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Doll Crimes
‘It’s not that there aren’t good people in the world. It’s that the bad ones are so much easier to find.’
A teen mother raises her daughter on a looping road trip, living hand-to-mouth in motel rest stops and backwater towns, stepping occasionally into the heat and chaos of the surrounding cities. A life without permanence, filled with terrors and joys, their stability is dependent on the strangers—and strange men—they meet along the way. But what is the difference between the love of a mother, and the love of a friend? And in a world with such blurred lines, where money is tight and there’s little outside influence, when does the need to survive slide into something more sinister?
A teen mother raises her daughter on a looping road trip, living hand-to-mouth in motel rest stops and backwater towns, stepping occasionally into the heat and chaos of the surrounding cities. A life without permanence, filled with terrors and joys, their stability is dependent on the strangers—and strange men—they meet along the way. But what is the difference between the love of a mother, and the love of a friend? And in a world with such blurred lines, where money is tight and there’s little outside influence, when does the need to survive slide into something more sinister?
222 pages, Paperback
Published November 5, 2019
33 people are currently reading
679 people want to read
About the author
Karen Runge
20 books49 followersKaren Runge was born in Paris, France, in October 1983. The daughter of a diplomat, her family lived in France and then Gabon before returning to their native South Africa when she was a young child.
She is a horror writer, sometimes an artist, and works teaching adults English as a second language. She is currently working on two separate novels.
She is a horror writer, sometimes an artist, and works teaching adults English as a second language. She is currently working on two separate novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 28, 2019
Doll Crimes is the unflinching story of a young mother and her daughter surviving homelessness through desperate acts. Our narrator is the daughter--everything is filtered through her thoughts, feelings, life experience, and context so I'm going to warn you now: It's brutal; heartbreaking. I can't explain how unsettling it is to be a 43-year-old woman, a mother of three kids, an emotional reader who invests too deeply in the lives of fictional characters, to read a book like this. The author, Karen Runge does not hold back. Our young narrator talks freely about her mother's "friends"--the long list of men they have stayed with over the years. Much to our disgust, she calls them "Uncle". These strangers are given this immediate privilege of getting the family term by her mother. So many Uncles- Uncle Steve, Uncle Dan, etc. It's so messed up and wrong but our protagonist doesn't see it the way we do and so as you read this story, you live in the constant tension of knowing how f*cked up everything is but it's translated as normative. I'm going to preserve your reading experience so I'm going to withhold details about the story that are game-changers. I will say that in the first part of the story, the first 100 pages feel like reading a memoir, reflections, musings. Our protagonist has this short-lived "paradise" time in her life when her and her mother lived with a woman named "Aunt Clem" and so we get real-time situations peppered with comparisons to that paradise. Heaven & Hell. This is harrowing--it's painful but it's nothing like the last half of the story. The last 100 pages killed me.
How old is the daughter? I don't know exactly. In some scenes, the girl's mother treats her like a child and other times like a best friend, a peer. We know they're only 15 years apart. Through the leering, predatory gazes of the men they encounter, we also know that people think they're sisters.
What's our protagonist's name? I couldn't remember that either and I leafed through the pages to find it and all I kept seeing were the times the girl's mother called her, "Babe", "Doll", "My girl". Or the names the men called her, "Little Miss" "Sweetie" "Girlie" or whatever other demeaning pet names. It's very fitting that her name and age are ambiguous--not memorable; not important.
I'll be honest: I don't know that I would have picked up this book on my own, free will. I have a pretty serious inability to hang with stories heavy with child exploitation/abuse. But Karen Runge is a talented author. I've read a few of her short stories as part of an anthology-they always stand out among her peers. She's very good. Also, Karen was assaulted the weekend before this book released. She was unable to promote this book as much as she would have. This prompted me to help promote it, buy it and commit to reading & reviewing it.
I'm glad I didn't shy away from this one. Everything inappropriate or exploitive was handled in such a way that was mindful of the purpose of sharing it--if that makes sense. It's almost like Karen didn't want to double-down on the exploitation here and I really respect that. So I'm going to say that yes, this has all the triggers but it's not there for shock value. This is the story of Doll Crimes and there wasn't any other way to tell it. Karen Runge's talent shines bright in this pitch-black horror story of real monsters and their prey.
How old is the daughter? I don't know exactly. In some scenes, the girl's mother treats her like a child and other times like a best friend, a peer. We know they're only 15 years apart. Through the leering, predatory gazes of the men they encounter, we also know that people think they're sisters.
What's our protagonist's name? I couldn't remember that either and I leafed through the pages to find it and all I kept seeing were the times the girl's mother called her, "Babe", "Doll", "My girl". Or the names the men called her, "Little Miss" "Sweetie" "Girlie" or whatever other demeaning pet names. It's very fitting that her name and age are ambiguous--not memorable; not important.
