Phew, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever finish this one.

First of all, to say this blurb is misleading is an understatement. It is objective and succinct, everything the book is not. I could never have imagined this had such a lyrical style of writing based on it. Even Ruby's beatings were almost poetic and I did not appreciate that.

Quite often I wasn't even sure what was going on. And my attention would frequently wander. Also, though the descriptions were amazingly beautiful and vivid, I completely forgot what was important to the story itself.

I felt the book was unnecessarily long. There were entire paragraphs that didn't add anything to the story, maybe even chapters, like the Evil Book one. (view spoiler) Sorry, book lover at heart here.

Yes, it all served to convey an atmosphere of how Ruby felt about what surrounded her and how it affected her, and the paranormal aspect was very subtle and approached in a way I had not seen before. However, I kept wanting the book to end or at least for something relevant to happen.

The Doll Funeral was a curious, new experience that I mildly appreciated.

Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Faber &Faber for sending me this book. I had such a great time reading it. I loved the story and the style. Also the characters are o beautifully constructed.

The Doll Funeral

I read a few reviews prior to reading the book and it seems to be one of those marmite books that you either love or hate.

In all honesty, I'm a bit on the fence. Hamer's writing is beautifully eloquent and descriptive but the story wasn't quite what I expected. Having said this, it's definitely worth giving it a go! 3.5*

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

The Dolls House is a rather dark and at times disturbing read, the story of Ruby who on turning thirteen learns she is adopted, instead of being upset or confused, she is estatic , as it opens up a whole new world of discovery, she now understands why she feels so different from her siblings, why she never ' fitted in ' Ruby sees this as her chance to escape from the daily abuse inflicted on her by her stepfather, and departs on her journey to find out more about her biological mother. Ruby has 'friends ' or sees them, ghosts which bring more colour to a book written in quite dark detail, and at times easy to loose oneself having to back track over pages, on the other hand, so beautifully written and described in places, it is easy to visualise the forest and other scenes as they come to life in vivid 3D. The storyline follows both Ruby's life in 1983 and her mother's from the 70's. If you like something different then persevere with The Dolls House, thd authors imagination is worth the journey.

The Doll Funeral is a novel that I had been anticipating for quite some time. After Kate Hamer's impressive debut The Girl in the Red Coat I was intrigued to read what this author had to offer next. I have to confess I was expecting a novel in the same vein and was a little disappointed to find it wasn't.

However, it is a very good book. Perhaps just not my cup of tea this time around..

Ruby lives with Barbara and Mick, they are not her real parents, and she is in fact relieved to find out that she is adopted on her thirteenth birthday (as an adopted child, this really stuck out to me - thirteen seems awfully late to tell someone that they were adopted - I digress), as her adoptive Father is abusive to her. Her adoptive Mother, pretty useless.

Ruby finds solace from her home life amongst the trees and beautiful landscapes of the Forest of Dean where she lives. Here she seeks to find her true family, her birth Mother and Father, and get away from the harsh reality of her every day life.

Ruby's journey is a long one. The Doll Funeral could be a coming of age story of sorts, but it's paranormal undertones and complexities sometimes make it hard story to follow. Particularly as we are drip fed Ruby's back story in alternating chapters with the present day.

Beautifully written, The Doll Funeral will most certainly be a perfect book for some readers. But sadly it wasn't perfect for me.

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.

Unfortunately I can't give a full review as I couldn't get into the book at all. I do struggle when the book switches from one character to another but this was more than that. I tried my best to persevere with it but unfortunatley I couldn't continue with it.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'd previously read the Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer, and think she has a great style of writing. Her characters are 'jump off the page" creations, and she draws you into her world effortlessly, and has done exactly that again in this book. Reason for the three stars is more to do with the plot not being as much my cup of tea as I was expecting - hoped for more pace to it, and the prose was a little too heavy in places.

The Doll Funeral, the newest novel by Kate Hamer, was a story that was completely different from any novel I have read lately. Marketed as a mystery thriller, I would have to say this one read more like a contemporary fantasy novel with a twist. Beautiful prose, a strong narrative voice and some mystical elements had me flipping through the pages.
The novel opens with Ruby, on her thirteenth birthday, finding out that her parents are not her birth parents. This tidbit gives Ruby hope, as she has had less than an ideal childhood, suffering abuse at the hands of her stepfather. As she goes on the hunt for her birth family, Hamer introduces us to a mishmash of misfit characters and weaves out their stories.
I loved the narrative voice in The Doll Funeral. The story is told (in majority) through the eyes of Ruby as she goes on the hunt for her birth parents in 1983. Ruby has a special gift. She can see death; mostly in the form of a shadow that she has seen for as long as she can remember. With “Shadow” by her side, she sets off on a journey to find out where she came from. Ruby’s birth mother narrates the other sections of the story, in 1970, as she explains Ruby’s early years and how she ended up with her stepfamily.
The story had a definite magical element to it. Hamer relies on characteristics of classic fairy tales to create a sort of eerie and hypnotising narrative. From the “evil stepfamily” to the enchanted Forest of Dean, I felt like I was in a story by the Brother’s Grimm.
Although I acknowledge the beauty of Hamer’s writing, I did not find that this one read like a true thriller. It was much slower paced and more focused on character development than a plot. I feel this one was not marketed properly.
If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller, this will not be it. However, if you enjoy a story with supernatural elements that builds slowly, then you would enjoy this one!
I gave it a 3.5/5 stars.

This book is very well written but unfortunately it wasn't for me. I just couldn't get into the story and appreciate all that it had to offer.

The doll funeral by Kate Hamer.
My name is Ruby. I live with Barbara and Mick. They’re not my real parents, but they tell me what to do, and what to say. I’m supposed to say that the bruises on my arms and the black eye came from falling down the stairs.
But there are things I won’t say. I won’t tell them I’m going to hunt for my real parents. I don’t say a word about Shadow, who sits on the stairs, or the Wasp Lady I saw on the way to bed.
A very good read with good characters. Little slow but I managed to read it. 4*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

a fascinating and original take on an usual storyline.

Ruby was adopted. She knows nothing about her real parents, but she wants to find them. Her adoptive family, Barbara and Mick, don’t care for her properly. Mick hurts her and Barbara doesn’t stop him. But Ruby isn’t completely alone, she has Shadow, who visits her from the other side… Along with others.

Kate Hamer’s story-telling is magnificent. There is no denying that. Her descriptions create clear visuals of the story, without going too far, while the story is meaningful and intriguing. The pace is steady and pretty relaxed. There’s no fast-paced action or epic romance. Really, this book deals with some very serious issues, with undeveloped elements of paranormal activity. These two clashing themes make it difficult to define this book in any one genre.

I liked the use of ghosts and spirits in this story, although there was a layer of darkness about them that could have been expanded on. There were some parts of the story that I didn’t really understand, like Tom and Elizabeth living alone when their parents left them. How did no one notice that or do anything about it? And everyone in town knowing that Mick beat Ruby – if they all knew, why didn’t anyone report it or try to intervene. I didn’t like the idea that no one was willing to help.

I really enjoyed reading The Doll Funeral, but to be honest, it wasn’t as good as it could have been. There were areas that could have been developed more, and I would have actually liked this story to be more sinister.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure where exactly this book sits in the genre category, but that doesn’t really matter. It is really well written, often very sad and in its own way, quite compelling.
The Doll Funeral is the story of 13 year old Ruby’s quest to understand how she came to be part of a violent and dysfunctional family. The mother, Barbara is weak and ineffective against the angry tirades of her husband, Mick. Mick is a simmering cauldron of rage and often takes his anger out on Ruby physically as well as emotionally.
When she finds out she was adopted as a young baby, she sets out to find her real parents. Like most children, she weaves a fantasy for herself of who her parents might be and why they would have given her up.
A troubled child (and no wonder) she lives a solitary life and together with her ‘friend’ Shadow, takes solace in the nearby forest. Whether Shadow is an imaginary friend, or whether, as she comes to believe, she can see the spirits of dead people is an open question.
Wandering the forest, planning small ways to exact her revenge on Mick for his cruelty, she develops rituals to help her find the truth about her parents, looking for an escape from the harsh world she lives in.
Whilst in the forest one day, she comes across a young man called Tom. Tom and his sister live in an old and crumbling house. They are endeavouring, but failing, to be self-sufficient after their parents left ‘to find themselves, some years ago, leaving their children to fend for themselves. Their parents used to send cheques, but those have dried up some time ago and they are reduced to burning furniture and eating what they can grow or forage from the forest.

Interspersed with Ruby’s first person narration is the third person story of Anna, a young woman in the 70’s - pregnant through her liaison with a young man with aspirations to make it big in the city, he is a bit of a spiv. Anna will not marry her lover, knowing as she does that he will feel trapped into marriage by her pregnancy.
Her story and Ruby’s interlink until we finally understand how Ruby’s life and Anna’s come together and the novel slowly reveals its secrets.
This is a beautifully written book, both haunting and poignant, though in the end the darkness that it conveys is really quite disturbing. There are strong themes of mental instability, grief and hardship, leading the reader to wonder whether the fantasy is real or imagined. The darkness of the forest evocatively mirrors some of the darkness of the mind, and yet some of Anna’s story is as real as the poverty of emotion in the book.

In the end, I was not sure quite what to make of it. It’s a slow burn of a book that packs quite a mighty punch and its themes made me sad. I don’t know if I would recommend it, except insofar as it does contain some remarkable writing and some stunning imagery.
In essence, then – a beautifully written book that will not be to everyone’s taste. I think this one will stay with me for a while though.

A brilliant author at expressing herself and creating images. Somehow though the story was lacking... I can't explain it!!!

Think this book was probably a little too dark for me. Very well written, beautifully phrased and researched. 3* from me but that was purely down to the subject matter. If you like them very dark, then this one's for you.
My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sorry I struggled with this book due to the supernatural element it wasn't what I expected

Thank you for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.
The first thing I would say is that I have debated with myself over the amount of stars to give this for over 24 hours. Therefore is that a sign of the impact of the book? I would say so.
This is not a book to read if you want it over and done with quick. It is a book to ponder and to a certain degree work out the writing style.
The first 20% was an acclimatisation of what this book was about. Whilst the topic area is valid and the awful life that Ruby is leading with experiences of child abuse had one of two effects on me. Did I continue as I like the books description and would hang in there or would I stop due to not wanting read of another child being physically and mentally abused. Perseverance is key and the book unfurls and becomes what it promised to be.
The supplementary characters are well written but sometimes the writing style is something that you have to get used to. Shadows character puzzled me for some time.
There are times when you cannot put this down and all the pieces slot together at the end and makes you reflect upon all that has gone before. In my book this is the sign of something good.
So there is my conflict. Beautifully written,slow to start ,can't put down near the end. I will probably feel the need to change the stars once my amazon review goes live. This is such a thought provoking book.

Pheew, this was a long, a very long read for me and sometimes I wondered that I actually only read a couple of pages in what felt like ages.

The concept was fascinating enough: a teenage girl suffers from her violent stepfather and hushed stepmother. Add to that the desire to meet her real parents and a newfound home in a neglected house with some weird siblings of the same age. Top that with her ability to see ghosts. Sounds intriguing? That's what I thought as well. However, the story was suffocating with slightly magical happenings, mysterious descriptions and dream-like sequences that it seemed to take forever to finish. At about a third of the book I was severely tempted to call it quits, but in order to write a substantiated review (and hoping that the book may just have had a slow start) I kept reading.

The book 'Alice in Wonderland' was mentioned several times, but other than feeling similar to Alice 'jumping down the hole' on several occasions it did not add anything useful to the story and was not explored any further. Based on these short mentions I could not follow Rubys drastic decision to burn this book because to her it felt 'evil'. The whole half-hearted allusion to that book should have been either omitted completely or turned into a more prominent recurrent theme.

While the writing was beautiful most of the time, it did not compensate for the mostly bored state I found myself in, wishing for something to finally happen. Towards the end there was a little more action and I did like the outcome.

That and the writing style barely saved the book from getting a 1 star rating. I guess there are a lot of readers out there who love to 'get lost' in a story such as this, but I am definitely not one of them.

'My thirteenth birthday and I became a hunter of souls'

It's Ruby's thirteenth birthday and when her mother, Barbara, calls her downstairs she is expecting to be given a birthday present and a cake full of candles to blow out. What she's not expecting is to be told that she had been adopted by Mick and Barbara when she was four months old.

Barbara has tried to be a good mother but has never stood up for Ruby when Mick has lost his temper. He has used Ruby to vent his anger and on many occasions she has been so badly beaten that she has had to miss weeks of school.

After a series of particularly nasty incidents of violence, Ruby is presented with the perfect opportunity to escape. She had recently befriended a brother and sister; Tom and Elizabeth and flees to their rambling home. They are living on their own as their parents have gone off to "find themselves"

I've deliberately used Ruby's own words to describe how on her thirteenth birthday she discovered that she could clearly see dead people. One has been her constant companion; Shadow, who she's always known and considered to be her friend, but she can see others and converse with other dead souls, as if they are very much alive and living and breathing in this world.

As Ruby's life unfolds with her adopted parents and new best friends, we are also given insight into her mother Anna and father Lewis. Both far too young to take on the responsibilities of parenthood and the effects that Anna's post-partum depression has on all their futures.

Kate Hamer has used the Forest of Dean as a backdrop to Ruby trying to make sense of life seeing dead people. The forest adds its own ancient energy to the people who live within its boundaries and this energy is palpable throughout the novel.

Having mentioned that Ruby can see dead people and converse with them as if they are still living and breathing members of society, I would hate people to dismiss this book because it's "weird" - what the author has given us is a book which shows that life is not simply black and white or good and evil and that there are many shades of other colours in between. This is a beautiful story of a young girl trying to make sense and come to terms with life, using every tool available.

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.