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Doll House
"A book of the year!" – Buried in a Book "This book is not for the faint of heart. It's deliciously dark and gruesome." –Where the Reader Grows "All you girls were less than human. Playthings in a twisted doll house." Olivia is taken from the sidewalk near her college and thrown into a van. Her captors, who she soon discovers are vile, sadistic monsters, abuse her immediately, both mentally and physically. Then she is taken into a house, into a locked room, where everything is cotton candy pink. The pink furniture is designed with rounded edges and corners bolted to the floor, and the seams at the bolts melted. This is where the nightmare begins. She is now a part of their collection. While disturbing in nature and horrific at times, John Hunt has created a masterpiece psychological thriller, full of suspense. Olivia makes heroines of similar genre books pale in comparison. She is one of the bravest you'll ever meet and her story will move you.
205 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 19, 2017
About the author
John Hunt
11 books283 followersA busy father of four with a dog and cat, John Hunt lives and works in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He has had nine short stories published in various anthologies and is a member of the Horror Writers Association. He is the author of Doll House, The Tracker, the apocalyptic novella, Balance, Off The Grid, and short story anthology 4 Shots of Horror. He is also a co-host on the Movies of the Damned!! podcast.
For you authors out there, check out John's YouTube series My Self-Publishing Experiment. The channel name is John Hunt Fiction.
For you authors out there, check out John's YouTube series My Self-Publishing Experiment. The channel name is John Hunt Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 830 reviews
February 21, 2017
This is a very dark, gritty, disturbing, suspenseful thriller and will keep your heart pounding while turning the pages. If you have certain levels of grittiness that you can't handle, this book is not for you because it covers all levels of grittiness. This book scared me and had me shaking and shuddering. I don't scare easy. There were a lot of Oh No! moments. I loved this book and kind of felt guilty loving it. I really can't recommend this book unless I know your level of grittiness. If you can take on everything in a gritty book then this one is for you.
Olivia is on her way to College. She ends up getting abducted by two masked men who have masks on. Their names are The Jackal and the Gorilla. She is taken to a house and put in a pink room made for a doll. She is not the only girl in this house, there are several others. These masked men are doll collectors. This Dolls House is a house of terror. They are raped, tortured and abused. These girls are just another doll to be played with by these sick captors.
Olivia's Dad has been waiting for years for Olivia to be found. He starts drinking and turns into an alcoholic because he can not accept her not being found, until the day he receives a phone call and the voice on the other end says Dad! I am not going any more into the story. You will just have to read it if you want to know what happens next.
It is so creepy.
I thought the characters were done very well. It was a very quick read and was racing to the end.
I want to thank NetGalley, John Hunt and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Olivia is on her way to College. She ends up getting abducted by two masked men who have masks on. Their names are The Jackal and the Gorilla. She is taken to a house and put in a pink room made for a doll. She is not the only girl in this house, there are several others. These masked men are doll collectors. This Dolls House is a house of terror. They are raped, tortured and abused. These girls are just another doll to be played with by these sick captors.
Olivia's Dad has been waiting for years for Olivia to be found. He starts drinking and turns into an alcoholic because he can not accept her not being found, until the day he receives a phone call and the voice on the other end says Dad! I am not going any more into the story. You will just have to read it if you want to know what happens next.
It is so creepy.
I thought the characters were done very well. It was a very quick read and was racing to the end.
I want to thank NetGalley, John Hunt and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 7, 2018
Another John Hunt book that I have devoured in one day. As with his other book "The Tracker" I sat down and did not get up until I turned the final page.
Be warned - this book is not for the faint at heart. It's a gruesome, horrifying, bloody, dark and terrorizing story and yet I could not put the book down (nor did I want to!).
The book begins with Olivia's father dropping her off to college. She is excited to start this next period of her life. It's only an hour from home, but still she will be on her own and looks forward to being independent. Before she even gets to be on her college campus for an entire day, she is grabbed off the street by two men. One man wears the mask of a gorilla, the other man wears the mask of a jackal. No one observes her being taken and Olivia truly disappears without a trace.
She is kept in a room - a pink room - a room for a doll, but she is not treated like a doll. This is where the brutality begins. Again, this is not an easy book to read. There will be triggers for some and others will just not like reading the subject matter. This book contains, rape, mutilation, torture, etc.
Olivia's father does not cope with his daughter's disappearance well - who would? He becomes an alcoholic and lives in misery. But then one day he receives a phone call that he never thought he would receive, can things go back to normal? Will their family ever be the same again? How does one move on? Can you move on? Olivia is home, but she is not the same young woman she was when she left, how could she be? Will she ever feel safe again? Will she ever be safe again?
This book sucked me in and I could not stop reading it. As I said it is gruesome, but I am thankful that torture/rape/dismemberment(s)s did not go into too much detail - but still.... Disturbing with a capital "D." I was on the edge of my seat waiting to learn the identity of the Jackal. I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong, but I wasn't too far off the mark either. I enjoyed the different points of view of the characters and who couldn't love Brutus (Olivia's dog).
I found this book to be well-written and beautifully paced. True, the middle does slow down but I enjoyed that. The first third of the book was intense, the middle needed to be slower as Olivia is adjusting to being home. The last third of the book picks up again and that you will have to read for yourself. I found this book to be a suspenseful, heart-pounding page turner which did not disappoint. This the second John Hunt book I have read, and I know it will not be my last.
Thank you to Black Rose Writing who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
Be warned - this book is not for the faint at heart. It's a gruesome, horrifying, bloody, dark and terrorizing story and yet I could not put the book down (nor did I want to!).
The book begins with Olivia's father dropping her off to college. She is excited to start this next period of her life. It's only an hour from home, but still she will be on her own and looks forward to being independent. Before she even gets to be on her college campus for an entire day, she is grabbed off the street by two men. One man wears the mask of a gorilla, the other man wears the mask of a jackal. No one observes her being taken and Olivia truly disappears without a trace.
She is kept in a room - a pink room - a room for a doll, but she is not treated like a doll. This is where the brutality begins. Again, this is not an easy book to read. There will be triggers for some and others will just not like reading the subject matter. This book contains, rape, mutilation, torture, etc.
Olivia's father does not cope with his daughter's disappearance well - who would? He becomes an alcoholic and lives in misery. But then one day he receives a phone call that he never thought he would receive, can things go back to normal? Will their family ever be the same again? How does one move on? Can you move on? Olivia is home, but she is not the same young woman she was when she left, how could she be? Will she ever feel safe again? Will she ever be safe again?
This book sucked me in and I could not stop reading it. As I said it is gruesome, but I am thankful that torture/rape/dismemberment(s)s did not go into too much detail - but still.... Disturbing with a capital "D." I was on the edge of my seat waiting to learn the identity of the Jackal. I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong, but I wasn't too far off the mark either. I enjoyed the different points of view of the characters and who couldn't love Brutus (Olivia's dog).
I found this book to be well-written and beautifully paced. True, the middle does slow down but I enjoyed that. The first third of the book was intense, the middle needed to be slower as Olivia is adjusting to being home. The last third of the book picks up again and that you will have to read for yourself. I found this book to be a suspenseful, heart-pounding page turner which did not disappoint. This the second John Hunt book I have read, and I know it will not be my last.
Thank you to Black Rose Writing who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
June 27, 2022
This was one solid, dark, and grisly book. I can't even get into some of the things that our antagonists do to their poor, unsuspecting victims, but it ain't pretty. I'll give you a hint though...you know the story of 'this little piggy' with someone's toes? Well, let's just say that some of those piggies never made it to the market. Now be prepared, as the story really dives into the disordered thought process of a bonafide serial killer. It's so creepy and unnerving, but you want to know more. I did wish to get a little deeper into Olivia's process after certain events, but it was still covered a decent amount already. I really also did enjoy the other characters including Harry, Dale, Frank, and who could forget, Brutus. Yay Brutus! The dog gave me strong reflections of Thor from Wayne Smith's awesome werewolf story of the same name. The story did have some slow points, but kept a good pace, and never lost my interest, as I wanted to know everything about the mysterious Jackal. And the author did a wonderful job keeping their identity a mystery until the very end, too. I'm really curious to see where the sequel heads, which I wasn't even aware of until I got to the end of Doll House.
March 13, 2017
4.5*
Well, this book exceeded my expectations. I didn't see this coming.
What should have been an exciting new chapter in Olivia's life: starting university; soon turns into a living nightmare when she is snatched from the university's campus grounds' by a man in a Gorilla mask - and thrown into a van. She was texting her friend, Sara, at the time; so she didn't notice the van slowing and then stopping behind her. Olivia didn't even get to spend the first night in her dorm room, before she taken. Her father, Harry, believes his daughter will be safe, as the university is in one of the safest cities, according to statistics Canada. It looks like she drew the short straw on this particular evening though....sort of.
She is taken to a place where her two abductors waste no time in having some fun with her. One is wearing a Gorilla mask, the other, a Jackals mask. Under their tutelage, she soon learns the futility of fighting back, which has its ramifications when she does.
Her new home is a small cell like room; which is pink, with little furniture: dresser, bed, and shower. The furniture is bolted to the ground, so she can't use anything as a potential weapon plus, both men always enter the room together; always wearing their masks. The Gorilla is the one who always assaults her: the Jackal always tends to her wounds afterwards; seems to care for her. He also never speaks; at least, not when Olivia is able to hear him. The Jackal is an enigma; he revels in seeing her being assaulted by the Gorilla, but doesn't join in; he gets aroused, but doesn't assault her sexually.
I really enjoyed this book (novella), the suspense and tension at times was excruciating. I liked the main character, she had a strong personality, although it seemed as if she was losing her will to live, at times, but she fought her way through it. All she has to do is bide her time, and wait for an opportunity to reveal itself, maybe then she'll find salvation, or not.
Many thanks to the lady who saw this book on my tbr list, and advised me that it was currently gratis (past tense). Much appreciated!
In summation: a fast paced psychological/horror thriller that is very disturbing at times.The prose flowed smoothly enough, and I didn't notice many typos.
Well, this book exceeded my expectations. I didn't see this coming.
What should have been an exciting new chapter in Olivia's life: starting university; soon turns into a living nightmare when she is snatched from the university's campus grounds' by a man in a Gorilla mask - and thrown into a van. She was texting her friend, Sara, at the time; so she didn't notice the van slowing and then stopping behind her. Olivia didn't even get to spend the first night in her dorm room, before she taken. Her father, Harry, believes his daughter will be safe, as the university is in one of the safest cities, according to statistics Canada. It looks like she drew the short straw on this particular evening though....sort of.
She is taken to a place where her two abductors waste no time in having some fun with her. One is wearing a Gorilla mask, the other, a Jackals mask. Under their tutelage, she soon learns the futility of fighting back, which has its ramifications when she does.
Her new home is a small cell like room; which is pink, with little furniture: dresser, bed, and shower. The furniture is bolted to the ground, so she can't use anything as a potential weapon plus, both men always enter the room together; always wearing their masks. The Gorilla is the one who always assaults her: the Jackal always tends to her wounds afterwards; seems to care for her. He also never speaks; at least, not when Olivia is able to hear him. The Jackal is an enigma; he revels in seeing her being assaulted by the Gorilla, but doesn't join in; he gets aroused, but doesn't assault her sexually.
I really enjoyed this book (novella), the suspense and tension at times was excruciating. I liked the main character, she had a strong personality, although it seemed as if she was losing her will to live, at times, but she fought her way through it. All she has to do is bide her time, and wait for an opportunity to reveal itself, maybe then she'll find salvation, or not.
Many thanks to the lady who saw this book on my tbr list, and advised me that it was currently gratis (past tense). Much appreciated!
In summation: a fast paced psychological/horror thriller that is very disturbing at times.The prose flowed smoothly enough, and I didn't notice many typos.
July 16, 2024
Very dark, disturbing and trips most trigger warnings. I liked it but did turn my nose up quiet a bit.
April 24, 2017
It is literally a c list horror flick in book form and I had to force myself to read it to the end. The characters felt flat and the dialog artificial. Also again have some people not been told to show not tell? Anyway maybe I'm missing something but I for one did not like it at all.
March 7, 2017
It should be a very exciting time in Olivia’s life. Her father Harry has just dropped her off at her dorm room on the University of Guelph’s campus. Reluctant as he is to leave her there on her own he is also very proud of his daughter and respects her need for independence as she pursues her education.
But Olivia never gets to experience life on campus. On the night of her arrival as she strolls the campus grounds she is abducted by two masked men. They throw her into the back of a van and peel away into the night. A burlap bag is placed over Olivia’s head and she is led by her abductors into what she senses is the basement of a house. The room they leave her in is all pink. Pink walls, pink furniture, everything bolted down onto a pink floor.
Her abductors come to visit her regularly in her pink room, always wearing their masks. One is a gorilla and the other a jackal. Their visits are horrifying. Sexual favours are extracted and Olivia learns the hard way that these two men exert complete control over her life now. She is there for their exclusive amusement.
Olivia will remain in that pink (I envisioned the colour of pepto bismol) room for the next five years.
Warning this is an extremely brutal and graphic story, it is not for the faint of heart. Seriously vicious stuff!
Since Olivia’s abduction her father Harry has spiralled out of control. The police were never able to determine what happened to his daughter or even hazard a guess as to whether she is still alive. Olivia was Harry’s whole world and in her absence he has turned to drink. There was a time once, when he would enjoy the occasional drink but these days the alcohol drinks him. Then one night as he is sitting at home with a drink in hand the phone rings and when he picks it up he hears Olivia’s anguished cry, Daaddy!
I live about a half hours drive from where this story unfolds, close enough that I worked in the city of Guelph for many years. Rationally of course I know this is just a story. Even so you can bet I will not be parking or walking any where near a white van next time I’m in town.
My thanks to Mary Beth for putting this on my radar as well as Black Rose Writing, NetGalley and John Hunt for an advance reader’s copy.
3.5 twisted, sinister stars.
But Olivia never gets to experience life on campus. On the night of her arrival as she strolls the campus grounds she is abducted by two masked men. They throw her into the back of a van and peel away into the night. A burlap bag is placed over Olivia’s head and she is led by her abductors into what she senses is the basement of a house. The room they leave her in is all pink. Pink walls, pink furniture, everything bolted down onto a pink floor.
Her abductors come to visit her regularly in her pink room, always wearing their masks. One is a gorilla and the other a jackal. Their visits are horrifying. Sexual favours are extracted and Olivia learns the hard way that these two men exert complete control over her life now. She is there for their exclusive amusement.
Olivia will remain in that pink (I envisioned the colour of pepto bismol) room for the next five years.
Warning this is an extremely brutal and graphic story, it is not for the faint of heart. Seriously vicious stuff!
Since Olivia’s abduction her father Harry has spiralled out of control. The police were never able to determine what happened to his daughter or even hazard a guess as to whether she is still alive. Olivia was Harry’s whole world and in her absence he has turned to drink. There was a time once, when he would enjoy the occasional drink but these days the alcohol drinks him. Then one night as he is sitting at home with a drink in hand the phone rings and when he picks it up he hears Olivia’s anguished cry, Daaddy!
I live about a half hours drive from where this story unfolds, close enough that I worked in the city of Guelph for many years. Rationally of course I know this is just a story. Even so you can bet I will not be parking or walking any where near a white van next time I’m in town.
My thanks to Mary Beth for putting this on my radar as well as Black Rose Writing, NetGalley and John Hunt for an advance reader’s copy.
3.5 twisted, sinister stars.
January 22, 2020
Olivia leaves town to go to university. But before she can take up her studies she's abducted by two serial killers wearing animal masks. Several other girls were captured by them too. They are stored like dolls in a house of horrors. Five years later she is able to escape with a high physical price. But one of the culprits is still at large. Who is he? And why is he still stalking Olivia and the two other surviving girls? Well, I'm not much into kidnapping novels but this one was extremely well done and scary from first to last page. The author came up with an intriguing story and I didn't knew who the serial killer was until the very end. Definitely no novel for the faint hearted! Realistic, page turning horror at its very best. Highly recommended!
March 11, 2018
Click, snip, repeat. Craftsman pruning shears were never meant for this. Two men, one wearing the mask of a gorilla, the other masquerading as a jackal, each covering the true and terrible face underneath. One has a real taste for young women, while the other rapes and tortures with glee.
A life-sized doll house outfitted in the nauseating pink of pepto bismol, and a bib of vomit. Fear not, this is only the beginning of the nightmare.
I have a high tolerance level for triggery material, and this novel is rife with it. Be aware that there is unbridled torture, rape, blood, and gore. Even readers with the thick skin of a rhino may be given pause in a couple of scenarios. If you have a tendency toward queasiness, or nurture delicate sensibilities, start running now. For well-seasoned readers of this ilk, it will haul you in. Great pacing, good storytelling, and an ending that was apt.
A life-sized doll house outfitted in the nauseating pink of pepto bismol, and a bib of vomit. Fear not, this is only the beginning of the nightmare.
I have a high tolerance level for triggery material, and this novel is rife with it. Be aware that there is unbridled torture, rape, blood, and gore. Even readers with the thick skin of a rhino may be given pause in a couple of scenarios. If you have a tendency toward queasiness, or nurture delicate sensibilities, start running now. For well-seasoned readers of this ilk, it will haul you in. Great pacing, good storytelling, and an ending that was apt.
June 1, 2017
Doll House by John Hunt is a very disturbing thriller that will get you in 100% from beginning to end.
I loved every minute but had a lot of trouble reading it due to the unspeakable torture of Olivia, it got to the point where I was actually saying enough is enough buti just couldn't stop does that make any sense?
This is not a book for everyone so if you are not up to explicit torture DO NOT READ!!
Olivia is so excited to be going to university in Guelph Canada her father was going to drop her off to her dorm, but she doesn't make it, she is kidnapped by two masked men thrown into the back of a van & taken to a house thrown into a cage & left there for 5 years.
She is tortured so severe that she eventually turns herself off thinking that her life was over, she says to herself Enough IS ENOUGH!!
The masked men known as the GORILLA & the JACKYL will try everything to keep her there but one day she takes on GORILLA & wins. she then tries to find open doors & what she finds are other girls who suffered the same fate all looking like dolls who were kept in pink rooms. Jen & Lucy had been there longer escaped with her.
While Harry Olivia's dad was so distraught about his daughters disappearance the bottle was his best friend Olivia does make it home finally but she can see her dad has a lot of problems she tries to help him, but is having problems herself with what she has been through& life itself.
So she decides to a German Shepherd Brutus to help her cope BUT when JACKYL decides to concoct a plan to get Olivia back things really go up a notch WILL OLIVIA GET HER LIFE BACK TO NORMAL OR WILL JACKYL FINALLY GET WHAT HE WANTS!!
The character of JACKYL really creeped me out I was so scared every time he was in the dialogue & I don't scare easy John Hunt is an author to watch.
I loved every minute but had a lot of trouble reading it due to the unspeakable torture of Olivia, it got to the point where I was actually saying enough is enough buti just couldn't stop does that make any sense?
This is not a book for everyone so if you are not up to explicit torture DO NOT READ!!
Olivia is so excited to be going to university in Guelph Canada her father was going to drop her off to her dorm, but she doesn't make it, she is kidnapped by two masked men thrown into the back of a van & taken to a house thrown into a cage & left there for 5 years.
She is tortured so severe that she eventually turns herself off thinking that her life was over, she says to herself Enough IS ENOUGH!!
The masked men known as the GORILLA & the JACKYL will try everything to keep her there but one day she takes on GORILLA & wins. she then tries to find open doors & what she finds are other girls who suffered the same fate all looking like dolls who were kept in pink rooms. Jen & Lucy had been there longer escaped with her.
While Harry Olivia's dad was so distraught about his daughters disappearance the bottle was his best friend Olivia does make it home finally but she can see her dad has a lot of problems she tries to help him, but is having problems herself with what she has been through& life itself.
So she decides to a German Shepherd Brutus to help her cope BUT when JACKYL decides to concoct a plan to get Olivia back things really go up a notch WILL OLIVIA GET HER LIFE BACK TO NORMAL OR WILL JACKYL FINALLY GET WHAT HE WANTS!!
The character of JACKYL really creeped me out I was so scared every time he was in the dialogue & I don't scare easy John Hunt is an author to watch.
February 27, 2017
3.5 Stars. DOLL HOUSE is a shockingly gruesome thriller!
Author John Hunt wastes no time in introducing his two creepy masked characters GORILLA and JACKAL quickly demonstrating their intent to maim and violate their newly acquired young captive Olivia without a care in the world......except their personal gratification.
Olivia's nightmare in the "twisted pink doll house" begins the very first day her beloved father gets her settled in her new dorm room when she decides to take a walk around campus......Big Mistake......and father Harry, well, he lives his own nightmare as he turns to drink to survive his daughter's absence......but then there's a phone call and the plot takes a satisfying turn, but the fear does not end.
Be forewarned, DOLL HOUSE is quite graphic with horrific abuse and cruelty and filled with blood and gore throughout most of the story; and although I sped right through it to find out the true identity of the evil behind the masks, there were times the dialogue and actions were a bit off with respect to our resilient Olivia, hence my 3 Star rating.
Many thanks to NetGalley and BLACK ROSE WRITING for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 27, 2017
1.5 stars
Thriller? What thriller? Horror? What horror?
This book is billed as a frightening horror thriller.
Pffffffft
I was really excited to read this. Because all the reviews and the synopsis and the freaking cover led me to believe that it was all of those things listed above. Here are a few excerpts from the reviews of this book:
DOLL HOUSE is a shockingly gruesome thriller!
This is a very dark, gritty, disturbing, suspenseful thriller and will keep your heart pounding while turning the pages.
Warning this is an extremely brutal and graphic story, it is not for the faint of heart. Seriously vicious stuff!
a fast paced psychological/horror thriller that is very disturbing at times
Get the picture?
I'm seriously getting really turned off by self-pubs and books published by independent publishing houses. This is the second of these books I've read this year where I feel completely and utterly duped because of the "glowing" reviews of something that is not at all what it's supposed to be. And you know what's funny? All the reviews say the same freaking thing. They all sound about like this:
Olivia is a beautiful girl with a single father who is off at university for her first time away from home. She's feeling that pull of independence and excited to start a new chapter in her life. Then her dream becomes a nightmare when two men in masks abduct her and put her in a van. She wakes up in a brightly pink room where her tormentors treat her like a doll in a dollhouse. They rape and torture her day after day after day. Away from her father and all those she loved, Olivia must become acclimated to her new life or find a way to fight back. It is thrilling and exciting and the pages practically turned themselves.
