After the slightly more relaxed, romantic novels that I have been reading recently, I decided that it was time to give something a little more meaty a read. The description on the Kindle Store is very minimal, so I didn’t have much of an idea what I was getting into, other than that it was a part of the crime genre.
From the very beginning, I was invested in the story, mainly because I was interested in the relationship with Olivia, the protagonist, and her father. They seemed like best friends and, as I have a very close relationship with my own dad, it made me smile to see them get on so well. When I first started reading Doll House I only had fifteen minutes to spare, and left myself on a small cliffhanger, aware that drama was going to unfold very soon, but I never anticipated what exactly was to come. I am cautious of talking too much about the plot because I really don’t want to give anything away.
Hunt does a perfect job at making the reader detest (hate isn’t a strong enough word in this case) the men that take Olivia through the incredibly detailed descriptions of what happens to her when she is under their control. I was horrified at the situation Olivia found herself in and that, even at less than halfway through, so much action could take place. I found myself actually cringing with disgust at certain points, but I still couldn’t read the page fast enough out of anticipation to find out what was going to happen next- reading from 40% to 70% on my Kindle in one go. At no point did I ever think I knew how the story was going to unfold, and when everything finally unraveled (it doesn’t happen until the very end, so you’ll have to bare with- though you won’t mind!) it certainly came as a surprise. The build up to this revelation is incredibly tense, and I genuinely couldn’t stop reading- even though I was due back in work. However, I must say that in spite of the huge amount of tension that leads up to the big revelation, the outcome was actually quite disappointing and I feel that perhaps it could have been developed a little further.
Just because I found the ending a little disappointing, the rest of the drama and tension and intensity in the narrative more than makes Doll House one of the best books I have read in a long time. It made me feel sad, it made me laugh and it made me smile- and I think when a book as dark as this can do all of these things, that shows the true talent of the author- especially considering this is his debut novel.
Olivia was the perfect main character; the type of young woman that I think most girls wish they could be- though I’m not sure I could be as strong as her given her circumstances.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense and anticipation in a novel, but I should warn you that some scenes really are only for the strong-stomached. Also, don’t expect this to be a leisurely read- you’ll be hooked and finish it in a matter of days!
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