What do you think?
Rate this book
Norman: The Doll That Needed to Be Locked Away
When paranormal investigator Stephen Lancaster brought home an old doll from an antique shop, he had no idea what bizarre and terrifying things were about to occur. From Day One, Norman the doll raised Hell. He caused sudden infestations of rats and spiders. He frightened dogs and put children in trances. He even moved on his own in video surveillance footage. And that was just the beginning.
Norman takes you on a thrilling journey into Stephen's life with a doll that has held the spirit of an unborn child for over fifty years. A haunted doll that still lives in Stephen's house, locked away in his own room to keep him from once again endangering the house and Stephen's family.
Norman takes you on a thrilling journey into Stephen's life with a doll that has held the spirit of an unborn child for over fifty years. A haunted doll that still lives in Stephen's house, locked away in his own room to keep him from once again endangering the house and Stephen's family.
240 pages, Paperback
Published April 8, 2018
3 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
March 16, 2018
If there’s somethin’ strangeTrigger Warning for murder of an animal with details of what its mutilated corpse looked like. Also multiple ARC typos including various there/their/they’re and to/too/two violations.
In your neighbourhood
Who ya gonna call? 👻
So, you’re no doubt well acquainted with Chucky and Annabelle, but have you heard of Norman (the doll, not the shower scene Psycho 🔪🚿)? I hadn’t but I love all of that ooky spooky stuff so thought that this was the book for me. After all, it’s written by a man who’s been a paranormal researcher for 20 years and the front cover told me it’s a true story. ‘Sign me up,’ I thought.
I’m one of those people that will watch an episode of The X Files, any episode, and believe that whatever’s happening on screen has either already happened, is possible or at the very least plausible. So, fairly high on the gullibility scale. I tend to find the supernatural fascinating. I’m one of those 👽 I Want to Believe 🛸 types but if something appropriately ooky spooky was ever proven I am fairly certain I’d be happy to watch the movie rather than be in the room with it. So, gullible and a scaredy-cat.
With that in mind I decided to begin reading this book while the sun was shining brightly outside and the birds were chirping happily. I needn’t have bothered. I could have read this at midnight during a full moon on Friday, 13th with a raging lightning storm outside and wind rattling the windows and I still would have been okay with reading this in the dark.
The title says it all. Norman: The Doll That Needed to Be Locked Away. So where was it kept? On the headboard of the bed where the author and his girlfriend sleep, along with an assortment of other allegedly haunted dolls and toys. Huh???
Some will believe this story is true and others will think it’s baloney. If it is true then I’m wondering why child and animal protection agencies haven’t been involved. It’s fine if you want to make potentially reckless decisions for yourself as an adult but when those decisions affect minors (the 15 year old daughter of the author’s girlfriend as well as her son’s 8 and 10 year old kids) and animals (four inside dogs, one inside cat and about half a dozen outside cats), then as far as I can tell that’s reportable, not just poor judgement.
It you don’t believe in this type of Paranormal Activity and read this as fiction, then I expect you will wonder why the characters do a lot of the things they do, such as (and these are just some of the questions I want to ask the author personally):
If you believe this is a true story, then I imagine you would question these things even more.
The photos that are included to support the author’s claims unfortunately had the opposite effect with me. For example, there are two photos showing a significant change in temperature near Norman that was reported to have happened a minute apart. Yet there’s no time stamp on the photos and even if there was the author makes mention of their “top-notch video editing software” so it would be difficult to know with certainty if they were real or fake anyway.
There were many typos in the ARC that will hopefully be corrected prior to publication. If they’re fixed, then the funniest ones you missed out on are:
* “Hannah continued to stay with her bother”. I’m an only child but I can imagine if Hannah had written that part brother becoming bother could’ve counted as a nice little Freudian slip.
* “What happened next about gave me a heart.” Here’s one! ❤️ I loved this sentence so much but I’m not sure I was supposed to be laughing when the author was explaining how scary something was.
So, do I believe the events in this book are true? I wasn’t there so I can’t say for sure, but the way it was written raised more questions than it answered for me. Unless or until the author decides to make the video footage public I’m going to have to sit on the fence and hope it’s not too uncomfortable. I’d prefer to be standing firmly on one side or the other but there’s not enough evidence or debunking (I love that word!) to give you a confident answer. I know I still want to believe!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. for the opportunity to read this book.
December 5, 2017
After 6 decades of immersion in horror, I sometimes think I've "seen it all." Then I find a factual account like this one, and realize there really is something new--and terrifying. I've always found dolls discomfiting, but this former Mattel production--Matty, now renamed Norman--ratchets it up several levels. Paranormal investigator Stephen Lancaster demonstrates how truth is stranger--and scarier--than fiction.
March 17, 2019
*thank you to Netgalley and Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
5 stars.
First of all I need to say that I am not believing or disbelieving this to be a true story. But while reading it, I found it to be much more fun to let my mind believe it was all true. There are things written about that I found myself thinking, this sounds too real, I could believe the author was telling the truth. But there were also moments, mainly toward the second half of the book, that I simply could not accept as being the truth. They were that unbelievable that I could not literally force my mind to believing it. Maybe that was done out of fear of believing it, or because I simply believed it to be made up. One thing this book has going for it that has added a heck of a lot of creepiness to this story, is that this book contains actual photographs taken from surveillance camera that were placed in the master bedroom. Now, from memory, I believed pretty much all of them could have been real. I like to think that when it comes to paranormal, I usually believe it all to be fake, but I keep an open mind. Plus I LOVE the thrill of thinking maybe it could be real. It's way more fun to think it's all true even if you secretly don't believe it to be so. But there was one photo I just could not believe was real. It was the one of the 5 foot dark shadow. It just looked too fake.