I'll be honest: I don't know that I would have picked up this book on my own, free will. I have a pretty serious inability to hang with stories heavy with child exploitation/abuse. But Karen Runge is a talented author. I've read a few of her short stories as part of an anthology-they always stand out among her peers. She's very good. Also, Karen was assaulted the weekend before this book released. She was unable to promote this book as much as she would have. This prompted me to help promote it, buy it and commit to reading & reviewing it.
I'm glad I didn't shy away from this one. Everything inappropriate or exploitive was handled in such a way that was mindful of the purpose of sharing it--if that makes sense. It's almost like Karen didn't want to double-down on the exploitation here and I really respect that. So I'm going to say that yes, this has all the triggers but it's not there for shock value. This is the story of Doll Crimes and there wasn't any other way to tell it. Karen Runge's talent shines bright in this pitch-black horror story of real monsters and their prey.
November 19, 2019
Crystal Lake Publishers are all about the darkest aspects of all things. Since they are on the more literary side of genre publishers, they tend to take the dark psychology road over the traditionally horrific one, you know the one paves with gore and guts. And since nothing is darker than child abuse, they go there too. In fact, this is the second consecutive recent book I’ve read by them featuring child abuse, first being Pale White. And, in comparison, this one is considerably bleaker. Possibly because it is a proper novel, not just a novella, so it simply has more page count to dwell on the evil people manage to perpetrate, possibly because the author here just takes her subject to the new extremes. This book is meant to unsettle the readers…and it does. It has an almost Ketchumesque quality to it, in fact the late great Ketchum actually paid Runge a singular compliment once by stating that her writing scares him. For me personally, I prefer Ketchum’s books, even I had to compare. At the very least, his plotting has always been more satisfying. This book, for all its potent (and it really is potent) writing, doesn’t quite hit the same stride with the plot itself. I mean, there is a coherent classic 3 act plot. It has to do with an unconventional mother/daughter relationship as they travel around, struggling to get by via the calculated kindness (and other less desirable) qualities of strangers. Because the age difference between the two is only 15 years, the relationship dynamic is somewhat (to put it mildly) untraditional. It’s also very, very wrong. Basically this is severely distorted Gilmore Girls, featuring privation, graphic sexual content and child abuse. The story is narrated by the daughter, baby doll, beloved by her mother, but oh so wrongly. The kid (her age seems to be around 15, but is frequently adjusted via makeup, clothes, etc. to suit the situation, is definitely the more mature or at the very least less skewed morally than the mother, but the sort of life the two of them have led…no one leaves unscarred. And it is the leaving aspect that is, in the end, so unsatisfying somehow. To continue the comparison with Pale White, the ending there was inappropriate conspicuously happy and here (I don’t want to say too much for those who haven’t read the book), but it just leaves something to be desired. Especially after all the emotional involvement you put into this very emotionally engaging book. I understand why the author chose to end the book the way it did, logically I’m totally on board, but after all that bleakness and all that depravity, you just kind of wish for more. Or not, you might like the ending unconditionally, different strokes and all that. Other than the ending, to be fair I didn’t love this book, I’m not sure one can love a book like this. I appreciated it. The way it handled such a complex emotionally fraught subject. But it was a lot…too much at times…to wade through such mud for so long and seemingly all so one note…one sad note. It was almost repetitive, one horrid situation after another, one terrible revelation after another, a genuine onion of depravity, the more you peel, the more tears. And no, I’m not saying it was overdone and the author dwelled entirely too much on the nightmarish plight of her characters…in fact, that was probably the goal, through repetition to poignancy or something like that, but…well, it was a lot, so much of it same or similar, just escalating, so much ugliness lingered upon. So reader beware, this is dark enough of a journey to require a flashlight, some dancing rainbows and oodles of sunshine to offset. And I admit that as an established connoisseur of dark psychological fiction. Because of the subject matter and its extremely heavyhanded delivery, this one is difficult to impossible to recommend. The quality is certainly there, but this won’t be for everyone.
November 8, 2019
Every once in a while, you happen upon a story that just rips you apart. One that is so utterly gut-wrenching that you can’t stop thinking about it. That’s what Karen Runge’s Doll Crimes has done to me.
Horror comes in many different shades but for me when horror is laced with the reality of everyday life that is the scariest of all. The subject matter is of a sensitive nature one that may upset a few of you but you know, it is something that really occurs more often than you would like to think.
The premise is simple enough, a mother and her daughter living off the radar going from one town to the next living nomadically. But as the layers begin to peel back you have to wonder just how is it that mom provides for them.
