Welcome to Frost High; I bet you've heard about or currently may be attending.
Small school, lots of secrets, a popular mean girl, Pepper Fox, and of course a few outcasts--Tomie Dupuy, Sarifena Green, and Opal Dawn--who all shined on Pepper's tormented list, since junior high. Opal shined the brightest.
Tomie, Sari, and Opal made a pact and traveled to Monroe Creek, Louisiana with the goal to end their torment in an untraditional way.
Sometimes things don't end up, as we wish. Fate always possesses a way to redirect everything.
Will they finally find the solution to their agonizing problem or will all spiral out of control, as they never anticipated?
"BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR..."
"Doll is a frightening 5-star read with enough scary voodoo magic to give just the right amount of twists and turns." ~Brandy Corona, best-selling author of Midnight Outbreak~
They say never judge a book by its cover, but let's be honest, most of us do. I know I do. So when I saw the cover to DOLL, the debut novel by Miracle Austin, I knew that it was going to be a book that I simply HAD to read. I was right. I downloaded a copy of the eBook as soon as it was released and spent the next few hours simply devouring it. I may seem like a sparkles and rainbows kind of girl, but I've always had a taste for the dark, for the macabre, for ghosts and witchcraft. I like being scared and I love the supernatural. Tomie Dupuy and his best friend, Sari Green, are living the nightmare that is being a reject in a high school ruled by Popular Queen Bee, Pepper Fox. This girl is evil, let me tell you. Her latest victim is a lonely, acne-scarred girl named Opal. Deciding that enough is enough, Tomie, Sari, and Opal travel together to meet with Tomie's cousin, Lisette, who just so happens to be a witch, descended from the most powerful conjurer and voodoo mistress New Orleans has ever known. Despite her many warnings, Tomie, Sara, and Opal cast a spell on, yes, you've probably guessed it by now, a DOLL. And then they wait. This story is dark, and full of so many twists and turns and suspicious characters that I had no idea what to expect. There were moments that sent shivers down my spine. There were moments that made my heart skip a beat. This story has everything: magic, revenge, romance, suspense… The way it ends, I believe, leaves PLENTY of room for a sequel, something that I hope Ms. Austin will seriously consider!
Pepper Fox is the daugher of the richest man in town and bullying many others in school. But what actually happened at prom's night to her? Miracle Austin comes up with a fine youth orientated novel full of witchcraft and spells. You definitely want to read the story of Tommie, Sari and Opal. There is a lot of romantics in it and the book definitely brings back some memories of youth when you're an older reader. Quite interesting is that there is an alternative ending to the story (prefer the alternative ending with the doll as it more fitting in the overall story). Miracle Austin is a gifted writer. Especially younger readers will love her books.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions stated below are mine and 100% honest.
DOLL is a book about Magic. If you love Supernatural books, you are in for a treat with this one!
The Writing: The writing was a little juvenile to me. It seemed like a writing you would expect in a Kid’s novel, and therefore isn’t so entertaining to a teenager or an adult. But the writing being juvenile, it does make the book easier to read and hence will be appealing to a non-reader as well!
Characters: Tomie & Sari are those type of people who gets bullied. Tomie & Sari are really kind-hearted people. If I were them, I would want to strangle Pepper Fox but they never meant to hurt her. All they wanted was for her to leave them alone, which made me really like them as human beings. But my favourite character from the book is Lisette, simply because she is a witch and that makes her 10x cooler than everyone else.
Plot Line: I really liked the story in general. It was fast paced, quick and entertaining! The plot twists were unpredictable and all will take you by surprise!
Ending: There were two endings to the book: Original Ending & Alternative Ending. I definitely preferred the original ending because I was like, “Oh God! I did not see that coming at all! ” but after reading the alternative one, I was like, “not feeling you much? :roll:”
Is DOLL the best book out there? No. Did I enjoy the book? Surely! I totally recommend you to read it, if you like fast paced & easy reads with witches,warlocks & dark magic!
I want to start by saying that I loved the story, I have wanted to read this book for weeks and I had huge expectations. It didn’t just meet all of them but also exceeded them.
