The Doll’s House

I’m a sucker for a good horror story, especially when dolls are involved. So The Doll’s House by Lisa Unger immediately captured my attention. This short story follows Jules, recently widowed, and her teenage daughter, Scout. Both are still grieving, but Jules is already with a new man, Kirin, and they’re moving into his house. But there’s an unsettling mystery surrounding this puppet-maker and his long-missing sister. Are Jules and Scout really safe with him?

Tropes & Narrative Devices:

• Dual first-person POVs (Jules and Scout)

What I Liked:

• Puppets and dolls. I think most of us can agree that dolls and puppets are creepy… at least when they appear in horror stories. Here, widowed mother Jules is now dating a man named Kirin; he’s famous for the puppets he makes. Kirin crafts each puppet based on real people, aiming to capture their very essence. It’s pretty cool, but also a little spooky.
• High-tech house. Kirin’s house is super advanced, with a security system that works like an old-fashioned butler. Jules and Scout each have “all property access” at first, but their right to get through certain doors may not last.
• Mother-daughter relationship. I appreciate that Jules and Scout still have a close relationship, even after the loss of Scout’s dad and with Jules now dating a new man. Scout is a normal teen girl who does well in school, and while she’s not happy about Kirin, she’s still close with her mom. This short story explores their relationship, how they’ve each been impacted by the loss of Scout’s dad, and how they can move on together.
• Mystery around Kirin’s missing sister. Years ago, Kirin’s sister went missing, and though a body was never found, she’s been presumed dead. What really happened to her? How does Jules keep seeing her, and what does her appearance mean? This was one of the spookiest elements that made the story intriguing from the beginning.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• As with so many short stories, this would work really well as a full-length novel. I wanted more time to absorb the story, get to know the characters, and puzzle over what was going on.

Audiobook

Mia Barron and Kimberly Woods do a wonderful job of narrating as Jules and Scout. Both infuse their characters with personality and distinctive from each other. I also enjoyed the music at the beginning and end of the production.

Final Thoughts

The Doll’s House is a the kind of classic horror story that I love (new home, weird dolls, dark past) made new with its elements of technology. It’s a quick read that’s perfect for this time of year. This is my first time reading Lisa Unger, and I fully plan to read more!

Special thanks to Amazon Original Stories, Brilliance Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy The Doll’s House here – it’s available as an ebook and audiobook.

The Doll’s House by Lisa Unger
Audiobook Narrator	Mia Barron; Kimberly Woods
Audience	Adult
Genre	Horror; Thriller
Setting	New York
Number of Pages	98
Format I Read	Ebook & Audiobook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	September 12, 2024
Publisher	Amazon Original Stories; Brilliance Publishing

Official Summary

A widowed mother, ready to give love another chance, moves into her fiancé’s old family home with her teenage daughter. But as they try to build a future together, the past refuses to let go in this haunting short story from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger.

When Jules first meets the handsome artist Kirin, she’s still mourning her husband’s death, but a fairytale romance soon sweeps her off her feet. Now she and her daughter Scout are moving out of the city and into Kirin’s once-lonely mansion. He’s thoughtfully updated and adapted the home to match their personalities. But Scout is determined to keep her father’s memory alive by rejecting the new life her mother and Kirin have spun for her.

Scout’s sullenness begins to fade, though, when she finds a beautiful handmade doll in one of the many empty rooms in the house. Kirin says that the doll belonged to his late sister and he’d like Scout to have it. Scout’s hopeful for a connection over their shared grief, but as she grows more curious about Kirin’s sister, she can’t escape the feeling that a danger lurks in the house…and its gaze is fixed on her mother.