The Collected Review

The Collected: this is going to be one mouthful of a review. Let me preface this by saying K.R Alexander writes horror stories for mid-grade children; therefore, I can not judge too harshly. This book was also gifted to me by my best friend, who had seen the cover and knows I have a bizarre love for anything unsettling. So naturally, she thought of me, seeing a book cover with murderous dolls on the outside. I love that and wouldn’t trade it for the world. However, when I tell you this book was hard to read, it was. I felt like I was watching the movie Rubber or worse, 12/12/12. To all my horror movie buffs, you understand the severity of poor content.

Genuinely, I feel horrible tearing someone's story to shreds. It was good, especially considering the target age group and that The Collected was also the sequel to The Collector, which I haven't read. It was easy enough to follow and put pieces together without the first book; I didn’t need to read. The book had enough flashback references that any reader could feel as though they read the first book; this is something I find positive. The book did relay an accurate emotional depiction of loss. Death is brutal for anyone, and the book does show different reactions to death and allows children to connect or relate to Anna. It is an excellent exposure to those who haven't lost someone, and I think everyone must read and connect to a character, especially at a young age when it comes to experiences such as death. For this, I commend K.R. Alexander.

As for the rest, I could hardly stand to read. Other than loss, the only way to tell someone was afraid was by reading, “I was so scared.” The reactions did not represent any type of human behavior. The characters' actions and scripted emotions rarely matched up. It was confusing and hard to submerge oneself into the story. It felt like reading a poorly scripted anime. Josie held a grudge in the most stubborn, most annoying way possible, and it was in every solitary interaction they had until the end of the book. Anna would ask for a cup of water, and Josie would smack it out of her hand, saying, “how dare you.” Anna would take a breath, and Josie took it as betrail. It was so bizarre and unnatural that I felt like it would have made more sense for Josie to have left Anna dead; she clearly would have been happier. Along those lines of unnatural reactions, the mother was useless. It was almost as though the mother had no common sense or motherly instinct. She also had no means of reaching for herself, her reactions triggered by something one of the children would say. These reactions just didn’t make any sense to me.

Finally, Overuse of the words, porcelain, doll, Grandma Jeannie, and ext drove me up the wall.

There was such a lack of description that I didn’t even know what the main characters looked like; it was disappointing. There are many ways to describe dolls, and not a single description was utilized tastefully. Dolls, of all things, have so much potential. They all have different textures different expressions. Dolls can be matted and tangled, brittle, and cold, and they can shatter or melt, some can talk, and I feel like every description was so basic. Dolls are a landmine to horror because they ignite the uncanny valley that stunts our flight or flight responses. Wording possibilities were open and should have been used simplistically for detail that elevated the story even for young readers. Not saying young readers should be traumatized or exposed to an overwhelming amount of incomprehensible words, but exposure to “some” detail wouldn't hurt.

I have more to say, but I feel I have said enough. This book is not bad, especially from the perspective of a 6th or 7th grader. It is hard to judge work when you are not the target audience. I recommend it for children looking to get into horror. I suggest reading the first book, even though I don't find it entirely necessary. The collected is an excellent nighttime read for spooky sleepovers or parents entertaining a slumber party. So If you are trying to get into horror or get your kids into horror, go for it! But, if you are looking for an excellent book to keep you on your toes, aching in suspense, I would pass.