WARNING: SPOILERS (but as I actually recommend this for NO ONE, I dare you to take a gander anyway)
All of this does happen. And when it is happening, it's pretty graphic. It isn't for the faint hearted. This author certainly does not shy away from graphic imagery.
Olivia's captors, only known as The Gorilla, and The Jackal due to the masks they wear, are psychopaths. The Gorilla does all of the raping and the torturing. And the Jackal.....he watches. He cleans Olivia up afterwards. He does her hair. He paints her nails. But Olivia does get the distinct impression that despite all of this, the Jackal is the one in charge. So one day when the Gorilla decides to visit her alone, Olivia sees an opportunity and she fights back. She escapes, taking two other captives along with her, both of whom look like her and are in similar "doll rooms." Olivia had been imprisoned and tortured for five years.
All of the above happens in the first 40 pages of this novel.
So, this novel may have been gripping, and graphic, and frightening, and horrifying, and thrilling for 40 pages (even though, to me it really wasn't). The whole book is a whole lotta nothing. Seriously. This book is fucking boring. The only reason I breezed through it quickly is because I forced myself to. I have never ever been so bored reading a book in my life (and I'd like to mention also that I'm also reading Stephenie Meyer's The Host as I'm saying this). Here are things that happened during the 170 pages that comprise the meat of this book:
-Our heroine tries to readjust to normal life
-She realizes her father has a drinking problem and tries to get him help
-She worries constantly that The Jackal is still going to come after her since he's still at large
-The Jackal, in his few chapters, gushes about how Olivia is so perfect and he can't get her out of his head (literally every single chapter of his is pages of him talking about how he wants her and needs her)
-Olivia and her high school boyfriend reconnect but realize they don't have anything in common anymore
-Olivia moans and groans about how disfigured and ugly she is now (she lost an ear, several fingers, and several toes to her attackers)
-Olivia and her dad decide to move
-Olivia decides to get a dog and let me tell you, the whole dog adoption process is long and tedious, and we have to endure ALL OF IT with her while it happens.
-The cops are incompetent until a young hottie detective comes on the scene to get some real progress made. And flirts with Olivia.
-Olivia thinks about how she'd like a relationship with hottie detective but he could never possibly love anyone so scarred
-Hottie detective thinks about how he's like a relationship with Olivia but there's no way someone as beautiful could ever want "an old man." (Hint: he's five years older than she)
-The last 15 pages of this novel are action-packed as the Jackal tries to claim Olivia again. (In a pretty contrived ending, but since it was the most action I'd seen for most of the book, I let it slide)
Even the first 40 pages when Olivia was in captivity were boring because all they did was describe in detail her torture and rape. Her capture was even over in maybe 3 pages. Her escape both times were the only times that any type of action occurred and this maybe took up 25 pages of real estate in a 225 page book.
There were also typos EVERYWHERE. (*Note to author. There is a famous Italian opera song entitled Ave Maria. It has been sung by greats like Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. It is NOT, in fact, entitled Ava Maria). <<< This bothered me TO NO END.
I tacked on half a star because of Olivia. I thought she, like every other character in this novel, lacked depth. They were all flat. But Olivia fought back. And she really fought back against two disgusting perpetrators. And I give credit for that.
Oh yeah and I guessed who The Jackal was the very first time his non-Jackal character was introduced.
So now I'm wondering whether the people who wrote the glowing reviews and only mentioned things that happen in THE FIRST FORTY PAGES actually read this at all. This book was so boring and NOTHING HAPPENED. I cannot believe that it scored a 4.04 average rating. Especially when a lot of the so-called reviewers all say the same thing and use the same phrases the publisher uses to promote this book.
So though this isn't really a rant like the review of the other deceptive self-pub was, I'm kinda pissed off that I read a boring piece of fiction about the mundanity of life after abduction when I wanted a horror thriller. I know to steer clear of Black Rose publishing in the future.
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thriller? What thriller? Horror? What horror?
This book is billed as a frightening horror thriller.
Pffffffft
I was really excited to read this. Because all the reviews and the synopsis and the freaking cover led me to believe that it was all of those things listed above. Here are a few excerpts from the reviews of this book:
DOLL HOUSE is a shockingly gruesome thriller!
This is a very dark, gritty, disturbing, suspenseful thriller and will keep your heart pounding while turning the pages.
Warning this is an extremely brutal and graphic story, it is not for the faint of heart. Seriously vicious stuff!
a fast paced psychological/horror thriller that is very disturbing at times
Get the picture?
I'm seriously getting really turned off by self-pubs and books published by independent publishing houses. This is the second of these books I've read this year where I feel completely and utterly duped because of the "glowing" reviews of something that is not at all what it's supposed to be. And you know what's funny? All the reviews say the same freaking thing. They all sound about like this:
Olivia is a beautiful girl with a single father who is off at university for her first time away from home. She's feeling that pull of independence and excited to start a new chapter in her life. Then her dream becomes a nightmare when two men in masks abduct her and put her in a van. She wakes up in a brightly pink room where her tormentors treat her like a doll in a dollhouse. They rape and torture her day after day after day. Away from her father and all those she loved, Olivia must become acclimated to her new life or find a way to fight back. It is thrilling and exciting and the pages practically turned themselves.
WARNING: SPOILERS (but as I actually recommend this for NO ONE, I dare you to take a gander anyway)
All of this does happen. And when it is happening, it's pretty graphic. It isn't for the faint hearted. This author certainly does not shy away from graphic imagery.
Olivia's captors, only known as The Gorilla, and The Jackal due to the masks they wear, are psychopaths. The Gorilla does all of the raping and the torturing. And the Jackal.....he watches. He cleans Olivia up afterwards. He does her hair. He paints her nails. But Olivia does get the distinct impression that despite all of this, the Jackal is the one in charge. So one day when the Gorilla decides to visit her alone, Olivia sees an opportunity and she fights back. She escapes, taking two other captives along with her, both of whom look like her and are in similar "doll rooms." Olivia had been imprisoned and tortured for five years.
All of the above happens in the first 40 pages of this novel.
So, this novel may have been gripping, and graphic, and frightening, and horrifying, and thrilling for 40 pages (even though, to me it really wasn't). The whole book is a whole lotta nothing. Seriously. This book is fucking boring. The only reason I breezed through it quickly is because I forced myself to. I have never ever been so bored reading a book in my life (and I'd like to mention also that I'm also reading Stephenie Meyer's The Host as I'm saying this). Here are things that happened during the 170 pages that comprise the meat of this book:
-Our heroine tries to readjust to normal life
-She realizes her father has a drinking problem and tries to get him help
-She worries constantly that The Jackal is still going to come after her since he's still at large
-The Jackal, in his few chapters, gushes about how Olivia is so perfect and he can't get her out of his head (literally every single chapter of his is pages of him talking about how he wants her and needs her)
-Olivia and her high school boyfriend reconnect but realize they don't have anything in common anymore
-Olivia moans and groans about how disfigured and ugly she is now (she lost an ear, several fingers, and several toes to her attackers)
-Olivia and her dad decide to move
-Olivia decides to get a dog and let me tell you, the whole dog adoption process is long and tedious, and we have to endure ALL OF IT with her while it happens.
-The cops are incompetent until a young hottie detective comes on the scene to get some real progress made. And flirts with Olivia.
-Olivia thinks about how she'd like a relationship with hottie detective but he could never possibly love anyone so scarred
-Hottie detective thinks about how he's like a relationship with Olivia but there's no way someone as beautiful could ever want "an old man." (Hint: he's five years older than she)
-The last 15 pages of this novel are action-packed as the Jackal tries to claim Olivia again. (In a pretty contrived ending, but since it was the most action I'd seen for most of the book, I let it slide)
Even the first 40 pages when Olivia was in captivity were boring because all they did was describe in detail her torture and rape. Her capture was even over in maybe 3 pages. Her escape both times were the only times that any type of action occurred and this maybe took up 25 pages of real estate in a 225 page book.
