Member Reviews

Wow! What an amazing book. I had never really heard about Robert the doll until reading this novel. I find myself drawn to stories such as this wether they be true or false. After reading this book I did some research and found that this novel is both fiction as well as non fiction. That actually helped the storyline. Robert the doll is a peculiar thing. He insists on good manners and being kind. Insult him and you will see his vengeance. I couldn’t help but wonder if this were something started to keep children in line. But, nevertheless, the author took a story about a doll and made it into an amazing book. If you enjoy the paranormal, then you must read this book.


5 out of 5 stars.

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This is the first book I have read from this author and I am quite pleased. It is a good middle grade-level story. Curse of the Dead-Eyed Doll has a great storyline that is easy to follow and quite entertaining.

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I somehow missed the fact that this was a middle grade book, but I really enjoyed it for what it was. My stepdaughter is huge into Goosebumps and scary stories, so I'll definitely be passing it to her. I think she would have loved this book.

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Loved every moment of this book. In fact I have just bought the other as well from this author. I love everything related to strange stories based in real life.

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This is an exceptional middle grade horror!.

I really don't want to discuss the plot because I want everyone to discover this story on their own terms. It's intricate and so very cute. It's everything I wanted from this when I requested it. I started this book yesterday morning and read it in 2 days.. I was completely riveted to the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishing company for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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What a delightful adventure! Just what I needed to get me out of my current book funk. The majority of the characters have fun sea-themed names which just added to the cleverness. I highly recommend for the young and not-so young!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

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A funny, short and quick story about ghosts and curses for kids. I liked that the main character was Latin, and the illustrations made it even creepier for a child, but I felt there came a point in which I couldn't believe Alejandro's skepticism.

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I can't say as I was overly fond of this one. The scares are pretty tame, Middle of the night noises. A lightning strike. Seeing a doll out on the street. It's at best mildly creepy. It's a quick read and non-violent, making it appropriate for a young middle schooler and accessible for a kid with reading difficulties.

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A good creepy story with a nice message for children age 9 to 12! Go for it if you like the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine

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I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I love that middle-grade horror is starting to take off and is getting the attention it deserves. Thomas Kingsley Troupe's Haunted States of America Series is a lovely idea and a fun resource for any middle-grade library. I quite enjoyed Trapped in Room 217 and had high hopes for this book. Sadly, Curse of the Dead-Eyed Doll left me wanting more.

I love the author's motivation for this Key West haunted doll story. Haunted dolls are creepy, unpredictable, and something anyone could encounter at any time. I wish this concept would've translated into his story. I was mostly bored and sometimes confused by the plot. The build-up to the main protagonist's agony was lacking. I enjoyed that Al didn't believe in the superstitions of this doll. I liked that he challenged the warnings and dismissed them as coincidence or superstitions. But when the creepy events started to compile I was expecting a slow progression from disbelief to horror to belief. That didn't happen in my opinion. But that is exactly what would've made me, as the reader, scared as well. I wanted to experience the dread with Al. I wanted to live his emotions but I couldn't because they weren't on the page.

I will check out the other books in the series in hopes that they are more like Trapped in Room 217 and less like this book.

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Do you believe in ghost? Alejandro, or Al for short, did not believe in ghost or superstitions or any sort of things like that. Al's class is going to visit a museum in Key West, Florida and the main attraction at this museum is a doll that is supposedly haunted. Robert the Doll is a creepy old doll that has a very odd history. It is said that if you take Robert's picture without asking permission, bad things will start happening to you. Al did not believe this for a minute so when it was his turn to stand next to Robert he took a picture of Robert without asking, and he even said something very ugly to him. Before the bus could even get back to school, bad things starting happening. Did Robert really curse Al for what he said and did, or is Al's bad luck just a string of consequences? If Al is really cursed is there anything that he can do to fix it? Read this incredible installment of the Haunted States of America series.

