Well-written; lushly descriptive. Beautiful and sad.

All about searching for love and family.

383/60-Δεν έχω εμπειρία σε βιβλία που κατατάσσονται στη κατηγορία του "ψυχολογικό θρίλερ". Αν όντως το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο ανήκει σ΄αυτή τη κατηγορία, δε μου προξένησε ούτε αγωνία, ούτε φόβο . Πρόκειται για την ιστορία μιας σωματικά και ψυχολογικά κακοποιημένης έφηβης που δείχνει να έχει αποδεχτεί το γεγονός , υποσυνείδητα όμως υπάρχουν απωθημένα που την οδηγούν στην αναζήτηση των πραγματικών γονιών της . 'Εδώ είναι και το δραματικό της υπόθεσης , η πραγματικότητα καμιά φορά μας προσγειώνει απότομα , όπως το γεγονός ότι συμπτωματικά συναντά τον πατέρα της, ο οποίος ενώ την αναγνωρίζει ,δεν κάνει τίποτα για να τη προσεγγίσει. Η διήγηση εξελίσσεται ανάμεσα στο παρελθόν και το παρόν ( από τα στόματα της μητέρας της και της ίδιας ) . Συγκλονιστική βρήκα την επιστολή του πατέρα, σκέτη ψυχρολουσία ή οποία όμως έχει την αλήθεια της. Οι γονείς μας δεν είναι πάντα αυτοί που φανταζόμαστε , αυτό όμως δε πρέπει να μας αποτρέψει από το να δημιουργήσουμε τη "δική μας οικογένεια" με τους ανθρώπους που εμείς επιλέγουμε ως συγγενείς. Αν δε υπήρχαν τα μυθεύματα με τα φαντάσματα που βλέπει η μικρή και υποτίθεται πως τη βοηθούν στη προσπάθεια της για την ανεύρεση των γονιών της και μια μικρή κοιλιά λίγο πριν το τέλος , το βιβλίο θα ήταν απλά τέλειο. Το τέλος σε ανακουφίζει. ( )

‘The Doll Funeral’ by Kate Hamer is a dark, despairing and at times confusing tale of identity and the creeping links of family and genetics across the generations. It is about the difficult adoptive families, about ‘not fitting in’, and how blood families sometimes don’t work either. Ultimately, family is where you can find it and make it. Ruby’s mother Barbara is a cleaning lady who nicks small things she thinks won’t be missed. Father Mick knocks Ruby around, forcing her to miss school until the bruises fade. Then on her thirteenth birthday, they tell her she is adopted. Ruby’s response is to run into the garden and sing for joy. Of course nothing is as simple as it appears. Ruby, determined to find her birth parents, runs away and makes her way to the creepy home of a strange schoolfriend Tom. I found the thread of Tom, Crispin and Elizabeth rather unrealistic and at times gruesome. It does however act as an alternative take on dysfunctional families, wild children and parental neglect. The budding relationship of Tom and Ruby, two outsiders, is touching. Ruby’s tale is alternated with that of her mother Anna who falls pregnant as a teenager, first abandoned and then reclaimed by her boyfriend. Although I empathised with Ruby, I found her viewpoint rather mature at times for 13. For me, the story of her search for family was complicated by her ability to see ghosts. She doesn’t know their names or identities, so she gives them names such as Wasp Lady and Shadow. Shadow is the most present, speaking with Ruby and passing her information. At times, Shadow seems threatening, at others like a brother/sister. When the identity of Shadow is finally revealed, it was underwhelming and an aside from the key storyline. Almost as if the author had too many good ideas and didn’t want to drop anything. That said, the cover is beautiful. The portrayal of the forest, both Ruby and Anna grew up in the Forest of Dean, is vivid, at times both reassuring and threatening. The significance of the title, though, passed me by, and I would have liked more of Nana’s folk magic. This is not a novel I can honestly say I enjoyed. It considers difficult, slippery topics and so, thankfully, there is no neat ending. Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/ ( )

On Ruby’s thirteenth birthday her parents inform her that she was adopted. For most people this would be devastating news but for Ruby it’s a relief since she has no affection for her parents. Her father Mick is physically and verbally abusive and her mother Barbara turns a blind eye to his transgressions. Neither parent has provided love or emotional support. Armed with new information, Ruby decides to search for her natural parents with hopes of a better place to live. On her journey, we are introduced to an mystical entity named Shadow who provides some needed guidance.

We are then introduced to seventeen year old Anna who is pregnant and unmarried. Anna is planning to give the baby up for adoption. Her boyfriend, Lewis, changes her plans with an offer of marriage after a move to London. Anna becomes lonely in the new country and Lewis pays the bills with criminal activities.

Ruby and Anna’s stories alternate by chapter until they finally converge. Through the development of these characters, the book explores the natural bond formed between a mother and child. This novel by Kate Hamer has a supernatural element which becomes relevant as the stories merge. ( )

I would like to thank Faber & Faber for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

The Doll Funeral is a DNF for me. I tried to stick with it, but even at 45% I'm still not getting into it. I'm reading for reading sake and I find myself hesitant to pick it up. When I do pick it up I realise that I have forgotten much of what I've previously read.

I had a feeling right from the start that this wasn't going to be the book for me. The opening scene, where the parents reveal to the MC that she's adopted, immediately put me off. It was absurd. It was insensitive and rushed, there was no feeling, no loving conversation, no understanding. They just throw it at her over the kitchen table, before she's even completely in the room, before she's even sat down, totally out of the blue and using the most ridiculous and unnatural dialogue. I was tempted to put the book down right there and then.

The writing style felt choppy and confusing at times, and too flowery at others. The dialogue wasn't natural, there was no flow to the conversation and it was unbelievable. The characters didn't come across as realistic. The younger characters within the storyline read much younger than they were. The main character is 13 but her voice was that of a much younger child.

I hate to leave a review for a book without finding something positive within its pages, but I'm really struggling to think of any as I have forgotten most of what I have read. Thank goodness I kept notes but I only kept notes of the problems I had with the book. It's a shame, the premise really intrigued me but the way it was executed just wasn't for me.

Not one I would recommend. ( )