As the truth begins to unfold you will find yourself so utterly put off by what is occurring that you may just want to stop reading but don’t! There is so much more to the story and you need to finish it to truly appreciate just what has been related.
Karen Runge has expertly woven together a story that could be ripped from the headlines of the nightly news. The voice of her protagonist is so strong and convincing that you just might forget you are reading a fictional tale. Yeah, I am recommending this one!
Horror comes in many different shades but for me when horror is laced with the reality of everyday life that is the scariest of all. The subject matter is of a sensitive nature one that may upset a few of you but you know, it is something that really occurs more often than you would like to think.
The premise is simple enough, a mother and her daughter living off the radar going from one town to the next living nomadically. But as the layers begin to peel back you have to wonder just how is it that mom provides for them.
As the truth begins to unfold you will find yourself so utterly put off by what is occurring that you may just want to stop reading but don’t! There is so much more to the story and you need to finish it to truly appreciate just what has been related.
Karen Runge has expertly woven together a story that could be ripped from the headlines of the nightly news. The voice of her protagonist is so strong and convincing that you just might forget you are reading a fictional tale. Yeah, I am recommending this one!
November 6, 2019
'Tis tempting when reading a story of such sadness to think "Whoa--at least my childood-adolescence--adulthood wasn't THIS bad!", then walk away with a feeling of temporary relief and only a fading memory of the book. But I consider that an error: this book is deserving of so much more than a tossed-off "Oh, those poor characters! (So glad it's not me!)" and a relieved good-bye. I think novels, novellas, short atories that the reader finds difficult (excluding here the sub-sub-genre of "extreme horror," gore for gore's sake, and simply bad writing); difficult because of personal triggers, or suffering of characters, or psychological disorders which the reader has never confronted and doesn't understand--fiction (and nonfiction) in these latter categories deserves to be read, examined, sometimes (if the triggers are really tough), endured. The end product you hold in your hands DESERVES reading, considering, tracing the thoughts it provokes; then admiring the author who brought this forth.
Don't read this book once and toss it off. Sit with it. Absorb it. Relate to it. Give it the respect it deserves.
Don't read this book once and toss it off. Sit with it. Absorb it. Relate to it. Give it the respect it deserves.
January 13, 2020
This wasn’t badly written, just not for me. Too many unanswered questions and meandering scenes.
January 7, 2020
Horror doesn't always mean werewolves and zombies. Some of the scariest horror involves the depravity of the human race. This is the story of a girl and her mother, traveling through the fringes of society. The subject matter is tough and not for everyone. But Runge creates world-weary characters and a world of desperation with very little graphic descriptions (which, in my opinion, makes it even more haunting). And while the ending was unexpected, sadly it didn't really surprise me. I highly recommend, but with some caution.
I posted this review on my blog 1/6/2020.
I posted this review on my blog 1/6/2020.
December 17, 2019
Painful, engaging and somehow beautiful
This book will throw you into an emotional blender. One page you will be heartbroken at the story of a young girl in the road with her young mother. The next page you will be angry when the author starts dropping hints how they're surviving day to day. All the while you will be memorized by the beautiful prose. This book is an elegant portrait of ask too real pain. Recommended.
This book will throw you into an emotional blender. One page you will be heartbroken at the story of a young girl in the road with her young mother. The next page you will be angry when the author starts dropping hints how they're surviving day to day. All the while you will be memorized by the beautiful prose. This book is an elegant portrait of ask too real pain. Recommended.
November 30, 2019
Haunting
This book hasn't left my mind since finishing it yesterday. On the surface, it's a sort of coming-of-age piece. But there's much more going on and each chapter sinks you lower into the character's mind - this is dark fiction at its finest.
The main character, called by many pet names except for her real one, is a young girl of indeterminate age. Her mother, also with a list of fake names, is only fifteen years older. The two are homeless and on the road, living off of their own grifting abilities and/or the kindness of strangers - except it's often shady men who are anything but kind. At first, the pair seem quirky but somewhat content with their lot. Then, the past starts to resurface.
Trying not to spoil, but it's safe to say our young protagonist suffered an unimaginably brutal childhood. And her unusual mind has a way of protecting her, as the mind often does in cases of severe abuse. My own childhood had problems, nowhere near as bad as this, but I found myself relating to the girl's coping methods. Unique and viciously imaginative, the violent images are maybe even understated given what she suffered.
I'm sure some readers will shy away from this book because child abuse is a harrowing subject. But, enough is left to our own imagination that this is far from exploitative. Stories like this are so important in a world that often proves dangerous to young girls. Predators are everywhere (or at least it feels like it when one is a woman alone). Sometimes they wear friendly faces to reel us in. But sometimes, the worst enemies are the ones who're supposed to love and protect us. Thank you for this important tale.
