The Doll House by D.W. Gillespie

Blurb:

When a boy moves into his late grandfather’s mansion, he discovers eerie spell books, creepy dolls, and strange noises. But one doll feels especially off—maybe it’s nothing, or maybe it’s…watching. This creepy middle grade read is perfect for fans of the Goosebumps series.

Garrett never met his grandfather, Burke, but he’s heard the stories from his mother. Burke was an enormously successful writer, but he was also notoriously cruel, especially to his family. After he passes away suddenly, Garrett and his mother are told that his enormous fortune is hers…if they agree to spend a week at his estate.

The house is a monument to Burke’s obsession with puppet-like dolls, and the attic is packed with cryptic notes and ancient books. It’s clear that his grandfather was up to something, but Garrett can only guess what, and his fear only deepens when he finds a creepily detailed doll with 'Marion' written on the foot.

As the week progresses, Garrett realizes that the house isn’t what it seems. An old typewriter clicks away on its own. There are sounds in the night that come from the basement. And strangest of all is Marion, who always seems to be watching...

Review:

Forced to move into his late grandfather’s mansion, a boy unveils an eerie sequence of items: spell books, dolls, and even strange noises…but only one doll holds his attention. The doll in one of the backmost rooms of the mansion, which almost feels like it’s watching him.

Garret never met his grandfather and never truly had a desire to, but he has his stories told by his mother. Burke, his grandfather, was a successful author—while also being incredibly hateful, cruel, and selfish when it came to his family. After his sudden death, Garret and his mother receive his entire enormous fortune…so long as they spend a week at his rotting, clandestine estate.

A mirror to Burke’s obsession with puppet dolls, the mansion haunts Garret and his mother at every twist and turn. Packed with cryptic notes, agent books, and of course—dolls, it seems like his father was up to something both sinister and magical at once. Garret’s fear expands as he learns more about his late grandfather and what heinous deeds he committed, especially when he discovers a puppet with the name Marion engraved on it.

A week shouldn’t be too long to live in an old man’s mansion…but in this case, living might mean surviving instead.

The Doll House is one of the best middle grade novels I have ever read. Although it’s shorter than the books I usually consume, I think the length lends itself to pacey writing, quick pacing, and more digestible content for middle grade writers.

The most common critique I have for middle grade authors who are aspiring to publish their novels is that their main protagonists simply don’t sound like middle grade age characters. Too many writers fall into the trap of writing main characters in middle grade fiction that sound adult, or use adult terminology, or think about adult-centric things. Gillespie, however, does not have these issues.

The main character in The Doll House is both young, idealistic, and so accurately his age. Not only that, but he’s unique in a way that kids are unique in reality. Every thought, action, and deed he does in the novel seems true to both him and other kids his age. The way he’s written is a true fresh breath of air compared to many other middle grade novels, which lean toward lower young adult versions of writing.

Something I loved about this novel was how it didn’t shy away from hard topics like death and danger. Being a horror book, it can be all too easy to water things down for younger audiences, but horror is also a great way to introduce middle grade readers to tough subjects via fictional mediums. Gillespie is a master of doing this, or so I believe after reading this novel.

Death is almost entirely the focus of the manuscript, and it resonates with every word I read. The message of the novel revolved around death but also didn’t feel like I was being spoon-fed the morals, and so, to me, it’s absolutely well-written.

With terrifying creatures and relatable characters, I’d compare this novel to Caroline and The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling. I’d also say it’s a great comparison to Goosebumps, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and A Series of Unfortunate Events. It’s easy to consume but not needlessly fluffy, and it will be the highlight of many kids’ bookshelves, I can already tell. This book is enormously well done!