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Broken Dolls #1
Broken Dolls
Ella doesn't remember what it's like to be human; after all, she's lived as a doll for thirty years. She forgets what it's like to taste, to breathe...to love.
She watches the professor create other dolls, but they don't seem to hang around for long. His most recent creation is Lisa, a sly goth. Ella doesn't like Lisa. How could she, when Lisa keeps trying to destroy her?
Ella likes the professor's granddaughter though, even if she is dying. It's too bad the professor wants to turn Gabby into a doll, depriving her of an education...depriving her of life.
With time running out and mad dolls on the rampage, Ella questions her very existence as she unearths the secrets buried in her past; secrets that will decide whether Gabby will befall the same fate...
She watches the professor create other dolls, but they don't seem to hang around for long. His most recent creation is Lisa, a sly goth. Ella doesn't like Lisa. How could she, when Lisa keeps trying to destroy her?
Ella likes the professor's granddaughter though, even if she is dying. It's too bad the professor wants to turn Gabby into a doll, depriving her of an education...depriving her of life.
With time running out and mad dolls on the rampage, Ella questions her very existence as she unearths the secrets buried in her past; secrets that will decide whether Gabby will befall the same fate...
175 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2015
29 people are currently reading
2506 people want to read
About the author
Tyrolin Puxty
20 books210 followersI'm a Jack, or more accurately, a Tyrolin of all trades.
Broken Dolls, the first in the trilogy, is an award-winning, international #1 bestseller and appeared on Buzzfeed's Top 24 Best SciFi/Fantasy Books of 2015.
I have been in the Top 25 of the Australian Songwriters Association and Top 5 of the Australian Independent Music Awards, was awarded an Australia Day Award for Music in 2014 and for Arts in 2015. I own a performing arts school, teach creative writing and host a podcast called HooPod, which is part of Felicia Day's community.
I love cats. I love every kind of cat. I just want to hug all of them, but I can't hug every cat.
Broken Dolls, the first in the trilogy, is an award-winning, international #1 bestseller and appeared on Buzzfeed's Top 24 Best SciFi/Fantasy Books of 2015.
I have been in the Top 25 of the Australian Songwriters Association and Top 5 of the Australian Independent Music Awards, was awarded an Australia Day Award for Music in 2014 and for Arts in 2015. I own a performing arts school, teach creative writing and host a podcast called HooPod, which is part of Felicia Day's community.
I love cats. I love every kind of cat. I just want to hug all of them, but I can't hug every cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
April 14, 2016
One of the most unique novels I have ever read. It was like a Doctor Who episode!
Can not wait for the next novel!
Can not wait for the next novel!
November 9, 2015
I have no idea where I should start for this review. I love this book so, so, so much. Gak. Please bear with me as I try to write things down in a coherent and not overly fangirl sort of way.
Ok, so the story. Broken Dolls is a story about Ella, a doll who can walk and talk. She was once human, but now she's not and she can't remember why. One day, a new doll called Libby comes, and unlike Ella, she's not happy being turned into a doll. But is the professor truly evil? Or is Libby the evil one?
Basically, I loved this book for the plot twist and the concept. Ok, and because the cover was cool.
First, the plot. I had honestly started the book and immediately assumed that it was going to be like a lot of the YA dystopian that I've read. But the book proceeded in a completely different way from what I expected, and that was awesome. (POSSIBLY SLIGHT SPOILERS) I distrusted Libby from the start, but I'm not exactly normal when it comes to judging characters (sometimes), so I thought that I was just reacting weirdly to the story. Turns out I wasn't.
The ending was a little heartbreaking, but I understood it. It wasn't a conventional happy ending, but it's strangely satisfying.
Apart from the totally cool twist, the concept of this book was amazing. It's a pretty 'small' story, if you think about it. Just a doll trying to figure out if she wants to know why she's a doll. But it's set against this world where things have gone incredibly wrong, and the science is obviously a bit more advanced than ours. Or the professor is a genius. Either one. I am really incredibly curious about what's going on in the wider world, but I think the author made the right choice not to over-explain, but let us wonder about what's going on in parts of the world not directly related to the story. We do get the information necessary, but only as and when it's needed for the main plot.
The characters were pretty well-done. Ella, the professor and Gabby, the professor's daughter were very well-done, and I thought they were very human. Libby is a psychopath, and well, there are two other characters, but they didn't appear enough to feel real to me. But since they're not very major, it's not a problem for me.
In short, I loved this book. Mostly because of the twist, but also because this a world with characters that grabbed me from the start and pulled me along for the ride. I totally made the right choice to request this book for review.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
Ok, so the story. Broken Dolls is a story about Ella, a doll who can walk and talk. She was once human, but now she's not and she can't remember why. One day, a new doll called Libby comes, and unlike Ella, she's not happy being turned into a doll. But is the professor truly evil? Or is Libby the evil one?
Basically, I loved this book for the plot twist and the concept. Ok, and because the cover was cool.
First, the plot. I had honestly started the book and immediately assumed that it was going to be like a lot of the YA dystopian that I've read. But the book proceeded in a completely different way from what I expected, and that was awesome. (POSSIBLY SLIGHT SPOILERS) I distrusted Libby from the start, but I'm not exactly normal when it comes to judging characters (sometimes), so I thought that I was just reacting weirdly to the story. Turns out I wasn't.
The ending was a little heartbreaking, but I understood it. It wasn't a conventional happy ending, but it's strangely satisfying.
Apart from the totally cool twist, the concept of this book was amazing. It's a pretty 'small' story, if you think about it. Just a doll trying to figure out if she wants to know why she's a doll. But it's set against this world where things have gone incredibly wrong, and the science is obviously a bit more advanced than ours. Or the professor is a genius. Either one. I am really incredibly curious about what's going on in the wider world, but I think the author made the right choice not to over-explain, but let us wonder about what's going on in parts of the world not directly related to the story. We do get the information necessary, but only as and when it's needed for the main plot.
The characters were pretty well-done. Ella, the professor and Gabby, the professor's daughter were very well-done, and I thought they were very human. Libby is a psychopath, and well, there are two other characters, but they didn't appear enough to feel real to me. But since they're not very major, it's not a problem for me.
In short, I loved this book. Mostly because of the twist, but also because this a world with characters that grabbed me from the start and pulled me along for the ride. I totally made the right choice to request this book for review.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
January 2, 2016
A very interesting concept that fell down a little in its execution.
Ella is a doll living in the Professors attic. She does not remember anything from before, and instead spends her time dancing, watching TV and imagining things alone, until one day the professor creates another doll, one named Lisa.
Lisa is different, in several ways. She is goth, and sarcastic. She also remembers the time before and is determined to return there and bring Ella with her.
Suddenly Ella is questioning everything the Professor has kept from her.
I felt that the writing is very YA, but generally not too bad in this book. It works from the perspective of the doll who has only been living for 12 years. But when the perspective switched from the doll, this writing style no longer made sense.
Also some of the logic didn't add up for me.
Gabby, the Professors niece has a disease that is contagious and very terminal. So he takes her to the ballet. Genius.
Why is it that no one seems particularly concerned about a disease with a 95% fatality rate?
I also felt that withholding information to progress the story was irritating. It isn't a very long story, but the cycles of the Professor refusing to tell Ella about her past, then Ella getting into a bunch of trouble because he won't tell her was exhausting. At some point would the Professor not think that telling her would be better?
3 Stars. Don't think I will continue this series.
Ella is a doll living in the Professors attic. She does not remember anything from before, and instead spends her time dancing, watching TV and imagining things alone, until one day the professor creates another doll, one named Lisa.
Lisa is different, in several ways. She is goth, and sarcastic. She also remembers the time before and is determined to return there and bring Ella with her.
Suddenly Ella is questioning everything the Professor has kept from her.
I felt that the writing is very YA, but generally not too bad in this book. It works from the perspective of the doll who has only been living for 12 years. But when the perspective switched from the doll, this writing style no longer made sense.
Also some of the logic didn't add up for me.
Gabby, the Professors niece has a disease that is contagious and very terminal. So he takes her to the ballet. Genius.
Why is it that no one seems particularly concerned about a disease with a 95% fatality rate?
I also felt that withholding information to progress the story was irritating. It isn't a very long story, but the cycles of the Professor refusing to tell Ella about her past, then Ella getting into a bunch of trouble because he won't tell her was exhausting. At some point would the Professor not think that telling her would be better?
3 Stars. Don't think I will continue this series.
July 18, 2017
4,5/5
Quando ho richiesto questo titolo alla Curiosity quills press per il tour di dicembre, sono stata attirata inizialmente dalla copertina. Per la trama mi aspettavo una storia alla Doll bones, che ho letto più o meno un anno fa e che non mi ha colpito particolarmente.
Invece Broken dolls mi ha spiazzato e mi ha conquistato.
La frase che meglio si adatta a questo romanzo è: questo non te lo aspettavi eh?
Un colpo di scena dietro l’altro, un ribaltamento delle situazioni e degli aspetti dei personaggi che non lascia spazio alla noia o al “l’ho già letto, mi ricorda questo o quello.”
Vi riassumo brevemente la trama. Brevemente perché non voglio spoilerare nulla.
