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World's Scariest Places #4
Island of the Dolls
THE CREEPIEST ISLAND ON EARTH
Deep within an ancient Aztec canal system on the outskirts of Mexico City lies Isla de las Munecas...a reportedly haunted island infested with thousands of decrepit dolls.
While there to film a television documentary, several friends discover a brutal murder. Soon fear and paranoia turn them against one another - even as the unknown killer stalks them throughout the longest night of their lives.
Deep within an ancient Aztec canal system on the outskirts of Mexico City lies Isla de las Munecas...a reportedly haunted island infested with thousands of decrepit dolls.
While there to film a television documentary, several friends discover a brutal murder. Soon fear and paranoia turn them against one another - even as the unknown killer stalks them throughout the longest night of their lives.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2016
648 people are currently reading
3159 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Bates
47 books1,841 followersUSA TODAY and #1 Amazon bestselling author Jeremy Bates has written over twenty novels and novellas, selling more than one million copies worldwide. His work has been translated into multiple languages and optioned for film and television by major studios. Midwest Book Review has likened his storytelling to that of Stephen King and Joe Lansdale, calling him a "master of the art." Bates is a KDP Select All-Star and the recipient of the Australian Shadows Award and the Canadian Arthur Ellis Award. He was also a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards, the only major book honors chosen by readers.
His latest novel, *The No-End House*, is a standalone horror story set in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, where a pair of volunteers must navigate nine mysterious rooms in a sinister house. Scheduled for release by Kensington Publishing in July 2025, it’s a chilling tale of survival and escape.
Visit Amazon to get DENISOVANS for a special release-date price now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F...
Also, MOUNTAIN OF THE DEAD is currently only $0.99 in a limited-time deal.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079KW3N72
Finally, visit Jeremy’s website to receive a free copy of *Black Canyon*, winner of the Lou Allin Memorial Award.
https://www.jeremybatesbooks.com
His latest novel, *The No-End House*, is a standalone horror story set in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, where a pair of volunteers must navigate nine mysterious rooms in a sinister house. Scheduled for release by Kensington Publishing in July 2025, it’s a chilling tale of survival and escape.
Visit Amazon to get DENISOVANS for a special release-date price now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F...
Also, MOUNTAIN OF THE DEAD is currently only $0.99 in a limited-time deal.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079KW3N72
Finally, visit Jeremy’s website to receive a free copy of *Black Canyon*, winner of the Lou Allin Memorial Award.
https://www.jeremybatesbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
March 4, 2017
I remember watching Josh Gates and his crew on Destination Truth go out to the island and it was freaky! At night, yeah. Some other groups when out there but Josh =)
I'm going to add part of the author's note so you can get a little bit of history but you can google and find the main web page for the island. You can find videos and pictures and just creepiness.
Here is Barrera ↓
There is more to this but you can read it in the book or google it.
The author wrote a pretty good book about this island and I loved the different take he took on the legend. Zipping the lip on that one, no spoilers!
A bunch of (mostly idiots) go to the island to help one of their friends do a documentary. All of the involved in one way or another listed below, mostly =)
1. Pepper
2. Pita
3. Jesus
4. Elizaveta
5. Jack
6. Nitro
7. Maria
8. Lucinda
9. Rosa
10. Miguel
Some of these people are complete idiots that needed to be smacked upside the head. But I digress!
Jack used to be a Nascar driver until he had some medical issues. His girl friend is Pita and she's an idiot. Pita's brother is Jesus (not the real one of course) and he's a real jerk. Elizaveta is from Russia and I loved her and she's also Jesus' girlfriend. Nitro is just some jerk that was invited along. Pepper is the one doing the documentary. Miguel and Lucinda are just in a place they shouldn't have been. Rosa is a little girl that ended up in the middle of things. I loved her.
My favorites were Jack (even though he was stupid at times), Elizaveta, Rosa and Pepper.
So these morons are wandering around the island doing some video and pictures of the dolls. Some are drinking and every time you turn around, Jack and Nitro are picking fights and acting stupid. Jesus is making wise cracks and it's just ignorant. How about some more creepy dolls? :-D
They find some old huts on the island but when Jack was off on his own he found a good sized hut with two bedrooms and he found little Rosa hidden underneath one of the beds. Like that wasn't creepy. Oh and all of the huts were filled with creepy dolls too!
They also find a dead body on the island and another one on the brink of death but since the weather turned bad, the boat guy said he wouldn't come back for them until the next day. I would have said oh hell no, lets go. I'm not staying here!
Then people start to get picked off and they get into fights and almost kill each other AND THEN, there is a knock at the door. For real! Can't even tell you about that because it goes off into freaking cray land then, but I figured it was coming.
Oh and I forgot to say that the book is told in the present and back in the 1950's when Maria was a little girl. You know, the little girl that was found dead. I wanted to kill some people in this book reading about her life. I know this is the author's fiction but I know things like this have happened in real life, don't get me started. This poor girl was labeled a moron at her school because they have some kind of a scale they rate the kids with <--really. She wasn't a moron she just had some mental issues and some medical issues, OMG people. The school told her parents that she should go into a special school because there is no hope for her. So her parents put her in some school where the nuns and priest were bad people, reminded me of the Native American schools and those evil bas... you know what, let's move on!
They did horrific things to Maria in that school until she escaped. Now I'm not going to tell you what all happened to her or what happened to her afterward. Read the book!
As to what happened with the nuts on the island and all of the cray going on, well you have to read that for yourself.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
I'm going to add part of the author's note so you can get a little bit of history but you can google and find the main web page for the island. You can find videos and pictures and just creepiness.