There were also typos EVERYWHERE. (*Note to author. There is a famous Italian opera song entitled Ave Maria. It has been sung by greats like Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. It is NOT, in fact, entitled Ava Maria). <<< This bothered me TO NO END.
I tacked on half a star because of Olivia. I thought she, like every other character in this novel, lacked depth. They were all flat. But Olivia fought back. And she really fought back against two disgusting perpetrators. And I give credit for that.
Oh yeah and I guessed who The Jackal was the very first time his non-Jackal character was introduced.
So now I'm wondering whether the people who wrote the glowing reviews and only mentioned things that happen in THE FIRST FORTY PAGES actually read this at all. This book was so boring and NOTHING HAPPENED. I cannot believe that it scored a 4.04 average rating. Especially when a lot of the so-called reviewers all say the same thing and use the same phrases the publisher uses to promote this book.
So though this isn't really a rant like the review of the other deceptive self-pub was, I'm kinda pissed off that I read a boring piece of fiction about the mundanity of life after abduction when I wanted a horror thriller. I know to steer clear of Black Rose publishing in the future.
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2018
This book is DISTURBING. Yes, all caps and bold font. If you have a weak stomach, it isn't for you. There were a couple of moments that made me feel a bit ill, and I'm quite used to dark tales. The author doesn't hold back, and isn't glossing anything over. The blurb for this one doesn't give much away, and I'd hate to reveal any spoilers so I'll keep my synopsis similarly brief. I will say that I was happy with the direction this one took, and it definitely added something fresh to this genre. It is hard to read at times, but the main character is incredibly likable and easy to root for.
Olivia is thrilled to be off to university. Her father is having a hard time letting go, having raised her by himself... but she is a smart girl, and neither is too worried about her being off on her own. She doesn't even last the night. She's kidnapped off the street, thrown into a van by two men wearing animal masks. They deposit her not so gently into a room of her very own: small, covered in pink, with a door that is always locked. She is to be their plaything, and they'll do whatever they want with her. Welcome to hell.
Olivia is thrilled to be off to university. Her father is having a hard time letting go, having raised her by himself... but she is a smart girl, and neither is too worried about her being off on her own. She doesn't even last the night. She's kidnapped off the street, thrown into a van by two men wearing animal masks. They deposit her not so gently into a room of her very own: small, covered in pink, with a door that is always locked. She is to be their plaything, and they'll do whatever they want with her. Welcome to hell.
August 4, 2018
It's rare for me to feel so differently about a book, especially when reading some of my friends' reviews. But I didn't enjoy this one that much.
I do have a theory about why...
The first 15-20% of the book and the last 15% is golden. Excellent writing, pacing, etc.
The part in the middle is almost exclusively used for building the tension toward the finale. I think if you can read this book in a single or two sittings, it works very well.
However, if you had a rough two weeks and you had to rely on stealing ten minutes here and there, and it takes more than a week to finish the story, it feels like things die in the middle. In the end, it just felt like this (200 page) story was too long.
Also, since my reading times were not ideal and I still feel that the writer is good, I'm not willing to write him off. Looking forward to reading THE TRACKER sometime in the future.
I do have a theory about why...
The first 15-20% of the book and the last 15% is golden. Excellent writing, pacing, etc.
The part in the middle is almost exclusively used for building the tension toward the finale. I think if you can read this book in a single or two sittings, it works very well.
However, if you had a rough two weeks and you had to rely on stealing ten minutes here and there, and it takes more than a week to finish the story, it feels like things die in the middle. In the end, it just felt like this (200 page) story was too long.
Also, since my reading times were not ideal and I still feel that the writer is good, I'm not willing to write him off. Looking forward to reading THE TRACKER sometime in the future.
February 7, 2017
BEFORE....
Olivia is a college freshman, her first day of college, first day of living on her own. Her father worries, but don't all parents? Olivia never gets to even sleep in her dorm room. She is taken off the street by two men wearing masks. They take her somewhere... and put her in a pretty pink room. A room made for a doll. She has become a new member of their collection.
DURING....
For five years Olivia is kept prisoner in her pink room. She is tortured, she is beat, she is raped repeatedly, she loses body parts when she fights back.
Olivia's father is still grieving her loss. Nothing much seems to matter anymore. The police are no longer actively looking for her. The only thing that seems to help relieve the pain at least temporarily is alcohol .. and he is consuming more and more every night.
And then one night he gets a phone call. On the other end, he hears a voice saying ...Daddy, help me .. please help me.
AFTER....
Olivia has escaped. She has killed one of her abductors. She also finds 3 other girls locked in other pink rooms.
It's like having PSTD ... she can't forget and she's afraid all the time. One of her captors is still out there and she's so afraid he's coming back for her.
The story is told in different voices ... Olivia's, her father's, the two men who kidnapped her, and one of the other victims that she saved.
WARNING : Contains massive violence, rape, torture, even cannibalism.
It's very fast-paced with little let up. I was engaged from the very first to the very end. All of the characters are finely drawn and very credible. The ending was electric. Made me get up and double check the locks on the doors.
Many thanks to the author / Black Rose Writing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this novel. All opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Olivia is a college freshman, her first day of college, first day of living on her own. Her father worries, but don't all parents? Olivia never gets to even sleep in her dorm room. She is taken off the street by two men wearing masks. They take her somewhere... and put her in a pretty pink room. A room made for a doll. She has become a new member of their collection.
DURING....
For five years Olivia is kept prisoner in her pink room. She is tortured, she is beat, she is raped repeatedly, she loses body parts when she fights back.
Olivia's father is still grieving her loss. Nothing much seems to matter anymore. The police are no longer actively looking for her. The only thing that seems to help relieve the pain at least temporarily is alcohol .. and he is consuming more and more every night.
And then one night he gets a phone call. On the other end, he hears a voice saying ...Daddy, help me .. please help me.
AFTER....
Olivia has escaped. She has killed one of her abductors. She also finds 3 other girls locked in other pink rooms.
It's like having PSTD ... she can't forget and she's afraid all the time. One of her captors is still out there and she's so afraid he's coming back for her.
The story is told in different voices ... Olivia's, her father's, the two men who kidnapped her, and one of the other victims that she saved.
WARNING : Contains massive violence, rape, torture, even cannibalism.
It's very fast-paced with little let up. I was engaged from the very first to the very end. All of the characters are finely drawn and very credible. The ending was electric. Made me get up and double check the locks on the doors.
Many thanks to the author / Black Rose Writing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this novel. All opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
September 17, 2023
Don't really know how to rate this one. I liked the first few pages but I just felt so disconnected to the story the entire time I was reading it.
Olivia has her whole life ahead of her. She was starting college and will be living in the dorms by herself. A new start, a new place and faces—until she got snatched near her campus by two masked men. Used and abused, physically and mentally. Will she be able to escape before nothing is left of her?
This is dark and brutal. Not as dark and chilling as the previous books with the same plot that I've read but would totally creep you out a little bit, I just needed more from the story. More emotions, more fear and more shock.
Pretty decent, just not memorable for me.
Olivia has her whole life ahead of her. She was starting college and will be living in the dorms by herself. A new start, a new place and faces—until she got snatched near her campus by two masked men. Used and abused, physically and mentally. Will she be able to escape before nothing is left of her?
This is dark and brutal. Not as dark and chilling as the previous books with the same plot that I've read but would totally creep you out a little bit, I just needed more from the story. More emotions, more fear and more shock.
Pretty decent, just not memorable for me.
