breakable porcelain doll. It mirrors the powerlessness and self-blame that can develop from being assaulted.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Lucy is not only angry at her killer, but also angry at herself, her body, her past actions, especially in the moments before and during her murder. She keeps ruminating about how she can "make it right", "even the scales" or what she should've done differently, placing a lot of the responsibility for her death in her own hands.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ There is a huge focus on deconstructing self-blame, accepting that there is nothing she could have done differently. It is not her fault, and victims are NOT responsible for what happened to them.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ I could probably write a whole essay on this specific aspect alone, but I'll leave it at that.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Though it is not disability representation in the traditional sense, Lucy and her doll body gave me the same vibe as the alien in Walking Practice. Both books explore what it's like to lose control of your body, to be held back by it, to have it work against you, to have to fight for your goals while having limited or no bodily autonomy/mobility.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Lucy is often frustrated with her new body and having to depend on others. She develops this anger towards those who help her because this dependency leaves her out of control and at the mercy of whoever is deciding what's happening with her or her body. These feelings, to me personally, are reminiscent of what life can be like when disabled. I personally could relate to many of the struggles Lucy went through with her body.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Discourse on those who are evil/monstrous not being recognisable by identifying visual markers. Monsters look like you and me and can be your sibling, your friend, your coworker, your spouse, anyone really. Unfortunately, this is reality.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ The exploration of solidarity in survivorship.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Oddly comedic at times, yet it worked. It reminded me of that weird funeral mood that makes you reminisce and prone to making some dark jokes that everyone who's grieving will understand, but that might make bystanders gasp at the morbidity of it.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Some specific details hit different, making it feel more real. What is depicted in this book is NOT a cinematic event to romanticise or sensationalise. Lucy was murdered in her Hello Kitty jammies, and I'll never get over that fact.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ The little surprise of extra narrative when I thought the book was over. I love being rewarded for always reading the acknowledgement and any other content beyond the last chapter.



What I didn't like/felt lacklustre about
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ I love camp, but some moments were campy when I wanted them to be more emotional. Still a really good book, though. It's only a minor complaint.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Not a complaint that decreased my enjoyment of this book, but I wouldn't fully categorise it as horror, yet I suspect non-horror readers might not be into this one. Since that seems to be a recurring theme with all my horror reads lately, you should take that with a grain of salt. It might just really be a me problem!


Conclusion/Notes
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ WOW! What a book! I finished it in two days and wasn't able to put it down once I reached that 80% mark. Definitely a page-turner to me.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ This book was so different from what I expected, but surprising in all the best ways!

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ I especially loved the non-human POV. Unique, outside of human norms, yet super immersive. Barbara Truelove delivered such a creative and interesting take on the haunted doll/ghost revenge trope.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The characters were multifaceted, and the dynamics between them were great and intriguing too! I felt a deep emotional connection all the way through and had some BIG feelings about the MCs towards the end of this story.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ This read has a lot to offer, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is into weird, dark(ish) and personal reads. Even more so if you love female rage and stories that centre survivors and queer characters.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ She's a Doll is set to release on 8 September 2026. Make sure to add it to your TBR and give Barbara Truelove a follow on Instagram @barbarartruelove to keep up to date with any future projects.


⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

"You scared yet, Kyle?"

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆



Want to buddy read this book now or in the future? You can do so on Storygraph.

Follow me on Spotify for specific reading playlists like these: 📚 This Connection Is Muddled With Rot | 📚 Ode To The Disagreeable Womxn

GoodReads | StoryGraph | Instagram | TikTok | Spotify | Overview of all reading playlists | last.fm

[Sadie E · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Lucy’s story, and Lucy’s a liar.

Oh, I love that. An opening that tells me straight away that the narrator's unreliable, and then spends the rest of the book making me care about her anyway.

Lucys perfectly happy to twist the facts and polish the uglier details into something a little neater and considerably more flattering to herself. Which is particularly funny because Lucy doesn't exactly make herself look great even with all the editing.

So I spent the whole book thinking, if this is Lucy's carefully curated version of events, how awful is the unedited version?

Ugh. I love her.

Peak unreliable narrator.

I knew I couldn't trust a single word Lucy said, but I became ridiculously defensive of her anyway. Every time somebody wronged her, my immediate response was basically, absolutely not, that's MY morally questionable porcelain queen.

When you die, there’s a brief moment where you become unstuck from your body. A splintering. If you’re quick enough—and desperate enough—you can re-stick yourself to an object in the immediate vicinity.

What an amazing premise. It takes the book somewhere much more interesting than your standard haunted doll story.

The biggest moment of horror in the entire book isn't some terrifying supernatural encounter. It's Lucy waking up and realising what's happened to her.

My head throbbed, my eyes burned, my chest ached, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t cry. I wanted to call out to my grandma, but my mouth was painted on, forever locked into a small, shy smile. The awfulness of that consumed me, and the darkness deepened... I could feel my stitches, my stuffing, and how it intersected with my porcelain, but I couldn’t manipulate anything. I was trapped, frozen, pinned down...

That is horrifying.

The loss of autonomy is so much scarier than your run-of-the-mill haunting.

Following her murder, in that tiny moment between life and death, Lucy desperately clings to the nearest object and ends up inside a porcelain doll. She's lost her body, her life, her ability to speak and move, and almost every shred of bodily autonomy. The doll's effectively a prison.

And I love that Lucy immediately starts treating her new body like a D&D build. She's trying to work out what she can and can't do, essentially weighing up her stats and deciding which ones she's going to have to dump. She can't control the fundamental horror of her situation, so she reframes it as a problem of mechanics and potential solutions.