A two-hour canal ride from Mexico City lies Isla de las Munecas, or Island of the Dolls. It is best-known chinampa, or floating garden, in Xochimilco. It belonged to a man named Julian Santana Barrera, a native of the La Asuncion neighborhood. Santana Barrera was a loner, who was rarely seen in most of Xochimilco. According to the legend, Barrera discovered a little girl drowned in mysterious circumstances in the canals. He also found a doll floating nearby and, assuming it belonged to the deceased girl, hung it from a tree as a sign of respect. After this, he began hearing whispers, footsteps, and anguished wails in the darkness even though his hut-hidden deep inside the woods of Xochimilco-was miles away from civilization. Drive by fear, he spent the next fifty years hanging more and more dolls, some missing body parts, all over the island in an attempt to appease what he believed to be the drowned girl's spirit.
After Barrera's death in 2001-his body reportedly found in the exact spot where he found the girl's body fifty years before-the area became a popular tourist attraction where visitors bring more dolls.
Here is Barrera ↓
There is more to this but you can read it in the book or google it.
The author wrote a pretty good book about this island and I loved the different take he took on the legend. Zipping the lip on that one, no spoilers!
A bunch of (mostly idiots) go to the island to help one of their friends do a documentary. All of the involved in one way or another listed below, mostly =)
1. Pepper
2. Pita
3. Jesus
4. Elizaveta
5. Jack
6. Nitro
7. Maria
8. Lucinda
9. Rosa
10. Miguel
Some of these people are complete idiots that needed to be smacked upside the head. But I digress!
Jack used to be a Nascar driver until he had some medical issues. His girl friend is Pita and she's an idiot. Pita's brother is Jesus (not the real one of course) and he's a real jerk. Elizaveta is from Russia and I loved her and she's also Jesus' girlfriend. Nitro is just some jerk that was invited along. Pepper is the one doing the documentary. Miguel and Lucinda are just in a place they shouldn't have been. Rosa is a little girl that ended up in the middle of things. I loved her.
My favorites were Jack (even though he was stupid at times), Elizaveta, Rosa and Pepper.
So these morons are wandering around the island doing some video and pictures of the dolls. Some are drinking and every time you turn around, Jack and Nitro are picking fights and acting stupid. Jesus is making wise cracks and it's just ignorant. How about some more creepy dolls? :-D
They find some old huts on the island but when Jack was off on his own he found a good sized hut with two bedrooms and he found little Rosa hidden underneath one of the beds. Like that wasn't creepy. Oh and all of the huts were filled with creepy dolls too!
They also find a dead body on the island and another one on the brink of death but since the weather turned bad, the boat guy said he wouldn't come back for them until the next day. I would have said oh hell no, lets go. I'm not staying here!
Then people start to get picked off and they get into fights and almost kill each other AND THEN, there is a knock at the door. For real! Can't even tell you about that because it goes off into freaking cray land then, but I figured it was coming.
Oh and I forgot to say that the book is told in the present and back in the 1950's when Maria was a little girl. You know, the little girl that was found dead. I wanted to kill some people in this book reading about her life. I know this is the author's fiction but I know things like this have happened in real life, don't get me started. This poor girl was labeled a moron at her school because they have some kind of a scale they rate the kids with <--really. She wasn't a moron she just had some mental issues and some medical issues, OMG people. The school told her parents that she should go into a special school because there is no hope for her. So her parents put her in some school where the nuns and priest were bad people, reminded me of the Native American schools and those evil bas... you know what, let's move on!
They did horrific things to Maria in that school until she escaped. Now I'm not going to tell you what all happened to her or what happened to her afterward. Read the book!
As to what happened with the nuts on the island and all of the cray going on, well you have to read that for yourself.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
February 5, 2020
The story of the dolls on this island is absolutely intriguing. The frame story and even the inset background story playing in the 50s suck considerably in my opinion. A group of young people visit the island with a filmmaker named Pepper. Then the story turns into a tale of murder (with and without dolls) and a mysterious man named Solano is often referred to. His hut too is extremely creepy and of course dolls are part of it. Did he hide on this island because he was a wanted criminal? Well, this setting really could have been made into a compelling tale but I simply didn't feel with those unappealing characters and their relationsships. There certainly are some uncanny moments but overall the book dragged along. Only for hardcore fans of this series.
May 2, 2016
"The one constant in this is the extremely creepy and atmospheric backdrop of the island and its thousands of dolls. When you read these scenes, let your mind wander, soak up the sights and smells and sometimes sounds. Don’t read it on your Kindle in a dark room. You will find yourself checking under the bed."
See the full review on Scream Horror Mag:
Island of the Dolls
See the full review on Scream Horror Mag:
Island of the Dolls
March 12, 2016
The Island of the Dolls is a well written story surrounding the Isla de las Munecas legend. What I love about this book is that it is among a series of World's Scariest Places and I wanna read em all!
