The Doll Funeral

Author: Kate Hamer

Publisher: Meville House

Release Date: August 15, 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A strange, interesting tale that will leave readers deep in the woods of the story and not wanting to come out.

When Ruby turns thirteen she gets what she has wanted all her life, finding out her parents are not her real mother and father. Ruby makes it her mission to find her real parents and get out from under the abuse she has suffered her entire life.  Ruby sets off into the forest with her imaginary friend she calls Shadow boy and finds a group of siblings who have been living alone and welcome her to join them.  The longer she spends with them, the more she realizes they need her as much as she needs them and the reasons make it difficult to determine what is real and what is not.  Told from Ruby’s time and point of view and also that of her mother when she first became pregnant, The Doll Funeral is a tale that will engage the imagination and leave the reader wondering long after the last page.

This is a book that is very compelling, confusing and entertaining all at the same time. Ruby is a girl that sees much more than most her own age.  Ruby has an imaginary friend that helps her along the way with the troubles she goes through.  This relationship helps the story along giving the reader much more insight into the mindset of the characters.  All the characters in this book go on a very emotional journey and the writing brings the reader along to feel each of the emotions as the character experiences them.  Going back and forth between the timeline of Ruby and her mother shows how the actions of one trickles down to affect others.  A back and forth timeline can sometimes be a difficult thing to write but Kate Hamer has done an excellent job giving this duel timeline taking the story forward and engaging the reader.  There were a few pages throughout that I skimmed through to get back to the story but overall not much was to be missed.  This is a story I will recommend to readers that enjoy a thriller with a little bit of the supernatural sprinkled in throughout.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.