Thomas Kingsley Troupe's Haunted States of America books are completely fantastic! He takes real life ghost stories and makes them into a fiction short stories for kids (and adults) to enjoy. Robert the Doll is an actual doll that is in an actual museum in Key West, Florida. I have seen a documentary on him so reading Thomas' book was even that much more exciting! I will say that as I was typing this review, my computer shut down several time. Consequence? I don't know... you be the judge. Don't miss out on reading this spooky, spine-tingling, edge-of your seat book!!!

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When I started this book I had no clue Robert was a real doll in a Florida museum that is considered to be haunted. This book is part of a middle grade series called Haunted States of America. Robert does some pretty creepy stuff and I think it would be a good October read for kids. #netgalley #arc

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Curse of the Dead-Eyed Doll, another book in 'The Haunted States of America' series, was a fun read. Robert the doll, over 100 years old and on display at the local Civil War museum, doesn't like to be disrespected and you MUST ask his permission before taking pictures. Of course Al, a boisterous teenager who doesn't believe in curses, takes Roberts picture and insults him just to add insult. What ensues is a tale of bad luck for poor Al as his days go from bad to worse, between bugs in his dinner, lightning strikes and flat tires - ROBERT DID IT all.
This is a fun short read, I like haunted dolls and all that business so it was definitely one for me. The book itself isn't particularly frightening or anything but it is entertaining.
I'm rather enjoying this series of tales.

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This book was so much fun! It was just the right amount of creepy for me (and for young readers). I love the idea of this series and I really want to check out the rest of them. I loved the characters and the story!

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This was a decent horror and would be great for all ages. It features a creepy doll and is based on a true story. Kids could even learn some moral values from it. It’s a great story for anyone who wants to read a classic ghost story.

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Reading the story of Robert the doll reminded me of what I had heard about the doll before. I didn’t get as much detail though. While this story is partially fiction, it is also partially nonfiction. I thought that the story did a fair representation of what is known about the doll and his curses if you displeased him. I have not heard of letters being written to him asking for forgiveness for not asking permission if the person wanted to take a picture of him or insulting him. Robert expects good manners plus.

I think that good manners are important to use all the time and suspect the author may be reminding the reader of it. I also suspect not being respectful of others is another lesson. I enjoyed the story’s creepiness but must admit that is one doll I don’t want to meet!

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As a Floridian who loved Key West, this book really spoke to me. I have been to the museum and seen the doll. I will say that I did ask his permission for his picture.

This is a YA story that is based on a curse of a doll that is legend in Key West. The character struggled with his bad day being either part of the curse of the doll or just a series of unfortunate events that lead from his lack of sleep. The book is written that elementary kids could read it and not be afraid. I like the fact that this story is based on the real legend.

Now the minor characters all seemed flat and interchangeable. I felt that I could replace any character with another character. Even his family seem flat. There were no back story or knowledge to why it was just his father, brother, and him, no mentioned of his mother. The characters are the reason why this story is 3 stars.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. My review can be found here https://prissreadinglounge.weebly.com/home/curse-of-the-dead-eyed-doll.

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I really enjoyed this take on what happens to Alejandro Padilla on his class trip when he meets Robert the doll and doesn't follow the rules. I have a love of myths and legends and was already familiar with the legend of Robert the doll so when I saw this book I had to read it. The things that happen to Al after his encounter with the haunted doll are terrifying. Will he be able to make thing right with Robert? You're going to have to read it and find out for yourself.

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Part of the Haunted in America series, Curse of the Dead-Eyed Dolls visits one of MY favorite haunted stories, Robert the Doll. Middle schooler Al takes a trip to a museum in Key West. Despite warnings, he takes a photo of Robert the Doll, without asking for permission from the doll. Things start to go wrong and Al wonders if he is cursed.

This is a great book for a middle school reader with an interest in horror and history. Robert the Doll is real and I love him. I hope that his story continues to delight weirdo kids like me forever.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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Insert grimace emoji here. I really loved the Authors “Trapped in Room 217″ book. It was well written and it had that spooky element to it. This book just really missed the mark for me; it felt predictable and just didn’t have any creep factor to it what-so-ever. There was no suspense, never any mystery, you knew exactly what was going to happen the minute someone in the book said “don’t piss off the doll”.

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