Bella

by Anne Syfret, Edward Syfret

A French girl's brush with death while trying to secure a cherished doll from a ledge surrounding the top of a bell tower leads to the revelation of an evil spell on the doll and the identity of its victims.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Childrens

231 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1978

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book probably 25 years ago and it stuck with me, so much so that I recently hunted down a used copy to have for my very own (the one I originally read came from the library). I reread it semi-reluctantly, afraid the creeping sense of horror I remember so vividly would not carry through for an adult read. I am delighted to report that my fears were unfounded.

Granted, reading this book for the first time as an adult is unlikely to bring on the same sleepless nights I once suffered, but nothing about the book seems hokey even at this age. Though parts of the story seem a bit dated, overall this book definitely stands the test of time. Great atmosphere, scary setting, creepy homicidal doll- excellent young adult horror!

[Madison Salem]

I originally checked this out from my library about two or three years ago, read a few times, and didn't think about it again until recently. I had to request my library get this on loan from another one, and I'm very glad I did. Just as good as I remember from when I was twelve or so.

[Minja · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5⭐ Vise mi se svidela prva dva dela knjige(odnosno prvih 200 stranica otprilike) kada je Bela jos bila ziva i kada su Onorina i Sendi bile jos devojčice ali i treći deo je lep i zanimljiv zato sto u njemu saznajemo Belinu burnu istoriju i razlog njenog zlog ponasanja.Na pocetku me je jako nerviralo to sto neke stranice nisu odstampane ali to nema veze za radnjom knjige.Knjiga me podsetila na film Anabel(koji zapravo nisam pogledala ali znam otprilike o cemu se radi)tako da je ova knjiga neka blaža i malo drugacija verzija filma Anabel.

[Ky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been looking for this book forever. I loved it thirty years ago when I first read it. It STILL haunts me. Especially now that I've become an antique store enthusiast - every porcelain doll I see is a flashback.

[John Ralston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really creepy; really good.

[Aly McWilliams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book probably around the age of 8 and I had to give it at least one re-read. I absolutely loved it and I remember it was one of those books that made me feel like I wanted it to be an endless read. Great children’s horror!

[Marija Filipovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Misteriozna prica za male i velike. Bezvremena!

[Vikki Ormerod · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is no exaggeration to say this book helped form my entire personality.
The best YA ever written.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of my favorite books as a child. I remember getting it out from the library over and over again. It was such a scary book, yet I could not get enough of Bella, the beautiful French doll who is bewitched by an evil spell and drives people to the brink of death. Why this book fascinated me so, I could not say. I found it again, as an adult and began rereading it. It still filled me with a sense of dread and horror, even more than thirty years later! It creeped me out so much, that I had to stop reading it, and actually put it face down on the nightstand. Maybe I just have an overactive imagination, but this is probably one of the scariest books (children's or otherwise) that I have ever read.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a tween, and my library lost or retired the copy shortly thereafter. Over the last 15 years or so I searched for the book on and off because as an avid horror fan, this book left a lasting impression on me for how deeply frightening I found it. I finally received my very own copy last night, and stayed up to read it. Then I stayed up to keep an eye on my own motley collection of dolls and stuffed animals. This book reminded me favorably of a novella by Sheridan Le Fanu or M.R. James, down to the denouement that both wraps up events and scares you just a little more.

[Sugar Pill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utisci o ovoj knjizi su prilično pozitivni. Ono što mi se nije svidelo je činjenica da su naslovi poglavlja bukvalno otkrivali ono što će da se desi u poglavlju i time mi razbijali ono malo vela misterije što je postojalo. Dosta stvari u knjizi je prilično predvidivo, nije hororistična iako ima sve predispozicije da bude, ali rasplet je definitivno bio misteriozan i nepredvidiv i to je ono što je najbitnije. Knjiga me nije oduvala, ali je definitivno zanimljiva i vrednja čitanja i 90% vremena mi je prilično držala pažnju.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of creepy/scarey but different from the usual 'evil doll' story.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was and still is my favorite horror novel! I read it when I was 12 or 13, and it opened the world of horror fiction.