Quirky Cat
Written on Nov 2, 2018
"The author has incredible talent for creating a tense, atmospheric world for his characters, and I was on the edge of my seat for every page of this book." - Magnolia Reads
Jack didn’t know what to call the nameless, skeletal creature that slunk into her house in the dead of night, stealing the very things she loved the most. So she named him The Toy Thief…
There’s something in Jack’s past that she doesn’t want to face, an evil presence that forever changed the trajectory of her family. It all began when The Toy Thief appeared, a being drawn by goodness and innocence, eager to feed on everything Jack holds dear. What began as a mystery spirals out of control when her brother, Andy, is taken away in the night, and Jack must venture into the dark place where the toys go to get him back. But even if she finds him, will he ever be the same?
FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launching in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
- ISBN10 1787580466
- ISBN13 9781787580466
- Publish Date 18 October 2018
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Flame Tree Press
- Edition US paperback edition
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 240
- Language English
Reviews
kalventure
Written on Sep 22, 2018
"Brothers and sisters are like that, the best and worst of relationships, the entire world rolled into one."Have you ever read a book that was both everything you wanted and everything you hated at the same time? Unfortunately, that was my experience reading The Toy Thief: I really enjoyed the main storyline but I didn't enjoy the main character or the narrative style.
The book is written in first person and is narrated in such a way that feels like you are listening to someone try to tell a story - it is completely stream of consciousness and she jumps around her life, weaving a story that largely paints her as a horrible and unlikable character, which is in stark contrast with her as a child. The way Adult Jack talks about herself gave me vapid TifAni from [b:Luckiest Girl Alive|22609317|Luckiest Girl Alive|Jessica Knoll|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1425975301s/22609317.jpg|42099141] flashbacks, which is one of my least favorite reads. I found myself absolutely hating the book whenever we were in any time other than that summer when she was nine years old.
As far as horror goes, the central story and backstory of the Toy Thief was creepy and interesting. If the book had been told in the present tense and skipped the weird time jumps and fat shaming of a blind date, I would have thoroughly enjoyed this book. The Toy Thief is really about Jack growing up, and I read the Toy Thief as a metaphor for lost innocence. I would have liked to see the Sallie/doll side story resolved a bit; while not integral to the story overall, it felt as if something bigger was alluded to but was largely left unexplored.
Overall, I thought The Toy Thief was a fast paced horror read with many layers: it isn't just about the horrors of the rat-like monster that has come into their home but also about the horrors of losing oneself, of growing up, and of loss. My enjoyment of the book was somewhat hampered by the adult persona of Jack and I did personally struggle with the stream of consciousness "confessional" narrative style. I was really excited for this book but it missed the mark for me personally. If this book sounds like something you would be interested in, I definitely recommend that you pick it up!
cw: animal death, bullying, death, body horror, loss of a loved one, suicide
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me an electronic advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Quotations taken from an uncorrected proof and may change upon final publication. The Toy Thief will be released on October 6, 2018.
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