One thing that also gives a tick in the 'this is real' box, is that people from outside of the authors family were involved. Such as the police answering the 911 calls and the staff at the post office. Since this has happened. People can easily ask these people to confirm if what was stated really did happen. Now I know that this isn't fool proof. Some could say, 'they were paid to say it was all true' etc etc etc. But for me, well, yeah, that can have happened but the me that wants to believe this says that it tips in favour of the author that this is actually real. (Ok, even just now saying that, the other side of me right away thought that was a joke, like seriously, this, real? Come onnn Rachel, it has to be fake.')
I LOVED the sound of this book when I first read the description so right away I requested it from Netgalley, really REALLY wanting to read it. One of my favourite topics in books is haunted-possessed dolls, made out to be fact or fiction. Most of us have heard of the famous haunted dolls. Chucky from Child's Play, Robert The Doll and of course the more recent one, Annabelle. So as soon as I was approved for an ARC of this I was SO happy and download it right away and stared reading. It was funny and perfect timing too because I'd spent the previous 15 mins trying to figure out what book to read next, then this one is handed to me. I was and am, very grateful. This book was a real page turner. It was creepy and had scenes that made me ever so thankful that it wasnt happening to me. I also liked that the author didn't always jump to saying that what was going on, was because of Norman, as soon as something bad happened. He seemed to think of other possible reasons first and it was only after awhile that he accepted it was actually Norman playing a part.
I'm interested in hearing what others think about this and I really hope that the video footage that was talked about throughout this whole book, one day does become available. Seeing is believing, and while I'm open minded, I need to see more proof. So if you believe or don't believe, this is a great book! It's interesting, fun (if you like feeling scared) and written really well. I recommend this to all people who like paranormal.
5 stars.
First of all I need to say that I am not believing or disbelieving this to be a true story. But while reading it, I found it to be much more fun to let my mind believe it was all true. There are things written about that I found myself thinking, this sounds too real, I could believe the author was telling the truth. But there were also moments, mainly toward the second half of the book, that I simply could not accept as being the truth. They were that unbelievable that I could not literally force my mind to believing it. Maybe that was done out of fear of believing it, or because I simply believed it to be made up. One thing this book has going for it that has added a heck of a lot of creepiness to this story, is that this book contains actual photographs taken from surveillance camera that were placed in the master bedroom. Now, from memory, I believed pretty much all of them could have been real. I like to think that when it comes to paranormal, I usually believe it all to be fake, but I keep an open mind. Plus I LOVE the thrill of thinking maybe it could be real. It's way more fun to think it's all true even if you secretly don't believe it to be so. But there was one photo I just could not believe was real. It was the one of the 5 foot dark shadow. It just looked too fake.
One thing that also gives a tick in the 'this is real' box, is that people from outside of the authors family were involved. Such as the police answering the 911 calls and the staff at the post office. Since this has happened. People can easily ask these people to confirm if what was stated really did happen. Now I know that this isn't fool proof. Some could say, 'they were paid to say it was all true' etc etc etc. But for me, well, yeah, that can have happened but the me that wants to believe this says that it tips in favour of the author that this is actually real. (Ok, even just now saying that, the other side of me right away thought that was a joke, like seriously, this, real? Come onnn Rachel, it has to be fake.')
I LOVED the sound of this book when I first read the description so right away I requested it from Netgalley, really REALLY wanting to read it. One of my favourite topics in books is haunted-possessed dolls, made out to be fact or fiction. Most of us have heard of the famous haunted dolls. Chucky from Child's Play, Robert The Doll and of course the more recent one, Annabelle. So as soon as I was approved for an ARC of this I was SO happy and download it right away and stared reading. It was funny and perfect timing too because I'd spent the previous 15 mins trying to figure out what book to read next, then this one is handed to me. I was and am, very grateful. This book was a real page turner. It was creepy and had scenes that made me ever so thankful that it wasnt happening to me. I also liked that the author didn't always jump to saying that what was going on, was because of Norman, as soon as something bad happened. He seemed to think of other possible reasons first and it was only after awhile that he accepted it was actually Norman playing a part.
I'm interested in hearing what others think about this and I really hope that the video footage that was talked about throughout this whole book, one day does become available. Seeing is believing, and while I'm open minded, I need to see more proof. So if you believe or don't believe, this is a great book! It's interesting, fun (if you like feeling scared) and written really well. I recommend this to all people who like paranormal.
Read
February 18, 2018RTC.
I've been having a hard time finding a book to properly get into lately, and this one did prove difficult to put down, so that should be taken into account when reading my grievances below...
The abundance of errors in the text did bother me while reading (hopefully something that will be fixed in the final copy, as this was a proof), and the author goes out of his way at times to explain things as not paranormal (perhaps to show he's exhausted all options?) and at other times over-sensationalises things, making it hard to really side with him or see him as a reliable storyteller.
I went into this book a believer, and it did give me a couple of goosebumpy moments, but overall I'm not sure I'm convinced by this paranormal investigator or his story, and the writing itself was rather poor - abundance of errors aside.
Why did they never treat Norman as anything other than a doll, never speaking directly to him? I mean, they reference Robert the Doll, so research has obviously gone into haunted objects, but if they have done research on other haunted dolls, they would know that ignoring them or treating them like "just a doll" is a surefire way to piss them off. They should be addressed directly and with respect. No wonder he was trying to get their attention!
Why was so much time spent in the bedroom? They seemed to receive guests in the master bedroom, which is just weird.
And why did they need to get a new cat for inside the house to deal with infestations when they have four dogs in the house and reportedly "half a dozen" cats in the yard? Moreover, why were these cats not brought inside at the approach of Hurricane Matthew?
------------
Pre-Updates
------------
Just a heads up, I do think the majority of my quotes are errors in the text, and it should be taken into account that this is the proof copy through NetGalley, so the final version might not have these issues.
I've been having a hard time finding a book to properly get into lately, and this one did prove difficult to put down, so that should be taken into account when reading my grievances below...
