THE DOLL by Laura Daleo

3 out of 5 stars

On Amazon
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Scifi novella

When I started to read this story and realised that it involved a man who couldn't get over the death of his girlfriend and heard about a company who made synthetic humanoid replicas, I was immediately reminded of a TV programme I saw a couple of years back in which the same took place - I don't think it was Black Mirror, but something similar.  It's a basic idea that I've come across a few times, and it's an interesting one.  

This was an easy-read, entertaining book and I did enjoy the middle third.  I had a few misgivings, though, mostly to do with the main character, Jeremy, in whose first person POV the story is related.  He is meant to be a rich, good-looking, hipster sort of guy who flips houses for millions of dollars, but I felt I was seeing inside the head of a rather nervous woman, not a confident, successful man.  He kept referring to his 'man bun' (do men who wear their hair this way actually call it that?), describing the clothes he put on in the way that women do, and coming across hesitant and rather gauche.  He just didn't feel ... masculine.

I think it's got potential, but needs more thinking through, maybe with the help of a good professional developmental editor.  However, from an 'is this a fun read or not' point of view, it certainly ticks a box - if you're not as picky as I am you may enjoy it a great deal!