Review: Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell

Synopsis from Goodreads:

We’re waiting for you to come and play. Dunvegan School for Girls has been closed for many years. Converted into a family home, the teachers and students are long gone. But they left something behind…Sophie arrives at the old schoolhouse to spend the summer with her cousins. Brooding Cameron with his scarred hand, strange Lilias with a fear of bones and Piper, who seems just a bit too good to be true. And then there’s her other cousin. The girl with a room full of antique dolls. The girl that shouldn’t be there. The girl that died.

 

My rating:

★★★★★

I bought Frozen Charlotte to read and review for my month of Halloween, I was looking for something creepy, eerie and that would (hopefully) scare me and it did not disappoint! I’ll admit I didn’t know Frozen Charlotte dolls were really a thing until I had started reading it, for me this added to the creepiness. Who willingly puts tiny China dolls in ice cubes?!

I’ve always been fascinated by Ouija boards so I loved that an Ouija board app Sophie’s friend Jay downloaded was part of the story and how it set things in motion for Sophie. They can be predictable and cliché, in this case I was left desperate to find out what happens next as its used in a public place and the consequences affect bystanders and players alike.

Things get extra creepy when Sophie arrives in Skye where she is staying with her uncle and cousins while her parents are away, unknowingly bringing someone with her. They live in an old school that was shut down after a series of sinister events, that alone is enough to creep you out, especially when traces of the school are still present – including photos. Then you’re introduced to the room of creepy dolls belonging to Rebecca, Sophie’s cousin who died. Alex Bell has a way of leaving you questioning who is responsible for events as they unfold.

There aren’t any words to justify how awesome and creepy Frozen Charlotte is. I’m hard to scare and even I was eyeing up the walls, questioning every scratch I heard. Its the perfect Halloween read!

Published by: Red Eye (Stripes Publishing)

published: 05/01/15

Pages: 352

Buy from: Waterstones Book Depository

Have you read, or planning to read it? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!