bensmelanie's review against another edition
2.0
What did I read? This was a weird book with an identity crisis. It didn't know what kind of book it was, so it ended up failing all around. I'm not sure what the Newbery panel was thinking when they read this book.
crey18's review against another edition
4.0
Very creepy. My favorite element of this book has absolutely nothing to do with the creepy doll, but rather with the tension of growing up that Zach battles with through the entire book. That thread through the story made the it real to me.
athoffman18's review against another edition
3.0
Three 12 year old friends; Poppy, Alice and Zach have been playing a wonderful game with their action figures. They've entered a whole new world, until the fateful day that Zach's father throws out all his action figures when he is away at school one day. Too angry to tell the girls the truth, he just pushes them aside and tells them he doesn't want to play the game any longer. When Poppy and Alice show up at his house late at night to tell him a strange secret, they don't realize that their quest is about to turn into a test of friendship and somewhat a coming of age story.
d_sebek's review against another edition
3.0
Holly Black starts with an interesting premise: middle school aged children with over-active imaginations think they have a haunted doll. In an attempt to quiet the poltergeist, they go on a journey to bury the doll with the body that is missing its spirit.
The "quest" left the reader wanting more and the ending felt predictable once a certain page limit was reached. Overall a good read for students but a miss for adults.
The "quest" left the reader wanting more and the ending felt predictable once a certain page limit was reached. Overall a good read for students but a miss for adults.
snorpy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
rcgarcia's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
pixelrenaissance's review against another edition
5.0
This is genuinely one of the best books I’ve read in quite a while. It’s short and perfect for Autumn with the spooky month just around the corner.
My only regret is starting it as my nightly audiobook- I couldn’t fall asleep because I was so invested and stayed up all night til the end
My only regret is starting it as my nightly audiobook- I couldn’t fall asleep because I was so invested and stayed up all night til the end
anieeereads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
pandacat42's review against another edition
5.0
Creepy, but also fun and sweet. A shorter version of this would make the perfect scary story to tell in the dark. I enjoyed this story of growing up and still wanting the magic of make believe.