March 18, 2018
I read this book really quick for me as couldn't put this book down,I would say this book was like watching a horror movie,some readers might find it abit disturbing. it was really fast paced and so engaging..it starts with Olivia starting her independence going on to university and she was taken by two people one gorilla he's the bute.the other was even worse the one who likes to watch.her father couldn't cope with her disappearance and turns to drink,what happens to her is brutal.the torture rape,and also survival.I would highly recommend this book for its so gripping hope to see more books from this author as I certainly will be reading it.more than 5* rating for me.
February 18, 2017
For all of my reviews, visit my blog at https://theblondelikesbooks.wordpress...
College freshman, Olivia, is kidnapped on her very first day at her new university. Trapped in a pink cell and treated like a doll, Olivia is repeatedly raped and tortured by her two captors. After five years of this, Olivia manages to escape, and is reunited with her dad. She is constantly on edge, because while one captor died…the other, known as The Jackal, is still out there, and no one knows who he is. Told through two perspectives, Olivia’s and The Jackal’s, Hunt weaves a story about a dark, chilling, cat and mouse game.
I loved Doll House! It was really dark, and there were some graphic scenes, which don’t bother me. I was so engaged from the very beginning of the story, and couldn’t wait to see what happened and how everything played out. I really loved Olivia as the main character. She was strong despite her circumstances, and refused to let her captors break her, as they did to many other women before her. After escaping, she was understandably shaken and paranoid, but she still was able to help her dad kick his alcohol addiction and took steps to be proactive in make her feel safe.
There were a few times around two thirds into the story where it felt like the plot was moving a little slowly for me because not much was happening. The story wasn’t moving forward yet, so it felt like it was at a standstill, however the book picked back up at the end and definitely went out with a bang!
I was able to predict the outcome of the book, which always makes me feel like Sherlock Holmes! All in all, Doll House is definitely a book I’d recommend if you’re okay with reading scenes that contain torture/rape, even though they weren’t overly gory, they are definitely there. Doll House was a win for me, and I’m excited to keep an eye on what John Hunt writes in the future!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me a copy of Doll House in exchange for an honest review.
College freshman, Olivia, is kidnapped on her very first day at her new university. Trapped in a pink cell and treated like a doll, Olivia is repeatedly raped and tortured by her two captors. After five years of this, Olivia manages to escape, and is reunited with her dad. She is constantly on edge, because while one captor died…the other, known as The Jackal, is still out there, and no one knows who he is. Told through two perspectives, Olivia’s and The Jackal’s, Hunt weaves a story about a dark, chilling, cat and mouse game.
I loved Doll House! It was really dark, and there were some graphic scenes, which don’t bother me. I was so engaged from the very beginning of the story, and couldn’t wait to see what happened and how everything played out. I really loved Olivia as the main character. She was strong despite her circumstances, and refused to let her captors break her, as they did to many other women before her. After escaping, she was understandably shaken and paranoid, but she still was able to help her dad kick his alcohol addiction and took steps to be proactive in make her feel safe.
There were a few times around two thirds into the story where it felt like the plot was moving a little slowly for me because not much was happening. The story wasn’t moving forward yet, so it felt like it was at a standstill, however the book picked back up at the end and definitely went out with a bang!
I was able to predict the outcome of the book, which always makes me feel like Sherlock Holmes! All in all, Doll House is definitely a book I’d recommend if you’re okay with reading scenes that contain torture/rape, even though they weren’t overly gory, they are definitely there. Doll House was a win for me, and I’m excited to keep an eye on what John Hunt writes in the future!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me a copy of Doll House in exchange for an honest review.
October 11, 2018
One of the most or maybe the most intense and gripping book I ever read. 1/3 of the book was about as scary, brutal and gory as I could bear. I forgot to breathe several times!
Normally I don’t like if the narrator changes during the story but in this case where it switched back and forth between the girls, the kidnappers and the Dad it added more suspense.
More than once I just wanted to yell: “RUN! …. Get out of there as fast as you can!”
Highly recommended – if you can stomach the gore and violence!
Normally I don’t like if the narrator changes during the story but in this case where it switched back and forth between the girls, the kidnappers and the Dad it added more suspense.
More than once I just wanted to yell: “RUN! …. Get out of there as fast as you can!”
Highly recommended – if you can stomach the gore and violence!
January 19, 2018
For all my reviews, visit my blog at http://ladyjbookishnook.blogspot.com
This was a good one!! The story begins with Olivia getting ready to go off to college. The very day she is dropped off by her dad, she is kidnapped and held prisoner by two very dark, sick, twisted and tortuous men. These men are known to Olivia as Gorilla and Jackal by the masks they wear when they enter her room.
For five years Olivia is held in this same room. It is unreal what she goes through at the hands of these two sickos. The graphic torturing events in the story were hard for me to read. Eventually Olivia is able to escape along with two other girls who also had rooms in this warped “Doll House”.
After Olivia’s escape she returns to live with her father who has become an alcoholic during her years of captivity. I did find myself getting irritated at Olivia’s dad, Harry, when Olivia had to take care of him and his alcohol problem after she had been through so much.
The author takes you through the thoughts, emotions, anxieties, and fears of Olivia’s post-captivity life. Olivia and Harry have so much emotional baggage to carry around after this set of horrific events. They both feel guilty and at times blame themselves for what happened.
The point of view switches throughout the story mostly between Olivia and the Jackal, who by the way was never captured and is still out there somewhere. The best part of the story for me was trying to figure out the identity of the Jackal. The police find out after interviewing all of the girls that the Jackal did things different when it came to Olivia. They believed the Jackal may be someone Olivia knew since he never spoke to her but he did the other girls.
The action rises towards the end…just wait until you find out the identity of the Jackal. Overall this is a great book…I give it 4 stars.
Thank you John Hunt, Black Rose Writing, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2017
It should have been the start of a exciting new phase in Olivia`s life,leaving home,moving to university and making new friends but on her very first night she is kidnapped,thrown into a van and transported into a pink living nightmare,the doll house of two twisted psychopaths.
Five years later Olivia`s dad Harry is now a alchoholic who is only holding on to his job because of the sympathy of his bosses.Then one day a miracle happens,he answers the phone and hears a voice that he never thought he would hear again.
Olivia is alive,after enduring years of being beaten,raped and tortured she has killed one of the kidnappers and escaped with three other girls that she found in the house of horrors where they were being held prisoner.Unfortunately Olivia`s nightmare is far from over,one of the kidnappers is still at large and he wants his living doll back.
This dark twisted thriller is voiced by Olivia,Harry,Jen who is one of the girls that Olivia saved and the kidnappers.The person who is still at large is a cruel,twisted individual who could be any one of the male characters who feature in this story.The twists and turns really keep the reader guessing and I changed my mind about the psycho`s identity a number of times.The story is very dark and intense at times,the torture scenes are quite graphic but the rapes are only implied and not gone into in a lot of detail.
I really enjoyed this gripping thriller,the story doesn't take long to get started,there is a constant sense of menace and danger and a nerve shredding final confrontation.It's a very well written book,the characters are realistic and believable and I think this would make a very good film.I would happily recommend this book to any reader who enjoys a dark,creepy thriller.
Many thanks to publishers Black Rose Writing for a arc of this book via netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
Five years later Olivia`s dad Harry is now a alchoholic who is only holding on to his job because of the sympathy of his bosses.Then one day a miracle happens,he answers the phone and hears a voice that he never thought he would hear again.
Olivia is alive,after enduring years of being beaten,raped and tortured she has killed one of the kidnappers and escaped with three other girls that she found in the house of horrors where they were being held prisoner.Unfortunately Olivia`s nightmare is far from over,one of the kidnappers is still at large and he wants his living doll back.