Bates has taken a very real location with a spooky backstory and turned it into what I describe as horror historical fiction. He weaves the legend, and the locale into a story surrounding characters that are super likable and others you want to strangle while developing a very solid extension of the legend. I thoroughly enjoyed this book
Jack is an American ex race-car driver, engaged to a superstitious twat named Pita that I can't stand anymore than I can stand her pretentious jerk of a brother, Jesus or his meat-head friend Nitro. Jesus is dating the Russian beauty Elizaveta and together they all embark on a trip to the Isla de las Munecas aka the Island of the Dolls just outside Mexico city to help their buddy Pepper shoot his documentary about the island. Legend has it that the island is being haunted by a little girl that was found face down drowned in a pond. Due to this ghost, the man, Solano, who found the little girl dead has been stringing up dolls all over the island as an offering to her spirit. (Bates legend follows very closely to the original but with his own twists.) She continues to haunt and spook anyone who dare visit the island. Well despite the legend and despite the boatman not even wanting to take them all the way there, the documenteers decide to push on anyway, but when a tropical storm rolls through preventing them from leaving the island, will they survive the night? After the discovery of a dead body with the eyes removed, the gang starts to question whether or not they are the only ones on the island. Is it a serial killer stalking them and offing them one by one, or is it something much more sinister? Jack looks for any reason to discount the superstition of the dolls being possessed but here on the Isla de las Munecas, anything is possible.
Bates has written this into a few different segments which I found incredibly well written and a good way of explaining the story behind the island with a great flow.
Parts of the book are told through the main character Jack's perspective and other parts Elizaveta. Throughout the book the reader is transported back to 1957 and tells the story of an unfortunate little girl named Maria who is deemed a moron based on her mental disability. Bates gives life and backstory to the drowned little girl and to the man who found her. Those side stories really tie the book together and makes for a really good read. I loved the author's style and natural dialogue. Other than Pita, I loved the conversations and the tone the author sets for each person. Pita, just got on my nerves as a character, but that's the point. The girl's just not likable. I love the little girl Rosa and even the drama between the characters as things start to heat up on the island is well written.
The ending could almost be deemed a stretch, but Bates did a good job building the story and the characters that it was plausible enough. This author has a whole series based on real haunted locations that I look forward to reading.
Bates has taken a very real location with a spooky backstory and turned it into what I describe as horror historical fiction. He weaves the legend, and the locale into a story surrounding characters that are super likable and others you want to strangle while developing a very solid extension of the legend. I thoroughly enjoyed this book
Jack is an American ex race-car driver, engaged to a superstitious twat named Pita that I can't stand anymore than I can stand her pretentious jerk of a brother, Jesus or his meat-head friend Nitro. Jesus is dating the Russian beauty Elizaveta and together they all embark on a trip to the Isla de las Munecas aka the Island of the Dolls just outside Mexico city to help their buddy Pepper shoot his documentary about the island. Legend has it that the island is being haunted by a little girl that was found face down drowned in a pond. Due to this ghost, the man, Solano, who found the little girl dead has been stringing up dolls all over the island as an offering to her spirit. (Bates legend follows very closely to the original but with his own twists.) She continues to haunt and spook anyone who dare visit the island. Well despite the legend and despite the boatman not even wanting to take them all the way there, the documenteers decide to push on anyway, but when a tropical storm rolls through preventing them from leaving the island, will they survive the night? After the discovery of a dead body with the eyes removed, the gang starts to question whether or not they are the only ones on the island. Is it a serial killer stalking them and offing them one by one, or is it something much more sinister? Jack looks for any reason to discount the superstition of the dolls being possessed but here on the Isla de las Munecas, anything is possible.
Bates has written this into a few different segments which I found incredibly well written and a good way of explaining the story behind the island with a great flow.
Parts of the book are told through the main character Jack's perspective and other parts Elizaveta. Throughout the book the reader is transported back to 1957 and tells the story of an unfortunate little girl named Maria who is deemed a moron based on her mental disability. Bates gives life and backstory to the drowned little girl and to the man who found her. Those side stories really tie the book together and makes for a really good read. I loved the author's style and natural dialogue. Other than Pita, I loved the conversations and the tone the author sets for each person. Pita, just got on my nerves as a character, but that's the point. The girl's just not likable. I love the little girl Rosa and even the drama between the characters as things start to heat up on the island is well written.
The ending could almost be deemed a stretch, but Bates did a good job building the story and the characters that it was plausible enough. This author has a whole series based on real haunted locations that I look forward to reading.
July 11, 2024
This was…not my favorite of the series. In fact, I hated it at first. All the characters are awful, maybe with the exemption of Eliza. But the more I read about Maria and unspooled the tension between the others, the easier it was to sink into the story a bit. Jack is a washed up race car driver who now lives in Mexico with his fiancé Pita, her insufferable brother Jesus and his Russian girlfriend Elizaveta, and Jesus’s equally awful friend Nitro. They set out with a fellow friend Pepper to film a documentary on The Island of Dolls, an insanely creepy abandoned island filled with old dolls…like the name suggests.
While on the island, things immediately go south. With a horrible storm bearing down on the group, tension mounts. It’s very obvious that Pita (a horrible bitch) and Jack aren’t on great terms, and that the other guys are stirring the pot. Then, a little girl turns up, alone and terrified, and she has a wild story to tell. While trying to survive overnight with parties unknown threatening their safety, the group splinters. Boundaries are pushed, alliances are made, and pairs are split. My favorite part of this book was the story of Maria, as sad as it was. And Elizaveta’s survival and resilience from her life in Russia. Everything else was either meh or really infuriating. And what the fuck was with the epilogue?! I got major creeper vibes from how the author talked about the 18 year old in the end, but maybe (hopefully) I’m reading too much into things….
While on the island, things immediately go south. With a horrible storm bearing down on the group, tension mounts. It’s very obvious that Pita (a horrible bitch) and Jack aren’t on great terms, and that the other guys are stirring the pot. Then, a little girl turns up, alone and terrified, and she has a wild story to tell. While trying to survive overnight with parties unknown threatening their safety, the group splinters. Boundaries are pushed, alliances are made, and pairs are split. My favorite part of this book was the story of Maria, as sad as it was. And Elizaveta’s survival and resilience from her life in Russia. Everything else was either meh or really infuriating. And what the fuck was with the epilogue?! I got major creeper vibes from how the author talked about the 18 year old in the end, but maybe (hopefully) I’m reading too much into things….