The abundance of errors in the text did bother me while reading (hopefully something that will be fixed in the final copy, as this was a proof), and the author goes out of his way at times to explain things as not paranormal (perhaps to show he's exhausted all options?) and at other times over-sensationalises things, making it hard to really side with him or see him as a reliable storyteller.
I went into this book a believer, and it did give me a couple of goosebumpy moments, but overall I'm not sure I'm convinced by this paranormal investigator or his story, and the writing itself was rather poor - abundance of errors aside.
Why did they never treat Norman as anything other than a doll, never speaking directly to him? I mean, they reference Robert the Doll, so research has obviously gone into haunted objects, but if they have done research on other haunted dolls, they would know that ignoring them or treating them like "just a doll" is a surefire way to piss them off. They should be addressed directly and with respect. No wonder he was trying to get their attention!
Why was so much time spent in the bedroom? They seemed to receive guests in the master bedroom, which is just weird.
And why did they need to get a new cat for inside the house to deal with infestations when they have four dogs in the house and reportedly "half a dozen" cats in the yard? Moreover, why were these cats not brought inside at the approach of Hurricane Matthew?
------------
Pre-Updates
------------
Just a heads up, I do think the majority of my quotes are errors in the text, and it should be taken into account that this is the proof copy through NetGalley, so the final version might not have these issues.
April 9, 2023
I made it until page about 76 or so. I just wanted an answer to a puzzle and I got it by page 76.
I got this book because I am confused because I thought I read of at least one family that profess to be Christians and yet had supernatural things going on including terrifying and physical manifestations. I was under the impression that Christians are not to have a spirit of fear and anything like hauntings, poltergeists, possessed items can be dispelled by knowing the power you have being in Christ, a Christian.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power... (2 Timothy 1:7)
I am far from oppression, and will not live in fear (Isaiah 54:14).
The Spirit of God, who is greater than the enemy in the world, lives in me (1 John 4:4).
I have received the power of the Holy Spirit and He can do miraculous things through me.I have authority and power over the enemy in this world (Mark 16:17-18; Luke 10:17-19).
I overcome the enemy of my soul by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11).
I am not ruled by fear because the Holy Spirit lives in me and gives me His power, love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).
According to these verses, it seems to me that Christians can't be pushed around by the negative supernatural by which I mean hauntings, poltergeists, possession, possessed items, they only have to demand the demons leave for good in the name of Jesus and believe in Jesus. My only conclusion is that either the families are not Christian in truth, only in name (they don't really believe), or that they do not know who they are in Christ and so allow themselves to be pushed around, like they are being bullied because they don't stand up for themselves.
Just my two cents.
Decided to go back and read the book in it's entirety. Read it in a day or two.
The guy and his family go through so much that they blame on the doll. I'm not going to debate whether those things really happen or not, I'm going to take him at his word. He attributes nearly dying to the influence of the doll, the terrorization of he and his family. If you have something like this that creates an atmosphere of fear, being unsafe, hostility isn't it your job as the head of the household to deal with this situation? His daughter is terrorized and is sent to live with a family member for a while but not the whole time. Should she have been allowed to stay in that environment? Isn't that child abuse? What about the dogs in the house, they're effected in a negative way.
And then there's the cat. This doll tortured and dismembered a cat, tore it apart. If that's not the last straw I don't know what is (if almost dying wasn't the last straw, though I don't recall what came first, I think it was the cat then the mysterious illness). My first thought is I would bury the doll, but I agree with them that you don't want the problem to eventually, potentially become someone elses. My next though would be to burn it. They had a little fire pit. Burn it and be done with it. They don't. Why don't they, well they feel sorry for the spirit they think is in the doll. Seriously. This author is supposed to be an educated, intelligent head of the family but he doesn't act like it.
He doesn't put the health and welfare of his family and pets first, but allows for them to be tormented. Can you imagine not feeling safe in your own home? He invited this thing into his house nonchalantly. Why? Why would you do that. I still don't get it. Aren't you asking for trouble? He gets it.
So what does he do? Well, as I said, he feels sorry for the spirit in the doll. As a kid I'd heard the phrase bleeding heart liberal and didn't know what it meant then but now if this guy doesn't fit that phrase I don't know who does. He invites it into his house, puts his family and pets in danger, then doesn't burn it because he feels sorry for it. What about the cat it supposedly killed? What about the time it almost killed him, or knocked him down? He had an obligation to burn it, to destroy it and protect those around him. What does he do instead? He gives it it's own room. No kidding. They clean out a spare room and put a tv in it and make it for small boy which is what they feel the spirit is. Then they close the door and lock it and don't let anyone go in there. They say they often hear noises in the room, the tv turning off and on, etc. They've allowed this thing to control them, hurt them. This guy, the author, makes as much of an impact on me as the doll, well almost. I just can't comprehend a wimpier, irresponsible, irrational person. So, I guess the book is not just about Norman but about the author and it seems like they feed off each other. The author gets something out of the doll though I don't know what. A book, stories to tell, being in touch with something powerful and supernatural? I can tell you about a carpenter that died on a cross and rose from the dead three days letter that has more power and is less dangerous, threatening, etc.
I got this book because I am confused because I thought I read of at least one family that profess to be Christians and yet had supernatural things going on including terrifying and physical manifestations. I was under the impression that Christians are not to have a spirit of fear and anything like hauntings, poltergeists, possessed items can be dispelled by knowing the power you have being in Christ, a Christian.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power... (2 Timothy 1:7)
I am far from oppression, and will not live in fear (Isaiah 54:14).
The Spirit of God, who is greater than the enemy in the world, lives in me (1 John 4:4).
I have received the power of the Holy Spirit and He can do miraculous things through me.I have authority and power over the enemy in this world (Mark 16:17-18; Luke 10:17-19).
I overcome the enemy of my soul by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11).
I am not ruled by fear because the Holy Spirit lives in me and gives me His power, love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).