This dark twisted thriller is voiced by Olivia,Harry,Jen who is one of the girls that Olivia saved and the kidnappers.The person who is still at large is a cruel,twisted individual who could be any one of the male characters who feature in this story.The twists and turns really keep the reader guessing and I changed my mind about the psycho`s identity a number of times.The story is very dark and intense at times,the torture scenes are quite graphic but the rapes are only implied and not gone into in a lot of detail.
I really enjoyed this gripping thriller,the story doesn't take long to get started,there is a constant sense of menace and danger and a nerve shredding final confrontation.It's a very well written book,the characters are realistic and believable and I think this would make a very good film.I would happily recommend this book to any reader who enjoys a dark,creepy thriller.
Many thanks to publishers Black Rose Writing for a arc of this book via netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
March 7, 2021
Olivia is leaving home for the first time, but not for university as she now thinks. The Jackal has other plans for her. She will become his doll, his prized possession, and he will never, ever let her go.
Two chapters was all it took for the tension and darkness to begin, in this horrifying thriller. Scenes of violence and torture, both physical and psychological, were almost immediately introduced and continued throughout the entire first quarter of the book. I found these scenes hard to digest but, what followed, was alternatively lessened in suspense and intrigue, in comparison.
What I anticipated forming the book's entire focus was only actually present for this first quarter. What came after was still taut and there were still mysteries to be solved, but I felt removed from the action and suspense and distanced from feeling a deep emotional attachment to all but two of the characters.
This last point was, in part, due to the stilted dialogue. It felt a little artificial to me and I found the scenes of blood and action more authentic, despite how gory and gruesome they were. Once these were removed so was my investment in this storyline.
Two chapters was all it took for the tension and darkness to begin, in this horrifying thriller. Scenes of violence and torture, both physical and psychological, were almost immediately introduced and continued throughout the entire first quarter of the book. I found these scenes hard to digest but, what followed, was alternatively lessened in suspense and intrigue, in comparison.
What I anticipated forming the book's entire focus was only actually present for this first quarter. What came after was still taut and there were still mysteries to be solved, but I felt removed from the action and suspense and distanced from feeling a deep emotional attachment to all but two of the characters.
This last point was, in part, due to the stilted dialogue. It felt a little artificial to me and I found the scenes of blood and action more authentic, despite how gory and gruesome they were. Once these were removed so was my investment in this storyline.
February 14, 2017
For all my reviews, check out Clues and Reviews
www.cluesandreviews.wordpress.com
Olivia is a college freshman; bright-eyed, eager for what the future holds until she is abducted and kept hostage locked in a room. For five years she is raped, tortured and abused. Her room is pink. A room fit for a doll. She is a member of their sick collection. After Olivia escapes her captors, her worries truly begin. Getting out of the Doll House was the easy part; remaining away from the Doll House proves to be the bigger obstacle.
Doll House by John Hunt was one of the creepiest books that I have read in a long time; it takes quite a bit for me to be truly frightened, but this one had my skin crawling. I was glued to my seat. I was compelled to keep reading. I could have read this one easily in one sitting, but I had to take a break when it became too dark.
I had to read this one during the daytime.
The novel opens and immediately jumps into the action; Olivia is abducted and her descent into hell begins. Explicitly written, but not overdone, Hunt relies on the reality of a psychopathic mind instead of ostentatious shows of violence. In fact, the scariest part of this novel was the fact that it felt so real. There was no paranormal element, nothing supernatural, just the pure, raw and macabre horrors of human nature.
This one reminded me a lot of Riley Sager’s Final Girls the book that I have predicted will be a book everyone is talking about this summer.
From the pace to plot and a kick-ass female protagonist, I found not much to fault in Doll House. This novel is out now, so if you want a “scare your pants off” type horror thriller, then look no further.
This one was a #cjsreads2017 pick, so stay tuned for our group review, as well as a very special Q&A post with the author, John Hunt!
THANKS TO THE AUTHOR, THE PUBLISHER AND NETGALLEY FOR A DIGITAL COPY OF THIS NOVEL; IT WAS MY PLEASURE TO PROVIDE AN HONEST REVIEW.
www.cluesandreviews.wordpress.com
Olivia is a college freshman; bright-eyed, eager for what the future holds until she is abducted and kept hostage locked in a room. For five years she is raped, tortured and abused. Her room is pink. A room fit for a doll. She is a member of their sick collection. After Olivia escapes her captors, her worries truly begin. Getting out of the Doll House was the easy part; remaining away from the Doll House proves to be the bigger obstacle.
Doll House by John Hunt was one of the creepiest books that I have read in a long time; it takes quite a bit for me to be truly frightened, but this one had my skin crawling. I was glued to my seat. I was compelled to keep reading. I could have read this one easily in one sitting, but I had to take a break when it became too dark.
I had to read this one during the daytime.
The novel opens and immediately jumps into the action; Olivia is abducted and her descent into hell begins. Explicitly written, but not overdone, Hunt relies on the reality of a psychopathic mind instead of ostentatious shows of violence. In fact, the scariest part of this novel was the fact that it felt so real. There was no paranormal element, nothing supernatural, just the pure, raw and macabre horrors of human nature.
This one reminded me a lot of Riley Sager’s Final Girls the book that I have predicted will be a book everyone is talking about this summer.
From the pace to plot and a kick-ass female protagonist, I found not much to fault in Doll House. This novel is out now, so if you want a “scare your pants off” type horror thriller, then look no further.
This one was a #cjsreads2017 pick, so stay tuned for our group review, as well as a very special Q&A post with the author, John Hunt!
THANKS TO THE AUTHOR, THE PUBLISHER AND NETGALLEY FOR A DIGITAL COPY OF THIS NOVEL; IT WAS MY PLEASURE TO PROVIDE AN HONEST REVIEW.
February 10, 2017
Thank you to Netgalley, Black Rose writing and John Hunt for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance reader copy of this book.
You can find my review on both Goodreads and Amazon. On Goodreads from today under Karen Whittard and on Amazon under k.e.whittard from publication date.
Please take caution and think carefully before you read this book. If you are offended/creeped out/grossed out easily then please think carefully before reading this book. For this book contains many things that the average reader will find hard to stomach.
I think that I have an iron clad stomach. This is the third book that I have read this year. That has descriptions in that I think the average viewer would find possibly offensive. Let's just say it is uncomfortable reading at times. With scenes you would find in Hannibal/wolf creek/house at the end of the street and things like saw.
Before this book Olivia is a freshman college student. It is her first time being in her own. The first day in her dorm when she is abducted by some masked men off the street.
For five years Olivia has been kept captive. She had been kept in a pink room. Where she has been tortured, raped and abused.
Her father is going through the grieving process the only thing that helps him is at the end of a bottle. The police have given up hope. Until one day Olivia's father gets a call. Which says daddy please help me.
The story is told from different points of view. Olivia's, her fathers and the two kidnappers and one other victim. It is a harrowing, scary, bone tingerling book. That if you can manage to read it will have the desired effect if creeping you out. i think this would make a really good horror movie.
Let me know if you manage to read this one.
Happy reading everyone
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance reader copy of this book.
You can find my review on both Goodreads and Amazon. On Goodreads from today under Karen Whittard and on Amazon under k.e.whittard from publication date.
Please take caution and think carefully before you read this book. If you are offended/creeped out/grossed out easily then please think carefully before reading this book. For this book contains many things that the average reader will find hard to stomach.
I think that I have an iron clad stomach. This is the third book that I have read this year. That has descriptions in that I think the average viewer would find possibly offensive. Let's just say it is uncomfortable reading at times. With scenes you would find in Hannibal/wolf creek/house at the end of the street and things like saw.