Conosciamo Ella, che è una bambola piuttosto piccola, infatti sta nella mano del suo creatore, il professore.
Ella vive nella soffitta e non può mai uscire, ma a lei va bene così. Era umana, se lo ricorda, ma non ricorda nient’altro. Il professore l’ha salvata trasformandola in una bambola. Ma lei è felice, è una ballerina, balla, si allena, guarda la tv. Finchè un giorno il professore non realizza una bambola Goth, Lisa. Lisa non accetta di essere una bambola, si ribella, si pittura il viso come vuole lei, cerca di scappare. E cosa peggiore di tutte, ricorda la sua vita. Ricorda che era in un ospedale. Quindi è pericolosa, perché inizia a seminare il seme del dubbio in Ella. Perché non può uscire? Perché è stata trasformata in bambola? Il professore è buono o cattivo?
La storia si snoda attraverso appunto una serie di colpi di scena che vi lasceranno col fiato sospeso e gli occhi sgranati.
Non sono sicura di poterla classificare come storia per young adult, è comunque su tutto un altro livello rispetto a Doll bones, scritta in modo più adulto e, nonostante sia il primo di una serie, con una fine più netta e più credibile rispetto al sopraccitato.
Ella è un bel personaggio, dotato di molte sfaccettature, non tutte positive. Lisa è antipatica, è il suo ruolo nella storia e lo compie a dovere. Non c’è una ricchezza esagerata di descrizioni, per esempio manca il tempo e il luogo, ma molte cose si possono intuire lungo la storia, e non se ne sente troppo la mancanza, perché siamo troppo coinvolti dai personaggi e la soffitta e la scatola da scarpe in cui abita Ella ci bastano per capire il suo mondo e farci sospirare per il prossimo capitolo.
Non è un livello difficile di inglese, direi sul livello di Fangirl, quindi leggetelo pure con tranquillità, non vi deluderà.
Lo consiglio davvero a tutti, e ringrazio la Curiosity Quills press per avermelo mandato.
Quando ho richiesto questo titolo alla Curiosity quills press per il tour di dicembre, sono stata attirata inizialmente dalla copertina. Per la trama mi aspettavo una storia alla Doll bones, che ho letto più o meno un anno fa e che non mi ha colpito particolarmente.
Invece Broken dolls mi ha spiazzato e mi ha conquistato.
La frase che meglio si adatta a questo romanzo è: questo non te lo aspettavi eh?
Un colpo di scena dietro l’altro, un ribaltamento delle situazioni e degli aspetti dei personaggi che non lascia spazio alla noia o al “l’ho già letto, mi ricorda questo o quello.”
Vi riassumo brevemente la trama. Brevemente perché non voglio spoilerare nulla.
Conosciamo Ella, che è una bambola piuttosto piccola, infatti sta nella mano del suo creatore, il professore.
Ella vive nella soffitta e non può mai uscire, ma a lei va bene così. Era umana, se lo ricorda, ma non ricorda nient’altro. Il professore l’ha salvata trasformandola in una bambola. Ma lei è felice, è una ballerina, balla, si allena, guarda la tv. Finchè un giorno il professore non realizza una bambola Goth, Lisa. Lisa non accetta di essere una bambola, si ribella, si pittura il viso come vuole lei, cerca di scappare. E cosa peggiore di tutte, ricorda la sua vita. Ricorda che era in un ospedale. Quindi è pericolosa, perché inizia a seminare il seme del dubbio in Ella. Perché non può uscire? Perché è stata trasformata in bambola? Il professore è buono o cattivo?
La storia si snoda attraverso appunto una serie di colpi di scena che vi lasceranno col fiato sospeso e gli occhi sgranati.
Non sono sicura di poterla classificare come storia per young adult, è comunque su tutto un altro livello rispetto a Doll bones, scritta in modo più adulto e, nonostante sia il primo di una serie, con una fine più netta e più credibile rispetto al sopraccitato.
Ella è un bel personaggio, dotato di molte sfaccettature, non tutte positive. Lisa è antipatica, è il suo ruolo nella storia e lo compie a dovere. Non c’è una ricchezza esagerata di descrizioni, per esempio manca il tempo e il luogo, ma molte cose si possono intuire lungo la storia, e non se ne sente troppo la mancanza, perché siamo troppo coinvolti dai personaggi e la soffitta e la scatola da scarpe in cui abita Ella ci bastano per capire il suo mondo e farci sospirare per il prossimo capitolo.
Non è un livello difficile di inglese, direi sul livello di Fangirl, quindi leggetelo pure con tranquillità, non vi deluderà.
Lo consiglio davvero a tutti, e ringrazio la Curiosity Quills press per avermelo mandato.
December 7, 2017
4/5
So this little book really got my attention! I read this book on a train while travelling at the start of November from Naples to Turin and I was super excited during that period and was super hard to find something that actually distracted me from the crazy week that I was living.
This book did it though!
I basically loved everything about it, from the setting, to the main story, concept etc…
I found it so unique! I never read something like this before and I am super glad that I picked this book as my companion for my adventure.
I bought it at like 2€ on amazon and then I put it aside waiting for the right moment for it, I guess? I wish I had read this earlier now, TBH.
I think that the characters are the strength of this book, I loved the dolls’ concept, how they interact and especially how and why they are made.
The story itself is super cool and has some pretty twists too that I really liked.
The ending maybe was a little confusing but knowing that there’s already a sequel it’s not really a big deal for me.
I really hope they will decrease the price of the second book soon because now is pretty crazy (19€ WHAT?! sigh). I want to continue with that story!
So this little book really got my attention! I read this book on a train while travelling at the start of November from Naples to Turin and I was super excited during that period and was super hard to find something that actually distracted me from the crazy week that I was living.
This book did it though!
I basically loved everything about it, from the setting, to the main story, concept etc…
I found it so unique! I never read something like this before and I am super glad that I picked this book as my companion for my adventure.
I bought it at like 2€ on amazon and then I put it aside waiting for the right moment for it, I guess? I wish I had read this earlier now, TBH.
I think that the characters are the strength of this book, I loved the dolls’ concept, how they interact and especially how and why they are made.
The story itself is super cool and has some pretty twists too that I really liked.
The ending maybe was a little confusing but knowing that there’s already a sequel it’s not really a big deal for me.
I really hope they will decrease the price of the second book soon because now is pretty crazy (19€ WHAT?! sigh). I want to continue with that story!
June 8, 2016
*Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review*
This was my first read by Tyrolin and I'm proud to say that I immediately fell in love with her writing. I've been absolutely obsessed with anything that has to do with animating/animated dolls ever since I could remember so the premise spoke to my heart.
This book follows Ella, a human that was turned into a doll by a 'Professor' about 30 years ago. The attic is all she knows and has been able to see for her entire doll life. The why of the transformation was kept a secret due to Ella's memories being erased. That is until everything is surfaced to the light. I didn't see the events playing out the way they did and it was a roller coaster to experience. I immediately fell in love with Ella. She was the cutest thing ever and had the most innocent and beautiful personality I've ever seen. She made me laugh and smile at the cute things she said and asked. She's a rule follower and rarely meets other dolls the Professor animates. So she gets the surprise of her life when the Professor animates a goth doll and has her share living space with Ella. The story picks up from meeting the goth doll and their relationship was more than interesting to witness. They couldn't be more different but what they had in common was that they wanted to be human again.
As cute as this book was, the premise made it have a dark undertone that I couldn't have loved more. I have to admit, this book broke my heart. I didn't expect myself to be so emotionally invested with these characters until they made me cry whenever they were hurt in some slight or huge way. The themes I kept experiencing during this book were surprise and change. Surprising because of the events that happened in the last few chapters that I never saw coming. Change in the sense that I found myself loving characters I was suspicious of in the beginning and hating some characters that I loved in the beginning.
I was completely infatuated with these characters and the complexity they showed. I loved how they had such distinguishing personalities that made them memorable in my eyes. I've never read anything like this and I couldn't be more grateful for discovering Tyrolin. I couldn't flip the pages fast enough while she kept turning my world upside down. I need the sequel in my hands like yesterday... I need to know what else happens with these dolls! That ending was completely bittersweet and I have to see how the story will continue!
4.5 stars!
This was my first read by Tyrolin and I'm proud to say that I immediately fell in love with her writing. I've been absolutely obsessed with anything that has to do with animating/animated dolls ever since I could remember so the premise spoke to my heart.
This book follows Ella, a human that was turned into a doll by a 'Professor' about 30 years ago. The attic is all she knows and has been able to see for her entire doll life. The why of the transformation was kept a secret due to Ella's memories being erased. That is until everything is surfaced to the light. I didn't see the events playing out the way they did and it was a roller coaster to experience. I immediately fell in love with Ella. She was the cutest thing ever and had the most innocent and beautiful personality I've ever seen. She made me laugh and smile at the cute things she said and asked. She's a rule follower and rarely meets other dolls the Professor animates. So she gets the surprise of her life when the Professor animates a goth doll and has her share living space with Ella. The story picks up from meeting the goth doll and their relationship was more than interesting to witness. They couldn't be more different but what they had in common was that they wanted to be human again.
