Scan barcode
jayleeswanson's review against another edition
5.0
Baby doll
Recommended to all who love thrillers! This book had me waiting to see what twisted event would happen next. A story of a kid napped teen returned home to find that nothing is the same. Lily tries to regain control again as her captor plots his revenge. A story that addresses mental health from multiple experiences, this story will not disappoint!
Recommended to all who love thrillers! This book had me waiting to see what twisted event would happen next. A story of a kid napped teen returned home to find that nothing is the same. Lily tries to regain control again as her captor plots his revenge. A story that addresses mental health from multiple experiences, this story will not disappoint!
justlily's review against another edition
4.0
So in spite of some major plausibility issues, I really enjoyed this. It was incredibly engaging and fast paced, I read it in a single day in just a few sittings. I loved that it was told from multiple perspectives (although, oddly, I found Lily, the girl who was kidnapped, to be the most boring sections).
It all seemed a little too easy and neat in the long run for it to make much emotional impact. But I enjoyed it for what it was and would definitely read more books by this author.
It all seemed a little too easy and neat in the long run for it to make much emotional impact. But I enjoyed it for what it was and would definitely read more books by this author.
judithdcollins's review against another edition
4.0
From psychological suspense, and reactions of those close to the victims after a tragedy, BABY DOLL is a compulsive debut; a story of evil, survival, and revenge- from talented TV writer Hollie Overton, known for her work on Last Call (2007), Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments (2016) and The Client List (2012).
Held for eight years in a remote cabin, a young woman and her young daughter, finally escape the clutches of their psycho-captor who leads a double life. When returning to their home, what they find is nothing close to normal. A family torn apart at the seams.
Lily Riser is a twin and at age sixteen she is kidnapped near the local high school. With years of captivity, abused both mentally, emotionally, and physically, she was not allowed to leave. A man saying, he loved her. He is married to someone else who comes from a wealthy family. He is supposed to be off writing in a remote cabin.
Lily also has a daughter, Sky (six years old), conceived while in captivity. They have only books to entertain them; however, Sky knows nothing of the outside world except a father and a mother. Lily taught her what to do, in the event they had the opportunity to escape. One day, it happened. The evil man was in a hurry and failed to lock the bolt. Lily and Sky took this opportunity. They were not far, from their home.
However, when they arrive home, everything seems to have changed. This is where the book turns inward to the those left behind, more so than the two victims. Readers learn early on, the identity of the captor, which shocks everyone.
Of course, we all know, real psychopaths are the ones who are so conspiratorial they can fool everyone with intelligence, looks, and multiple personalities. (Good and Evil). The girls are his "Baby Dolls."
Dave the father died of a heart attack soon after the abduction, with all the stress (Lily was his favorite girl). Eve, the mother sleeps with multiple men, to dull the pain (a man was there the night they arrived). The person with the most damage was of course, her identical twin, Abby. She is now ashamed of the things she has done while her twin has been gone. She will not be proud of her.
Lily is shocked at her sister Abby's behavior. From a suicide attempt, an addict, and now pregnant. Sky is totally confused by these people, since she has never met them, and wonders about her dad. She does not understand.
The intensity is high as well as emotions when Lily’s first love appears. Is Abby still unstable, and ready to act out her revenge - her sisters captor. Each person struggles to piece their shattered life back together. With heartfelt emotion, and the strong bonds of identical sisters- An unforgettable portrait of desperation, loyalty, and evil.
As a graphic artist and former publisher, I am attracted to strong front covers. Loved the bold cover, and the colors, with a bit of mystery and intrigue -as well as the title. I purchased the audiobook and the three different narrators, Jenna Lamia, MacLeod Andrews, Ellen Archer gave a wide range of voices for the main characters. The audio was compelling, thought-provoking, and absorbing!
There have been a wide range of reviews—I thought this was a great portrayal of life after tragedy (survival), not only for the two victims-the entire family. The author delves into the lives and the psychological fall out. Possibly some readers are seeking more of a crime thriller (apparent in the first part of the book) and are disappointed; however, I feel it is more of a domestic and psychological suspense.
