The Doll Twin - Janine Beacham

Una has lived in the Home since the death of her parents who were lighthouse keepers, and she misses the sea. Her life is miserable and she is never chosen when prospective couples come looking to adopt, so Una is tentatively excited when, after 2 years, Mr and Mrs Smith arrive and choose to adopt Una. They live in Copperlins, the home they have just moved into in Knifely Stifling. The house is large with a basement and higher floors that are out of bounds, but Una settles in and helps Father with his carousel in the basement. It's not until Una joins the local school that she discovers the reputation Copperlins has and how creepy stories are synonymous with the house... then when Una discovers the life-sized doll that looks exactly like her, she begins to wonder whether there is more to the house than she first thought. 

Una is desperate to be loved and will do anything to keep her new parents happy.  At first, everything seems normal and Una's life seems to have taken a turn for the better: she is by the sea again, she is being well-fed and she is going to school. But there is only one girl in the village, Mary, who will be her friend, and even she gets spooked at the house. The more you read, the more sinister the plot becomes and you find yourself embroiled in a twisting story that is deliciously dark and creepy.  I had my suspicions as to what I thought was going to happen, but what actually happened made me shriek and gasp in equal measure - the book certainly kept me gripped! 

Carousels, a long-abandoned house with a dark history, a small village where everybody knows knows each other, set at a time when technology didn't rule the world; life-sized dolls... The Doll Twin has all the ingredients for a spine-chilling read that will keep you up at night! Looking at friendship, finding yourself and overcoming prejudice, the book is perfect for fans of Jennifer Killick and SJ Willis, and fits well into that growing band of books that help readers make the leap from middle grade to YA.  I already know many a child in my class who will devour this book.