February 18, 2020
3.5 Stars This was an ok read for me. Parts of the storyline were intense and exciting, mostly in the beginning, and others were beguine boring and unnecessary to the overall story. I’m disappointed there was no real paranormal aspect and instead it’s just human killers. The backstory of the dolls and Maria was truly just sad. Her appearance on the island wasn’t all that shocking and her story was only made worse at the end when they say she’s back in a facility. I never saw anything wrong with that girl and yet everyone treated her like shit. If anything I feel bad she couldn’t get revenge on those that wronged her, they turned her into who she is now and took away any chance she had for a semi decent future.
The rest of the characters weren’t all that likable and the constant fighting between all the men was exhausting and juvenile. The only part that really shocked me was Jack shooting Pita, his fiancé who he’d only been broken up with for a few hours. Almost ironic in a way he kills her yet the only ones he truly hated were Jesus and Nitro.
I was disappointed for practically every scene the characters had a interaction with the dolls when it turned out to be a dream. On the note of the dolls though and the island I will say that it’s an interesting concept. The intro to the story and the intro to the island really set the stage and I was expecting a thrill ride. Dolls are scary as f#ck and my hopes were high. Somewhere along the way the momentum got lost and it turned out only mildly exciting. I will say I only read this book as it worked for a challenge I’m in, however even with it not being my typical genres, it still just didn’t wow me like I wanted. The epilogue felt too forced and perfect, especially with Rosa popping in. I mean it was cute but I don’t know it just felt forced or better yet it felt off.
The rest of the characters weren’t all that likable and the constant fighting between all the men was exhausting and juvenile. The only part that really shocked me was Jack shooting Pita, his fiancé who he’d only been broken up with for a few hours. Almost ironic in a way he kills her yet the only ones he truly hated were Jesus and Nitro.
I was disappointed for practically every scene the characters had a interaction with the dolls when it turned out to be a dream. On the note of the dolls though and the island I will say that it’s an interesting concept. The intro to the story and the intro to the island really set the stage and I was expecting a thrill ride. Dolls are scary as f#ck and my hopes were high. Somewhere along the way the momentum got lost and it turned out only mildly exciting. I will say I only read this book as it worked for a challenge I’m in, however even with it not being my typical genres, it still just didn’t wow me like I wanted. The epilogue felt too forced and perfect, especially with Rosa popping in. I mean it was cute but I don’t know it just felt forced or better yet it felt off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2025
Inhalt:
Weit im Süden der heutigen Mexiko-Stadt, in einem Gebiet aus unzähligen Wasseradern und Inseln, liegt die Isla de las Muñecas – ein kleines Stück Land, in dessen Bäumen hunderte verstümmelter Spielzeugpuppen hängen. Ein Team junger Dokumentarfilmer wird während ihrer Dreharbeiten auf der Insel Zeuge eines brutalen Mordes. Schnell sorgen Angst und Paranoia dafür, dass sich die jungen Leute gegeneinander wenden – und das, obwohl sie in der vielleicht längsten Nacht ihres Lebens von einem unbekannten Killer gejagt werden…
Meine Meinung:
Insel der Puppen ist zwar Band 4 der Reihe „Die beängstigendsten Orte der Welt“, aber da alle Bände der Reihe für sich abgeschlossen sind, kann man problemlos auch mit diesem hier starten. Was ich auch tat.
Jeremy Bates hat einen sehr flüssigen sowie einfach gehaltenen Schreibstil und oft auch etwas trashig (im besten Sinne des Wortes), was mich während des Lesens stark an Richard Laymon erinnerte. Ich habe das Buch in kürzester Zeit gelesen, da die Geschichte wirklich spannend erzählt wurde und ich mich auch wirklich so manches Mal gruseln konnte. Die stereotypischen Charaktere muss man mögen.
Was mich arg gestört hat, waren die unzähligen Rechtschreibfehler.
Fazit:
Eine spannende und gruselige Geschichte, die ich vor allem Fans von Richard Laymon empfehlen würde.
Meine Bewertung:
3,5/ 5 Sterne
Weit im Süden der heutigen Mexiko-Stadt, in einem Gebiet aus unzähligen Wasseradern und Inseln, liegt die Isla de las Muñecas – ein kleines Stück Land, in dessen Bäumen hunderte verstümmelter Spielzeugpuppen hängen. Ein Team junger Dokumentarfilmer wird während ihrer Dreharbeiten auf der Insel Zeuge eines brutalen Mordes. Schnell sorgen Angst und Paranoia dafür, dass sich die jungen Leute gegeneinander wenden – und das, obwohl sie in der vielleicht längsten Nacht ihres Lebens von einem unbekannten Killer gejagt werden…
Meine Meinung:
Insel der Puppen ist zwar Band 4 der Reihe „Die beängstigendsten Orte der Welt“, aber da alle Bände der Reihe für sich abgeschlossen sind, kann man problemlos auch mit diesem hier starten. Was ich auch tat.
Jeremy Bates hat einen sehr flüssigen sowie einfach gehaltenen Schreibstil und oft auch etwas trashig (im besten Sinne des Wortes), was mich während des Lesens stark an Richard Laymon erinnerte. Ich habe das Buch in kürzester Zeit gelesen, da die Geschichte wirklich spannend erzählt wurde und ich mich auch wirklich so manches Mal gruseln konnte. Die stereotypischen Charaktere muss man mögen.