Before this book Olivia is a freshman college student. It is her first time being in her own. The first day in her dorm when she is abducted by some masked men off the street.
For five years Olivia has been kept captive. She had been kept in a pink room. Where she has been tortured, raped and abused.
Her father is going through the grieving process the only thing that helps him is at the end of a bottle. The police have given up hope. Until one day Olivia's father gets a call. Which says daddy please help me.
The story is told from different points of view. Olivia's, her fathers and the two kidnappers and one other victim. It is a harrowing, scary, bone tingerling book. That if you can manage to read it will have the desired effect if creeping you out. i think this would make a really good horror movie.
Let me know if you manage to read this one.
Happy reading everyone
June 28, 2017
Short sharp reviews until I get up-to-date.
Its not often I give 5 stars to a book as gruesome as this but this just gripped me. No synopsis, there are plenty of these in other reviews. Pretty graphic violence BUT that wasn't the worst bit. The worst bit was Jackyl's relentless pursuit of Olivia after she escaped! He was one of the worst villains ever and when his identity is revealed - holy crap! Olivia was a really gutsy protagonist and you can't help cheering her on as she fights for her life. Shudder, it still makes me cringe. While I was reading, I had to put it down and play solitaire (lame huh?) just to let go some tension.
But yeah, I loved it, pretty weird eh?
Its not often I give 5 stars to a book as gruesome as this but this just gripped me. No synopsis, there are plenty of these in other reviews. Pretty graphic violence BUT that wasn't the worst bit. The worst bit was Jackyl's relentless pursuit of Olivia after she escaped! He was one of the worst villains ever and when his identity is revealed - holy crap! Olivia was a really gutsy protagonist and you can't help cheering her on as she fights for her life. Shudder, it still makes me cringe. While I was reading, I had to put it down and play solitaire (lame huh?) just to let go some tension.
But yeah, I loved it, pretty weird eh?
Shelved as 'dnf'
January 30, 2021This one is bad. I can't. I made it to page 35 and that was as far as I'm going. It is truly sick. I love horror in general, but I can't do gore, especially when it's realistic. This book spares you from the detailed sexual assault but it describes in painfully clear detail the pain and torture. So I'm done that's it. I read as a pleasurable hobby, nothing about this book brings me joy AT ALL.
June 26, 2021
This was creepy and terrifying
February 7, 2017
https://anaslair.wordpress.com/2017/0...
Doll House is definitely not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of explicit violence.
When I read the blurb for this book I thought that this could be an episode right out of my favourite show, Criminal Minds. A pink cell, two sickos wanting to make this girl their doll - I wondered what made them tick.
The more I read the more disappointed I would get. The characters felt flat, and not only do we not get to know how these guys came to think the way they did but we also do not even find out how they met and teamed up.
And it is indeed creepy to read a man gets an erection every time he thinks of maiming a girl but after a while it is just not enough.
There were other ways in which the psychological aspect majorly lacked. I could never even relate to any of the characters. Harry did not sound like the middle-aged adult he is supposed to be and Olivia just sounded fake, like the author worked too hard to make her sound like a heroine.
Even the constant swear words, which I usually don't notice because they blend in with the stories when properly used, stood out like a neon sign because they did not add anything.
The writing drove me insane since I kept reading the same things over and over again. Because of that, the book actually dragged on for me.
It also sounded very immature, especially when the voice turned to Harry, or the police detectives, who I just could not take seriously.
Even the attempts at humour were too silly to be funny. Example:
Sargent: So? You're sure he's not our guy?
Detective: I'll be sure when we get DNA. But I'd have to say, at this point, his story checks out. We've proven that much of it.
S: Poop.
D: Yes. Poop.
S: Call if you need anything.
The lack of punctuation was an issue as well. The writing just felt clumsy.
Example:
After Davis left Olivia closed the door and locked it behind him. She felt exhausted and leaned her heard against the door, her head swimming with information.
Still, Doll House has its qualities. This is not a book just about twisted men abducting and exerting extreme violence over young women. It's about what happens if the unthinkable becomes real and the captive breaks free. Would you be able to lead a normal life? Especially if the person who caused you so much pain was still out there? Would you ever feel safe?
It does explore these questions so not all is bad and I am sure several people will enjoy it very much. Unfortunately I did not find it memorable at all and could not help finishing the experience feeling disappointed, especially since even the last line seemed corny.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Doll House is definitely not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of explicit violence.
When I read the blurb for this book I thought that this could be an episode right out of my favourite show, Criminal Minds. A pink cell, two sickos wanting to make this girl their doll - I wondered what made them tick.
The more I read the more disappointed I would get. The characters felt flat, and not only do we not get to know how these guys came to think the way they did but we also do not even find out how they met and teamed up.
And it is indeed creepy to read a man gets an erection every time he thinks of maiming a girl but after a while it is just not enough.
There were other ways in which the psychological aspect majorly lacked. I could never even relate to any of the characters. Harry did not sound like the middle-aged adult he is supposed to be and Olivia just sounded fake, like the author worked too hard to make her sound like a heroine.
Even the constant swear words, which I usually don't notice because they blend in with the stories when properly used, stood out like a neon sign because they did not add anything.
The writing drove me insane since I kept reading the same things over and over again. Because of that, the book actually dragged on for me.
It also sounded very immature, especially when the voice turned to Harry, or the police detectives, who I just could not take seriously.
Even the attempts at humour were too silly to be funny. Example:
Sargent: So? You're sure he's not our guy?
Detective: I'll be sure when we get DNA. But I'd have to say, at this point, his story checks out. We've proven that much of it.
S: Poop.
D: Yes. Poop.
S: Call if you need anything.
The lack of punctuation was an issue as well. The writing just felt clumsy.
Example:
After Davis left Olivia closed the door and locked it behind him. She felt exhausted and leaned her heard against the door, her head swimming with information.
Still, Doll House has its qualities. This is not a book just about twisted men abducting and exerting extreme violence over young women. It's about what happens if the unthinkable becomes real and the captive breaks free. Would you be able to lead a normal life? Especially if the person who caused you so much pain was still out there? Would you ever feel safe?
It does explore these questions so not all is bad and I am sure several people will enjoy it very much. Unfortunately I did not find it memorable at all and could not help finishing the experience feeling disappointed, especially since even the last line seemed corny.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 4, 2017
I'm really wondering if people who rated this anything beyond two stars have ever read any horror books, because this was The WORST™.
Within the first three chapters, Olivia is dropped off at school, is kidnapped and all of a sudden it's five years later. Yes, there's gruesome descriptions about what happened to her, but honestly....that's it?
I felt that was "Room" lite. It had a ton of potential, there were SO MANY other ways for this story to have been written but this, this wasn't is.
Don't promise me a five year captivity in a 'doll house' and then give me scene after scene of iPads and Candy Crush. Come on.
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for this review.
Within the first three chapters, Olivia is dropped off at school, is kidnapped and all of a sudden it's five years later. Yes, there's gruesome descriptions about what happened to her, but honestly....that's it?
I felt that was "Room" lite. It had a ton of potential, there were SO MANY other ways for this story to have been written but this, this wasn't is.
Don't promise me a five year captivity in a 'doll house' and then give me scene after scene of iPads and Candy Crush. Come on.
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for this review.
March 14, 2017
This shit was terrifying. Nothing supernatural here, just old school psychopathic murder. I literally started double checking that I was locking my front door, and when I left my wife alone I made sure the shotgun was accessible (seriously). I was a little tentative at around the 20% mark because while I love my horror, I'm not a fan of cruelty/rape scenes. Luckily, while that does happen, the book does not draw this part out but uses it as method of getting you to hate the villians just as much as Olivia does. Recommend!
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