For this reason, would compare to: Emma Donoghue’s Room, Chevy Stevens' Still Missing, That Night, and Those Girls as well as Chelsea Cain's One Kick. Also for fans of David Bell, Lisa Genova, Laura Lippman, Susan Lewis, Amy Hatvany, Randy Susan Meyers, and Heather Gudenkauf.
Hollie Overton was raised by her single mother, and—an identical twin herself—she draws on her unique childhood experiences for her first novel, Baby Doll. Overton's father was a member of the notorious Overton gang in Austin, Texas, and spent several years in prison for manslaughter. Hollie is a television writer and resides in Los Angeles. A name we are assured to see and hear, more of!
A recent interview with the author. "Baby Doll is a stand-alone. It’s not a series. The second book is set in Texas, and deals with a woman who works on death row so it’s also a crime thriller. That’s really the only parameters that my editors gave me, and it’s something I’m pretty obsessed with anyway. Dateline is kind of my obsession. And now I write about vampires, werewolves."
JDCMustReadBooks
Held for eight years in a remote cabin, a young woman and her young daughter, finally escape the clutches of their psycho-captor who leads a double life. When returning to their home, what they find is nothing close to normal. A family torn apart at the seams.
Lily Riser is a twin and at age sixteen she is kidnapped near the local high school. With years of captivity, abused both mentally, emotionally, and physically, she was not allowed to leave. A man saying, he loved her. He is married to someone else who comes from a wealthy family. He is supposed to be off writing in a remote cabin.
Lily also has a daughter, Sky (six years old), conceived while in captivity. They have only books to entertain them; however, Sky knows nothing of the outside world except a father and a mother. Lily taught her what to do, in the event they had the opportunity to escape. One day, it happened. The evil man was in a hurry and failed to lock the bolt. Lily and Sky took this opportunity. They were not far, from their home.
However, when they arrive home, everything seems to have changed. This is where the book turns inward to the those left behind, more so than the two victims. Readers learn early on, the identity of the captor, which shocks everyone.
Of course, we all know, real psychopaths are the ones who are so conspiratorial they can fool everyone with intelligence, looks, and multiple personalities. (Good and Evil). The girls are his "Baby Dolls."
Dave the father died of a heart attack soon after the abduction, with all the stress (Lily was his favorite girl). Eve, the mother sleeps with multiple men, to dull the pain (a man was there the night they arrived). The person with the most damage was of course, her identical twin, Abby. She is now ashamed of the things she has done while her twin has been gone. She will not be proud of her.
Lily is shocked at her sister Abby's behavior. From a suicide attempt, an addict, and now pregnant. Sky is totally confused by these people, since she has never met them, and wonders about her dad. She does not understand.
The intensity is high as well as emotions when Lily’s first love appears. Is Abby still unstable, and ready to act out her revenge - her sisters captor. Each person struggles to piece their shattered life back together. With heartfelt emotion, and the strong bonds of identical sisters- An unforgettable portrait of desperation, loyalty, and evil.
As a graphic artist and former publisher, I am attracted to strong front covers. Loved the bold cover, and the colors, with a bit of mystery and intrigue -as well as the title. I purchased the audiobook and the three different narrators, Jenna Lamia, MacLeod Andrews, Ellen Archer gave a wide range of voices for the main characters. The audio was compelling, thought-provoking, and absorbing!
There have been a wide range of reviews—I thought this was a great portrayal of life after tragedy (survival), not only for the two victims-the entire family. The author delves into the lives and the psychological fall out. Possibly some readers are seeking more of a crime thriller (apparent in the first part of the book) and are disappointed; however, I feel it is more of a domestic and psychological suspense.
For this reason, would compare to: Emma Donoghue’s Room, Chevy Stevens' Still Missing, That Night, and Those Girls as well as Chelsea Cain's One Kick. Also for fans of David Bell, Lisa Genova, Laura Lippman, Susan Lewis, Amy Hatvany, Randy Susan Meyers, and Heather Gudenkauf.