According to these verses, it seems to me that Christians can't be pushed around by the negative supernatural by which I mean hauntings, poltergeists, possession, possessed items, they only have to demand the demons leave for good in the name of Jesus and believe in Jesus. My only conclusion is that either the families are not Christian in truth, only in name (they don't really believe), or that they do not know who they are in Christ and so allow themselves to be pushed around, like they are being bullied because they don't stand up for themselves.
Just my two cents.
Decided to go back and read the book in it's entirety. Read it in a day or two.
The guy and his family go through so much that they blame on the doll. I'm not going to debate whether those things really happen or not, I'm going to take him at his word. He attributes nearly dying to the influence of the doll, the terrorization of he and his family. If you have something like this that creates an atmosphere of fear, being unsafe, hostility isn't it your job as the head of the household to deal with this situation? His daughter is terrorized and is sent to live with a family member for a while but not the whole time. Should she have been allowed to stay in that environment? Isn't that child abuse? What about the dogs in the house, they're effected in a negative way.
And then there's the cat. This doll tortured and dismembered a cat, tore it apart. If that's not the last straw I don't know what is (if almost dying wasn't the last straw, though I don't recall what came first, I think it was the cat then the mysterious illness). My first thought is I would bury the doll, but I agree with them that you don't want the problem to eventually, potentially become someone elses. My next though would be to burn it. They had a little fire pit. Burn it and be done with it. They don't. Why don't they, well they feel sorry for the spirit they think is in the doll. Seriously. This author is supposed to be an educated, intelligent head of the family but he doesn't act like it.
He doesn't put the health and welfare of his family and pets first, but allows for them to be tormented. Can you imagine not feeling safe in your own home? He invited this thing into his house nonchalantly. Why? Why would you do that. I still don't get it. Aren't you asking for trouble? He gets it.
So what does he do? Well, as I said, he feels sorry for the spirit in the doll. As a kid I'd heard the phrase bleeding heart liberal and didn't know what it meant then but now if this guy doesn't fit that phrase I don't know who does. He invites it into his house, puts his family and pets in danger, then doesn't burn it because he feels sorry for it. What about the cat it supposedly killed? What about the time it almost killed him, or knocked him down? He had an obligation to burn it, to destroy it and protect those around him. What does he do instead? He gives it it's own room. No kidding. They clean out a spare room and put a tv in it and make it for small boy which is what they feel the spirit is. Then they close the door and lock it and don't let anyone go in there. They say they often hear noises in the room, the tv turning off and on, etc. They've allowed this thing to control them, hurt them. This guy, the author, makes as much of an impact on me as the doll, well almost. I just can't comprehend a wimpier, irresponsible, irrational person. So, I guess the book is not just about Norman but about the author and it seems like they feed off each other. The author gets something out of the doll though I don't know what. A book, stories to tell, being in touch with something powerful and supernatural? I can tell you about a carpenter that died on a cross and rose from the dead three days letter that has more power and is less dangerous, threatening, etc.
July 31, 2019
Norman is about a haunted doll purchased by the author of this book, Stephen Lancaster. Norman is a Matty Mattel doll that belonged to a young girl in the 60's who lost her twin brother before he was even born. The little girl also watched her house burn down on Christmas Eve a couple years later, left only with that doll. Decade's later, Lancaster purchases the doll at a local antique shop. After bringing him home strange things start happening around his home and can only be explained as being done by Norman.
Stephen Lancaster is a retired paranormal researcher, so while the obvious thing to do for us normal people would be to get rid of the creepy doll, he did not. Instead, he set up surveillance cameras and taunted the thing. This whole book is about the strange things that took place in Lancaster's house after purchasing the doll and the evidence he collected. He includes pictures of video snapshots of all the freaky stuff going on in his house from doors opening/closing on their own, writing on mirrors, shadows in the mirror, and Norman moving by his self.
So, when I requested this book on NetGalley I thought it was going to be a story about a haunted doll, like a made-up story, fiction. That is so not what I got. If I didn't already not like dolls, I definitely don't like them now. This book was so creepy and I'm so glad to be done with it. I am a firm believer in "seeing is believing," and I believe that everything Lancaster says took place in his home after getting this doll is true, that is why I am giving this book a five-star review.
Thanks, Netgalley and Llewellyn Worldwide for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Stephen Lancaster is a retired paranormal researcher, so while the obvious thing to do for us normal people would be to get rid of the creepy doll, he did not. Instead, he set up surveillance cameras and taunted the thing. This whole book is about the strange things that took place in Lancaster's house after purchasing the doll and the evidence he collected. He includes pictures of video snapshots of all the freaky stuff going on in his house from doors opening/closing on their own, writing on mirrors, shadows in the mirror, and Norman moving by his self.
So, when I requested this book on NetGalley I thought it was going to be a story about a haunted doll, like a made-up story, fiction. That is so not what I got. If I didn't already not like dolls, I definitely don't like them now. This book was so creepy and I'm so glad to be done with it. I am a firm believer in "seeing is believing," and I believe that everything Lancaster says took place in his home after getting this doll is true, that is why I am giving this book a five-star review.
Thanks, Netgalley and Llewellyn Worldwide for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
January 30, 2018
Annabelle is one of my favourite films, I wouldn't want a doll like that anywhere fuckin near me but watching it through the safety of a tv is fine.
So when I saw this creepy ass cover I knew that all sorts of shenanigans would be happening in it and I wasn't wrong!
I've read another book by this author, it was very well written and it did creep me out a bit, which I enjoyed, so this one was a given.
It was creepy and I frequently found myself saying 'just get rid of it!!' 'it's getting closer!!' and other things that you shouldn't say loudly at 2am while sitting in the dark especially not with other people in the house.
This is an author I know I enjoy and whose books I know will keep me gripped.
*Huge thanks to Stephen Lancaster, Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
So when I saw this creepy ass cover I knew that all sorts of shenanigans would be happening in it and I wasn't wrong!
I've read another book by this author, it was very well written and it did creep me out a bit, which I enjoyed, so this one was a given.
