Doll Bones by Holly Black ~ Abbreviated Review

Doll Bones is a simply told tale of friendship and a creepy doll. I was really hesitant to read it at first, even though I've loved everything else that Holly Black has written - a book about kids who like to play with dolls? Sounds lame. But when it won a Newberry honor, I decided to give it a whirl.

Premise: Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever, playing an ongoing game with their action figures and dolls. But now that they're older, Zach's dad thinks he should move on to other games. Just when their friendship is about to break, Poppy's mother's creepy bone-china doll sends her a message. Suddenly, the kids find themselves crossing state lines on a quest to find the identity of the doll and put her to rest.

Review: I loved how genuine the friendship felt between Zach, Alice, and Poppy. As they each dealt with their changing middle school identities, there were equal parts arguing and regret about arguing.

I didn't expect to like the creepy doll stuff, but Holly Black included just enough creepiness to keep the reader going when the friendship bits got too realistic. Still, she stayed out of "totally scary" territory, which is something I appreciate. It turned out to be more of a mystery with great friendship elements, than anything else.

I've heard that this book is hugely popular with readers in grades 4-7. Can't wait to give it to a 5th grader!

This post is part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge.