Among the Dolls

A dark awakening . . . When her parents give her a gloomy old dollhouse for her birthday instead of the ten speed bike she's expecting, Vicky is disappointed. But she soon becomes fascinated by the small shadowy world and its inhabitants. The hours she spends playing with the dolls is a good way to escape from her parents's arguments. As Vicky's life becomes more troubled, she starts to take out her frustration on the dolls, making their lives as unhappy as hers. Then one day, Vicky wakes up inside the dollhouse, trapped among the monsters she's created. Bewildered, Vicky is sure she's dreaming. Can she find her way out of this nightmare world?

For more than thirty years, William Sleator has thrilled readers with his inventive books. His House of Stairs was named one of the best novels of the twentieth century by the Young Adult Library Services Association. He divides his time between homes in Boston and rural Thailand.

This can't be happening, Vicky said to herself. It's impossible! I must be dreaming. But it wasn't vague like a dream. Everything was horribly clear, and all the details were perfect. She tried to fight a growing panic, which was only made worse by the deep void just ahead of her.
Behind her, the music stopped with a sudden crash and she spun around. Beside the music box stood the aunt doll, taller than Vicky now. In the abrupt silence, Vicky simply stared at her without speaking.
“Aha,� said the aunt doll softly, her smiling mouth not moving at all. “You are small and helpless now, I see.