I adored Frozen Charlotte and this lived up to my expectations! Really hope to read more horror from Alex Bell.

Charlotte says by Alex Bell.
Red eye book 8.
Following the death of her mother in a terrible fire, Jemima flees to the remote Isle of Skye, to take up a job at a school for girls. There she finds herself tormented by the mystery of what really happened that night.
A really good read with good characters. 4*.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

An enjoyable creepy prequel to Frozen Charlotte. I remember Frozen Charlotte vaguely, and it was really the hot pink cover on the prequel that drew me in. I don’t really like prequels, but I thought I’d give this a shot. Went into it without looking at reviews or anything, just going off the synopsis.

It’s a historical set at a gloomy boarding school in the Isle of Sky in 1910. The main character Jemima has gone there with an assistant teaching position after the deaths of her mother and stepfather. Something horrible happened and Jemima is tormented with flashbacks as the novel opens. The opening catches the misery and nasty weather perfectly. The school is an institution for non-criminal destitute girls to teach them working skills. Mostly serving work.

Jemima is late on arrival and reprimanded immediately by the horrible ogre of a head mistress, the nasty school maid gives her a hard time. The only saving grace is her childhood friend Henry who lives nearby and works at the school as well. Some sort of butler/ grounds keeper. She gets along with the children, who treat her with respect. She’s appalled at the way the headmistress treats and frequently punishes the children for the slightest infractions.

It’s very well written and atmospheric. It’s certainly got a sense of gloom and foreboding to the storytelling, and at moments is downright creepy. Through flashbacks we learn more about Jemima’s history with her mother (there’s no father in the picture) – her mother posed as a “medium” to make money. She attracts the attention of a rich and powerful man who woos her into marrying him, but he of course, has sinister motives for marrying a medium. Things got bad quickly after the marriage and took a dark and unpleasant turn.

At the start of the novel, a box arrives for Jemima of Frozen Charlotte dolls and a big doll house, which she donates to the school. Shortly after, Jemima starts seeing scary things out the corner of her eye, thinking she’s hearing things – people taking to her who aren’t there. The behaviour of some of the children starts rapidly changing, accidents happen, and fatalities start happening. And when questioned the children all have the same answer – the dolls did it. The Frozen Charlottes told them to.

Jemima was a likeable character, she had a no nonsense attitude about her, but showed a softer side in how she interacted and cared for the children, helped them when no one else would. There’s not much lightness to the story, it’s a murky one and unpleasant. Though Henry is Jemima’s light in the dark and even though she tries to deny her feelings for him, she can’t hold it in. The other characters were well written – the maid and the school mistress were really awful people. (The sort you hope something nasty will happen to).

There was quite a dark twist at the end when things started unravelling and truths were revealed. And a creepy end that left me with a twisted grin.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable read if you like horror-themed mysteries.

Thank you to Netgalley and Stripes Publishing/Little Tiger Group for the review copy

An incredibly creepy prequel to a series of books I have not read. Did it matter that I had not read the other books? Absolutely not. It still had be captivated from start to finish! The book was extremely atmospheric, the description of settings made me actually feel as if I was there, this only upped the creepiness of certain parts of the story! Overall, I would definitely recommend this as a YA horror book for someone to sink their teeth into.

This was just as creepy as the first one, I love YA horror and Alex is one of the best authors in this genre!!

Charlotte Says is creepy as anything! Spine tingling, chill inducing creepy. I had to read it with the lights on.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately, it some how went to archive before I had a chance to download it and therefore I am unable to review it. I do however, plan to purchase it in the near future.

Charlotte Says is the prequel novel to the fantastically creepy Frozen Charlotte. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and had very high hopes for this one, luckily the book managed to meet them!

Although not quite as scary as Frozen Charlotte, Charlotte Says still absolutely delivers on everything I was hoping for. There is plenty more action from the creepy little dolls, a spooky old school house, little girls who are almost as creepy as the dolls, death, murder and so much more.

The book flipped back and forth between the present (1910) and the past (18-6 months previous). I liked how this built some tension in the narrative as my brain frantically tried to make the connections between the past and the present. I also really liked how later on in the book I was able to make links to Frozen Charlotte and although this meant I kind of knew what was going to happen, it was still satisfying to read the conclusion.

There’s no doubt in my mind that these are two of the best YA horror novels I’ve read (granted I may not have read many). They are creepy and spine tingling without being too terrifying to read. I devoured Charlotte Says in just two sittings because I simply couldn’t put the book down. I know I’ll be looking out for more from Alex Bell in future!