It was creepy and I frequently found myself saying 'just get rid of it!!' 'it's getting closer!!' and other things that you shouldn't say loudly at 2am while sitting in the dark especially not with other people in the house.
This is an author I know I enjoy and whose books I know will keep me gripped.
*Huge thanks to Stephen Lancaster, Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
April 24, 2018
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. ]
I’m not sure how to rate this book. When I requested it, I thought it was a horror novel, but then upon looking closer, it was in fact a recounting of actual facts? Problem being that, while I am interested in paranormal phenomenons in a vague, general way, I’m not what you could call a ‘believer’—I’ll read about it, and watch shows etc., but I’m going to be detached from it. And while I’ll appreciate those things for the storyteller factor, for the ideas they give me for stories or pen & paper RPG games, I actually have trouble with suspension of disbelief when they’re -not- novels (yes, strangely as it sounds, I may ‘believe’ in this slightly more if it’s fiction… go figure).
So, do keep that in mind when it comes to my review: I probably wasn’t the right audience for it, at least not at this moment in my life.
I kept wondering why the family had the doll in their bedroom, of all places. I’ve always found dolls creepy AF (whether the ragdoll type or those uncanny-valley ‘looks like a real baby’ dolls), so even for the sake of research, I wouldn’t see myself keeping one in anything else than a closet or the basement. More puzzling is why they’d do that in a house where a teenager lives, where the grandchildren regularly come to visit, and where pets dwell, too. Choosing to endanger yourself for the sake of studying some phenomenon is fine and all, I mean it’s your choice, but bringing your kid and pets into it is… I don’t know, kind of irresponsible. I never got the feeling that Hannah agreed to it, or was thrilled with the idea. And when you see what happened to the cat, well…
The other big problem I had with this book was the amount of errors. Since I got an advanced reader copy, I know (I hope) these may have been corrected in the final, printed version, but in the meantime, they threw me out of the narrative.
This said, even though I’m ever the sceptic, the photos and video captures throughout the book were interesting to have a look at. This is typically the kind of stuff I have to see for myself in order to ‘believe’, of course, so the whole ‘we’re not releasing them because it’s our private home’ won’t convince me. Still, it remained interesting to see.
Conclusion: 2.5 stars.
I’m not sure how to rate this book. When I requested it, I thought it was a horror novel, but then upon looking closer, it was in fact a recounting of actual facts? Problem being that, while I am interested in paranormal phenomenons in a vague, general way, I’m not what you could call a ‘believer’—I’ll read about it, and watch shows etc., but I’m going to be detached from it. And while I’ll appreciate those things for the storyteller factor, for the ideas they give me for stories or pen & paper RPG games, I actually have trouble with suspension of disbelief when they’re -not- novels (yes, strangely as it sounds, I may ‘believe’ in this slightly more if it’s fiction… go figure).
So, do keep that in mind when it comes to my review: I probably wasn’t the right audience for it, at least not at this moment in my life.
I kept wondering why the family had the doll in their bedroom, of all places. I’ve always found dolls creepy AF (whether the ragdoll type or those uncanny-valley ‘looks like a real baby’ dolls), so even for the sake of research, I wouldn’t see myself keeping one in anything else than a closet or the basement. More puzzling is why they’d do that in a house where a teenager lives, where the grandchildren regularly come to visit, and where pets dwell, too. Choosing to endanger yourself for the sake of studying some phenomenon is fine and all, I mean it’s your choice, but bringing your kid and pets into it is… I don’t know, kind of irresponsible. I never got the feeling that Hannah agreed to it, or was thrilled with the idea. And when you see what happened to the cat, well…
The other big problem I had with this book was the amount of errors. Since I got an advanced reader copy, I know (I hope) these may have been corrected in the final, printed version, but in the meantime, they threw me out of the narrative.
This said, even though I’m ever the sceptic, the photos and video captures throughout the book were interesting to have a look at. This is typically the kind of stuff I have to see for myself in order to ‘believe’, of course, so the whole ‘we’re not releasing them because it’s our private home’ won’t convince me. Still, it remained interesting to see.
Conclusion: 2.5 stars.
July 14, 2018
I admit I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes to books about first-person haunting experiences. I always tend to think that the person writing them will next come out with a movie or series of youtube videos, as if the book isn't enough of a money-maker.
I love a good ghost story and if this were written as a fiction novel, I'd say it was awesome, but as it is not, I'd have to recommend forgetting it. Number one complaint? If you have these wonderful videos in your possession, why not link to them in your book, so we can see for ourselves?
Also, the author does seem to write a bit confusingly at times, referring to Christina sometimes or his girlfriend sometimes and I had to flip around to be sure that he's referring to the same person, but that's really a minor point.
The main point is that, again, though a creepy enough tale, it's not the least believeable. I just got the feeling that the author found this doll that looked disturbing, had a story behind it and then just ran with the rest. I won't give it only two stars, because it was entertaining. I just wish it would have been polished up a bit and sold as fiction.
I love a good ghost story and if this were written as a fiction novel, I'd say it was awesome, but as it is not, I'd have to recommend forgetting it. Number one complaint? If you have these wonderful videos in your possession, why not link to them in your book, so we can see for ourselves?
Also, the author does seem to write a bit confusingly at times, referring to Christina sometimes or his girlfriend sometimes and I had to flip around to be sure that he's referring to the same person, but that's really a minor point.
The main point is that, again, though a creepy enough tale, it's not the least believeable. I just got the feeling that the author found this doll that looked disturbing, had a story behind it and then just ran with the rest. I won't give it only two stars, because it was entertaining. I just wish it would have been polished up a bit and sold as fiction.