As cute as this book was, the premise made it have a dark undertone that I couldn't have loved more. I have to admit, this book broke my heart. I didn't expect myself to be so emotionally invested with these characters until they made me cry whenever they were hurt in some slight or huge way. The themes I kept experiencing during this book were surprise and change. Surprising because of the events that happened in the last few chapters that I never saw coming. Change in the sense that I found myself loving characters I was suspicious of in the beginning and hating some characters that I loved in the beginning.
I was completely infatuated with these characters and the complexity they showed. I loved how they had such distinguishing personalities that made them memorable in my eyes. I've never read anything like this and I couldn't be more grateful for discovering Tyrolin. I couldn't flip the pages fast enough while she kept turning my world upside down. I need the sequel in my hands like yesterday... I need to know what else happens with these dolls! That ending was completely bittersweet and I have to see how the story will continue!
4.5 stars!
March 23, 2016
I don’t remember being human. Probably because I don’t want to. The professor tells me how cumbersome the body is and how aches and pains are a way of life. He says this way, I’ll never feel any pain and can dance for as long as I like, never growing old, never changing my joints.Ella lives out her days in the Professor’s attic; dancing, watching television, acting out her adventures for the tape recorder during her imagination time.
He calls me his little broken doll.
She loves her time with the professor, but he can’t be with her at every moment so he’s made her a friend. But there’s something wrong with this new goth doll, Lisa. She’s asking all sorts of questions about the Professor, and how exactly he makes people into dolls, and she’s starting to really scare Ella.
She heaves a brush from the tub and awkwardly maneuvers it into one of the colors, but I can’t make out which one in the dark. Before I have time to object, she presses her eye into the tip. “I don’t have blue eyes!” She shrieks, blinding herself further when she pushes her other eye into the brush. “He made me have blue eyes! They’re not mine! THEY’RE NOT MINE!”With Lisa hiding out somewhere in the walls of the house, a failed attempt to keep Ella from being lonely, the Professor introduces Ella to Gabby; a real, living girl. The Professor’s granddaughter.
“Do you ever get the feeling that we might be related?” I ask softly, hoping I haven’t said anything out of line.And with more dolls coming out of the woodwork, Ella is starting to dream, starting to remember, and she’s beginning to wonder if maybe Lisa is onto something.
“All the time.” Gabby’s smile is as frank as it is contagious. “You said Sianne kept saying she was your mother. If she was, wouldn’t that make us, like, second cousins or something?”
“I’ve always wanted a cousin!” I giggle when Gabby picks me up and squeezes tightly. “Maybe we could pretend to be cousins? Would that be weird? It’d be nice to at least act like I have a family…”
“That’s not weird.” Gabby adjusts the clip in my hair. “Let’s just say we’re cousins.”
The rest of this review can be found HERE!
July 10, 2020
What a unique little book.
Broken Dolls is a fairly quick read, coming in at only around 150 pages, but it still packs quite a bit in to a short space.
We're introduced to Ella in the midst of her excitement over getting a new friend - another doll to join her, and share the little space that the Professor has carved out for her to live her life in. She's not a perfect doll, but she can dance, and that's all that matters... At least, that's what she had always thought, until Lisa comes into her life and everything starts to change.
This book seems to skew a little younger than most YA, both in length and subject matter, but I still really enjoyed it. The concept is original and fascinating - the idea of a doll who used to be human, but who has forgotten what that was like... The struggle that she faces as she wavers between wanting to remember and not, wanting more and being terrified of it.
Woven into this is the mystery of her past, and that of Lisa, and the mysterious Professor. Who is she? Who is the Professor? How did she come to be a little dancer doll, living out her life in a dusty little attic, never seeing the outside? Is the Professor just a mad collector, wanting more and more dolls, or is there something more to it?
All of this makes this an intriguing little book, especially as the ending unfolds and we start to learn some of the truths that Ella discovers - and remembers - along the way. It's a mystery with a hint of dystopia, with a little foray into what it means to be human, as well. I see that there's to be a sequel, and I would definitely check it out.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Broken Dolls is a fairly quick read, coming in at only around 150 pages, but it still packs quite a bit in to a short space.
We're introduced to Ella in the midst of her excitement over getting a new friend - another doll to join her, and share the little space that the Professor has carved out for her to live her life in. She's not a perfect doll, but she can dance, and that's all that matters... At least, that's what she had always thought, until Lisa comes into her life and everything starts to change.
This book seems to skew a little younger than most YA, both in length and subject matter, but I still really enjoyed it. The concept is original and fascinating - the idea of a doll who used to be human, but who has forgotten what that was like... The struggle that she faces as she wavers between wanting to remember and not, wanting more and being terrified of it.
Woven into this is the mystery of her past, and that of Lisa, and the mysterious Professor. Who is she? Who is the Professor? How did she come to be a little dancer doll, living out her life in a dusty little attic, never seeing the outside? Is the Professor just a mad collector, wanting more and more dolls, or is there something more to it?
All of this makes this an intriguing little book, especially as the ending unfolds and we start to learn some of the truths that Ella discovers - and remembers - along the way. It's a mystery with a hint of dystopia, with a little foray into what it means to be human, as well. I see that there's to be a sequel, and I would definitely check it out.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2016
5 Stars!
*I received this ARC from Curiosity Quills in exchange for an honest review.*
Oh. My. Goodness.
I honestly don't know where to begin with this review, because it isn't something that I've yet to wrap my head around. There were so many delicious twists and turns in this book just when you think you know what is going on and what its all about...HA!
So, we begin our story with a little animated doll named Ella, she's a ballerina and is quite content in her life, she adores the Professor, the one who made her and takes care of her. One day, he gives Ella a friend, Lisa. At once, it's seen that she is unlike Ella, she's dark and not friendly, she remembers things from her past though, dolls don't have pasts, right?
A series of rapid fire events occur and they keep you guessing until the very end, when the truth comes out it is rather heartbreaking. Heartbreaking until the very end, too. Ugh, I was reeling from my overload of feels...
This book was quite marvelous in that I've never actually read something like this... It's a touch horror, thriller, science fiction, and dystopian wrapped in a great middle grade book. There is a little romance in it which is age appropriate.
This is an eerie book for a young crowd, something on par with Roald Dahl, enough to give a young reader goosebumps but not to scare entirely - unless you have an aversion to dolls like my brother did. Something definitely worth reading and you can bet I'll be reading the second one.
To read more reviews like this visit my blog
*I received this ARC from Curiosity Quills in exchange for an honest review.*
Oh. My. Goodness.
I honestly don't know where to begin with this review, because it isn't something that I've yet to wrap my head around. There were so many delicious twists and turns in this book just when you think you know what is going on and what its all about...HA!
So, we begin our story with a little animated doll named Ella, she's a ballerina and is quite content in her life, she adores the Professor, the one who made her and takes care of her. One day, he gives Ella a friend, Lisa. At once, it's seen that she is unlike Ella, she's dark and not friendly, she remembers things from her past though, dolls don't have pasts, right?
A series of rapid fire events occur and they keep you guessing until the very end, when the truth comes out it is rather heartbreaking. Heartbreaking until the very end, too. Ugh, I was reeling from my overload of feels...
This book was quite marvelous in that I've never actually read something like this... It's a touch horror, thriller, science fiction, and dystopian wrapped in a great middle grade book. There is a little romance in it which is age appropriate.
This is an eerie book for a young crowd, something on par with Roald Dahl, enough to give a young reader goosebumps but not to scare entirely - unless you have an aversion to dolls like my brother did. Something definitely worth reading and you can bet I'll be reading the second one.
To read more reviews like this visit my blog
November 25, 2015
Receieved a copy of this book via the publishers, Curiousity Quills, in return for a fair and honest review. Thankyou!
What a story!! If you like your books on the weird yet wonderful side then this is the one for you! Ella doesn't remember being a human. She is currently a doll, a dancing doll dressed in tutu's and life for her is in the Professors Attic where she is his 'pet'. She watches the Professor create a doll friend for her, a Goth called Lisa and this is where the problems and the darkness of the story begins!
The dolls shouldn't be able to remember their human lives but Lisa does and starts to question everything the Professor does which starts to create doubts in Ellas' mind but the more they both find out the more twisted and evil everything seems. They begin to explore his house and talk about leaving and when his granddaughter, Gabby, moves into the house to seemingly live out her life after contracting a killer viruses that is affecting a large swathe of the worlds population, she immediately befriends Ella and gets to experience friendship and even leave the house for the first time in her doll life.
this is a beautiful, haunting and tragic tale that gets darker with each chapter. There are many twists along the way that capture your imagination and leave you wondering who to trust and just who is as they seem!
The cover is amazing too - beautifully creepy! The perfect way to describe this book!
What a story!! If you like your books on the weird yet wonderful side then this is the one for you! Ella doesn't remember being a human. She is currently a doll, a dancing doll dressed in tutu's and life for her is in the Professors Attic where she is his 'pet'. She watches the Professor create a doll friend for her, a Goth called Lisa and this is where the problems and the darkness of the story begins!