Pepper Fox is the typical queen bee of Frost High, beautiful, mean and with a small army of minions, or like they are called in the book, Vipers, which I think is more accurate. She is the daughter of one of the most powerful men in town, dates the dreamy football player and thinks she can do whatever she wants and get away with it. Until Tomie and Sari decide that they have been Pepper’s toys long enough and decide to plan a little revenge.
I must say that I was surprised and amazed more than once with this story, I had a slight idea of what was going to happen but it completely blew me away at the end. I was expecting a Carrie kind of ending, but it was more than that, so much more! And I loved it.
I want to congratulate the author because she did an incredible job with this book, first of all, what I never saw, was a book written by a woman from a complete male point of view. I’ve read books with mixed points of view but in this story we only read Tomie’s. I also liked the secondary characters, some of them were only present during a few pages, like some teachers and Sari’s parents, but they were described perfectly and added great value to the plot.
The book offers two endings, an original and an alternative one. I liked both, to be honest, but I would love to read a second book about Tomie, and so I think the original end offers a better opening for future stories.
With a flawless plot, descriptions and style, this book is the perfect combination of horror, suspense and a little teenage drama and romance. A definitely must-read for this year!
I hate giving books 1 star - especially new or lesser known authors - but I really, really did not like this book. I will say that the story could have been a great one, and I think it had potential. However the writing style felt so forced and juvenile that I got irritated at every paragraph. The characters spoke to each other in ways that people do not speak - constantly saying each other's names every other sentence, using "wow" all the time, etc... In addition, there was very poor usage of verbs and adjectives, and very often it seemed that a thesaurus was used to offer a word alternative without checking that word's meaning or intention against the rest of the sentence. Speaking descriptors also needed some help, and often jarred the conversation without making sense for why they were used. Examples: someone says something normal in a normal conversation followed by the descriptors, "she squealed", "I gasped", "she shouted", "she whined", "she whimpered", "she blurted", you get the idea. And there was a lot of just generally overly dramatic phrases, "tears poured out, splashing the top of the steering wheel, and soaking a portion of my jeans", "she chewed frantically" (this one after taking a bite of pizza while just having a conversation... Nothing exciting was happening, the girl wasn't starving... Why frantic suddenly?). As much as I really wanted not to give this 1 star, I can't be a liar. There is potential, but the writing style needs some honing.
This was a fantastic book by a debut author. Who doesn't love a book where a bully gets what's coming to them?
Tommie, Sari, and Opal have been tormented by Pepper for a long time and decide it's time to do something about it. The three of them travel south to get help from the one person who has the abilities they need. It isn't only her help she gives as long held secrets come to light.
Be careful what you wish for. The plan seemed so simple. The spell would work. They'd get their revenge, but it would be ok in the end. When it all starts to spin out of control, creating horrific consequences, they realize they may have trusted the wrong person.
A cute story of witchcraft, friendship, and bullies. At times, it felt younger than I think it was supposed to, but then it'd be ok again. I'm excited to see what this author does in the future.
The story line and plot were good. I enjoyed that aspect of the book. The writing was very juvenile, lots of repetition of words and phrases.(I read quite a bit of juvenile and young adult fiction as well as adult fiction and non-fiction.) Use of similes was overdone. The timeline wandered some as well, things were not always in linear order of action. Sometimes things were mentioned out of the blue, and then never mentioned again or explained. There was an overuse of description for every little thing, like the ingredients in a sachet. There were also words used where better, more accurate words could have been used. Some sentences were truncated or worded in such a way as to not flow smoothly. All in all, the writing could have used a good edit to improve the story flow and omit the redundancy or wording. I think this author has a lot of potential with some guidance and practice.
Doll by Miracle Austin is an entertaining story, chock full of twist and turns. The story told in first person narrative is about Tomie, Sari, and Opal a group of young adults who are bullied by their boss Pepper. This is no run of the mill bully story as the group of kids decide to take Pepper on by using voodoo/witchcraft.
As a "New Orleanor," I was thrilled to learn that the main character, Tomie, is the cousin of Lisette a descendant of New Orleans Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau. I also appreciated that the characters are diverse.
This book was a lot of fun to read and I think teens will enjoy it.