Hollie Overton was raised by her single mother, and—an identical twin herself—she draws on her unique childhood experiences for her first novel, Baby Doll. Overton's father was a member of the notorious Overton gang in Austin, Texas, and spent several years in prison for manslaughter. Hollie is a television writer and resides in Los Angeles. A name we are assured to see and hear, more of!
A recent interview with the author. "Baby Doll is a stand-alone. It’s not a series. The second book is set in Texas, and deals with a woman who works on death row so it’s also a crime thriller. That’s really the only parameters that my editors gave me, and it’s something I’m pretty obsessed with anyway. Dateline is kind of my obsession. And now I write about vampires, werewolves."
JDCMustReadBooks
mmc6661's review against another edition
4.0
A fast paced page turner that pulls you in from the start to end.
Lilly and Abby are twins, inseparable till Lilly disappears. No one knows what happened till years later when she shows back up with baby in tow. Where has she been? Was she kidnapped and held hostage or did she just start a new life? When Lilly opens up the whole town will be shocked. A must read for suspense lovers!
Lilly and Abby are twins, inseparable till Lilly disappears. No one knows what happened till years later when she shows back up with baby in tow. Where has she been? Was she kidnapped and held hostage or did she just start a new life? When Lilly opens up the whole town will be shocked. A must read for suspense lovers!
mellabella's review against another edition
3.0
This was not a "tense thriller". I wasn't expecting such. But now I'm reading blurbs that are saying that it is.
Lily and Abby are twins. One day (in high school) they bicker over a black sweater. Lily disappears that same day.
Lily is taken by a handsome, favorite high school teacher named Rick Hanson. He hides his depravity behind charm and a caring, facade.
This was the aftermath of someone who survived something horrific. How do you go back to living a "normal" life after being someones slave and captive for 8 years? Bearing his child? Catering to his moods? All the while being subject to unimaginable physical and sexual violence, manipulation, and conditioning?
Lily got through her days by thinking of her family. Especially Abby. Later, she devotes herself to her daughter Sky.
It opens with Lily discovering the door to the cabin he keeps her unlocked. He has become cocky and a little careless.
She also discovers that she has been close to her loved ones all those years.
At times this book seemed rushed. For lack of a better word.
Was it a thriller because Rick was planning an escape from prison? Not only was he sick bastard. His character was a smug SOB.
You can't help but think of real life stores of late. Women being held prisoner since they were pre teen and teenage girls...
I read it in a day. The author does an adequate job (I would assume) of writing from someone who was kidnap and held for years pov.
Lily and Abby are twins. One day (in high school) they bicker over a black sweater. Lily disappears that same day.
Lily is taken by a handsome, favorite high school teacher named Rick Hanson. He hides his depravity behind charm and a caring, facade.
This was the aftermath of someone who survived something horrific. How do you go back to living a "normal" life after being someones slave and captive for 8 years? Bearing his child? Catering to his moods? All the while being subject to unimaginable physical and sexual violence, manipulation, and conditioning?
Lily got through her days by thinking of her family. Especially Abby. Later, she devotes herself to her daughter Sky.
It opens with Lily discovering the door to the cabin he keeps her unlocked. He has become cocky and a little careless.
She also discovers that she has been close to her loved ones all those years.
At times this book seemed rushed. For lack of a better word.
Was it a thriller because Rick was planning an escape from prison? Not only was he sick bastard. His character was a smug SOB.
You can't help but think of real life stores of late. Women being held prisoner since they were pre teen and teenage girls...
I read it in a day. The author does an adequate job (I would assume) of writing from someone who was kidnap and held for years pov.
erinld2005's review against another edition
4.0
http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2016/09/baby-doll-by-hollie-overton-review.html
I won a free copy of Baby Doll By: Hollie Overton in a giveaway on a blog! Thank you to whatever blog that was. I'm so sorry, I'm horrible at remembering which blogs I won what from. I'm going to have to start writing these things down!
