Customer Reviews

Among the Dolls

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I first fell in love with this book as a high school student shelving books in the children's room of the local public library. I spent the past four years hunting for a copy to add to my own library. This well-written book imaginatively explores what our world - and the dolls' world - might be like from the perspective of the dolls. It's a scary story that will make you look twice at every dollhouse you see thereafter, leaving you wondering if you're in control of the dolls or if they're in control of you.

Perhaps I am too old to have enjoyed this book. But I read young adult and children's books often enough to know a good one when I come across one.

Unfortunately, William Sleator disappoints with this one. The tagline on the cover explicitly states "Now she's their toy..." and I expected just that. The dolls are frightening enough, but there is huge potential (HUGE) with this story that Sleator merely avoids in order to keep the story within word-limit guidelines (I'm assuming).

The twist as to how Vicki came to be inside the dollhouse is perfect, however, and caught me completely off guard. Otherwise, for a Sleator book (he has written some very good tales!), a very mediocre effort.

My copy, published by Knopf, has illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman. My girlfriend introduced me to her work. She does an extraordinary job, drawing detailed and life-like works. It definitely brought the book to life.

At the beginning of each school year I would read this story to my third grade students. Each and every one was entranced to the very end. As a tutor, I have introduced the book to my 7th grade students who hate to read...and there were no complaints with this assignment. It's too bad this book is now out of print. It's a fabulous spooky and well written tale.

I read this book when I was little, I have remembered it always, I used to wonder if my Barbies cared if I pulled their hair too much, or if I was being mean throwing them off the dreamhouse into the pool, or yanking off their clothes, then I came across this book in the school library, boy did I ever love it, I thought it was the greatest for the dolls to get their revenge!! They really made Vicky treat them better in the end. I think it is an eye opener to those who are mean to their things. But it can be scary to read, but knowing it's fiction makes it worthwhile!! READ IT!! You will love it too...... or so I think! : )

I have seached for this book for YEARS after I borrowed the book from my local library when I was about 10 years old. I'm 20 now and have never forgotten this story. I have always had a love of old creepy dolls and this book delivered! It's a bit scary at times and suspensful but not to much for the young avid reader who desires a good scare. 5 stars! love this book!

This very slim novel (complete with fantastic black and white drawings by famed picture book illustrator Trina Schart Hyman) raises some real goosebumps. Vicky is a lonely little girl who receives an unwished for doll house complete with some unattractive dolls for a birthday gift. Bored with the dolls and their home from the beginning she has them enact some unhappy family situations. Then one day she suddenly finds herself shrunk down to doll size and being "punished" by the doll family for the situations she has had them create. The dolls themselves are described rather ghoulishly and there are some suspenseful moments before Vicky breaks free of the horror. A very quick easy read for upper elementary and lower middle school students interested in the horror/fantasy genre.

The year was 1989, and I was only nine when I first came across this book in my elementary school library. From there, thanks to William Sleator, I have enjoyed a totally unique perspective on things when I read. I especially enjoy the original book with the black and white stringy artwork. The artwork on this new print makes Vicky look soft, and really accentuates the textures of the dolls, but the old book and artwork bring out the creepiness and smallness of Vicky's world and her frailty inside the doll house. Since then, I have enjoyed other works as I grew into my mid-teens. When I see them on shelves or released on Amazon, I have to stop and comment about what a wonderful writer he is. If you enjoy the dark and creepy atmosphere and themes in this book, then may I recommend you also read "Blackbriar"- a tale set in the English country side, and centered around themes of paganism and the plague, and also "Run" based around a lonely teenage girl at a desolate summer cottage on the beach, and "The Green Futures of Tycho" a teen-adventure, science fiction novel about time-travel (interestingly the plot is centered around children with famous Russian names). Also check out "Interstellar Pig" a more famous work set on a beach about a survivalist science fiction game. To this day, in my late twenties, I never have forgotten a single story I have read. He is a truly gifted writer who can reach in and connect with the imagination, and his turbulent familial themes are also part of the way his writing can identify with the angst and growing phases of young adults. In a sense it is like listening to a good friend when I read one of his books.

Disappointed that she did not receive a bicycle for her birthday and failing in school, Vicky acts out her frustration by being brutal with her newly-acquired Victorian dollhouse. When she is magically reduced in size and transported Inside her own dollhouse, she discovers that they blame Her for their wretched existence and--incredulous as it seems--the dolls want Revenge!

Can "only dolls" turn the tables and "play' with mini human beings for a change? Can dolls capture, torture and enslave children (and even adults)? We notice a subtle hint of an abusive family lifestyle when one doll explains unsympathetically: "Yes, but one falls into patterns...even if you didn't come near us for a month, we'd still be doing this."

This book reads quickly; I find that the real horror part of this read is less what happens to the heroine, than what we may be doing to our own children. Elementary kids though will just enjoy the plot; they always cheer for the kid up against Any antagonist--animal, adult or even vicious dolls. Isn't there one decent doll among the lot? And if Vicky learns her lesson, will she ever get out to show improvement? (If nothing else, this book might encourage children to take better care of their dolls! Not to mention, encourage parents to take better care of their children!)

I have always found dolls to be scary little creatures--vacant eyes staring at you, hands reaching for you...ugh! No wonder I always preferred books to dolls! This book is a nightmare come to shivering daylight life. Vicky treats her dolls badly and they return the favor when she finds herself not only their size, but hopelessly trapped inside their house! Scary, right? You haven't heard the last of it. The dolls have plans for Vicky--and it isn't a trip to the Bahamas, believe me. Will she ever escape the dollhouse? William Sleator seems to have tapped into my own nightmares with this short novel. Read it, and "House of Stairs" as well, if you wish to enter a COUCHEMAR world of horror. END

When Vicky doesn't recieve the ten speed she desires for her birthday, one can't help but feel disappointed in her parents. It's clear to everyone but them that that's what their daughter wanted. Of course, if she had gotten the bike, this story really wouldn't have been as fascinating as it was... Vicky is pulled mysteriously into the dollhouse after a period of creating brutal scenarios for the dolls to exist in, and is suprised to discover that they have adopted the personalities she gave them. The story progresses quickly, and is a sadly short read. Unlike some novels I could name, this one could've stood to be a bit longer. The illustrations make this one fantastic story, and I would strongly reccomend it to anyone looking for a good story with a strong and satisfying end.