I love all things supernatural so when I met Miracle Austin in OKC, I had to purchase "Doll" I was not disappointed. Doll is just creepy enough to satisfy and you also get a little romance thrown in. This is a great read for any teenager and adult that loves witches/warlocks.
My assumptions from the book's cover were dispelled in two ways: 1) The protagonist is not a girl. Thus, I got to learn of high schooler Tomie Dupuy, his particular situation with his parents, and his relationship with his peer Sarifena Green. 2) This novel has way less to do with, say, the movie "Annabelle," and far more with voodoo culture. There's no high action, yet this does qualify as horror; I even picked up on Stephen King's "Carrie" as an inspiration.
My favorite character here is a relative of Tomie -- she lives in bayou country not far from the narrator's Texas town, and has generational (and apparently spiritual) ties with a nearly mythic Louisiana personage. This family connection serves as a backdrop to how the paranormal comes into play. Early hints of a supernatural theme come additionally from another of Tomie's peers -- Opal Dawn – who, with seeming reluctance, accepts his and Sarifena's friendship.
My only critique: I noticed two brief instances of an undoubtedly accidental switch from first-person perspective to third-person. Depictions of bullying, enabled by social status, were painful for me to read, yet these were integral to the story and its theme of vengeance's heavy price. Interestingly, the novel offered two endings; the original is my favorite, yet I appreciated how the substitute provided a character angle that I would've otherwise not picked up.
Three bullied teens seek supernatural assistance to deliver some payback to a vicious mean girl. But the three outcasts harbour secrets of their own, some that may be deadly.
This is a novella that is fast and fun. I liked the magical elements. The writing is at time repetitious and a bit clunky. I thought for a while the male lead was female because of all the times he squealed "Girl!" there are two alternate endings. I personally preferred the second. Not spellbinding but fun none the less.
The students of Frost High will give you chills-- The Craft meets Mean Girls! Fans of books like the Morganville Vampire series (by Rachel Caine) and Akata Witch (by Nnedi Okorafor), will enjoy the pace, style, and characters in Doll. This supernatural response to dealing with bullies delivers a satisfying, magic world and fresh, fun characters. Miracle Austin's Doll is sure to be a supernatural YA classic.
This was a really good book. I liked how there was two different endings and you got to chose which one you liked best, and how Miracle was very descriptive about all the characters. Also, I liked how things just happened and they didn't take a really long time, they just did. There was some foreshadowing, and overall it was a very good book to keep you on the edge of your seat.
This was a fun, enticing little read. I enjoyed the Marie LeVeau addition to the tale. There were a few editorial mishaps and it wasn't terribly original, I thought several times I had already read it. But then I would realise I was remembering another book. A good tale for young teens!
I don’t have enough good things to say about Miracle Austin and her books! This book took me on twists and turns I NEVER expected and I kinda pride myself on picking up on foreshadowing. I LOVE when an author can surprise me like this though. So get ready to take what you think you know about voodoo and THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW, buckle up and get ready for revenge.
Oh wow, I loved this book! I enjoyed that ending like nobody's business. It scared me, it dragged me in, and then I didn't want to leave. It was so interesting and exciting. I loved the main character.
Doll was a very good read. Three kids get tried of being picked on by the rich bully Pepper. Opal was scheming along. Tommie and Sari better be on high alert around her in the future. I loved the story and Miracle Austin is a new author to me.
This book opened the door to a completely different genre I never thought I would like. It is one of the best books I have ever read. Miracle Austin's Doll is amazingly haunting. The entire time I was on the edge of my seat...and never saw it coming. I can't wait for the sequel!! A must read for fans of Edgar Allen Poe. In this book you will discover that not everyone is who they appear to be...
I hate bullies. They exist in many forms. On the one hand, you have the bully from the wrong side of the tracks, the boy from the broken home who hit his growth spurt early and is taking out his anger on those around him. Then you might have the girl who deals with her own insecurities by taking control, so to speak, of those around her. Both of these cases are prevalent, and I could feel sympathy for kids like that, kids who have simply lost their way.
And then we have bullies like Pepper Fox, who are plain (dirty word) EVIL.
We've seen girls like Pepper in real life too. Every school has one: the rich, spoiled, snotty brat, born into wealth and privilege, with the face/body of a goddess and no conscience whatsoever.
