Eleven-year-old Una has lived in a children’s home for two years since her parents died and she had to leave her beloved lighthouse. When the Smiths arrive and decide to adopt her, she is thrilled, and excited to live next to the sea once again, but their grand old house, Copperlins, is a little strange. No one else in the village will go near it, it used to be the home of a dollmaker and so the house is full of antique dolls and parts and, in the middle of the night, Una hears creaking noises from the unused second story of the house.
But there are plenty of positive things to distract her, like her kind new parents, the old carousel in the cellar that Mr Smith is restoring, and her new friend, Mary. But then one night Una comes face-to-face with a life-size clockwork doll who looks exactly like her…
This book caught my eye immediately because of the striking cover design and the wonderfully sinister and evocative title, and the story lived up to my first impression. It was full of things that I love: lighthouses, steampunk, artificial intelligence and gothic horror. It is also a book about friendship, family, bravery and resilience. And of course, the only thing creepier than lifelike dolls, is human-sized lifelike dolls, and this book is full of those uncanny valley moments.
So many pupils in my primary and secondary library are asking for scary books these days, so it is fantastic to have another thrillingly spine-chilling read to recommend to them. ‘The Doll Twin’ is a dark and twisty MG horror, perfect for fans of Coraline and Phil Hickes. I absolutely adored it!
Thanks to Firefly for the ARC.
Swimming in Books 