May 13, 2018
This book is hilariously awful. It is train wreck bad. I wanted to look away, but I just couldn't. I had to see how bad it would get, and it got pretty darn bad. Nonetheless, I have to admit it has a certain Ed Wood-like charm to it. From the little typos -- I especially liked the temperature gun that 'omits' a laser (and this was the published version, not the ARC) -- to the 'spider invasion' that was three whole spiders, in North Carolina, in summer, to somewhat more significant things like the pictures of the door being torn off its hinges -- with a latch strike plate visible on the wrong side of the door frame for how that door was supposedly mounted. My personal favorite, though, is the out of sequence time stamps on the footage illustrating Norman interacting with the children. Whoopsies!
It's badly written, it's badly illustrated; I can't recommend it for either believers or skeptics.
It's badly written, it's badly illustrated; I can't recommend it for either believers or skeptics.
March 16, 2019
This was so bad. It doesn’t even read like a haunting. It reads like someone who hoped to be haunted and so he kind of just made one up.
October 16, 2022
i should preface this, i’m a huge believer in the paranormal. like you can’t convince me there is not life after death. i’m not religious but i am spiritual, i know, such an eye roll. anyway.
this book gave me some good scares. the author of this book is a paranormal investigator so he does this sort of thing for a living, he knows all the tests to run, has all the equipment, he has access to a lot of resources to verify this encounter. the book includes a lot of photo evidence which at first, i found quite compelling, but more i thought about it, the more i began to doubt. as i mentioned, this man IS a paranormal investigator. he has written other books, which he never failed to remind us of, about other successful investigations. idk it just seems too goo to be true. they had all these encounters which they allegedly documented on video, but then he’s like i can’t actually show you the video just pictures of the video.
it’s hard to believe anything without actually experiencing it these days. technology is widely available for people to alter images and videos.
this book gave me some good scares. the author of this book is a paranormal investigator so he does this sort of thing for a living, he knows all the tests to run, has all the equipment, he has access to a lot of resources to verify this encounter. the book includes a lot of photo evidence which at first, i found quite compelling, but more i thought about it, the more i began to doubt. as i mentioned, this man IS a paranormal investigator. he has written other books, which he never failed to remind us of, about other successful investigations. idk it just seems too goo to be true. they had all these encounters which they allegedly documented on video, but then he’s like i can’t actually show you the video just pictures of the video.
it’s hard to believe anything without actually experiencing it these days. technology is widely available for people to alter images and videos.
June 14, 2018
The author is a paranormal investigator who decided it would be a good idea to purchase a creepy "Matty" doll at an Antique store. Let's just say, it wasn't a good idea at all. He eventually gets renamed "Norman" and he makes sure that his presence is known. Haunted doll stories freak me out a bit (I had an encounter with a talking "Ernie" doll one time--he went in the dumpster) and I have to say I'm glad Norman lives on the other side of the State.
August 25, 2018
I thought this was a great book. I have a thing about reading and watching paranormal things. I loved the concept of a haunted doll. I was creep out by the doll and what it did during the time it was out in the open. I thought that Stephen Lancaster did a great job of documenting the encounters. I also liked reading about the history of the doll. I wonder about the little girl who had the doll and what her years were like with the doll. I think I might pick up Stephen Lancaster's other books.
September 8, 2025
Really interesting, surprisingly so for a book I picked at random. I learned quite a bit about the paranormal world.
December 14, 2017
Shorter NORMAN REVIEW
So, a possessed doll eh?
That was my first thought when I saw the cover of this book. I admit, the first thing that came to mind was CHUCKY; the scary murderous doll introduced in the 1988 movie CHILD'S PLAY.
I'm not sure what I was expecting when reading NORMAN: THE DOLL THAT NEEDED TO BE LOCKED AWAY, but I suppose I was more than a little skeptical. I like to think I have an open mind, but I am fairly certain that just about anyone would have a hard time believing that there is a doll that actually exists that is possessed (or just plain evil, whatever). BUT, I figured the worst that could happen by reading this book would be that I got to read a great fictional story.
Now, after reading the book, and especially after seeing the included photographs taken by author Stephen Lancaster, I admit that I am fairly certain this book is NOT fiction, but FACT.
And, that scares the heck out of me.
I refuse to ruin any potential reader's enjoyment of NORMAN, so I will not list the events outlined in the book that convinced me of Stephen's veracity.
Skeptical? I know I was, but you NEED to read this book. In fact, I would love it if you came back to my blog post after reading the book and leave a comment letting me know what you thought of it and if you believe it to be truth or fiction.
The writing is a diary style. The author kept notes while the events were occurring. This style is perfect for this story because readers get to experience the authors gut reactions to each incident. In fact, you almost feel as if you were there with him.
Stephen Lancaster has written other titles, but this was my first experience with his work. I will be adding his name to those authors who I follow on GOODREADS and I plan to read more of his work.
I rate this book as 4 out of 5 Stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
***Thank you to NETGALLEY for providing me with a free copy of this book.***
Don't forget to follow me on my blog at http://Amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
As well as on Instagram @Amiesbookreviews
So, a possessed doll eh?
That was my first thought when I saw the cover of this book. I admit, the first thing that came to mind was CHUCKY; the scary murderous doll introduced in the 1988 movie CHILD'S PLAY.
I'm not sure what I was expecting when reading NORMAN: THE DOLL THAT NEEDED TO BE LOCKED AWAY, but I suppose I was more than a little skeptical. I like to think I have an open mind, but I am fairly certain that just about anyone would have a hard time believing that there is a doll that actually exists that is possessed (or just plain evil, whatever). BUT, I figured the worst that could happen by reading this book would be that I got to read a great fictional story.
Now, after reading the book, and especially after seeing the included photographs taken by author Stephen Lancaster, I admit that I am fairly certain this book is NOT fiction, but FACT.
And, that scares the heck out of me.
I refuse to ruin any potential reader's enjoyment of NORMAN, so I will not list the events outlined in the book that convinced me of Stephen's veracity.
Skeptical? I know I was, but you NEED to read this book. In fact, I would love it if you came back to my blog post after reading the book and leave a comment letting me know what you thought of it and if you believe it to be truth or fiction.