Was mich arg gestört hat, waren die unzähligen Rechtschreibfehler.
Fazit:
Eine spannende und gruselige Geschichte, die ich vor allem Fans von Richard Laymon empfehlen würde.
Meine Bewertung:
3,5/ 5 Sterne
February 29, 2016
The Island of the Dolls is a creepy and delightful read. This is my favorite book of the World's Scariest Places series with the Suicide Forest a close second. The story of the Island of the Dolls centers around the Isla de las Munecas legend and develops into a fantastic fictional tale that the reader won't want to put down. I rarely get squeamish but something about hundreds of dolls in various states of decay made me slightly uneasy and this book delivers some definite squeamish moments. As always, Mr. Bates' characters are very well-developed- I felt myself rooting for some to survive and other not so much. I would definitely recommend this to horror fans, as well as fans of the World's Scariest Places series. A must read!
April 7, 2020
Many years ago I saw a documentary which included a piece about Island of the Dolls. It was very spooky and I was quite intrigued so when this book came out I was really excited to read it. Time passed, the library never did get a copy and the book slipped my mind until I saw it was available with my Kindle Unlimited membership. It wasn't a bad book but not really what I was expecting. There were quite a few grammar and spelling errors which was distracting and whenever the supposedly Russian character talked she sounded like an imbecile. As a matter of fact I didn't really care for any of the characters, they seemed rather self-centred and juvenile. I looked up the pronunciation of Xochimilco, the town in Mexico that's mentioned quite a bit, so that I could say it properly in my head but then it was spelled incorrectly once or twice which also really annoyed me. I had thought I might read some more of the World's Scariest Places books but I don't think I'm on the same wavelength as this author.
May 18, 2016
SPOILER ALERT!!!
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Well, she wasn't deformed, but she sure as hell was feral. And was mentally challenged. Nothing supernatural, just humans being either crazy or assholey. There is romance that doesn't even make sense (and also WHY do you need romance here anyway??? eugh). This is the best book of the series... and it's still a piece of shit with a happy ending not even Hollywood would pick up (if I find out there's a movie adaptation of this shit, I will figuratively die).
The only good thing is that the book, as much as it pains me to say, is very well written. Other than that, it's the cast of Jersey Shore meets Chucky without the supernatural and in Mexico. Don't even bother...
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Well, she wasn't deformed, but she sure as hell was feral. And was mentally challenged. Nothing supernatural, just humans being either crazy or assholey. There is romance that doesn't even make sense (and also WHY do you need romance here anyway??? eugh). This is the best book of the series... and it's still a piece of shit with a happy ending not even Hollywood would pick up (if I find out there's a movie adaptation of this shit, I will figuratively die).
The only good thing is that the book, as much as it pains me to say, is very well written. Other than that, it's the cast of Jersey Shore meets Chucky without the supernatural and in Mexico. Don't even bother...
August 29, 2018
Not at all scary, characters were all pretty much unlikeable except for Rosa and Maria (and the things that happen to Maria were the most horrifying things in the whole book), and...you know, Jeremy Bates, I like breasts too, but there's a time and place for everything in a novel. And maybe the middle of tense fight scenes in which someone could very well be killed are not the right time to point out how a character's shirt has come open and her too-small bra is pushing her breasts up.
February 19, 2020
Well this started out well. I liked the background on Maria. I liked the small bits of action but was generally left feeling underwhelmed. So much more could have been done with the story line. When it finished I was very much is that it.
August 13, 2023
Ziemlich gruslig, wenn mans abends liest, aber das Ende ist mir doch etwas unpassend kitschig gewesen.
Die Schreibfehler waren so stark vertreten, dass man darauf besser keine Schnäpse kippen sollte 😂
dennoch hat mich das Buch gut unterhalten.
Die Schreibfehler waren so stark vertreten, dass man darauf besser keine Schnäpse kippen sollte 😂
dennoch hat mich das Buch gut unterhalten.
February 26, 2023
This was not a great book it had some interesting points but overall not great
August 19, 2022
The Island of the Dolls really does exist in Mexico, complete with a scary reputation for supernatural happenings and violent deaths. This fictitious story, based as it was upon a real life mystery, should have been really good. Unfortunately it wasn't! The characters were mainly an unpleasant bunch of super rich and famous members of the Mexican elite. All with secrets to hide and not everyone was what they seemed. Added to the mix was a tragically damaged woman, mentally ill and a victim of the Catholic Church. The story was graphically violent, especially when the group members turned on each other. Unfortunately I struggled in my attempts to connect with the story and couldn't wait for it to finish.
August 4, 2021
Just finished this book it was past midnight when I finished it, it's a fantastic story I couldn't put it down! It had me hooked untill the very end. If you haven't read this book I highly recommend you give it a go
August 27, 2023
Bates has a way of getting you hooked from the start. I love the character development and plot. Can't wait to read more of the world's scariest places books.
Want to read
October 30, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/30/2019)! 🎁
May 3, 2023
This was a good read but a little bit underwhelming which is a shame bc I usually love Jeremy Bates' books. The storyline could have gone so many ways and had a lot of potential, but lacked any real creepiness. A 3.5/5 skull read 💀
March 2, 2016
Disclosure: I received an e-copy of the book from the author for review purposes.
I like the concept of setting horror stories in "the world's scariest places". I find it intriguing and fresh. I do have a couple of the other books in the series. I just haven't gotten to reading them yet.
In short, this book is about a group of friends who go to the Island of the Dolls to get some footage for a reality/documentary series. Of course, every goes kablooey and terribly wrong for them.