The dolls shouldn't be able to remember their human lives but Lisa does and starts to question everything the Professor does which starts to create doubts in Ellas' mind but the more they both find out the more twisted and evil everything seems. They begin to explore his house and talk about leaving and when his granddaughter, Gabby, moves into the house to seemingly live out her life after contracting a killer viruses that is affecting a large swathe of the worlds population, she immediately befriends Ella and gets to experience friendship and even leave the house for the first time in her doll life.
this is a beautiful, haunting and tragic tale that gets darker with each chapter. There are many twists along the way that capture your imagination and leave you wondering who to trust and just who is as they seem!
The cover is amazing too - beautifully creepy! The perfect way to describe this book!
January 17, 2017
so good.
so mysterious.
book with living dolls. nothing is as it seems in the book.
comes with the teaser of the second book. definitely going to continue with this series.
so mysterious.
book with living dolls. nothing is as it seems in the book.
comes with the teaser of the second book. definitely going to continue with this series.
January 2, 2016
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this novel. It's actually probably more of a novella due to its short length, which is probably my only complaint.
** some spoilers **
We start off with Ella, the main character who is also a living doll, meeting her new friend Lisa, another living doll. Unfortunately, Lisa seems a bit crazy and the Professor calls her too broken. Shortly after the Professor introduces Ella to his granddaughter Gabby. The two become best friends and Ella finds out Gabby is going to die from an outbreak of mysterious illness. Lisa becomes obsessed with finding a way to become human again. She terrorizes Ella in the process of her investigations. The Professor begins to take on the appearance of a creepy old villain until the truth is finally revealed - he might just be a hero. Ella, on the other hand, is not at all what she seems. Truthfully, her story is sad and her true self is really not a likable person. I guess you could say in the end everyone gets what they wanted but the happy ending is a little bittersweet.
Ella ends up being two very different people and it's strange to say that her doll self is very likable while her real self is just nasty and bitter. I really hated her other side and I ended up feeling very sad for the Professor.
I feel that these characters were all very dynamic and the story progressed rapidly but smoothly. Everything wrapped up nicely. I'm pleased to see there is going to be a sequel. I'm very interested in getting a copy as soon as it's available.
5 stars.
I really enjoyed this novel. It's actually probably more of a novella due to its short length, which is probably my only complaint.
** some spoilers **
We start off with Ella, the main character who is also a living doll, meeting her new friend Lisa, another living doll. Unfortunately, Lisa seems a bit crazy and the Professor calls her too broken. Shortly after the Professor introduces Ella to his granddaughter Gabby. The two become best friends and Ella finds out Gabby is going to die from an outbreak of mysterious illness. Lisa becomes obsessed with finding a way to become human again. She terrorizes Ella in the process of her investigations. The Professor begins to take on the appearance of a creepy old villain until the truth is finally revealed - he might just be a hero. Ella, on the other hand, is not at all what she seems. Truthfully, her story is sad and her true self is really not a likable person. I guess you could say in the end everyone gets what they wanted but the happy ending is a little bittersweet.
Ella ends up being two very different people and it's strange to say that her doll self is very likable while her real self is just nasty and bitter. I really hated her other side and I ended up feeling very sad for the Professor.
I feel that these characters were all very dynamic and the story progressed rapidly but smoothly. Everything wrapped up nicely. I'm pleased to see there is going to be a sequel. I'm very interested in getting a copy as soon as it's available.
5 stars.
January 8, 2016
This was a really unusual story about a living doll, Ella, who lives in the attic of the Professor, the man who made her. She wears tutus and spends her days dancing and she’s really pretty happy, but then the Professor makes another doll, a goth doll called Lisa. Lisa is angry and mean and she upsets Ella, who can’t understand where Lisa’s rage is coming from.
I have to say, I don’t think I’ve ever read a story like this one! It was slightly steampunky, which is obviously cool, slightly sci-fi, a little bit dystopia, so in the nicest possible way, it was a bit of a mash-up.
The plot itself is told through Ella’s viewpoint and she watches as Lisa just goes around disrupting her previously placid life and making all sorts of discoveries that make Ella question what the Professor is really up to. There aren’t that many twists and turns – it’s more like a slow build towards the ultimate climax. I was glad we got a resolution to the story and I would be quite interested to read the sequel, Shattered Girls, to see where the story goes next.
The characters were the most interesting thing about the book, I found. My favourite was Lisa – she really seemed to have her wits about her and wasn’t about to just sit around and accept the way things were. Ella, by contrast, seemed very keen to preserve things exactly the way things were (although I don’t really know why – being a doll sounds pretty sucky), so the points where she and Ella clashed were pretty funny! I also really liked the author’s writing style. There was a really nice flow to it and Ella seemed to have a very definite voice.
There were points where I wondered how well it actually worked as a YA book. Ella doesn’t really have an age as such – she thinks she’s been a doll for a long time, but doesn’t really know – although the way she speaks and her view of the world comes across as fairly childlike and her friend Gabby is eleven, so in some ways this might work more as an MG book. But then, the themes the book deals with are better suited to a slightly older audience, so I don’t really know how else it could have been classified.
In some respects, I would have liked to have read the same story from Lisa’s viewpoint. I think it would have been really spooky and interesting to have read about her waking up as a doll and trying to solve the mystery of the Professor’s work while trying to contend with Ella, who is happy with the status quo.
Really that was the only mildly negative thing I picked up on. Other than that, this was a quick, fun read.
I have to say, I don’t think I’ve ever read a story like this one! It was slightly steampunky, which is obviously cool, slightly sci-fi, a little bit dystopia, so in the nicest possible way, it was a bit of a mash-up.
The plot itself is told through Ella’s viewpoint and she watches as Lisa just goes around disrupting her previously placid life and making all sorts of discoveries that make Ella question what the Professor is really up to. There aren’t that many twists and turns – it’s more like a slow build towards the ultimate climax. I was glad we got a resolution to the story and I would be quite interested to read the sequel, Shattered Girls, to see where the story goes next.
The characters were the most interesting thing about the book, I found. My favourite was Lisa – she really seemed to have her wits about her and wasn’t about to just sit around and accept the way things were. Ella, by contrast, seemed very keen to preserve things exactly the way things were (although I don’t really know why – being a doll sounds pretty sucky), so the points where she and Ella clashed were pretty funny! I also really liked the author’s writing style. There was a really nice flow to it and Ella seemed to have a very definite voice.
There were points where I wondered how well it actually worked as a YA book. Ella doesn’t really have an age as such – she thinks she’s been a doll for a long time, but doesn’t really know – although the way she speaks and her view of the world comes across as fairly childlike and her friend Gabby is eleven, so in some ways this might work more as an MG book. But then, the themes the book deals with are better suited to a slightly older audience, so I don’t really know how else it could have been classified.
In some respects, I would have liked to have read the same story from Lisa’s viewpoint. I think it would have been really spooky and interesting to have read about her waking up as a doll and trying to solve the mystery of the Professor’s work while trying to contend with Ella, who is happy with the status quo.
Really that was the only mildly negative thing I picked up on. Other than that, this was a quick, fun read.
October 13, 2015
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this a couple of weeks before Halloween, so needless to say, I was in the mood for something a little creepy.
Broken dolls has just the right amount of dark to make a person shift uneasily in the chair, glance up at unexpected bumps and feel a slight chill. But at the same time, there's a slight ray of hope and sweetness. It's a delicious mixture, which fits well in the line of Coraline, Adams Family, Beetlejuice and so on.
Ella is a doll, and we quickly learn that she was once a real girl, who due to mysterious and horrid circumstances (which neither we nor Ella are aware of) has been turned into a doll by the 'Professor'. She's mostly satisfied with her situation, which already adds a sad tinge to the story. She's naive in so many ways that it's hard not to want to race to her side and help save her. . .whatever that might mean.
The story quickly picks up pace as the Professor introduces a friend, Lisa. Unlike Ella, Lisa does remember her past and is not glad that the professor 'saved' her by turning her into a doll. Lisa takes this knowledge as a reason to destroy Ella and thwart the professor. But as a reader, it's not clear why Lisa becomes so violent in her mission to physically damage Ella. This dash of horror definitely adds to the tension, though.
When the first human rushes in, Gaby, it feels like a desperately needed fresh breeze. The friendship which develops between Gaby and Ella adds so much hope and really gets Ella's character going. We also gain a great feel for the professor, although not completely positive. The mixture of girl and doll sets off a heart-warming companionship but maintains a melancholy air.
There was no way I could set this book down once I got into the pages. It took a bit for me to settle into the slightly disturbing world, and the entire way through, it felt like an off place to visit. But that's the point, and it's very well done.
Summed up, this is a great gothic read for an upper middle grade audience. It carries just the right amount of disturbing and creepy moments while maintaining enough golden warmth to help cradle a reader through.
Broken dolls has just the right amount of dark to make a person shift uneasily in the chair, glance up at unexpected bumps and feel a slight chill. But at the same time, there's a slight ray of hope and sweetness. It's a delicious mixture, which fits well in the line of Coraline, Adams Family, Beetlejuice and so on.