This book hasn't left my mind since finishing it yesterday. On the surface, it's a sort of coming-of-age piece. But there's much more going on and each chapter sinks you lower into the character's mind - this is dark fiction at its finest.
The main character, called by many pet names except for her real one, is a young girl of indeterminate age. Her mother, also with a list of fake names, is only fifteen years older. The two are homeless and on the road, living off of their own grifting abilities and/or the kindness of strangers - except it's often shady men who are anything but kind. At first, the pair seem quirky but somewhat content with their lot. Then, the past starts to resurface.
Trying not to spoil, but it's safe to say our young protagonist suffered an unimaginably brutal childhood. And her unusual mind has a way of protecting her, as the mind often does in cases of severe abuse. My own childhood had problems, nowhere near as bad as this, but I found myself relating to the girl's coping methods. Unique and viciously imaginative, the violent images are maybe even understated given what she suffered.
I'm sure some readers will shy away from this book because child abuse is a harrowing subject. But, enough is left to our own imagination that this is far from exploitative. Stories like this are so important in a world that often proves dangerous to young girls. Predators are everywhere (or at least it feels like it when one is a woman alone). Sometimes they wear friendly faces to reel us in. But sometimes, the worst enemies are the ones who're supposed to love and protect us. Thank you for this important tale.
January 16, 2020
Okay, I've been sitting on this one, Kindle let you all know I finished it, but I needed time to digest. This was not at all what I thought it might be. The title, the cover, the small press all slotted this book into the box I like to call "could-have-a-good-plot-but-likely-to-have-errors-and-be-overall-iffy". It was not any of these things.
This was well written, and made me feel dirty like I had just read "Bastard Out of Carolina" dirty. This is not a story for everyone, but fans of Jack Ketchum will be pleased, Ketchum in fact said that "Karen Runge scares me," which really sets the tone.
A few things: There is sensitive content here, but it is not written in a perverse, lurid or sleazy way. I really appreciated this, and found myself rereading to appreciate the deft hand Runge took to this story. It read like a meditation, lots of repetition, but this made it dream-like in a good way. It worked to keep the plot as dream-like as it is for our narrator. I won't spoil why.
So, read it if it sounds up your alley, but go into it slowly, carefully, and appreciate the craft, and how we as readers are along on this road trip of a dream world. For the first 50 pages I didn't think this would be a 5star book for me. But, I held on, rapt, and it was very satisfying in the way realistic horror rarely is.
This was well written, and made me feel dirty like I had just read "Bastard Out of Carolina" dirty. This is not a story for everyone, but fans of Jack Ketchum will be pleased, Ketchum in fact said that "Karen Runge scares me," which really sets the tone.
A few things: There is sensitive content here, but it is not written in a perverse, lurid or sleazy way. I really appreciated this, and found myself rereading to appreciate the deft hand Runge took to this story. It read like a meditation, lots of repetition, but this made it dream-like in a good way. It worked to keep the plot as dream-like as it is for our narrator. I won't spoil why.
So, read it if it sounds up your alley, but go into it slowly, carefully, and appreciate the craft, and how we as readers are along on this road trip of a dream world. For the first 50 pages I didn't think this would be a 5star book for me. But, I held on, rapt, and it was very satisfying in the way realistic horror rarely is.
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June 28, 2023This book was SO So overrated for what it is. It is the furthest thing and or book of horror that you will ever read. Don't fall for it just skip it.
It is NOT a book of horror, but what it is is a novel of a bad mother doing bad sexual things with her daughter. Yes, it is about child prostitution. If you can think of the 1980's movie "Pretty Baby" that starred Brooke Shields, that was way worse than this was. There are no scenes of shocking horror and torture as everyone said there was in the reviews. Yes, i always say: "Karma is a bitch, and you will always get what is coming to you!".
I guess coming from a 62 year old gay man who went thru way worse sexual torture and abuse in the 60's than this girl does, I guess this was not as shocking as i thought it was going to be. It is so poorly executed that it needed a good editor badly. The author contradicts herself over, and over and over. And if I had to hear the word 'Automatons' again, I was going to shut it off and DNF it. Read 'The Groomer' if you want a shocking tale of horror.
I cannot recommend this at all. Sorry.....snooze fest.
1 star
It is NOT a book of horror, but what it is is a novel of a bad mother doing bad sexual things with her daughter. Yes, it is about child prostitution. If you can think of the 1980's movie "Pretty Baby" that starred Brooke Shields, that was way worse than this was. There are no scenes of shocking horror and torture as everyone said there was in the reviews. Yes, i always say: "Karma is a bitch, and you will always get what is coming to you!".
