Was a pretty good story. I didn't know what to expect when I started, but picked this title, because it was a new release. As the story went, I found myself wishing Fanny was able to share some of her history with Ibby, so that she could know her family history. But it seems alot of 'Depression' era families did not pass down their family history. The story was well told, and spread over a few different time periods. I kind of felt sorry for Ibby, having been dumped at her grandmothers when she was young. She had to adjust to life in LA, in comparison to MO, in the '60's would be quite a culture shock.I felt sorry, for all the bad/sad things that Fanny did have to endure in her like, and when she told the story about Muddy, I had hoped Norwood's part in it would come out happy.A good, if not a bit strange coming of age story for Ibby Belle. And to discover what family really means in the end, was pretty good, if not a bit sad. I am truly astounded by the number of 4 and 5 star reviews this got. While I did like the premise: a young girl gets dumped on the doorstep of a grandmother she never knew in New Orleans in the 1960s, that is the only thing this book has going for it. The premise stands alone. It sounded so promising. I wanted to love it. I didn't even like it. All the way through I knew this story was not going to come anywhere close to its potential but I just kept slogging through, partly due to laziness but mainly because I just couldn't quite bring myself to believe this as all I was going to get. The plot goes nowhere, the characters are all one-dimensional and the writing is "talented high-schooler" at best. I did get a fairly good sense of place. The author seems to know and love New Orleans but there was no true sense of time, no real '60's feel and America was fairly vibrating at that time, especially in the South. One could feel sorry for a little girl abandoned by a self-centered mother to be brought up by a mentally ill grandmother and her household staff but only if the little girl felt real. Ibby Bell feels about as real as the dolls her grandmother has made for her each year on her birthday. If we knew Ibby's - or any of the characters' - thoughts, motivations or history - we could care about her/them but, alas, the reader is left to give these people whatever attributes they wish. Maybe that's why there are so many good reviews - maybe people are filling in the blanks to suit themselves. Could be but I think that should be the author's job, not mine. Not my cup of tea.
What do You think about Dollbaby (2014)?
Good lord, save yourself from flat characters and cliches.
—Langit
This one made me weep. Beautifully written.
—Duke00004
