Heart-wrenching. That’s what The Doll Funeral is. Heart-wrenching.
I’m not sure what to do with this sad, hollow, residual feeling that’s come from reading this book, but I know I’ll remember the power of this novel from Kate Hamer long into the future.
Thirteen-year-old Ruby is an engaging character, and from the moment her adoptive father’s fist first came down on her, I was fuming and rooting for this brave young girl to escape and find her real parents.
Hamer’s language is enticing, bringing a unique view into the world. Through Ruby’s singular experiences, I found myself blissfully confused, as if my understanding was shrouded in an eerie mist. Everything was uncertain – from her unconventional past to the unearthly Shadow character that followed her around, seemingly her only friend, until she meets Tom, Elizabeth and Crispin – siblings abandoned by their aloof parents.
The passages with the siblings were the strongest emotional scenes for me. A strange mixture of fear and sympathy flooded off the pages, and as an adult not long out of childhood, I desperately wished for someone, anyone, to take care of them.
Hamer managed to render extremely inconceivable situations intensely familiar, as if I were Ruby or Tom or Elizabeth. If you’re looking for a highly engrossing story that will really make you feel, then The Doll Funeral is for you.
The Doll Funeral
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.
I did tell Mick that I saw the woman in the buttercup dress, hanging upside down from her seat belt deep in the forest at the back of our house. I told him I saw death crawl out of her. He said he'd give me a medal for lying. I wasn't lying...
About the Contributor
Bronwyn Eley
Before entering the exciting world of books, Bronwyn served in the Royal Australian Air Force, travelled extensively and worked (still does!) as a barista on the weekends. Books are her true passion. Bronwyn's debut fantasy novel Relic is coming out in 2019 with indie publishing house Talem Press. They are to publish her entire trilogy called The Relic Trilogy. In her spare time, Bronwyn writes, reads and enjoys keeping fit (which she undoes by eating loads of chocolate) with Martial Arts and personal training. She can't answer what her favourite book is but she has a soft spot for Peter Pan (J.M Barrie), Outlander (Diana Gabaldon), Stardust (Neil Gaiman), The Illuminae Files (Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman) and Six of Crows (Leigh Bardugo). Fantasy, sci-fi and YA make up the majority of her bookshelves.
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