Ella is a doll, and we quickly learn that she was once a real girl, who due to mysterious and horrid circumstances (which neither we nor Ella are aware of) has been turned into a doll by the 'Professor'. She's mostly satisfied with her situation, which already adds a sad tinge to the story. She's naive in so many ways that it's hard not to want to race to her side and help save her. . .whatever that might mean.
The story quickly picks up pace as the Professor introduces a friend, Lisa. Unlike Ella, Lisa does remember her past and is not glad that the professor 'saved' her by turning her into a doll. Lisa takes this knowledge as a reason to destroy Ella and thwart the professor. But as a reader, it's not clear why Lisa becomes so violent in her mission to physically damage Ella. This dash of horror definitely adds to the tension, though.
When the first human rushes in, Gaby, it feels like a desperately needed fresh breeze. The friendship which develops between Gaby and Ella adds so much hope and really gets Ella's character going. We also gain a great feel for the professor, although not completely positive. The mixture of girl and doll sets off a heart-warming companionship but maintains a melancholy air.
There was no way I could set this book down once I got into the pages. It took a bit for me to settle into the slightly disturbing world, and the entire way through, it felt like an off place to visit. But that's the point, and it's very well done.
Summed up, this is a great gothic read for an upper middle grade audience. It carries just the right amount of disturbing and creepy moments while maintaining enough golden warmth to help cradle a reader through.
January 2, 2016
I received this copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely recommend this to any age group, well maybe 10 and up, but it is a lovely story. Broken Doll has all emotions throughout it, sad, happy, fear and love. I planned on reading this within a few days but I needed to know what was going to happen so I ended up reading it in one sitting. I sympathized with all the characters as well as got frustrated with them. It doesn't end how you would think which is what I love in books! I would say Broken Doll is an absolute must on young and old readers alike as it makes you think and question things. 10/10! I plan on buying this for my niece and maybe a copy for myself as I could read it again for sure.
There will be a more in depth review on my blog, soon to come if you're interested but may have some spoilers.
I absolutely recommend this to any age group, well maybe 10 and up, but it is a lovely story. Broken Doll has all emotions throughout it, sad, happy, fear and love. I planned on reading this within a few days but I needed to know what was going to happen so I ended up reading it in one sitting. I sympathized with all the characters as well as got frustrated with them. It doesn't end how you would think which is what I love in books! I would say Broken Doll is an absolute must on young and old readers alike as it makes you think and question things. 10/10! I plan on buying this for my niece and maybe a copy for myself as I could read it again for sure.
There will be a more in depth review on my blog, soon to come if you're interested but may have some spoilers.
November 7, 2016
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The concept for this is actually pretty original and unique. I was pretty excited about it - it seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, nothing in this book made any sense.
Ella is a living doll. Ok, cool.
She used to be human. Ok, even cooler - why and how did she become a doll?
She has emotions but no physical sense of touch. Ok, ah... well that's... that's kind of odd. How do you walk around and not bump into things without a sense of touch? But ok, whatever, my suspension of disbelief can handle that. But wait... didn't... didn't the description for this say she's forgotten what it feels like to love? But she has emotions... what? Alright, well maybe that's just love... like.... she's been removed from humanity for so long that love has faded away and it's very romantic and yeah. Ok. Keep reading.
Enter Lisa.
Lisa is a goth doll. We're told that the Professor has made her into a doll because she was "broken" and used to harm herself. Aw. How sad, right?
When Lisa is "activated" she's not supposed to remember anything. But she does and it makes her a little crazy. Which is totally understandable. I mean, you remember being human, remember being in a hospital, snippets from your life, and now all of a sudden you're made out of plastic. Wtf. That's going to be a bit of an adjustment.
So she gets upset and goes looking for answers. WHY THE HELL WOULDN'T YOU? But Ella doesn't like this. It makes her uncomfortable that Lisa's breaking the rules and poking into things and from pretty much that moment out, Lisa's the evil goth kid because stereotypes are cool, yeah? I'm so angry.
Let's do a search for "goth" in this book and see what Kindle pulls up, shall we?
"It'd be awesome to be friends with a human girl and not some psychotic goth doll."
"And Lisa is the crazy doll?"
"Yeah, she's a goth."
"Well, that probably explains a lot of her behavior."
What the hell?!? To be fair, Ella reacts appropriately to this conversation:
"I frown. Is this a joke? ... I bet it's the whole being turned into a doll and still remember a past life that's made Lisa this way.
Thanks Ella. Now if only you'd kept that point of view. By the end she's back to calling her psychotic and worse.
Now let's start in on the bad science. Spoilers abound so this part is hidden.
So to sum up:
Lisa was the only character whose actions made sense.
There was a character who, when asked to explain something nonsensical she did, replies, "BECAUSE I'M CRAZY!" -_-*
None of the diseases are named. All of the science is flawed.
It's a YA concept, written at a mid-grade level. The only cussing done in this novel is "Damn it," uttered by an 11 year old in a very cavalier fashion. Which strikes me as odd for that age. Not so much that she'd say it but that she'd be so flippant about its use. But then you have this passage:
When people swore on TV, I'd block my ears because I knew it was rude and inappropriate, but right now, I feel the urge to use a highly unnecessary profanity.
I looked up the author to see if she was a native English speaker. Imsorryimsorryimsorry I feel like such a douche bag saying that but I did. A lot of the language used here is just odd. We're talking diction choices, syntax, misused articles, commas out of place, sentence ordering within paragraphs.... I've got my fingers crossed that the majority of this (the grammar and punctuation bits) are because of the copy I received and have since been cleaned up for the final version. The odd diction I'll chalk up to the author being Australian and my not being familiar with it. Because culture.
Alright.
I feel really mean now so I'm going to stop.
Parting note: If this were cleaned up a bit, Tim Burton could probably turn it into a really cool animated feature. 10/10 would watch.
The concept for this is actually pretty original and unique. I was pretty excited about it - it seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, nothing in this book made any sense.
Ella is a living doll. Ok, cool.
She used to be human. Ok, even cooler - why and how did she become a doll?
She has emotions but no physical sense of touch. Ok, ah... well that's... that's kind of odd. How do you walk around and not bump into things without a sense of touch? But ok, whatever, my suspension of disbelief can handle that. But wait... didn't... didn't the description for this say she's forgotten what it feels like to love? But she has emotions... what? Alright, well maybe that's just love... like.... she's been removed from humanity for so long that love has faded away and it's very romantic and yeah. Ok. Keep reading.
Enter Lisa.
Lisa is a goth doll. We're told that the Professor has made her into a doll because she was "broken" and used to harm herself. Aw. How sad, right?
When Lisa is "activated" she's not supposed to remember anything. But she does and it makes her a little crazy. Which is totally understandable. I mean, you remember being human, remember being in a hospital, snippets from your life, and now all of a sudden you're made out of plastic. Wtf. That's going to be a bit of an adjustment.
So she gets upset and goes looking for answers. WHY THE HELL WOULDN'T YOU? But Ella doesn't like this. It makes her uncomfortable that Lisa's breaking the rules and poking into things and from pretty much that moment out, Lisa's the evil goth kid because stereotypes are cool, yeah? I'm so angry.
Let's do a search for "goth" in this book and see what Kindle pulls up, shall we?
"It'd be awesome to be friends with a human girl and not some psychotic goth doll."
"And Lisa is the crazy doll?"
"Yeah, she's a goth."
"Well, that probably explains a lot of her behavior."
What the hell?!? To be fair, Ella reacts appropriately to this conversation:
"I frown. Is this a joke? ... I bet it's the whole being turned into a doll and still remember a past life that's made Lisa this way.
Thanks Ella. Now if only you'd kept that point of view. By the end she's back to calling her psychotic and worse.
Now let's start in on the bad science. Spoilers abound so this part is hidden.
So to sum up:
Lisa was the only character whose actions made sense.
There was a character who, when asked to explain something nonsensical she did, replies, "BECAUSE I'M CRAZY!" -_-*
None of the diseases are named. All of the science is flawed.
It's a YA concept, written at a mid-grade level. The only cussing done in this novel is "Damn it," uttered by an 11 year old in a very cavalier fashion. Which strikes me as odd for that age. Not so much that she'd say it but that she'd be so flippant about its use. But then you have this passage:
When people swore on TV, I'd block my ears because I knew it was rude and inappropriate, but right now, I feel the urge to use a highly unnecessary profanity.
I looked up the author to see if she was a native English speaker. Imsorryimsorryimsorry I feel like such a douche bag saying that but I did. A lot of the language used here is just odd. We're talking diction choices, syntax, misused articles, commas out of place, sentence ordering within paragraphs.... I've got my fingers crossed that the majority of this (the grammar and punctuation bits) are because of the copy I received and have since been cleaned up for the final version. The odd diction I'll chalk up to the author being Australian and my not being familiar with it. Because culture.
Alright.
I feel really mean now so I'm going to stop.
Parting note: If this were cleaned up a bit, Tim Burton could probably turn it into a really cool animated feature. 10/10 would watch.