I guess coming from a 62 year old gay man who went thru way worse sexual torture and abuse in the 60's than this girl does, I guess this was not as shocking as i thought it was going to be. It is so poorly executed that it needed a good editor badly. The author contradicts herself over, and over and over. And if I had to hear the word 'Automatons' again, I was going to shut it off and DNF it. Read 'The Groomer' if you want a shocking tale of horror.
I cannot recommend this at all. Sorry.....snooze fest.
1 star
January 31, 2020
This is the first Karen Runge novel I've read. Her biographical information promised darkly disturbing horror, and this book definitely delivered on that.
A teen mother lives a life of desperation on the road, dragging her daughter along from place to place. In order to survive, the mom exploits both herself and her daughter. She allows strange men illicit access in exchange for money or a temporary room and board. Thus the daughter grows up numb and confused, understanding little about life and relationships beyond doing whatever you can to survive.
Runge spends the entire novel inside the daughter's head. Occasionally, nearing a point of tedium as a result. However, she never completely crosses that line.
Overall, DOLL CRIMES is an engaging (albeit emotionally destructive) read. You won't want to digest this one in bed. Your head will be too busy crying out for someone to show this mother and daughter some fucking empathy. You'll be desperately searching for solutions for these ladies, and wishing in vain that the world was a better place.
A teen mother lives a life of desperation on the road, dragging her daughter along from place to place. In order to survive, the mom exploits both herself and her daughter. She allows strange men illicit access in exchange for money or a temporary room and board. Thus the daughter grows up numb and confused, understanding little about life and relationships beyond doing whatever you can to survive.
Runge spends the entire novel inside the daughter's head. Occasionally, nearing a point of tedium as a result. However, she never completely crosses that line.
Overall, DOLL CRIMES is an engaging (albeit emotionally destructive) read. You won't want to digest this one in bed. Your head will be too busy crying out for someone to show this mother and daughter some fucking empathy. You'll be desperately searching for solutions for these ladies, and wishing in vain that the world was a better place.
August 19, 2025
I don’t even know where to begin. There is something so unsettling about reading a series of depraved and twisted events that is narrated as normal because it’s all the narrator has ever known.
This book is bleak. This book is not for the faint of heart. This book will tear you apart; unless, of course, you’re an automaton.
This book is bleak. This book is not for the faint of heart. This book will tear you apart; unless, of course, you’re an automaton.
November 24, 2019
Review for this book forthcoming at horrorbound.net
July 30, 2021
We need to talk about this book! Talk about a gem that has gone under the radar. This book is DARK AF and way more heartbreaking than I was prepared for.
March 25, 2024
if we're being 100% real i'm not sure how sold i am on the last act of this but everything up to that point is so so so good....the way information unfolds and unfolds, layer by layer - extremely bittersweet, hard not to be affected by this. it's an easy statement to describe prose as 'dreamlike' but this really hits on kind of a constant feeling of freefall. profoundly not ok. one of my favorite explorations of a particular feeling of transience during the formative parts of ur life that really just knocked me out to see on the page...i really like this
July 19, 2025
2.5 Stars ~
December 29, 2019
"What crimes can a doll commit?"
It's possible I missed it, but I don't believe the real names of the mother and daughter duo at the center of Doll Crimes are ever given. There's only a 15-year age difference between the two, so they're more like friends than mother and daughter when we first start out. I once knew someone whose mother was only 15 years older than her, so this characterization rings true to me.
The mother and daughter are constantly traveling from one town to the next on a never-ending road trip. The mother keeps much of her past secret from her daughter. Money is always a problem, so the mother has a series of boyfriends who they rely on to get by, but who they also must flee from after a while, so they live in a constant threat of danger.
The book tends to give summaries of their life rather than presenting distinct scenes. There isn't a lot of back and forth dialogue. We get a lot of Momma's homespun philosophy in the early chapters including how difficult it is to be a single, underaged mother. "Momma says kids don't realize how much they hurt their parents. She says being a parent is always about being hurt by your kids or hurting for your kids."
I wasn't sure if this was a horror book or not until I got to Chapter 7. There, we learn that when the daughter looks at someone with her third eye, she kills them - in her mind at least.
The story moves back and forth in time in a stream-of-consciousness way and the pacing is rather slow. It's a bit of a mystery how old the daughter is in the present time. She herself doesn't know for sure. She says she can pass for anywhere between 12 and 17 depending on her wardrobe and makeup.
The true horror of the daughter's situation is gradually revealed in bits and pieces throughout the book. She has to grow up fast. She's "home-schooled" by her mother and doesn't get to spend time with other kids. She subjected to sexual abuse at the hands of some of her Momma's boyfriends. Also, we gradually learn that her Momma isn't as nice as we are initially led to believe. Her Momma lets her smoke weed, sometimes hurts her when she's drunk, and does other things that are even worse.