Short Review Summary:
A few flaws, but some very unexpected twists!
At first I really wasn't sure where Baby Doll was going. I was surprised at how fast into the story Lily escapes captivity. I know that in the summary it says, "This is what happens next..." However I guess I wasn't expecting it to escalate that quickly! I wasn't very far at all into the book when I began wondering what exactly is going to happen?
#ThatEscalatedQuickly
Mostly the book is about what happens once Lily is back home. We find out what happens next with Lily, her daughter Sky (born in captivity), her mother, and her twin sister Abby. I have to admit that for a little bit I was concerned that this book was going to be too busy going into details about everyone coping with life after Lily escapes. I started to wonder, why is this labeled a thriller? Then I started getting to the twists.
#OhThereItIs
Baby Doll definitely has some twists that I was not expecting. Every time I thought the book was going to go one way or another, it veered off into something completely different. I love to be surprised and I ended up devouring this novel in one sitting. The writing is very addictive and about halfway through the pace picked up even more and I HAD to find out what twists would happen next. I did not find this one predictable at all.
#CompletelyUnexpectedTwists
As I mentioned before, there is a lot of emphasis on how everyone deals once Lily escapes her kidnapper. While this book has a few fantastic twists, I do have to say that there is A LOT about all of the different relationships. Some of those parts slowed down the pace of the book. Baby Doll is not a long book so it wasn't too bad, but I still found myself wishing some parts were condensed. That being said, one of my favorite things about the book is the relationship dynamics between Lily and her twin sister Abby. I have twin boys and while reading I found myself thinking that the twins relationship and the way they acted towards each other seemed very realistic to me. I was amused to read at the end of the book that the author is a twin herself! I find that so fascinating and no wonder that aspect is written so well!
#TwinsAreFascinating
Overall I loved Baby Doll, despite a few flaws, and after the twisted ending that I never saw coming I was tempted to rate this one five stars. I couldn't do it though because not only are there a few flaws, but there are a couple of parts that reminded me too much of Room. I don't know why it says on Goodreads for fans of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train. This is like ROOM with a few thrills and twists.
#StopWithTheGoneGirlComparisonAlready
#ICan'tEven
#SoDoneWithThisCrap
#NotEvenClose
#IHaveAHashtagAddiction
I recommend Baby Doll for fans of Room, Cleveland Abduction (the lifetime movie about the true story of Michelle Knight), and books featuring twins.
#ILoveLifetimeMovies
I won a free copy of Baby Doll By: Hollie Overton in a giveaway on a blog! Thank you to whatever blog that was. I'm so sorry, I'm horrible at remembering which blogs I won what from. I'm going to have to start writing these things down!
Short Review Summary:
A few flaws, but some very unexpected twists!
At first I really wasn't sure where Baby Doll was going. I was surprised at how fast into the story Lily escapes captivity. I know that in the summary it says, "This is what happens next..." However I guess I wasn't expecting it to escalate that quickly! I wasn't very far at all into the book when I began wondering what exactly is going to happen?
#ThatEscalatedQuickly
Mostly the book is about what happens once Lily is back home. We find out what happens next with Lily, her daughter Sky (born in captivity), her mother, and her twin sister Abby. I have to admit that for a little bit I was concerned that this book was going to be too busy going into details about everyone coping with life after Lily escapes. I started to wonder, why is this labeled a thriller? Then I started getting to the twists.
#OhThereItIs
Baby Doll definitely has some twists that I was not expecting. Every time I thought the book was going to go one way or another, it veered off into something completely different. I love to be surprised and I ended up devouring this novel in one sitting. The writing is very addictive and about halfway through the pace picked up even more and I HAD to find out what twists would happen next. I did not find this one predictable at all.