November 18, 2015
* The publisher gave me an ARC of this book in exchange for na honest review*
Ella has never known a life outside of the professor's attic. She loves trees, painting, and, most of all, to dance. Ella is also a doll who, the professor says, was once human. The professor dresses her in a new tutu everyday, and her life, while limited, is happy. Then the professor introduces her to another doll named Lisa. Lisa is not happy. Lisa is quite possibly crazy ad tries to kill Ella. Lisa runs away from the attic and discovers secrets about the professor, secrets that make Ella question everything about her existence. She also begins to wonder if the professor is really a gentle man that wants to help those that are broken, or if he is a mad man that turns girls into dolls for fun.
The concept of this novel is very unique. While wild cures for terminal diseases have definitely been written before, a transference of consciousness while the body heals was something new for me. The professor has to wipe the dolls' memories clean so the stress of their memories doesn't hinder their human body's ability to heal. This complicates things. Some dolls, like Lisa, remember just enough of their old lives to resent their dollness. Others are maddened by the transformation and have to be deactivated. The author gave each doll a unique activation experience and backstory. The reader cares about all of them, even Lisa.
I think the most interesting twist came when I realized I didn't like the protagonist. At all. When she is a doll, Ella is lovely, but as a human she's selfish and hateful. It isn't often that a book makes me dislike the narrator this much. Kudos to Puxty for making the transition so gradual that I didn't even realize how my feelings had changed until I had nearly reached the end of the book.
With a cast of very interesting characters, some real, some less human, and a very unique concept, Broken Dolls is a captivating read.
Ella has never known a life outside of the professor's attic. She loves trees, painting, and, most of all, to dance. Ella is also a doll who, the professor says, was once human. The professor dresses her in a new tutu everyday, and her life, while limited, is happy. Then the professor introduces her to another doll named Lisa. Lisa is not happy. Lisa is quite possibly crazy ad tries to kill Ella. Lisa runs away from the attic and discovers secrets about the professor, secrets that make Ella question everything about her existence. She also begins to wonder if the professor is really a gentle man that wants to help those that are broken, or if he is a mad man that turns girls into dolls for fun.
The concept of this novel is very unique. While wild cures for terminal diseases have definitely been written before, a transference of consciousness while the body heals was something new for me. The professor has to wipe the dolls' memories clean so the stress of their memories doesn't hinder their human body's ability to heal. This complicates things. Some dolls, like Lisa, remember just enough of their old lives to resent their dollness. Others are maddened by the transformation and have to be deactivated. The author gave each doll a unique activation experience and backstory. The reader cares about all of them, even Lisa.
I think the most interesting twist came when I realized I didn't like the protagonist. At all. When she is a doll, Ella is lovely, but as a human she's selfish and hateful. It isn't often that a book makes me dislike the narrator this much. Kudos to Puxty for making the transition so gradual that I didn't even realize how my feelings had changed until I had nearly reached the end of the book.
With a cast of very interesting characters, some real, some less human, and a very unique concept, Broken Dolls is a captivating read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2016
Broken Dolls is such a breathtaking read. I read this in almost one sitting it was truely captivating. I instantly fell in love with Ella and was eager to find out what was happening and what was going to happen. Whilsy reading this, there was development after development. Just when I thought I had found out the plot, there was a twist that took it off in a completely different direction. I like all the characters in the story and wanted to know more about them. My feeling towords the professor changed so many times the more I read. I went from thinking he was just a crazy professor, then I didnt like him very much but in the end I felt really sorry for him and understood why he did what he did. I just wanted to give him a hug, thats how lost I got in the novel. I did love Ella at the begining but by the end I found her really bitter and a little bit selfish. I know she went through a trumatic experience that affected her massively and I could understand her wanting to be cured but although the professor tried he wasnt able to fix her and nearer the end when you find out what happens Ella is so mean to the professor and he already blames himself but he doesnt need Ella saying the things she did to him. I think she could have with time become at peace with her situation however she decided to run away from it. This was not a long novel however it packed a punch and left me wanting more. It is a novel that pulls you in and before you know it you are lost in the novel and are walking beside the characters and feeling everything they feel. A great read and I will definitely be picking up the next one when it comes out.
Disclaimer - I recieved this novel free for review thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.
This review can be found at http://literarywisdom.wordpress.com
Disclaimer - I recieved this novel free for review thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.
This review can be found at http://literarywisdom.wordpress.com
December 17, 2015
The whole odd synopsis instantly drew me to this story. Living dolls are given space in a house where a mystery is brewing, and Ella, having once been the only doll there, is gaining new and suspicious friends.
This story went left field on a lot of genres so I opted out of my usual genre rating because you'll find equal amounts of fantasy, and mystery, with a touch of science fiction.
Ella is given a goth roommate. A new doll to be activated, like Ella, she'll be able to move and basically is alive. Lisa is a spiteful roommate however, and she's sniffed out a mystery, claiming that the Professor, their creator, is evil. The plot thickens as evidence builds up against the Professor and the first human to have contact with Ella enters her life. Gabby is the Professor's ten year old granddaughter. The two hit it off right away, becoming instant friends, but when some of the Professor's plans take shape, they find some deeply hidden secrets.
I enjoyed this story because it was just plain odd. The plot moved along quickly and I found myself really enjoying what would happen next. I couldn't predict how it would all turn out, and that was delightful and twisted. Ella transforms in this story, and you see the two people she could, and is. It's a complicated stance, but I think the author moved Ella in the right direction.
CONCLUSION
The plot and mystery behind the living dolls was fantastic, and engaging. There is a bit of a cliffhanger ending, but the bulk of the plot was concluded and we were given a glimpse of what would be coming up five years later. I enjoyed Ella's child-like adoration for her creator, and her ability to question the world around her.
This story went left field on a lot of genres so I opted out of my usual genre rating because you'll find equal amounts of fantasy, and mystery, with a touch of science fiction.
Ella is given a goth roommate. A new doll to be activated, like Ella, she'll be able to move and basically is alive. Lisa is a spiteful roommate however, and she's sniffed out a mystery, claiming that the Professor, their creator, is evil. The plot thickens as evidence builds up against the Professor and the first human to have contact with Ella enters her life. Gabby is the Professor's ten year old granddaughter. The two hit it off right away, becoming instant friends, but when some of the Professor's plans take shape, they find some deeply hidden secrets.
I enjoyed this story because it was just plain odd. The plot moved along quickly and I found myself really enjoying what would happen next. I couldn't predict how it would all turn out, and that was delightful and twisted. Ella transforms in this story, and you see the two people she could, and is. It's a complicated stance, but I think the author moved Ella in the right direction.
CONCLUSION
The plot and mystery behind the living dolls was fantastic, and engaging. There is a bit of a cliffhanger ending, but the bulk of the plot was concluded and we were given a glimpse of what would be coming up five years later. I enjoyed Ella's child-like adoration for her creator, and her ability to question the world around her.
June 23, 2016
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
It's been a while since I could say: This is not like anything I can remember I've ever read. In the sea of (slightly) Dystopian YA Broken Dolls has managed to do something special: be original.
Ella is a doll, and has been so for 30 years. She knows that before she was human, but can't remember anything of that times and is not particularly worried either. She lives with The Professor, who created her. But when he introduces a new doll to Ella, things are about to change.
I liked it. The story remains quite small. It's mostly Ella, the Professor and Gabby, his grandchild and they stay mostly in the house. I couldn't see the major twist coming. Some revelations about Ella gave quite a sad twist to the story. I wonder what is going to happen in the next book. The only thing I would have liked to see a bit more of was the worldbuilding. Exactly what is this infection? Why is it such a disaster?
Broken Dolls is the first book in a series with the same name.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
It's been a while since I could say: This is not like anything I can remember I've ever read. In the sea of (slightly) Dystopian YA Broken Dolls has managed to do something special: be original.
Ella is a doll, and has been so for 30 years. She knows that before she was human, but can't remember anything of that times and is not particularly worried either. She lives with The Professor, who created her. But when he introduces a new doll to Ella, things are about to change.
I liked it. The story remains quite small. It's mostly Ella, the Professor and Gabby, his grandchild and they stay mostly in the house. I couldn't see the major twist coming. Some revelations about Ella gave quite a sad twist to the story. I wonder what is going to happen in the next book. The only thing I would have liked to see a bit more of was the worldbuilding. Exactly what is this infection? Why is it such a disaster?
Broken Dolls is the first book in a series with the same name.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
December 29, 2015
This is a fabulous book. Besides its intriguing title, what first caught my attention about Broken Dolls was its cover. It illustrates something a bit macabre, and yet innocence, too. Then when you take a look inside, the story captures your attention and interest from the opening statement until the end of the story. The story is unique, not the same-ole tale that so many books rehash.
It has a bit of a sense of Pinocchio. Ella is a doll who doesn't feel any physical pain, nor remember life before she was a doll. That all changes when Lisa, another doll is made and "activated." You'll be kept guessing whether the doll-maker is good or evil. Did he give Ella a better life as a doll? Or is he up to something more sinister? Expect to be surprised by the twists in this book. You'll not be disappointed. Things -- and people -- are not always what they seem.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It has a bit of a sense of Pinocchio. Ella is a doll who doesn't feel any physical pain, nor remember life before she was a doll. That all changes when Lisa, another doll is made and "activated." You'll be kept guessing whether the doll-maker is good or evil. Did he give Ella a better life as a doll? Or is he up to something more sinister? Expect to be surprised by the twists in this book. You'll not be disappointed. Things -- and people -- are not always what they seem.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2016
To say that I loved this book would be a bit of an understatement. I grew up watching Goosebumps, of course but as a Canadian I was also treated to “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”. This book reminded me a little of an episode from that called “Tale of the Dollmaker”. So honestly, this book holds a bit of a special place in my heart, because that television show was the start of my love for the different and the dark. It is everything I have enjoyed in my 30 years.