I found most of the characters to be annoying or unlikeable. So, I enjoyed it when something awful happened to them. The story itself didn't scare me. (I read a lot of horror, and am pretty jaded by now.) BUT, it did have quite a bit of delicious tension and unexpected twists.
I'm not sure if there is such a thing as "beach or vacation" reads in horror. If they do, I think this would fall under it.
(Slight complaint: A cisgender little girl wouldn't have an Adam's apple to bob up and down, when she swallows.)
I like the concept of setting horror stories in "the world's scariest places". I find it intriguing and fresh. I do have a couple of the other books in the series. I just haven't gotten to reading them yet.
In short, this book is about a group of friends who go to the Island of the Dolls to get some footage for a reality/documentary series. Of course, every goes kablooey and terribly wrong for them.
I found most of the characters to be annoying or unlikeable. So, I enjoyed it when something awful happened to them. The story itself didn't scare me. (I read a lot of horror, and am pretty jaded by now.) BUT, it did have quite a bit of delicious tension and unexpected twists.
I'm not sure if there is such a thing as "beach or vacation" reads in horror. If they do, I think this would fall under it.
(Slight complaint: A cisgender little girl wouldn't have an Adam's apple to bob up and down, when she swallows.)
March 12, 2022
If there's anything that Bates excels at, it's misleading the audience and playing with their heartstrings. Although I knew what the nature of the characters' torment was in this book, it may have been a lucky guess. Bates had me for a minute there, though, and I found myself going back and forth on whether the antagonist was something metaphysical, or flesh and blood.
Either way, the plot of the Dolls book starts off slow but then gains momentum that keeps you on your toes the entire time.
I don't like the fact that Bates' protagonists are often similar to each other, with no actual 'passion to give to the book (the tragic background is always a plus, but that's pretty much all they are given).
The supporting characters are annoying AF, though, and that's exactly the emotion the author wanted to instigate in the readers.
The spine-chilling moments and the tension between the characters come together and amalgamate into a well-written rollercoaster of emotions.
Basically, no matter what book from Jeremy Bates you pick, you can't go wrong. I think.
Either way, the plot of the Dolls book starts off slow but then gains momentum that keeps you on your toes the entire time.
I don't like the fact that Bates' protagonists are often similar to each other, with no actual 'passion to give to the book (the tragic background is always a plus, but that's pretty much all they are given).
The supporting characters are annoying AF, though, and that's exactly the emotion the author wanted to instigate in the readers.
The spine-chilling moments and the tension between the characters come together and amalgamate into a well-written rollercoaster of emotions.
Basically, no matter what book from Jeremy Bates you pick, you can't go wrong. I think.
March 9, 2024
Jeremy Bates patří k autorům, se kterými to mám tak trochu, jako na horské dráze. A tak jejich knihy buď miluju, nebo nenávidím (no, občas i něco, mezi tím).
Ostrov panenek však patří spíše mezi ty pozitivně hodnocené. Nebudu zastírat, že jsem se tohoto příběhu, po předchozí zkušenosti například s Katakombami, poměrně obávala. Autor však v této knize vytvořil zajímavý, celkově uvěřitelný příběh, který nenudí, a rozhodně neurazí. V tomto směru bych ho přirovnala tak trochu k Záhadě Blair Witch. I tu se jedná o v podstatě klasický příběh, zasazený na místo zahalené strašidelnou pověrou, ze kterého jen tak neutečete, a který je nakonec něčím zcela jiným, než čím se na první pohled, nebo očekávání, zdál.
Ostrov panenek však patří spíše mezi ty pozitivně hodnocené. Nebudu zastírat, že jsem se tohoto příběhu, po předchozí zkušenosti například s Katakombami, poměrně obávala. Autor však v této knize vytvořil zajímavý, celkově uvěřitelný příběh, který nenudí, a rozhodně neurazí. V tomto směru bych ho přirovnala tak trochu k Záhadě Blair Witch. I tu se jedná o v podstatě klasický příběh, zasazený na místo zahalené strašidelnou pověrou, ze kterého jen tak neutečete, a který je nakonec něčím zcela jiným, než čím se na první pohled, nebo očekávání, zdál.
November 8, 2024
Das war irgendwie nichts, schade denn der Klappentext klang spannend. Der zweite Handlungsstrang war noch am interessantesten, wenn auch sehr traurig. Die Geschichte insgesamt fand ich gar nicht mal so schlecht, aber sie wurde einfach sehr langweilig präsentiert. Man befindet sich mit den weitestgehend unsympathischen Charakteren die meiste Zeit am gleichen Ort, wo sie sich gegenseitig beschuldigen und keinen Schritt weiter kommen. Das Ende war auch irgendwie absehbar, bis auf eine Wendung hat mich nichts überrascht. Dazu kommen viele Rechtschreibfehler, merkwürdige Sätze etc. Muss man nicht lesen, da fand ich die anderen Teile der Reihe wesentlich spannender.
February 22, 2016
Island of the Dolls, is a MUST READ! If your one for a good thrill, horror suspense, and possessed dolls; this book is for you! I read the book in one sitting and the scares kept coming like a roller coaster ride! Bates does a superb job with his writing style; keeping the reader to feel like your actually in the book! There is no pictures but I would have liked to seen a photo of the Isla de las Munecas! I feel it would have added to the suspense! I received this e-book from the goodreads giveaway!
May 25, 2018
I liked it but can't say that I've enjoyed it as much as the first two in the series,
Suicide Forest (World's Scariest Places #1) and The Catacombs (World's Scariest Places #2). They all follow a certain plot pattern, recognizable once you're familiar with the series. Jeremy Bates has a great talent at creating interesting characters with fully developed backstories, and he does that here very well, but the story itself feels in a way less developed and the ending very rushed. I think there was potential for a lot more creepiness if only the author had chosen to explore it.
