Thank you.
Enjoyed it.
Will purchase copies for family and friends.

<i>Doll House</i> 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: <i>So? You're sure he's not our guy?</i>
Detective: <i>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.</i>
S: <i>Poop.</i>
D: <i>Yes. Poop.</i>
S: <i>Call if you need anything.</i>

The lack of punctuation was an issue as well. The writing just felt clumsy.

Example:

<i>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.</i>

Still, <i>Doll House</i> 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.

<i>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.</i>

Absolutely gripping! Olivia, on her first day of university, is kidnapped and imprisoned by two mysterious men, one the Jackal, the other the Gorilla. Unbeknownst to her, there have been other girls in her place. The effects of this are obviously horrendous, and she must have the will to survive and escape. Well written and fast paced, with great plot twists, this is well worth the read!

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.

This book seriously blew me away. My head is spinning... I was clenching my hands and biting my nails the WHOLE time. It takes a lot for a book to make me step back and say... woah WHILE I'm reading it but this one did just that.

Olivia is off to college an hour away from home. She doesn't even make it a full 24 hrs before her worst nightmare happens and her life is changed forever. Abducted and forced into a prison made just for her. Everything is pink, bolted down to the floor, no sharp objects or anything to protect herself with.

"She became a meat puppet, her strings played by two masked men, evil in their own ways."

These men are sick , so sick I found myself wanting to look away from what I was reading.... but at the same time I couldn't. They are vile, repulsive... the things they do to women are unmentionable. Hunt's words are so well written I was scared for Olivia. Their masks, a Gorilla and a Jackal, make them seem even more the monster they really are. Olivia isn't their first and she's pretty sure she won't be the last, there are others, like her.

Gorilla can't control himself like Jackal can. After five years Olivia has learned this and will use it to her advantage when he comes to her alone. Rules are broken and the price must be paid. When things don't go as planned for one of the men, the other is on his own, to find his Olivia and bring her back. He won't let her go that easy.

"Five years of foreplay and then to have his moment stolen enraged and hurt him."

Between Olivia's dad and the detectives they are determined to keep her safe with alarm systems, fancy gadgets that alert the police and even a dog.... but not everyone is who they seem.


My rating: 5/5 Jackal stars

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.

Review: DOLL HOUSE by John Hunt

DOLL HOUSE is a deeply felt and admirably realized tale of an unending real-life nightmare. On the very day she moves into a freshman residence hall at university, Olivia is abducted and undergoes five years of unspeakable torment. During her absence, her devoted father Harry devolves into alcoholism, an addiction that continues even after Olivia' s eventual escape and return to their home. Since the ringleader has not been found, neither Olivia, Harry, nor the other victims can find peace, until a heartwrenching and traumatic denouement.