“Most people think dolls are just toys, but they’re really like perfect little people. Sometimes, they’re so life-like that its almost as if the dollmaker took a person and shrunk them down to doll size.” – Tale of the Dollmaker.
See the similarities?
If you would like to finish reading this review, please visit me at:
https://shhiamreading.wordpress.com/
“Most people think dolls are just toys, but they’re really like perfect little people. Sometimes, they’re so life-like that its almost as if the dollmaker took a person and shrunk them down to doll size.” – Tale of the Dollmaker.
See the similarities?
If you would like to finish reading this review, please visit me at:
https://shhiamreading.wordpress.com/
December 14, 2015
MY REVIEW:
Broken Dolls is a compelling engrossing story. It kind of reminded me of a twisted, dark, fun Toy Story. Tyrolin Puxty has a knack for building tension and suspense. You know something bad is happening but what? Dolls with human souls are not an everyday occurrence. This along with the plague makes for a high stakes novel.
Tyrolin develops new, compelling, interesting characters. Even though this story is about dolls they have highly human qualities. This is an interesting journey into what it takes to be human. Your heart goes out to the girls. I felt this was a creative well executed story.
I give Broken Dolls 5 out of 5 stars.
Read
October 7, 2020What an amazing read! I was unable to put this book down and read it in one sitting. This is a fast paced and intriguing read with just the right amount of the creepy factor (duh, it is about dolls after all.) I found myself making so many assumptions about what was really going on and I was entirely wrong. So wrong that once the truth came out I was blown clear out of the water.
Broken Dolls is a unique and creative story and you will certainly not be disappointed. I'm extremely happy that I stumbled upon this author and I eagerly await the release of the next book.
Broken Dolls is a unique and creative story and you will certainly not be disappointed. I'm extremely happy that I stumbled upon this author and I eagerly await the release of the next book.
April 6, 2016
[I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.]
Mixed feelings regarding this novel: while I found the premise intriguing and a bit creepy (dolls who used to be human beings, possibly with a psychotic streak, I mean, come on, think “Chucky”), the explanation behind it all didn't convince me.
From the beginning, Ella's life is clearly on the twisted side, with a sort of Pygmalion-and-Galathea streak: she's living in the attic of a mysterious Professor, who turned her into a doll and seems to love her, but also to keep her locked inside. She cannot go out, she cannot talk to other dolls or people, and all she has—even though she seems content with it at first—is dancing, her bedroom in a chest, and a recorder that she uses to narrate adventures. So when the Professor brings in another doll, Lisa, of course our little heroine is happy... except Lisa quickly starts asking too many questions and behaving strangely, because *she* remembers what it is to be human, and being a doll doesn't sit with her. At all. No wonder she's going a bit cray cray here, I think anyone would.
And as Lisa's “madness” grows, Ella starts questioning more and more things, too, especially when Gabby, the Professor's granddaughter, comes to spend a few days in the house: Gabby is dying from an incurable illness... and wouldn't she make a pretty doll, too?
Well, as I said, I liked the story in the beginning; however, when the science part actually was revealed, it just didn't work. The Professor's goals were idealistic and positive, yet kind of naïve and unbelievable—I don't think the achievements he was striving for could be attained just like that. (Although it would be nice if they could.) This was too wishy-washy to my liking. Suspension of disbelief kind of fell and crashed to the floor.
There were a few plot holes, too, that I was hoping would be covered, and... weren't. What about the epidemics, for instance? A 95% mortality rate, and specifically targetted at O blood type people: that's quite a lot of potential victims (about 35-40% of the US population is in this group?). It was on the news on TV in the novel, sure, but like an after thought, and it was difficult to believe that people weren't more in a panic about it.
Also, the whole “she's a goth so it explains why she's psychotic (and why she used to cut herself)” was a) uncalled for, b) a stupid cliché. It may have been intended as a joke, but it didn't feel like it. (Yes, I am totally biased in that regard. There's so much more to the goth subculture than those images that, in fact, are exactly the ones that hurt, and make people bully those who embrace said subculture. Do not start me on that.)
Conclusion: good ideas in this story, and even though I found it more “OK” than “I really like it”, I may check out other works by this author later. Too bad the second half didn't follow so much with the whole “creepy dolls” vibe from the first half, as I would've liked that more...
Mixed feelings regarding this novel: while I found the premise intriguing and a bit creepy (dolls who used to be human beings, possibly with a psychotic streak, I mean, come on, think “Chucky”), the explanation behind it all didn't convince me.
From the beginning, Ella's life is clearly on the twisted side, with a sort of Pygmalion-and-Galathea streak: she's living in the attic of a mysterious Professor, who turned her into a doll and seems to love her, but also to keep her locked inside. She cannot go out, she cannot talk to other dolls or people, and all she has—even though she seems content with it at first—is dancing, her bedroom in a chest, and a recorder that she uses to narrate adventures. So when the Professor brings in another doll, Lisa, of course our little heroine is happy... except Lisa quickly starts asking too many questions and behaving strangely, because *she* remembers what it is to be human, and being a doll doesn't sit with her. At all. No wonder she's going a bit cray cray here, I think anyone would.
And as Lisa's “madness” grows, Ella starts questioning more and more things, too, especially when Gabby, the Professor's granddaughter, comes to spend a few days in the house: Gabby is dying from an incurable illness... and wouldn't she make a pretty doll, too?
Well, as I said, I liked the story in the beginning; however, when the science part actually was revealed, it just didn't work. The Professor's goals were idealistic and positive, yet kind of naïve and unbelievable—I don't think the achievements he was striving for could be attained just like that. (Although it would be nice if they could.) This was too wishy-washy to my liking. Suspension of disbelief kind of fell and crashed to the floor.
There were a few plot holes, too, that I was hoping would be covered, and... weren't. What about the epidemics, for instance? A 95% mortality rate, and specifically targetted at O blood type people: that's quite a lot of potential victims (about 35-40% of the US population is in this group?). It was on the news on TV in the novel, sure, but like an after thought, and it was difficult to believe that people weren't more in a panic about it.
Also, the whole “she's a goth so it explains why she's psychotic (and why she used to cut herself)” was a) uncalled for, b) a stupid cliché. It may have been intended as a joke, but it didn't feel like it. (Yes, I am totally biased in that regard. There's so much more to the goth subculture than those images that, in fact, are exactly the ones that hurt, and make people bully those who embrace said subculture. Do not start me on that.)
Conclusion: good ideas in this story, and even though I found it more “OK” than “I really like it”, I may check out other works by this author later. Too bad the second half didn't follow so much with the whole “creepy dolls” vibe from the first half, as I would've liked that more...
August 8, 2017
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
This book is one of the unique books I've ever read. I have never really read a book like this one and I'm grateful that I read it because it was some kind of a new reading experience for me.
So, this book is about Ella who is a doll and she lives in the professor's attic. She remembers nothing about her past or when she used to be a human. She spends her time dancing, watching TV or imagining things. Professor creates another doll - Lisa - a goth. Lisa becomes violent and starts chasing Ella. She wants to return to her human form and will take any measures to accomplish it. Now, Ella is also determined to remember her past and find out everything that Professor kept from her.
Ella also meets Professor's granddaughter, Gabby and befriends her.
This book was a quick short read as it was only 150 pages long but packed with all the stuff that we readers admire. This book is not like every YA book and it combines thriller and mystery with horror and is slightly creepy. The plot twist was totally unpredictable and, therefore, I won't talk about it because I don't want to accidently spoil anything for the readers.
The plot and the concept of the book were outstanding. It was captivating and got me hooked most of the time. It kept me questioning everything and every character in the book. I was really curious to know the ending and talking about the ending, it was really heartbreaking for me to read. I was a bit angry (can't tell you why) but also satisfied.
As the mystery started to unfurl, the book became more and more interesting and anticipating.
The characters were very well-developed. The writing was remarkable. The author didn't confuse us by overwriting everything about the science and this little different world mentioned in the book.
So, I highly recommend this book to everyone. If you love creepy combined with mystery and science then you'd love this book!
I'm really thrilled to read the sequel of this epic novel.
This book is one of the unique books I've ever read. I have never really read a book like this one and I'm grateful that I read it because it was some kind of a new reading experience for me.
So, this book is about Ella who is a doll and she lives in the professor's attic. She remembers nothing about her past or when she used to be a human. She spends her time dancing, watching TV or imagining things. Professor creates another doll - Lisa - a goth. Lisa becomes violent and starts chasing Ella. She wants to return to her human form and will take any measures to accomplish it. Now, Ella is also determined to remember her past and find out everything that Professor kept from her.
Ella also meets Professor's granddaughter, Gabby and befriends her.
