Doll Hands by Adam L.G. Nevill
Title: Doll Hands
Author: Adam L.G. Nevill
In: The Monstrous (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Horror
Dates read: 15th May 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Gemima is the tiny woman who wears rubber sandals and who never speaks.
He has doll hands and everyone thinks that he’s weak. But the reality is so much darker.
Reading this short story, I had a somewhat weird image of a little, bulbous headed horror running around. Killing people. I don’t think that that is an inaccurate image. But it’s certainly not a super fun and exciting one. It’s certainly not one that you want in your mind’s eye just before you go to sleep at night…
Even though I can’t quite feel okay about the narrator of this story, he kind of reminded me a little of a sick and twisted and malformed Dexter. The kill described in this short story is definitely done because of a gross misjustice. But it’s also done because Doll Hands likes to kill. Which leaves some very, very mixed feelings at the completion of this short story. Feelings that still feel very mixed, long after I have turned the final page.
I absolutely adored the creepy nature of this story. The idea that the deformed person that is often overlooked is the one who should really be watched much, much closer. But, most of all, I loved that it ended with what I’m sure would be another death. A creepy character in a creepy little world. Such a great story to give you goosebumps.
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