This story is told from the POV of Tomie Dupuy, a tall, awkward boy who, along with his girlfriend Sari and their friend Opal, are Pepper's favorite victims. Together, they come up with a plan to teach Pepper a lesson once and for all, calling upon Tomie's heritage and burgeoning abilities as a voodoo warlock to further their revenge.
The story builds to a climax leaving the reader wondering what is going to happen ... will Pepper get what she deserves, or will it all go horribly pear-shaped? Voodoo magic, after all, is not something to be trifled with.
Kudos to Ms. Austin for taking a unique approach, a female author telling the story entirely from the POV of a boy, Tomie. The characters were well-realized, and Pepper was deliciously evil (and I couldn't wait for her to be taken down!). And even though one might think the ending would be predictable, it wasn't. There were plenty of twists that I wasn't expecting. There was also room left for a sequel, so get writing, Ms. Austin!
This was a fantastic book by a debut author. Who doesn't love a book where a bully gets what's coming to them?
Tommie, Sari, and Opal have been tormented by Pepper for a long time and decide it's time to do something about it. The three of them travel south to get help from the one person who has the abilities they need. It isn't only her help she gives as long held secrets come to light.
Be careful what you wish for. The plan seemed so simple. The spell would work. They'd get their revenge, but it would be ok in the end. When it all starts to spin out of control, creating horrific consequences, they realize they may have trusted the wrong person.
A cute story of witchcraft, friendship, and bullies. At times, it felt younger than I think it was supposed to, but then it'd be ok again. I'm excited to see what this author does in the future.
3 friends. 1 Bully. A voo doo spell. What could go wrong, right?
Spoiler alert: A LOT. Doll by Miracle Austin tells the story of 3 friends who are terrorized by Pepper, a popular girl with a heart made of venom. Tomie, our main character, has a plan to bring her to justice.
I am a huge fan of scary movies, so right off the bat I was super intrigued by the cover. I stayed up all night reading the book, and it was such a treat. The story was addicting and the pace was quick, and at times I found myself anxiously turning the page because I had no idea what was going to happen next! Ms. Austin is amazing at throwing twists your way, and the story contained many surprises that I did not see coming. The characters were fleshed out and real - I especially loved Lisette, Tomie's wise witch cousin.
I can highly recommend this book to anyone, especially if you are a fan of horror!
Horror & Suspense Miracle Austin, now this is a writer that knows how to effectively tell a story and keeps the pages flying from beginning to end. I liked the way her dialogue served a dual purpose of introducing characters and timelines as well as moving the story line forward without getting bogged down with a lot of boring narrative. Awesome editing and formatting add to the enjoyment of the read.
The character development is spot on, I promise by the end of the book you will realized that the characters will be as real as, well your best friend. I could hear their voices and even see gestures and mannerisms. Really good strong female character lead which I love.
If you're looking for a little horror and suspense mixed with mean girls revenge, this book is a must read for you.
I started this book not knowing what to expect other then the little bit of information shared on the back cover. I could not put it down. Miracle did a great job catching my attention and wanting to know more about what was going to happen. I can't wait to see if a sequel is in the works because this was left in a way that has me wanting to know more about the characters and how things have progressed.
Three kids fed up with how this girl is treating them and getting away with it get together. But, they all are not who they seem to be. One turns out to be a more horrible person than the bully! Awesome book. I couldn't put it down. As for the endings...I liked the one with Tomie saving the day. And i would definitely love another Doll story.
I loved this book! From the time I started it, I wanted to read more of it. It was difficult to put down. It is a fast paced book with the right amount of surprise, suspense and playfulness between characters. Miracle Austin's descriptions paint a vivid picture to make sure you know exactly what the charachters see , feel and smell. All in all, a delightful book!
This book is a perfect example of why one should treat others how one wants to be treated and things are not always what they seem lol. Even though the main character is a male teen it's the powerful females in this book that help shape who he ends up to be. Paranormal, horror, suspense , teen drama and an unexpected ending all wrapped into one great read!! Can't wait for book 2!
This was a great book. Very intriguing and pulled me into the story. Wanted to keep reading to know what was going to happen next. This book is great for all ages. Well written and easy to read. Looking forward to the sequel.