Review to come in August.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I am always looking for new books about creepy things, ghosts, hauntings, that kind of stuff. I love those stories, and so I was excited about this one. I am a bit confused with the age of the MC, he is 13, however with the writing style and how the character acted he felt much younger than that. There were a few mentions that made him rise back to 13, but generally I wouldn't give him more than 10 maybe 11 years. This is also the reason why I am tagging this one as a children's books. Normally I go by the age of the characters (0-12 = children's 13-18/19 = YA), but in rare cases like this book, or Thea Stilton (with the MCs in college), I go by writing style and how the book is presented/looks.

This book features a very creepy doll, named Robert. You don't want to mess with Robert. Our MC meets Robert when he has a field trip to the museum that features Robert. Like most teen boys he doesn't give a hoot about any warnings or sad sob stories, so he makes a picture of Robert and him without permission. And from that moment things seem to go wrong.

I wasn't a big fan of our MC. He was your typical boy it seemed, and I was just slightly annoyed with him that he would dismiss things that easily (especially given all the signs and the way the room felt (oppressive and horrible)) and also would tease his best friend. Who, just like me, has a very big NOPE to dolls. I don't cry when I see them, but if I can avoid them then I am happy.

The things that happened to Al were pretty tame at first (flat tires, missing reports) but they got increasingly more creepy and dangerous as the book continued. I did like that most of the things that happened were things only Al could see. Which distanced him from friends and classmates. Which made it easier for the doll/the curse to do its thing.

I was glad that he told his dad and brother and I loved their reactions to Al's story. *thumbs up*

The ending was at the first very creepy and OMG, but then it turned the other way. I am happy with how the author ended it. That was the way to end it, though maybe an epilogue would have been nice as well. :)

The book also has illustrations, and I quite liked their style. It didn't always work with my copy on my Kindle (text was in images or the images were only small), but what I could see I liked.

All in all, if you want a creepy book about a creepy doll and a boy who has to learn a lesson, read this one.

I read "Curse of the Dead Eyed Doll" as an ARC on NetGallery. This story is about a class trip to visit a local museum and it's resident doll, Robert. Visitors are told bad things happen if you take a picture of Robert without asking permission first. Alejandro does not believe in the the stories about Robert and snaps a picture. Readers' will be left wondering if all of Al's bad luck is coincidence or the the result of the curse. Did Al make Robert the doll angry for taking his picture without permission? What will happen to Al? This book is a page turner. Great book for reluctant readers that love creepy, haunted tales. This book will appeal to middle school readers of R.L.Stine's Goosebumps.

A great, spooky middle grade read. If you don't like creepy old dolls, even better. The curse that Al gets from the doll that he offended is enough to make anyone believe in Robert the Doll.
Great for those that are fans of Goosebumps.

This is the sixth book by Troupe that I have read and Curse of the Dead-Eyed Doll didn't disappoint. Fans of ghost stories, hauntings, the paranormal, and the weird will already know the story of Robert, but Troupe's story is a great introduction for those who don't know of the doll. The story follows Al on a school field trip who does not follow the rules and gets haunted by Robert until he joins the many visitors who return to apologize.

If I had been able to go there, I'd certainly go to that museum in Key West! This book threw me back towards the years I was at middle school-age and loved horror stories - I would have loved it back then as I loved it this afternoon. It is creepy without blood and gore, but with all the suspence needed to keep me reading. Needless to say I finished 'Curse of the Dead-Eyed Doll' in one sit. Not that it was hard to do, since it is a short book, but still. It got me reading and not wanting to stop reading.

A creepy, atmospheric and engaging read. It's a good book that will keep you hooked till the last page.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

If you know the story of Robert the Doll this is a must read! If you are not familiar with the story of Robert then you have to grab this book! While this is written for YA, it was a fun and interesting read! I have loved the story of Robert, and the many claims that go along with him. One young man is about to find out what happens when you cross Robert!

If your kids (or you) love a spooky read, then this is one that you cannot afford to miss out on! Perfect for a weekend read, or just a great fall afternoon outdoors. Add this to your TBR list today!