It's such a perfect Lucy moment, if reality's become unbearable, turn it into a game and figure out the rules.

You can really feel the author's background as a video game writer. There are the obvious game references, but there's also a certain quality to the way the characters navigate the world, as though they're gradually discovering its mechanics. Lucy's basically reverse-engineering her own afterlife.

It never becomes so game-y that non-gamers will find it alienating, but if you've played a lot of games, you'll recognise the feeling.

And then there's Lucy's communication problem. She can't make any sound. So how does she communicate? "via some random woman's hearing aid."

Of course.

Which is where Nicola enters the story, and I seriously love how much the book makes them work for their relationship.

In another haunted or sentient object story, Nicola would probably take one look at Lucy, go, “Oh my god, you're a ghost!” and accept the situation immediately, then the two of them would be off on a merry little revenge spree by chapter 3.

But here, Nicola has to actually be convinced. And Lucy is terrible at convincing her. To be fair, Lucy is terrible in general. And I adore it.

Because imagine being approached by an antique porcelain doll claiming to be your dead former acquaintance and asking you to help murder someone? From Nicola's perspective, this is objectively fucking insane. The book actually lets her have a normal reaction to that.

Their relationship develops gradually and awkwardly, and very often painfully. They aren't instantly ride-or-die. They have to figure out how to communicate and how to trust each other, and, most importantly, how to navigate the fact that one of them is alive and the other is, technically, a random object held together with duct tape.

I love their friendship, even in those early stages when they're both basically side-eyeing each other.

And I love Nicola because she isn't simply The Human Sidekick Who Helps The Haunted Doll™. She has her own history, her own pain, her own reasons for being an outsider, and her own complicated relationships with the people around her. She isn't there to fix Lucy. And Lucy certainly doesn't make it easy for her.

They become each other's lifelines. And there's something so sweet about the way the revenge plot gradually becomes less important than the relationship itself. Lucy initially wants Nicola because she needs help. Eventually, she needs Nicola because Nicola matters to her.

That shift is everything 🥹

It also gives the book room to explore friendship, loneliness, queer identity, belonging, and found family without turning any of it into a lecture. Both women are outsiders in different ways, and their connection becomes a place where they can be understood without having to pretend to be something they're not.

Which brings us to grief. There is a lot of grief, but I really appreciated that the book refuses to make it neat or linear.

The five stages of grief are bullshit. Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance. Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit. Grief isn’t anything except what it is, and what it is is a storm.

YES.

Lucy's grief isn't a tidy emotional progression. Her anger doesn't politely complete Stage Two and move along. It crashes into her guilt, her loneliness, her memories, her rage, her desire for revenge, and her desperate need to understand why this happened.

Ghost Lore Fact #3: The secret ingredient is anger. Which . . . duh.

WHICH. DUH.

I'd like this embroidered on a cushion, please.

The anger's central to Lucy's character, but I love that the book doesn't sanitise it. There's so much rage here, but Lucy isn't some flawless feminist revenge angel. She's selfish. She's manipulative. She's stubborn. She makes bad decisions. She wants justice, but she also wants revenge.

She's a victim. She's also not necessarily a good person.

Both can be true.

I think that's what makes her so compelling.

At its core, the book's about what happens when women are denied agency, when violence is minimised, when people aren't believed, and what it means to reclaim control after it's been taken from you. Lucy can't get her old life back. She can't get her body back. But she can decide what happens next. Even if she makes a complete fucking mess of it.

And despite all of that darkness, this book is hilarious.

The tonal balance is one of my favourite things about it. It can be genuinely poignant one moment and completely ridiculous the next, without either side cancelling the other out.

Lucy can be spiralling about her murder, thinking about how nobody knows where she is, how the police might never find her body, how she's completely alone, how she's trapped in this horrible new existential nightmare...

...and then some bitch ass moth starts eating her stuffing??

She's basically like, I've been through ALL OF THIS SHIT, and now this winged bastard is taking a shot at me?

I was dying.

And that's why the humour worked. It doesn't make the grief less serious, but it does make it feel more human.

Sometimes life is devastating. Sometimes life is devastating and a moth is eating your corpse stuffing.

I've also been getting a little burnt out on weird girl lit recently. I binged so many messy, mean women that eventually I reached the point of,
Ladies. Please. I love you. But can we all be normal for 5 damn minutes?

Then Lucy arrived. And she restored my faith.

Because this is a genuinely fun, unique variation on the weird girl formula. It's got everything I crave in weird-girl lit (female rage, moral ambiguity, unreliable women, dark humour, complicated relationships, questionable decision-making) but the doll premise gives it something distinctive.

It doesn't feel like woman behaves increasingly unhingedly in an aesthetically pleasing literary setting for the 47th time. It feels like its own weird creature.

My only real reservation is that I went into this expecting something much scarier, but I actually ended up loving the departure from the genre.

There are also some pacing issues, especially early on, and I occasionally wanted the book to get back to the truly unhinged doll business because, respectfully, I came here for the tiny haunted woman. But once the plot picks up momentum, it becomes impossible to put down.

I had such a good time with this.

It's a haunted doll story that isn't really about the haunted doll.

It's a revenge story that isn't really about revenge.

It's a grief story that refuses to make grief neat.

It's a weird girl story that reminded me why I like weird girls in the first place.

It's a story about women finding one another in the aftermath of violence, and about the strange, messy ways people become lifelines for each other.

Thank you to Bindery Books for the ARC

[Steph ✨ · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This was so much fun. I loved the female rage in this and Lucy possessing the doll was brilliant. Her relationship with Nicola was so interesting and i had such a good time.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

and i too would choose to possess the body of a creepy doll to haunt those who have wronged me