Another brilliantly chilling novel from Alex Bell. There is nowhere near enough high quality horror writing for teens - thank goodness for this, and its predecessor ‘Frozen Charlotte’! Real scares throughout - if you like horror, you’ll love this!

Jemima flees to the remote island of Skye to take up a job is an all-girls boarding school. Jemima is fleeing her mother’s death and her past that went up in flames. While at the boarding school, desperate to flee her past, she receives a box of Frozen Charlotte dolls from a mystery sender. These dolls help her to remember what happened on that fateful night – a seance, violence, and a fire that destroyed her home and her mother. When a series of sinister accidents start happening at the school, it is soon revealed that the dolls are at the centre of what is happening.

When I requested Charlotte Says, I hadn’t read the Frozen Charlotte series, so I was coming into the story without knowing anything about the frozen charlotte dolls. I loved the historical setting, it made the book much more atmospheric and haunting, especially as it was set in a boarding school. It is the perfect Halloween read full of horror, murder, demonic possessions, and creepy murderous dolls.

One of my favourite things about Charlotte Says was the subtlety of the haunting. It wasn’t revealed until later what was actually causing the sinister events and ‘accidents’. It was, as the title suggests, a lot of young children claiming Charlotte did it, Charlotte Says this & that. It made Charlotte Says an eerie read.

Jemima was an interesting and complex character. She is resourceful, kind, brave, but she’s also very morally ambiguous character. Throughout the novel, we flick between Jemima’s past and present, which is seamlessly done. Slowly, we uncover Jemima’s past and we discover what happened that fateful night of the fire. We also discover how the haunted frozen charlotte dolls came to be, and why they followed Jemima to the Isle of Skye. The schoolmistress, Miss Grayson was an abusive evil woman who took punishment to the extreme, and I was not a fan of her. There were some other great characters, such as Henry, who was Jemima’s kind and supportive boyfriend. Estella, a brave young girl who was always accused of lying and, unfortunately, suffered a horrible fate.

The frozen charlotte dolls were the perfectly creepy. They were playful, childish, yet also murderous. While Charlotte Says had a lot of creepy and paranormal elements, it also focused on the malicious and cruelty of humanity.

Overall, Charlotte Says is a chilling and morbid read that is equally disturbing and fascinating and is a perfect for Halloween.

Charlotte Says is the prequel to Frozen Charlotte. I read this book right away after finishing Frozen Charlotte.

Set in the year 1910, seventeen-year old Jemima has decided to start a new life after the death of her mother and step-father by taking up a job as an assistant mistress at Dunvegan School for Girls located in a remote place called Isle of Skye. A surprise package with her name on it arrives and it seems like there's no way she can escape her past.

We have a wider cast of characters in this book compared to Frozen Charlotte. We have our main character, Jemima, who used to be her mother's assistant on conducting fake séances. She's a very interesting and complex character. She's not perfect but I loved how she cares about the girls and their safety which is quite ironic since she's the one who gave them the dolls without any knowledge of the harm they will bring. Then we have Miss Grayson, the head mistress, who reminded me so much of Miss Minchin (from A Little Princess) but way more evil. Henry, a very nice guy and Jemima's love interest. Estella, one of the schoolgirls and the outcast of the group. And of course, the little Frozen Charlotte dolls.

In this book we get to see how it all started. How these innocent little dolls became playfully evil and how they ended up in Isle of Skye. It answers all the questions I have in the first book which was really satisfying. The author and her writing are brilliant. She is very talented and versatile. I would love to read more of her books especially if they're historical fiction.

There's a scene where a character from Frozen Charlotte makes a very short appearance and I didn't really get what it means. Probably they can see the future? I don't know. Same with the first book, I didn't really care much about the romance in the story.

This book was less terrifying than the first one but it's definitely creepy and disturbing. I have to warn you that there are some horrific scenes that can be too graphic for some readers, animal cruelty, and physical abuse in the story.

You don't have to read Frozen Charlotte before reading this book but I highly recommend you do.

Another Red Eye book and the Prequel to Frozen Charlotte. The last book ends with a set up for a sequel, but I actually forgot that I said I would rather a prequel. Past me got what she wanted I guess. I would have to read Frozen Charlotte to see how much this book links up but there are nods to the first book in this.


Jemina is our leading lady and like most Edwardian girls without family, she needs to find work and she takes a job she barely qualified for as a teacher at Bordering School in the Isle of Sky. It's terrible, with abusive headmistress and her spooky past catches up to her.