I received a copy of Curse of the Dead Eyed Doll through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I really love how the boy who is cynical about a haunted doll is the one who winds up being tormented and haunted by it. Stepping into his concerns as a school aged child some of the terrors revolve around his life as a student. Despite being an adult who has been away from school for awhile now, these terrors were portrayed in a way that still creeped me out.

But then on a very personal level I have learned that stories about haunted dolls have the power to invoke quite a scare in me. Some dolls just look so life like that there has to be something supernatural going on with them. Yet one of the things that I find brilliant about this particular story is that the main character is cynical about the possibility that a doll that he found in a museum could possibly be haunted. And having a child who is old enough to articulate this doubt makes not only the articulation of the doubt be stated in a simple way, but also there is the component of needing to keep the adults out of the loop about what is going on. This element of middle grade and YA literature where something is happening to a child protagonist that can’t be communicated with adults always adds a layer of scare to a story. Remember when you were a child and felt like adults did not understand you? Now imagine you are actually being haunted by something like a doll…and you are old enough to know that an adult will not believe you. That is pretty scary! This is a component that was hinted at in this story but I felt like it was something that it could have been drawn out more. There was one occasion of interaction with an adult but there was another occasion that turned out to be a lost opportunity for me. This is the main reason why I decided to give this book a 4/5 star rating.

Living in the Twin Cities myself, I was excited to discover that this author lives in Minneapolis. I have to bring out a disclaimer that I am always eager to promote local talent. However I would not be wanting to tell you to read this book on this fact alone. I really did find this to be a fun, fast paced read.

A tidbit that may be interesting to some readers is that the writer is basing this on an actual doll named Robert the Doll who is thought to have supernatural powers. I personally fall into the camp about being cynical about what we deem supernatural as truth in the real world. (However a compelling work of fiction is another story…) I feel like a lot of times the possibility of haunted events make for great stories but there is typically either not enough evidence there for me to be convinced that this is truth and/or stories are often sensationalized in how they are told. The elements of truth are often embellished to tell a compelling story. I like how this book enters into this world through the lens of fiction. I honestly would have been lost as a reader without it. However readers who may be more into speculation over supernatural matters will definitely enjoy being engaged over this possibility. I would highly encourage you to enter into this world and make your own decisions….

This was an interesting read. An unusual concept. I would think for your first step into horror as a teenage it's fine. For the horror reader it's a little tame
Good story line and use of vocabulary.
An easy read .

I received an eARC from NetGalley. Al goes to the Key West, Florida museum on a class trip and comes face-to-face with Robert the Doll. To prove he doesn’t believe in the curse, Al takes a picture of Robert without asking his permission, and strange things follow...

This is a middle-grade ghost book so I was not expecting to be freaked out. While I wasn’t terrified reading this, it still gave me some chills! Haunted dolls... just... no. I love the way the story includes pictures which added to the creepy-factor. The book was very short but it fit the narrative well; the story began immediately and by the end you weren’t left frustrated with the main character. I would recommend this is you want a quick, slightly unsettling read. Also side note: even if you don’t believe in the curse, why risk it?? Just ask permission!

“It’s just a doll in a sailor suit. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Robert thinks it’s rude to take his picture without asking. We’ve heard about the things that have happened to people who don’t follow the rule, and... they’re not good.”

“Al heard the sound of a car approaching on the street. As the headlights passed their house, a shadow outside was revealed near the front window. It looked like a skinny, childlike figure, watching him from about ten feet away.”

"It’s all happening because of what you did...Do you believe it now?”

This was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last. I think my students will really enjoy reading about Robert and learning that it is based on a true story. I thought about giving the book a 4-star rating, but I didn’t want to offend Robert. Honestly, it is a 6-star read. I wanted to add some humor to my review.) Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader.

Curse of the Dead Eyed Doll is based on an actual legend of a doll from Key West. It's a fast entertaining read that will be wholly engaging for middle grade readers. Scary but not too scary. It will keep their attention in class! Great addition to the classroom library. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I read this little book in less than an hour while soaking in the bot tub last night. It is aimed at middle-grade children. It was pretty good!! It had a great premise, some scares and chills and kept my attention. As a teacher, I also could clearly pick out the moral of the story. Very good book for kids who enjoy the horror genre but aren’t ready for adult books. 4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Robert the Doll is a legend that I grew up knowing from having family in Key West, so when I saw this book, it was a no brained to pick it up. I am very glad I did read this because it was really a journey! First off let me start off by saying that this may be to scary for some kids because it creeped me out the whole time and I can imagine a kid reading this then having nightmares. With that being said, this was highly entertaining and packed a large punch in a short amount of time. There are 2 things that really stop me from giving this a 5 star rating and that is that I think some of the illustrations were unnecessary and were very random. And another thing is that I thought the very end was kind of weak but at the same time it wasn’t horrible. All in all this was such an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to Flux publishing and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book.

I found this to be a little cheesy and middle grade might feel that way too but it's still a good scary story for middle grade. I really liked that it was based off Robert The Doll. Especially since he is real and even scares adults! That fact is bound to give a fright! There's also a lesson to be learned which is you should be nice to people (and things, even dolls).

Have you ever had a really, really bad day where everything (I mean EVERYTHING) went wrong? Al is having that probem. Is it just lack of sleep? Is it just the weather? Is it just because "Robert Did It?"
Curse of the Dead-Eyed Doll was a quick, easy and enjoyable read centered on the infamous and very real Robert the Doll and a fictional account of a middle-schooler who didn't pay Robert the respect he demands.
#CurseoftheDead-EyedDoll #netgalley

Having recently heard the story of Robert the Doll, I was intrigued by this book. I will also admit that I am a sucker for a creepy looking cover. Overall, I liked the cover better than I liked the book. I will say that it stayed at a nice middle grade reading level that is often hard to find in horror fiction other than Goosebumps. It was not too scary and I can see kids who like a milder form of horror getting into it. I think I was just missing the feeling of foreboding that you get from many horror novels, even those written for kids. I also got tired of all of the repeated arguments over whether the curse was real or not. Still, you can't go wrong with a creepy doll, and I can see how some kids would like it, especially with the pictures to give it some of the creepy feeling that the text overall lacked. It was fine, but not exceptional.

Curse of the Dead-Eyed Doll was a quick, mildly creepy read. The illustrations of the doll, though only in black and white, are pleasingly unsettling. This is a book aimed at middle-graders and kept solidly in that age range in pace of story, vocabulary, and content. I would have no problem letting my 10-year-old read it.


At the age that this book is meant for there is a belief that anything is possible, so the potential to be truly creeped out is a good bit higher than it is for adults.

I was happy to see that the protagonist was Hispanic, because representation is so important. I was equally disappointed to see that other than the name and depiction of darker skin in the illustrations the representation was absent. Still, it's not another Caucasian leading the story, so that's something.


This is my first read from Thomas Kingsley Troupe. I would be happy to read further work from him in the future.

*thank you to Netgalley and Flux Jolly Fish Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

Such a great, spooky and creepy MG read! It reminds me of the Goosebumps series by R.L. Shine that I use to absolutely LOVE when I was a kid. This is my second novel by this author and once again I am impressed. I think it's a wonderful introduction to the real life story of the famous haunted doll, "Robert the Doll." I can see this as making a great series and I would definitely give this a recommendation to everyone who likes the description of the story.

A delightfully entertaining reading experience, THE CURSE OF THE DEAD-EYED DOLL is aimed at middle-grade readers, but I found it quite enjoyable too. Based on an actual doll and actual events, the story focuses on an eighth grade class' trip to a Key West museum, and the odd doll kept there. Superstition floats around Robert the Doll, but 13-year-old Al refuses to believe--until a series of mishaps ranging from aggravating to scary make his life a misery.

I found empathising with the characters very easy, and the plot was tricky and intriguing. The contrast of belief in the superstitions and the skepticism of others was well-delineated and realistically balanced.