#CompletelyUnexpectedTwists
As I mentioned before, there is a lot of emphasis on how everyone deals once Lily escapes her kidnapper. While this book has a few fantastic twists, I do have to say that there is A LOT about all of the different relationships. Some of those parts slowed down the pace of the book. Baby Doll is not a long book so it wasn't too bad, but I still found myself wishing some parts were condensed. That being said, one of my favorite things about the book is the relationship dynamics between Lily and her twin sister Abby. I have twin boys and while reading I found myself thinking that the twins relationship and the way they acted towards each other seemed very realistic to me. I was amused to read at the end of the book that the author is a twin herself! I find that so fascinating and no wonder that aspect is written so well!
#TwinsAreFascinating
Overall I loved Baby Doll, despite a few flaws, and after the twisted ending that I never saw coming I was tempted to rate this one five stars. I couldn't do it though because not only are there a few flaws, but there are a couple of parts that reminded me too much of Room. I don't know why it says on Goodreads for fans of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train. This is like ROOM with a few thrills and twists.
#StopWithTheGoneGirlComparisonAlready
#ICan'tEven
#SoDoneWithThisCrap
#NotEvenClose
#IHaveAHashtagAddiction
I recommend Baby Doll for fans of Room, Cleveland Abduction (the lifetime movie about the true story of Michelle Knight), and books featuring twins.
#ILoveLifetimeMovies
lindseysparks's review against another edition
This book is about what happens after a woman escapes from a man who has been holding her hostage for eight years. I liked that it was about what happens after instead of during - how the family had moved on as much as they could and how Lily built certain things up in her mind because they were the only things she had to hold on to during her captivity. I also liked that we got several characters' perspectives, including Lily's rapist. It was very fast paced even though there wasn't a lot of plot tension - the thriller aspect all happens in the first chapter. The author is a TV writer and I think that's why it was so fast paced and pretty straightforward. The author's father is in prison for manslaughter, and that made the story more interesting to me - how does she feel about her father, the victim, the victim's family, etc. and how did that influence the story she chose to tell?
I liked that she had her characters show anger and that Lily was strong and went after Rick. However, I felt like her character seemed to recover a bit too quickly for the most part. I also did not like the ending. It just seemed like it went off the rails a bit. I read this in one sitting and was a fine way to spend an evening despite that though.
I liked that she had her characters show anger and that Lily was strong and went after Rick. However, I felt like her character seemed to recover a bit too quickly for the most part. I also did not like the ending. It just seemed like it went off the rails a bit. I read this in one sitting and was a fine way to spend an evening despite that though.
bookslifeandeverythingnice's review against another edition
4.0
Baby Doll is an engaging story about a woman who was kidnapped as a teenager. The novel mainly revolves around Lily’s life after her escape; how she copes with media frenzy surrounding her, reuniting with her family including her twin sister, integrating her daughter to the real world, and trying to move forward with her life. The chapters are told from different people’s perspectives, which I thought worked well. It allowed the reader to understand how each family member was coping with the same situation. The novel has moments of intense action and then slows down to deal with the emotional aftermath of the situation. Lately there have been a fair amount of books centered around women escaping from their abductors and reclaiming their lives, but Baby Doll is not a cookie cutter story. Not by any means. There were some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Overall, I highly recommend this book for it’s interesting plot lines, great storytelling, and realistic multi faceted characters.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked this one because it made me want to know how it would play out, and it would have been really good too, but...yeah the language felt overly simplistic, and the dialogue was cringey at times. They nicknames were like come on!
But hey a book can still be good, at least with it's simple language it was a really fast read and in truth that is what I needed. Something fast and simple that still hooks you and you just breeze through in a few hours. No need to dig deeper.
The end was building up to some true horror, so it did feel like a fizzle at the end when the end really came along.
Still, a good book that I could not put down despite the flaws it had.
But hey a book can still be good, at least with it's simple language it was a really fast read and in truth that is what I needed. Something fast and simple that still hooks you and you just breeze through in a few hours. No need to dig deeper.
The end was building up to some true horror, so it did feel like a fizzle at the end when the end really came along.
Still, a good book that I could not put down despite the flaws it had.
queernhere's review against another edition
not mentally stable enough rn will come back to