Almost 4 stars...
Suicide Forest (World's Scariest Places #1) and The Catacombs (World's Scariest Places #2). They all follow a certain plot pattern, recognizable once you're familiar with the series. Jeremy Bates has a great talent at creating interesting characters with fully developed backstories, and he does that here very well, but the story itself feels in a way less developed and the ending very rushed. I think there was potential for a lot more creepiness if only the author had chosen to explore it.
Almost 4 stars...
January 23, 2024
Despite there being a specific formula to this series, I’m still finding myself eager for what is going to happen next and all of the thrill and dread that comes with it.
I’m going to be so bummed when I finish the series cause I need a dozen more!
I’m going to be so bummed when I finish the series cause I need a dozen more!
April 5, 2023
I really enjoyed this and I’m so glad it was a truly believable story.
August 8, 2018
Alright! We're Back On Track!
The last in this series, Helltown, sucked, but this one was really good. I'm realizing that some of this author's characters are a bit cliche, but all in all I like this series, and this story is one of the more interesting. The first , Suicide Forest, is still my favourite. As always, the main guy is tall, has some sort of tragic past, and has lady troubles. I hated his girl, Pita, and wanted her to die off! His girlfriends are always awful and then there is always a second girl, who is always foreign, and more likeable. She always speaks oddly and repeats his name a lot. This one has a kid thrown in the mix. Oh, and there is always a guy that doesnt get along with said main character. I'm onto the next.
The last in this series, Helltown, sucked, but this one was really good. I'm realizing that some of this author's characters are a bit cliche, but all in all I like this series, and this story is one of the more interesting. The first , Suicide Forest, is still my favourite. As always, the main guy is tall, has some sort of tragic past, and has lady troubles. I hated his girl, Pita, and wanted her to die off! His girlfriends are always awful and then there is always a second girl, who is always foreign, and more likeable. She always speaks oddly and repeats his name a lot. This one has a kid thrown in the mix. Oh, and there is always a guy that doesnt get along with said main character. I'm onto the next.
June 4, 2024
I almost always enjoy these Jeremy Bates books. They're fun and easy to read, although he does throw in some impressive vocabulary at times. So far this was among my favorites. I'm running out of the Scariest Places, so I might have to start reading the Scariest Legends.
November 16, 2023
Eine Gruppe von losen Freunden wagt sich auf die „Isla de las Muñecas“. Eine berüchtigt-berühmte Insel voller Puppe, um die sich eine Gänsehaut bescherende Geschichte rankt. Vor Ort angekommen, stoßen die auf eine durchaus reale Gefahr und verbringen die beängstigendste Nacht ihres Lebens, bis Rettung naht.
Jeremy Bates Reihe um die beängstigendsten Orte der Welt hat sich mit diesem Teil nach Mexiko, auf die berüchtigte Insel der Puppen gewagt.
Zuvor hatte ich nicht von diesem Ort gehört, aber nach der Lektüre und einigen Online-Recherchen meinerseits, steht außer Frage, dass die „Isla de las Muñecas“ der Wirklichkeit entspringt.
Bates hat sich hierzu sehr nah an der Realität gehalten und die Sage um die Insel als Ausgangspunkt für seinen Horror-Thriller gewählt. Abseits von der Handlung bietet die Kulisse für sich genommen ausreichend Gruselpotential: Überall befinden sich Puppen, egal wohin das Auge blickt. Sie hängen in den Bäumen, sind dazwischen auf Leinen aneinandergereiht, stapeln sich in großen Haufen oder liegen in Einzelteilen im Dschungel verstreut.
Dabei handelt es sich nicht um hübsch aufgeputztes Spielzeug, sondern um verwitterte sowie verschmutzte Köpfe, Arme, Beine oder brutal anmutenden Rümpfe. Ein schauderhafter Anblick, nicht nur für den:die geneigte:n Puppen-Freund:in.
Die Handlung ist simpel aufgebaut, wovon sie allerdings enorm profitiert. Eine Gruppe loser Freunde begibt sich auf Lokalaugenschein, weil eine Dokumentation über diesen beängstigenden Ort gedreht werden soll. Doch der ursprüngliche Plan geht nicht auf, weil sie nicht nur über Puppen, sondern über Leichen stolpern und daraufhin massiv verunsichert sind.
Es folgt eine Nacht voller Angst, gegenseitiger Beschuldigungen, Misstrauen und perfekt eingefangener Gruselatmosphäre, die souverän den Spagat zwischen Wirklichkeit und Paranoia schafft.
Zudem gibt es Rückblenden auf die 1950er-Jahre, wo das Elend einst seinen Anfang nahm. Sogar der Blick in die Vergangenheit wühlt auf, lässt einen hart schlucken und vermittelt eine erste Ahnung, wie das schaurige Puppenspiel später auf die Insel kam.
Diesmal hat mir der Autor tatsächlich einige Gruselmomente beschert, obwohl ich zu Beginn der Geschichte gar nicht so überzeugt war. Mein erster Eindruck war - weil ich von „Die Katakomben“ in Paris etwas enttäuscht gewesen bin - dass er das Geschehen auf der Insel nach dem bisherigen Schema beschreibt. Hinzu kam, dass mir anfangs das Gefühl für den Ort fehlte und es nur spärliche Beschreibungen gab. Doch nach und nach nahmen Insel sowie die Konstellation innerhalb der Gruppe beängstigende Formen an, was sich zu einer lesenswerten Geschichte spann.