This book was a quick short read as it was only 150 pages long but packed with all the stuff that we readers admire. This book is not like every YA book and it combines thriller and mystery with horror and is slightly creepy. The plot twist was totally unpredictable and, therefore, I won't talk about it because I don't want to accidently spoil anything for the readers.
The plot and the concept of the book were outstanding. It was captivating and got me hooked most of the time. It kept me questioning everything and every character in the book. I was really curious to know the ending and talking about the ending, it was really heartbreaking for me to read. I was a bit angry (can't tell you why) but also satisfied.
As the mystery started to unfurl, the book became more and more interesting and anticipating.
The characters were very well-developed. The writing was remarkable. The author didn't confuse us by overwriting everything about the science and this little different world mentioned in the book.
So, I highly recommend this book to everyone. If you love creepy combined with mystery and science then you'd love this book!
I'm really thrilled to read the sequel of this epic novel.
January 20, 2016
Short enough book I knocked it out in one sitting. The style of writing and the idea behind the story is extremely reminiscent of Neil Gaiman for me.
Ella is a doll. She doesn't know how long she's been a doll. She has been dancing and watching old black and white shows on a crappy old TV for as long as she can remember. She knows she used to be a broken human, and that the professor saved her life.
Until one day when the professor makes another doll, Lisa. A gothic double-crossing doll with a mean streak, who remembers her old life and is hellbent on beating the diabolical professor.
Only, it isn't always as it seems.
Since it's from Ella's point of view, it is all pretty simplistic and she makes irrational kid decisions. It's frustrating at times, but I enjoyed the pacing of how she discovered everything. Lisa's constant pushing for Ella to try and remember things was brutal but understandable, even if she was ruthless about it.
The big reveal was pretty damn cool, too. I realllllly liked what it amounted to at the end, and who Ella ended up being in real life. She is definitely better as a doll, even if she didn't deserve it. I find the forgiveness of the others in her life particularly impressive after everything was revealed.
Ella is a doll. She doesn't know how long she's been a doll. She has been dancing and watching old black and white shows on a crappy old TV for as long as she can remember. She knows she used to be a broken human, and that the professor saved her life.
Until one day when the professor makes another doll, Lisa. A gothic double-crossing doll with a mean streak, who remembers her old life and is hellbent on beating the diabolical professor.
Only, it isn't always as it seems.
Since it's from Ella's point of view, it is all pretty simplistic and she makes irrational kid decisions. It's frustrating at times, but I enjoyed the pacing of how she discovered everything. Lisa's constant pushing for Ella to try and remember things was brutal but understandable, even if she was ruthless about it.
The big reveal was pretty damn cool, too. I realllllly liked what it amounted to at the end, and who Ella ended up being in real life. She is definitely better as a doll, even if she didn't deserve it. I find the forgiveness of the others in her life particularly impressive after everything was revealed.
October 14, 2018
THIS WAS INCREDIBLE!
So twisted, dark and you never knew what was coming next. I absolutely adored this book, it had me at the edge of my set throughout it all. If anyone ever asks me for a horror book recommendation this is definitely the first one that comes to my mind :P
PD: Only this one for me because the second one was really disappointing :(
So twisted, dark and you never knew what was coming next. I absolutely adored this book, it had me at the edge of my set throughout it all. If anyone ever asks me for a horror book recommendation this is definitely the first one that comes to my mind :P
PD: Only this one for me because the second one was really disappointing :(
June 27, 2016
dnf...
this book... has left me completely uninspired to read as of late.....
eh... not very enthralling... or entertaining.. and I will be damned if I suffer through it just for 'the reveals'
waste of time... sad really.... This book had potential...
this book... has left me completely uninspired to read as of late.....
eh... not very enthralling... or entertaining.. and I will be damned if I suffer through it just for 'the reveals'
waste of time... sad really.... This book had potential...
October 20, 2018
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Broken Dolls is like a creepy version of Toy Story (I suppose Toy Story could be creepy...) with live, animated dolls created from humans. They're supposed to be unemotional and feel nothing – not pain, not happiness, not loneliness...
For three decades, Ella lived her life as a doll, assisting the Professor in his creations. In those years, she's forgotten about her humanity and seems perfectly happy as a dancing doll until the Professor unveils his latest creation: a goth doll named Lisa.
Here are my thoughts on the Professor: I deem him an ingenious mad scientist. He is absolutely insane, feels guilty about the past, and wants to change the world. I honestly don't know what to say about the guy aside from the fact I actually feel just a tad bit bad for him in the long run.
But as odd as it might be, I enjoyed the aspect of humans being turned into dolls and living a supposedly ideal life with no emotions or feelings and a life controlled by the Professor. I didn't expect Ella to have much of a voice or a personality aside from what she knew during her time as a doll (also more robotic sounding), and it is definitely the case in the early parts of Broken Dolls when Puxty sets up Ella's world in a Toy Story-esque fashion.
Ella's world revolves around the Professor making her a comfy room (lots of pink) in a chest in the attic of his home (that sentence sounds weird). To pass the time away, Ella spends her days locked up in the attic practicing ballet and recording adventures from her imagination into a recorder. The attic comes out a little bland – nothing remotely interesting and Ella's day-to-day actions would have sounded repetitively boring if Puxty didn't bring Lisa and Gabby into the story.
When Ella meets Lisa, however, she doesn't like Lisa; Lisa makes multiple attempts to destroy Ella because of the theory she has about Ella and all the other dolls. Around the same time, Ella meets the Professor's granddaughter, Gabby, a girl who has a virus that will eventually lead her to an inevitable fate. Like many kids, Gabby is adventurous, and she adores and protects Ella from the moment they meet. Unfortunately for Gabby, the Professor also has plans to turn Gabby into a doll-like Ella and prevent her from dying.
In the time Ella meets Lisa and Gabby, she starts to develop feelings and emotions and becomes more curious about her time before she turned into a doll. With the help of Lisa and another doll, she also strives to dig out all of the Professor's secrets to his experiments before Gabby becomes an Ella-sized playmate. But not only does Ella uncovers the Professor's secrets, she uncovers hers as well and Puxty gives us a glimpse into Ella's human life before becoming a doll.
I personally think Ella is better off as a doll compared to being a human. With the brief glimpse of Ella's human life, she starts out extremely happy and becomes really pessimistic later on – I don't know how I would be able to handle human Ella. Since Broken Dolls has a sequel coming out sometime in 2016, I'm really curious how Ella will cope with her doll life as everyone around her knows who she really is and continues on with their lives.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
Broken Dolls is like a creepy version of Toy Story (I suppose Toy Story could be creepy...) with live, animated dolls created from humans. They're supposed to be unemotional and feel nothing – not pain, not happiness, not loneliness...
For three decades, Ella lived her life as a doll, assisting the Professor in his creations. In those years, she's forgotten about her humanity and seems perfectly happy as a dancing doll until the Professor unveils his latest creation: a goth doll named Lisa.
Here are my thoughts on the Professor: I deem him an ingenious mad scientist. He is absolutely insane, feels guilty about the past, and wants to change the world. I honestly don't know what to say about the guy aside from the fact I actually feel just a tad bit bad for him in the long run.
But as odd as it might be, I enjoyed the aspect of humans being turned into dolls and living a supposedly ideal life with no emotions or feelings and a life controlled by the Professor. I didn't expect Ella to have much of a voice or a personality aside from what she knew during her time as a doll (also more robotic sounding), and it is definitely the case in the early parts of Broken Dolls when Puxty sets up Ella's world in a Toy Story-esque fashion.
Ella's world revolves around the Professor making her a comfy room (lots of pink) in a chest in the attic of his home (that sentence sounds weird). To pass the time away, Ella spends her days locked up in the attic practicing ballet and recording adventures from her imagination into a recorder. The attic comes out a little bland – nothing remotely interesting and Ella's day-to-day actions would have sounded repetitively boring if Puxty didn't bring Lisa and Gabby into the story.
When Ella meets Lisa, however, she doesn't like Lisa; Lisa makes multiple attempts to destroy Ella because of the theory she has about Ella and all the other dolls. Around the same time, Ella meets the Professor's granddaughter, Gabby, a girl who has a virus that will eventually lead her to an inevitable fate. Like many kids, Gabby is adventurous, and she adores and protects Ella from the moment they meet. Unfortunately for Gabby, the Professor also has plans to turn Gabby into a doll-like Ella and prevent her from dying.
In the time Ella meets Lisa and Gabby, she starts to develop feelings and emotions and becomes more curious about her time before she turned into a doll. With the help of Lisa and another doll, she also strives to dig out all of the Professor's secrets to his experiments before Gabby becomes an Ella-sized playmate. But not only does Ella uncovers the Professor's secrets, she uncovers hers as well and Puxty gives us a glimpse into Ella's human life before becoming a doll.
I personally think Ella is better off as a doll compared to being a human. With the brief glimpse of Ella's human life, she starts out extremely happy and becomes really pessimistic later on – I don't know how I would be able to handle human Ella. Since Broken Dolls has a sequel coming out sometime in 2016, I'm really curious how Ella will cope with her doll life as everyone around her knows who she really is and continues on with their lives.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
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