We learn what's the deal with Frozen Charlotte books are and we get some fun Victorian ghost fun. The Victorians were obsessed with ghosts, it one of their many quirks. This book actually place ten years after Queen Victoria died, but who cares about any of the Edwards. I know I don't.


I don't care for Henry calling Jemina "Darling Girl", is he a middle-aged man? Did other young people really refer to people their own age as that? Weird thing: None of the main characters that ain't anticontagionists appeared to be from the Sky or Scotland. I mean this is for plot reason I guess, but why?


Overall, I give it 4/5 stars for Tiny Wigs. Alex Bell continues to be my favourite of the Red Eye writers I have read. This was decent addition to the Frozen Charlotte lore and I love them more now (but still would advise against listening to them, I'm hoping to finally read the other books in the Red Eye series before Halloween (I was an idiot who missed out on getting Fir by Sharon Gosling for review. Oh, well.) Strangely enough, it's the other female writers that I've not read yet. Though, I do own books by all of them (including the only Red Eye books I have physical copies of).

I read Frozen Charlotte earlier in the year and really enjoyed it but this prequel was even better. The historical setting seemed to ramp up the spook factor and who doesn't love a horror novel set around a snowy deserted school?
I must admit this book made me wince at times the scenes are that graphic and it doesn't help that I also watched Annabelle: Creation in the middle of reading it. Can I ever look at dolls in the same way?

Charlotte Says is a horror story. It’s the prequel of Frozen Charlotte which I own the paperback of, but haven’t read yet.

It tells the story of Jemima, 17, who moves into a school on the Isle of Skye to be an assistant teacher after her house burnt, killing her mother and stepfather.
It’s set in 1910.

I really enjoyed this story and wouldn’t have put it down if it weren’t for the fact that it scared the fuck out of me…
I usually don’t do scary (either movies or books) but I wanted to try it and I wasn’t disappointed. I just had to vent to a friend cause I was freaking out but the story in itself was great.
I really liked the main character and felt for her. Her friend, Henri, was pretty great. The plot was very compelling too.
So, as soon as I get over my crippling fear, I will read Frozen Charlotte!

I’m always on the lookout for a creepy horror story but despite someone recommending Frozen Charlotte to me ages ago it was only after I was approved for an ARC of Charlotte Says that I finally got around to reading it and I’m so sorry I didn’t pick it up sooner. That book is seriously creepy and I literally couldn’t put it down.

Needless to say as soon as I finished it I couldn’t resist getting stuck in to prequel Charlotte Says and do you know what, I think it might be even better. I don’t know whether it was just that by reading them back to back I was more into the author’s writing style or if it was the change in time period that worked better but, while this had possibly fewer chills (I knew what to expect so was prepared), the writing just seemed so much better. There was less bluntness to it and consequently it seemed less forced and more natural, drawing me into the story completely.

It’s predominantly set in a girl’s boarding school in 1910, so we have a much wider cast of characters but there is still this very real sense of isolation and remoteness which brings a chilling atmosphere to the story.

The story is told from the point of view of Jemima Black, a wonderfully complex character who makes for some fascinating reading. She comes across as weak and subservient a lot of the time but there’s a real strength, determination and slight deviousness within her which, combined with the mystery of her past, make her very unpredictable. From the very beginning when she wakes from a nightmare of fire and blood to arrive alone at the boarding school to take up her post you know there is something dark in her past.

Some of the other characters do feel a little bit stereotyped, there’s the tyrannical head teacher, the pretty but mean maid, a pupil who sees things no one else does (and no one believes) and the love interest who’s too good to be true but these are part of what makes it such an enjoyable (and creepy) read.

For those who have read Frozen Charlotte you will know pretty much what to expect when the dolls arrive at the school, strange noises in the middle of the night, odd behavior, violence and death and some of the events of this story are uncovered in the previous book but there are still some surprises and twists in store.

I do feel like I should add a little warning here that as you would expect from a horror there are some violent scenes and abuse. Some of the descriptions are pretty graphic, particularly around violence towards animals (I don’t consider myself to be squeamish and I found a couple of scenes difficult). It might be better avoided if this is likely to be a trigger (or go read Frozen Charlotte which isn’t quite as bad)

You can get away with reading this if you haven’t read Frozen Charlotte as while there is some overlap between the two stories they are set in completely different time periods with minimal crossover. I would still recommend Frozen Charlotte first though as Charlotte Says explains away a lot of the mystery (and it’s a great read too).

Overall a wonderfully creepy read and definitely one I’d recommend if you’re a fan of the genre and not too squeamish.