Besonders im letzten Viertel habe ich mich ordentlich gegruselt und hatte schon Angst, die Augen zu schließen, weil ich sofort eine marode Puppe vor mir sah.
Damit zeigt Jeremy Bates neben einem weiteren realen und beängstigenden Ort, ein anderes Horror-Element im Repertoire, und ich bin gespannt, welche Fähigkeiten der Autor in seinen nächsten Werken zeigt.
„Puppen sind unbelebte Objekte, aber weil sie wie wir aussehen, erscheinen sie lebendig - und wenn etwas, das nicht am Leben ist, zu lebendig erscheint, verwandelt sich seine Vertrautheit in Unvertrautheit, unser Gehirn lehnt es als unnatürlich ab (...)“ (S. 67, eBook)
Das Ende ist auf typisch amerikanische Weise etwas gefühlsbetont geraten, was ich aber nach einer Nacht zwischen Horror-Puppen nicht nur verkraftet, sondern sogar gebraucht habe.
Mein Ausflug auf die „Isla de las Muñecas“ hat sich als aufwühlender Horror-Spaß in Mexiko-Stadt entpuppt, an dem bestimmt auch anderen Leser und Leserinnen Gefallen finden werden.
Die beängstigendsten Orte der Welt:
1) Suicide Forest
2) Die Katakomben
3) Helltown
4) Insel der Puppen
Jeremy Bates Reihe um die beängstigendsten Orte der Welt hat sich mit diesem Teil nach Mexiko, auf die berüchtigte Insel der Puppen gewagt.
Zuvor hatte ich nicht von diesem Ort gehört, aber nach der Lektüre und einigen Online-Recherchen meinerseits, steht außer Frage, dass die „Isla de las Muñecas“ der Wirklichkeit entspringt.
Bates hat sich hierzu sehr nah an der Realität gehalten und die Sage um die Insel als Ausgangspunkt für seinen Horror-Thriller gewählt. Abseits von der Handlung bietet die Kulisse für sich genommen ausreichend Gruselpotential: Überall befinden sich Puppen, egal wohin das Auge blickt. Sie hängen in den Bäumen, sind dazwischen auf Leinen aneinandergereiht, stapeln sich in großen Haufen oder liegen in Einzelteilen im Dschungel verstreut.
Dabei handelt es sich nicht um hübsch aufgeputztes Spielzeug, sondern um verwitterte sowie verschmutzte Köpfe, Arme, Beine oder brutal anmutenden Rümpfe. Ein schauderhafter Anblick, nicht nur für den:die geneigte:n Puppen-Freund:in.
Die Handlung ist simpel aufgebaut, wovon sie allerdings enorm profitiert. Eine Gruppe loser Freunde begibt sich auf Lokalaugenschein, weil eine Dokumentation über diesen beängstigenden Ort gedreht werden soll. Doch der ursprüngliche Plan geht nicht auf, weil sie nicht nur über Puppen, sondern über Leichen stolpern und daraufhin massiv verunsichert sind.
Es folgt eine Nacht voller Angst, gegenseitiger Beschuldigungen, Misstrauen und perfekt eingefangener Gruselatmosphäre, die souverän den Spagat zwischen Wirklichkeit und Paranoia schafft.
Zudem gibt es Rückblenden auf die 1950er-Jahre, wo das Elend einst seinen Anfang nahm. Sogar der Blick in die Vergangenheit wühlt auf, lässt einen hart schlucken und vermittelt eine erste Ahnung, wie das schaurige Puppenspiel später auf die Insel kam.
Diesmal hat mir der Autor tatsächlich einige Gruselmomente beschert, obwohl ich zu Beginn der Geschichte gar nicht so überzeugt war. Mein erster Eindruck war - weil ich von „Die Katakomben“ in Paris etwas enttäuscht gewesen bin - dass er das Geschehen auf der Insel nach dem bisherigen Schema beschreibt. Hinzu kam, dass mir anfangs das Gefühl für den Ort fehlte und es nur spärliche Beschreibungen gab. Doch nach und nach nahmen Insel sowie die Konstellation innerhalb der Gruppe beängstigende Formen an, was sich zu einer lesenswerten Geschichte spann.
Besonders im letzten Viertel habe ich mich ordentlich gegruselt und hatte schon Angst, die Augen zu schließen, weil ich sofort eine marode Puppe vor mir sah.
Damit zeigt Jeremy Bates neben einem weiteren realen und beängstigenden Ort, ein anderes Horror-Element im Repertoire, und ich bin gespannt, welche Fähigkeiten der Autor in seinen nächsten Werken zeigt.
„Puppen sind unbelebte Objekte, aber weil sie wie wir aussehen, erscheinen sie lebendig - und wenn etwas, das nicht am Leben ist, zu lebendig erscheint, verwandelt sich seine Vertrautheit in Unvertrautheit, unser Gehirn lehnt es als unnatürlich ab (...)“ (S. 67, eBook)
Das Ende ist auf typisch amerikanische Weise etwas gefühlsbetont geraten, was ich aber nach einer Nacht zwischen Horror-Puppen nicht nur verkraftet, sondern sogar gebraucht habe.
Mein Ausflug auf die „Isla de las Muñecas“ hat sich als aufwühlender Horror-Spaß in Mexiko-Stadt entpuppt, an dem bestimmt auch anderen Leser und Leserinnen Gefallen finden werden.
Die beängstigendsten Orte der Welt:
1) Suicide Forest
2) Die Katakomben
3) Helltown
4) Insel der Puppen
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