It's possible I missed it, but I don't believe the real names of the mother and daughter duo at the center of Doll Crimes are ever given. There's only a 15-year age difference between the two, so they're more like friends than mother and daughter when we first start out. I once knew someone whose mother was only 15 years older than her, so this characterization rings true to me.
The mother and daughter are constantly traveling from one town to the next on a never-ending road trip. The mother keeps much of her past secret from her daughter. Money is always a problem, so the mother has a series of boyfriends who they rely on to get by, but who they also must flee from after a while, so they live in a constant threat of danger.
The book tends to give summaries of their life rather than presenting distinct scenes. There isn't a lot of back and forth dialogue. We get a lot of Momma's homespun philosophy in the early chapters including how difficult it is to be a single, underaged mother. "Momma says kids don't realize how much they hurt their parents. She says being a parent is always about being hurt by your kids or hurting for your kids."
I wasn't sure if this was a horror book or not until I got to Chapter 7. There, we learn that when the daughter looks at someone with her third eye, she kills them - in her mind at least.
The story moves back and forth in time in a stream-of-consciousness way and the pacing is rather slow. It's a bit of a mystery how old the daughter is in the present time. She herself doesn't know for sure. She says she can pass for anywhere between 12 and 17 depending on her wardrobe and makeup.
The true horror of the daughter's situation is gradually revealed in bits and pieces throughout the book. She has to grow up fast. She's "home-schooled" by her mother and doesn't get to spend time with other kids. She subjected to sexual abuse at the hands of some of her Momma's boyfriends. Also, we gradually learn that her Momma isn't as nice as we are initially led to believe. Her Momma lets her smoke weed, sometimes hurts her when she's drunk, and does other things that are even worse.
December 3, 2019
A gorgeously written, terrifying examination of the complicated mother-daughter relationship; how they love and respect each other despite flaws; how they can damage each other no matter the depth of that love. This is real-life horror that reaches into the very bones of any woman who has loved her mother or daughter despite emotional crimes, big or small. Rife with sharp, stunning details and strong internal narrative, it's possibly one of the most moving, visually beautiful--and yet accessible--books I've ever read, fraught with tension, sadness--and a strange kind of joy, because no matter where we are in our relationships with our mothers or daughters, their men, and the people who have done them wrong, we know that we are not alone. If you love dark fiction and are a mother, daughter, or both; or, if you have struggled with that emotionally fragile, yet seemingly unbreakable, bond between you, then this book is for you. High recommend.
February 9, 2020
Karen Runge’s Doll Crimes was one of the most striking novels of the year; reading all 252 brutal pages in a very short space of time, with the teenage narrator remaining in my thoughts long after the final page. I’m a fan of bleak novels and this exercise in hopelessness was extreme, but at the same time the damaged voice of the narrator was so authentic one hoped there might be light at the end of the tunnel. This is a story of abuse which is implied and drip-fed to the reader through a girl who is wise beyond her years, creating a powerful piece of fiction.
The plot is simplistic and perfectly formed; a homeless teenage girl and her mother lead a nomadic existence, moving from town to town. She has never had a permanent home and the mother is forever making empty promises that they will soon settle down. The girl has never gone to school and the mother lives with a succession of men she has picked up. The youngster is exceptionally good at reading people and she can tell quickly whether any of these men are also interested in her for the wrong reasons. Although there is virtually no sex in the entire novel, Doll Crimes gives many triggers to what might have been occurring since she was small. There is little more harrowing in horror that cruelty inflicted upon children; it is much worse than zombies, vampires and stories that wallow in gore. This book is meant to be unsettling, the voice is damaged, but its portrayal is 100% genuine; dealing with a very troubling subject with real style and substance which deserves to be widely read beyond genre boundaries.
The plot is simplistic and perfectly formed; a homeless teenage girl and her mother lead a nomadic existence, moving from town to town. She has never had a permanent home and the mother is forever making empty promises that they will soon settle down. The girl has never gone to school and the mother lives with a succession of men she has picked up. The youngster is exceptionally good at reading people and she can tell quickly whether any of these men are also interested in her for the wrong reasons. Although there is virtually no sex in the entire novel, Doll Crimes gives many triggers to what might have been occurring since she was small. There is little more harrowing in horror that cruelty inflicted upon children; it is much worse than zombies, vampires and stories that wallow in gore. This book is meant to be unsettling, the voice is damaged, but its portrayal is 100% genuine; dealing with a very troubling subject with real style and substance which deserves to be widely read beyond genre boundaries.