The writing is a diary style. The author kept notes while the events were occurring. This style is perfect for this story because readers get to experience the authors gut reactions to each incident. In fact, you almost feel as if you were there with him.
Stephen Lancaster has written other titles, but this was my first experience with his work. I will be adding his name to those authors who I follow on GOODREADS and I plan to read more of his work.
I rate this book as 4 out of 5 Stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
***Thank you to NETGALLEY for providing me with a free copy of this book.***
Don't forget to follow me on my blog at http://Amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
As well as on Instagram @Amiesbookreviews
December 23, 2017
I know this is a very early review but I want to get it on here so that I can encourage others to check it out! Honestly I had never heard of the author, or this doll. I read the whole thing in a few hours. I found myself getting creeped out while reading, that never happens. The pictures added so much to the creep factor. I find myself still thinking about this story. I hope the author will let us know if Norman starts acting up again, and I hope to one day come across the video footage. I really enjoyed the style this was written in. I could picture myself in the room while things were happening. I am definitely going to look into this author. This is the creepiest book I have read this year.
**Thank you to NetGalley, Mr. Lancaster, and Llewellyn Publications for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
**Thank you to NetGalley, Mr. Lancaster, and Llewellyn Publications for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2018
While this book is said to be the true experiences of the author, I am not sure as to how much I believe in the paranormal. That being said, I really enjoyed the book and the author's whit. I do have to wonder, why he did not just toss Norman when they realized he was the problem. But then, I am not a paranormal investigator and I say that whenever I watch a paranormal movie. Just throw the doll out, but they never do, So it seems real life is no different than fiction at times. I really enjoyed this book, but I do not give many books 5 stars and due to my skepticism, I deducted another star.
Read
December 11, 2019I didn't read the book but I saw the documentary on the hanting series. in my opinion this is a very fanciful story and should be looked at with one foot behind. It starts with the alleged paranormal investigator -Stephen Lancaster- and his girlfriend, who found a strange doll in a antique store. This doll which coincidentally is "haunted".
Another intriguing fact: The two employees who worked there tried to encourage him to leave the doll behind. So if you have the article for sale why would they discourage buying?
More intriguing is the fact that they know the doll is haunted, but let children play with it.
Then a video proof is presented showing the doll turning its head. The doll is covered with pillows where only the head can be seen. You don't see the doll completely.
Stephen says he has had several experiences with the doll, etc., suffered a lot, but…. published a book about it! hummm... Perhaps hoping that they will release a movie from the book and make a lot of money out of it.
I am not disappointed by the story. I am disappointed that there are people who believe in this story without question if its true or not ... That is what is dangerous.
Another intriguing fact: The two employees who worked there tried to encourage him to leave the doll behind. So if you have the article for sale why would they discourage buying?
More intriguing is the fact that they know the doll is haunted, but let children play with it.
Then a video proof is presented showing the doll turning its head. The doll is covered with pillows where only the head can be seen. You don't see the doll completely.
Stephen says he has had several experiences with the doll, etc., suffered a lot, but…. published a book about it! hummm... Perhaps hoping that they will release a movie from the book and make a lot of money out of it.
I am not disappointed by the story. I am disappointed that there are people who believe in this story without question if its true or not ... That is what is dangerous.
December 22, 2017
I received this book via NetGalley to give an honest review.
What pulled me to request this book was the cover and the title. When I read the blurb I realized that I needed to read this book I love anything to do with the paranormal and this sounded right up my alley.
Now I did enjoy the story but I was thinking it would have been more things going on and even a bit scary. I think it was pretty cool that a doll could be possessed by a human. It just makes the paranormal world a bit more mysterious! This story is told from the author and what happened to him and his family while the doll is in their possession, it has a bit of creepy factor to it especially the bugs and mice but nothing I felt was too over the top.
There are a few pictures that shows what Stephen has captured, what I thought was neat is that the author is an actual investigator of the paranormal.
If you enjoy the paranormal and like to read about a doll who can move things among other things check this book out. I don't want to go into too much detail on my review as it will give a lot away.
What pulled me to request this book was the cover and the title. When I read the blurb I realized that I needed to read this book I love anything to do with the paranormal and this sounded right up my alley.
Now I did enjoy the story but I was thinking it would have been more things going on and even a bit scary. I think it was pretty cool that a doll could be possessed by a human. It just makes the paranormal world a bit more mysterious! This story is told from the author and what happened to him and his family while the doll is in their possession, it has a bit of creepy factor to it especially the bugs and mice but nothing I felt was too over the top.
There are a few pictures that shows what Stephen has captured, what I thought was neat is that the author is an actual investigator of the paranormal.
If you enjoy the paranormal and like to read about a doll who can move things among other things check this book out. I don't want to go into too much detail on my review as it will give a lot away.
March 12, 2018
4.5 Stars
First, I want to say that I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Now that's out of the way, let's just jump into this. I loved this book! It's creeped my out and hooked me so that I couldn't put it down even if I wanted to stop. It's well written, easy to understand and filled with more action than I thought.
This story follows Stephan and his family after they buy Norman and take him home. He causes all kinda of creepy things to happen. First it starts off rather innocently, a few laughs and he will move around, but it gets worse to where he tries to kill Stephan. They even try getting rid of the doll and nothing... he somehow makes it to where he has to stay with him. It's rather intriguing.
Norman is one twisted soul that is now stuck in a very old doll. I don't know what I would do if he was in my life. I mean, after trying to kill Stephan... scary stuff. Now, I do know that while the book was great, I did think the ending was... lacking.... I mean, why keep the doll around? To each their own and I wish this family luck, I really hope that they all find peace and the doll won't cause anymore trouble while locked away in his little room.
First, I want to say that I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Now that's out of the way, let's just jump into this. I loved this book! It's creeped my out and hooked me so that I couldn't put it down even if I wanted to stop. It's well written, easy to understand and filled with more action than I thought.
