The Fifth Doll

The Fifth Doll by Charlie N. Holmberg

Matrona has grown up in a unique village. Isolated and very traditional, Matrona spends most of her time working hard to please her parents. She is in the midst of preparing for her arranged marriage when she finds herself inside the house of the tradesman, Slava, and discovers the nesting dolls. Each doll represents a member of the village, and Matrona soon discovers that they are more than what they seem. She finds herself the unwilling apprentice to Slava and is required to open each of her own dolls every three days.

Charlie Holmberg, author of The Paper Magician series, has a talent for writing unique books. For the most part the stories she writes feel new and different from any story written before. The Fifth Doll was one that doesn't exactly fit this description, as it does feel similar to The Giver in a lot of ways, it was still different enough that it's not obvious where the story is going. 

Holmberg is very good at keeping readers interested in the story. While the book isn't a work of genius, you still feel the need to get to the end to find out what on earth is going on. The struggle of this book is that there aren't many characters that are extremely likable, and the difference in age between the love interests is a little uncomfortable. But the pages continued to turn. There was almost a sense of urgency to find out why this little town was so odd, and how everything would be resolved. In the end, it was certainly an absorbing read that doesn't get a rest until it is completed.

The Fifth Doll can be found in the adult fiction section.