August 22, 2021
If I had to pick one word to describe the majority of this book, it would be “bleak.” That’s precisely why it works so well. The nameless mother (aside from her aliases,) and her nameless, ageless daughter are something between completely homeless and couch-hopping. But when those couches belong to strange men, in strange places void of safety, it doesn’t take much time to cross all sorts of horrific lines.
Things become morally corrupt. The reader is constantly being shown the false love the mother claims she has for her daughter, but we often find her actions just don’t match up. The daughter seems to have a limited understanding of basic manners or “red flags,” because she has been exposed to so much trauma she has blocked out much of her memory.
She is not living a life any child should ever live, even in their worst nightmares. And yet to her, this is normal. Aside from staying in Carris with her now-estranged “Aunt” Clementine, a life of transience is the only life she’s ever known.
Boundaries will be crossed. Bridges will be burnt. And values will be twisted up and contorted into something you will hardly recognize. But you may just go to bed feeling a little more grateful for your strict parents growing up, or the roof over your head, or the food on top of the table.
I know I did. I know I really did.
Things become morally corrupt. The reader is constantly being shown the false love the mother claims she has for her daughter, but we often find her actions just don’t match up. The daughter seems to have a limited understanding of basic manners or “red flags,” because she has been exposed to so much trauma she has blocked out much of her memory.
She is not living a life any child should ever live, even in their worst nightmares. And yet to her, this is normal. Aside from staying in Carris with her now-estranged “Aunt” Clementine, a life of transience is the only life she’s ever known.
Boundaries will be crossed. Bridges will be burnt. And values will be twisted up and contorted into something you will hardly recognize. But you may just go to bed feeling a little more grateful for your strict parents growing up, or the roof over your head, or the food on top of the table.
I know I did. I know I really did.
February 16, 2020
Ouch. This is a tough one. And that's an understatement.
I would have liked some of the scene breaks more obvious since they could be hard to follow at times. Be recalling the past, another past and suddenly back to present. I definitely understood the dreamlike quality of this from the daughter's POV though. The third eye was interesting and not a surprising way of trying to cope. Just heartbreaking. Awful.
Very conflicting emotions about the ending.
Well written and enjoyed (if such a word can really be used for this tragic tale). Extremely tough subject to tackle. This is the first I've read of this author and I'll be checking out others.
I would have liked some of the scene breaks more obvious since they could be hard to follow at times. Be recalling the past, another past and suddenly back to present. I definitely understood the dreamlike quality of this from the daughter's POV though. The third eye was interesting and not a surprising way of trying to cope. Just heartbreaking. Awful.
Very conflicting emotions about the ending.
Well written and enjoyed (if such a word can really be used for this tragic tale). Extremely tough subject to tackle. This is the first I've read of this author and I'll be checking out others.
June 27, 2020
This review contains spoilers!!!
Holy moly that was hard to read! A neverending saga of abuse. The story of "Baby Doll" is one that needed to be told the way it was told to keep you from throwing it in disgust at what this little girl's mother perpetuated with her. It's more than obvious that this girl's mother hasn't had the most awesome upbringing and thus knows only this way to raise her daughter. The change that "Susie" makes, giving the girl half of the money from further abuse and her being happy with it, is pathetic. I had to go take a shower after reading this one...I felt dirty!!! Superbly written!
Holy moly that was hard to read! A neverending saga of abuse. The story of "Baby Doll" is one that needed to be told the way it was told to keep you from throwing it in disgust at what this little girl's mother perpetuated with her. It's more than obvious that this girl's mother hasn't had the most awesome upbringing and thus knows only this way to raise her daughter. The change that "Susie" makes, giving the girl half of the money from further abuse and her being happy with it, is pathetic. I had to go take a shower after reading this one...I felt dirty!!! Superbly written!
December 26, 2019
Eh
While this is wonderfully written prose, the general vagueness of the narrative keeps a great deal of the horror spoken of by other reviewers away. This is not to say that the actual crimes aren't heinous, but they are not so much told as gestured toward. It would be far more interesting to explore the 3rd eye psyche referenced by the narrator.
While this is wonderfully written prose, the general vagueness of the narrative keeps a great deal of the horror spoken of by other reviewers away. This is not to say that the actual crimes aren't heinous, but they are not so much told as gestured toward. It would be far more interesting to explore the 3rd eye psyche referenced by the narrator.
October 18, 2020
This was a rough read. It's every bit as heavy as you'd guess from looking at it, yet not gratuitous. The author perfectly captures the right voice to tell this story; sad, confused, angry, simultaneously childish and wise, at times deeply insightful. There's a relatability to her that transcends shared experiences. The writing is beautiful.