This story follows Stephan and his family after they buy Norman and take him home. He causes all kinda of creepy things to happen. First it starts off rather innocently, a few laughs and he will move around, but it gets worse to where he tries to kill Stephan. They even try getting rid of the doll and nothing... he somehow makes it to where he has to stay with him. It's rather intriguing.
Norman is one twisted soul that is now stuck in a very old doll. I don't know what I would do if he was in my life. I mean, after trying to kill Stephan... scary stuff. Now, I do know that while the book was great, I did think the ending was... lacking.... I mean, why keep the doll around? To each their own and I wish this family luck, I really hope that they all find peace and the doll won't cause anymore trouble while locked away in his little room.
January 20, 2019
It's like Annabelle became a possessed boy doll, and started to cause mischief. It was a really intriguing story of true events. The author provided wonderful pictures that show the described paranormal events and sone of them really make you believe (especially the pictures of the Norman spirit in the mirror, gave me the chills). This is a book I was able to read in a matter of hours and kept me hooked because I wanted to know what Norman was going to do next.
If you like supernatural/paranormal stories than this book is one that will make your hairs stand on end and keep you wanting to know more. I highly recommend it.
My only question for the author is, why didn't you buy the box that Norman came in when you initially bought him instead of waiting nearly 5 months later to go back and buy the box?
Why keep the doll after it almost tried to kill you? I would have just burned it.
If you like supernatural/paranormal stories than this book is one that will make your hairs stand on end and keep you wanting to know more. I highly recommend it.
My only question for the author is, why didn't you buy the box that Norman came in when you initially bought him instead of waiting nearly 5 months later to go back and buy the box?
Why keep the doll after it almost tried to kill you? I would have just burned it.
August 4, 2025
An interesting read for anyone into the spooky and horror, especially if looking for paranormal non fiction. The story focuses on Stephen Lancaster's own account of his experiences with a haunted doll. As typical with paranormal non fiction, whether you believe the story is ultimately up to you, and will probably greatly affect your enjoyment of it. Personally, the events the book tells seem to me to be just too perfect, especially given from Lancaster's own account, it sounds as though he were looking from the start to write such a book even from when he bought the doll, leaving one to wonder if he wouldn't have been tempted to embellish truths in pursuit of that goal. Even aside from that, a lot of the book just doesn't have the ring of truth for me personally, but the story was well written and in such a way that I could see it being someone else's cup of tea.
April 30, 2018
I have been looking forward to reading this book for months, and it did not disappoint! I've read this author's other books, and it seems to me that he just keeps getting better with every outing. As a paranormal investigator myself, I am fascinated by Lancaster's experiences, and I really do enjoy hearing about the techniques and theories that other investigators use. When a colleague has such an intriguing object for study, the story becomes even more fascinating. I read this book sitting in my back yard on a sunny spring day, and it still managed to freak me out in parts. Lancaster's writing is so straightforward, it really does feel like you're sitting around a campfire sharing ghost stories and a beer with him.
December 19, 2017
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Wow, what a chilling, surreal and creepy book. Norman the doll freaks me out just by being on the book cover! I have always personally been creeped out by dolls since i was young but I am obsessed with horror movies, especially paranormal and love Chucky! Lol That being said I fully believe paranormal things are real and reading this factual account of Stephen’s haunting was intense and thrilling in a horrifying way. I can’t imagine what it was like to actually be in the dolls presence and feel his wrath! This was a fabulously eerie book!
Wow, what a chilling, surreal and creepy book. Norman the doll freaks me out just by being on the book cover! I have always personally been creeped out by dolls since i was young but I am obsessed with horror movies, especially paranormal and love Chucky! Lol That being said I fully believe paranormal things are real and reading this factual account of Stephen’s haunting was intense and thrilling in a horrifying way. I can’t imagine what it was like to actually be in the dolls presence and feel his wrath! This was a fabulously eerie book!
January 10, 2018
This book was very good!!! Creepy story about a doll named Norman and what happens when he is brought into the home of the author. infestations, controlling children, animals, etc., the things that happened around this doll was just creepy. Would I want a doll like Norman??? No thank you. But was it an experience to read about this doll, yes it was. Think Annabelle, but much creepier and scarier. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC of this chilling book in return for my honest review.
August 19, 2018
Stephen Lancaster purchased a doll from an antique shop back in 2016, not knowing the horror hidden within. Following the acquisition, his home seemed to take on a life of it’s own. Doors flew open on their own, snakes appeared under the bedsheets, strange apparitions began showing themselves on his surveillance footage. Was it the doll or did Lancaster, a paranormal researcher, make the entire story up to sell a book? Regardless of what you believe to be true, a ghost story is always fun and this is no exception.
May 22, 2023
Spooky, haunted dolls have been a staple in Hollywood for longer than I’ve been alive. I suspect dolls, by virtue of generally sharing human dimensions and design, makes us uncomfortable because the similarity could be based upon something akin to the uncanny valley theory.
Lancaster does a great job acting as narrator and protagonist in this story. The only thing really detracting from this book at all is that it’s a tale that you’ve heard before. And probably not just once.
I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for anything more from the author.
Lancaster does a great job acting as narrator and protagonist in this story. The only thing really detracting from this book at all is that it’s a tale that you’ve heard before. And probably not just once.
I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for anything more from the author.
July 29, 2018
It is not very often that I find myself with goosebumps after reading a book. But Norman made me chilly on a warm Brazilian beach. Trying to read it before going to bed was impossible. Just the way the story is told made it creapy and it felt true. Just as the author described I would love to see the real footage and the doll.
*** Thank you Netgally for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review ***
*** Thank you Netgally for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review ***
July 31, 2018
I really liked how this read more like a conversation rather than a researcher trying to convince the reader of the occurrences. I have always believed in the paranormal and dolls can definitely house them, whether it's residual or otherwise. I'm a big advocate for being nice to every doll you meet haha! - I had never read anything by Stephen Lancaster before. I may check out his other titles after having enjoyed this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews