Broken Dolls by Tyrolin Puxty E-Arc Review

***I received this book from netgalley.com and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***

 

Title: Broken Dolls

Author: Tyrolin Puxty

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Publication Date: December 14, 2015

Description:

Ella doesn't remember what it's like to be human; after all, she's lived as a doll for thirty years. She forgets what it's like to taste, to breathe...to love. 

She watches the professor create other dolls, but they don't seem to hang around for long. His most recent creation is Lisa, a sly goth. Ella doesn't like Lisa. How could she, when Lisa keeps trying to destroy her? 

Ella likes the professor's granddaughter though, even if she is dying. It's too bad the professor wants to turn Gabby into a doll, depriving her of an education...depriving her of life. 

With time running out and mad dolls on the rampage, Ella questions her very existence as she unearths the secrets buried in her past; secrets that will decide whether Gabby will befall the same fate...

My Review:

I actually first heard about this book on buzzfeed.com on their list of the 24 Best Science Fiction Books of 2015.

I love buzzfeed and their lists so I immediately went onto netgalley.com and requested what I was interested in and this little book topped the list of peaking my interest!

Excerpt and link from original article: 

10. Broken Dolls by Tyrolin Puxty

Curiosity Quills Press

tyrolinpuxty.com

Talking dolls who used to be human, a dying girl who may be destined to be a doll, and a professor who’s turning broken girls into broken dolls. Creepy and fascinating, this story will draw you in as it reveals more about the motivations and histories of its characters. 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/best-science-fiction-books-of-2015#.ioKlKeAV0


From the original article I thought about how strange a concept this was and wondered how it could be pulled off in only 175 short pages. It is classified as a Young Adult Science Fiction on goodreads.com and it does read young in terms of the wording and language but I didn't think that took away from the story. In fact I think it added an element of simplicity to the speech of the dolls that felt genuine. 

The concept is unlike anything I have ever read. Basically their is a Professor who takes girls who are dying, and who have no chance at surviving and turns them into dolls. Somehow in his infinite wisdom he has found a way to transfer their essence into doll form.

Our main character, Ella, is his most successful creation. She is a ballerina doll and can walk, talk, dance, and enjoys living in her box in the attic and watching television. She has no memories from her human life and idolizes the professor.

All is well with Ella until the professor creates a new doll, a goth named Lisa. Something goes terribly wrong in her building process and she can remember all of her previous life except for her "death." She becomes convinced that the professor is sinister and breaks into the lab turning all of Ella's emotions and memories back on. The story quickly progresses from there with Ella questioning her existence as a doll, developing a friendship with the professor's granddaughter, and slowly unraveling the secrets of her creation.   

At the same time this is going on there is a worldwide epidemic where people with "O Negative" or "Universal Donor" blood type are contracting an incurable virus that kills people quickly and that no one knows how people get.

Obviously there is quite a bit going on in this story but as it all unfolds at the end you will not be disappointed. The twist is insane and unexpected and I can't wait for book two just because of the ending. 

This is book one in what appears to be at least a duology so hopefully it will continue to be just as impressive as this debut but also be a little better in its final execution.

My Star Rating:

4 out of 5

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