April 18, 2021
audible:This was an excellent book!A young girl is subjected to many crimes by her mother,until an unlikely ally appears.I found it spellbinding.Linda Jones was a terrific narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'
February 18, 2020
This book will break your heart with its beautiful language and tragic story.
June 30, 2020
Tragic and powerful story
Doll Crimes
Author: Karen Runge
Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing
TW
Abuse
Written in first person point of view, in an almost stream-of-consciousness style, this dark, disturbing and brutal novella follows
a mother and her daughter (the young adult narrator) struggling to get by and scamming who they can.
On the surface it's a very unglamorous life, but they are living in ‘the Now’, as Momma likes to say, staying with various 'boyfriends' at any given time, boyfriends who offer options to them, so they have a roof over their heads.
When it comes to Carris; there is before and after. A transformative time for the girl, she doesn't know why she's being dragged away from aunty Clem. She doesn't know what's real and what’s not, her memories switching from a blood, red-spattered vision, to the flash of a camera.
Quite soon, through the scattered images and thoughts of the girl, the reader realises the nature of this very real horror suffered by many.
“Every stranger a monster. Every smile grotesque.”
The girl, whose age varies depending on her mom's needs, is a terrific narrator.
This is painful, poignant and harrowing.
Yet at the same time, especially now, it is a story that needs to be told.
It's descriptive, lush with metaphor and powerful.
Yet the whole story is not without hope.
An incredibly crafted novella.
Doll Crimes
Author: Karen Runge
Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing
TW
Abuse
Written in first person point of view, in an almost stream-of-consciousness style, this dark, disturbing and brutal novella follows
a mother and her daughter (the young adult narrator) struggling to get by and scamming who they can.
On the surface it's a very unglamorous life, but they are living in ‘the Now’, as Momma likes to say, staying with various 'boyfriends' at any given time, boyfriends who offer options to them, so they have a roof over their heads.
When it comes to Carris; there is before and after. A transformative time for the girl, she doesn't know why she's being dragged away from aunty Clem. She doesn't know what's real and what’s not, her memories switching from a blood, red-spattered vision, to the flash of a camera.
Quite soon, through the scattered images and thoughts of the girl, the reader realises the nature of this very real horror suffered by many.
“Every stranger a monster. Every smile grotesque.”
The girl, whose age varies depending on her mom's needs, is a terrific narrator.
This is painful, poignant and harrowing.
Yet at the same time, especially now, it is a story that needs to be told.
It's descriptive, lush with metaphor and powerful.
Yet the whole story is not without hope.
An incredibly crafted novella.
January 3, 2023
This was an unrelenting, heart-wrenching book. The story is written from the perspective of a girl with no real home or future; I don't believe we even get to learn her name. She just has nicknames, made-up names, while she lives on the road with her young mother who makes her way through men of varying degrees of immorality. The girl doesn't go to school, but learns through the actions of her mother and occasional reading she sparingly provides to her. However, it is clear that the main focus is never to get the girl an education, but to get her ready to follow in her footsteps.
The writing is like a stream of consciousness from the girl. She often opens her 'third eye' to watch people die slowly or bleed out because she has been witness to so many terrible people that that is what she wishes upon a lot of them. This defensive mental behaviour is a result of her upbringing and never feeling safe or able to retaliate against unwanted advances. Her age is really just a general consensus of 'too young' for what she is doing and what is being done to her.
Karen Runge really knows how to destroy you. My face ached from the pained expressions I made while reading this book. It's filled with the evil that lives in the world and the terrible situations that are sometimes pushed upon children.
The writing is like a stream of consciousness from the girl. She often opens her 'third eye' to watch people die slowly or bleed out because she has been witness to so many terrible people that that is what she wishes upon a lot of them. This defensive mental behaviour is a result of her upbringing and never feeling safe or able to retaliate against unwanted advances. Her age is really just a general consensus of 'too young' for what she is doing and what is being done to her.
Karen Runge really knows how to destroy you. My face ached from the pained expressions I made while reading this book. It's filled with the evil that lives in the world and the terrible situations that are sometimes pushed upon children.
August 18, 2021
I would never consider this book and the horror genre. The first half of the book felt pretty devoid of actual storyline. It was a lot of flashbacks and yes, a lot of bad things happen to the girl, but the writing was so vague. I still don't understand what exactly happened with Aunt Clem and what kind of relationship she ended up having with Susie. The book tried hard to engage readers with shock value, but I felt like the majority of the book was extremely boring. It was repetitive in flashbacks, Even when the narrator described current events, it felt like the same day every day. I'm confused as to why this was listed under horror because it felt more like a memoir. I wouldn't call it a psychological thriller, I wouldn't call it suspense, I wouldn't call it horror. It felt like a poorly written and vague drama. If I could give it less than one star I absolutely would.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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