Alex Bell creates good tension at the start: we know its going to be creepy from the descriptions and atmosphere. Details are revealed slowly; Mim is in mourning and has left her home, but we don't know what happened or who she is mourning.
The school she is working at is unwelcoming. The headteacher dislikes her and the punishments inflicted on the children are terrible (there were times I wanted to put the book down because of this aspect).
The narrative is split between the current time and the past, which adds tension as the author slowly reveals details which explain what's happening in the present. Initially, this was so slow that I felt I was missing something by not having read the sequel first, and the events at the end happened a little too quickly for me: I felt the novel could have been more evenly paced.
Charlotte Says is certainly scary in places and evokes that sense of horror with small, creepy details and the atmospheric setting. Alex Bell also offers plausible alternatives to what appears to be happening so you are left guessing for most of the book.
Although it's not my usual genre and I didn't love it, I did enjoy it enough that I plan to read the sequel to see what happens next.

This is a prequel to Frozen Charlotte (review coming in October), and shows the story from when it all first began.

The story revolves around Jemima Black, who from what we can gather at the start of the story has had something horrific happen to her. She has also lost her mother, and step-father in a fire at their home.
She ends up taking a job at the Dunvegan School for Girls on the Isle of Sky to get as far away from London as she possibly can.

What can I say about this story, I loved Frozen Charlotte, so going into this I had high expectations, and Good Golly Miss Molly, I wasn't disappointed.
The story keeps the spine tingling horror of Frozen Charlotte and just ramps it up a notch, you finally find out how the dolls came into being, and what damage they inflict at the school.

You could read the two books any way either this one first then Frozen Charlotte, or vice versa it doesn't really matter that much as each just as to the story of the other no matter which order they are read in.

I have to say I loved Estella, this girl had gone through so much and everyone had thought she was lying, even though you find out she may have not been lying about what she said.

I found this to be such a great book that I read it in two days, I just couldn't put it down. It had me as gripped as Frozen Charlotte did.
The problem is I want more, this book just leaves you wanting and that to me is the hallmark of just a great storyteller that you don't want it to end.

The second Alex Bell title is a prequel of the events that occur in ‘Frozen Charlotte’ and can both be read before, as a prequel, or after, to provide context.

Whilst the original tale featuring the creepy Victorian dolls has a contemporary setting, this transports the reader back to 1910. The converted home of the former story is thriving in its original purpose as Dunvegan School for Girls. Jemima, just seventeen herself, is recruited to aid in the care of the handful of destitute and unwanted girls who board there. Fleeing the fire that ruined her home and killed her mother, she has as many memories to haunt her as the girls she is caring for. But when sinister events begin to occur and the girls start to turn on each other, their collective past woes seem long-forgotten. But Jemima’s, in particular, could have more relevance to their present horrors than she could ever have imaged.

Whilst on a similar theme and in the exact setting of the original tale, the historical period allowed this to become an altogether different story. The dolls that haunt ‘Frozen Charlotte’ are beginning to become attuned to their potential here and a larger focus of the book is centred entirely around them.

The idea of haunted dolls is never not going to be terrifying, yet I found this was delivered in a far tamer manner that belied the eeriness of its focal point. Whilst the other tale is suited towards an older audience, due to the overwhelmingly horrifying events, here the same chilling atmosphere provides a less terrifying story. One still infused with an uncanny tensity but also one that didn’t afford me any nights of sleep.

This was also an interesting insight into the historical period detailed. The wider cast of characters, from all different backgrounds, allowed many points of entry to properly illustrate the way of life of the early 20th-century female. Attitudes towards and the treatment of women shaped the events of the novel, and it was heartbreaking yet illuminating to see a depiction of this treatment.

With this deeper focus, than that of the purely horrifying, this was a far more complex read than its Alex Bell predecessor, but also a far less terrifying one. Both elements worked together to make this read just as interesting as the previous one, but for completely different reasons.

Trigger warning for horrific fictional (but in context with the story) animal cruelty, physical abuse and super creepy dolls.

Suspend all disbelief and take a ride back to the early 1900's where we meet Jemima, a 17 year old girl who takes a position as assistant mistress at Dunvegan School for Girls, an industrial school for girls who haven't committed crimes but have nowhere else to go, located on the Isle of Skye. Jemima herself is desperately trying to escape her tragic past at Whiteladies. So, no happy family stories here.

After spending some time on the Isle of Skye at the beginning of 1910 setting up the story we then travel seamlessly back and forth between there and Whiteladies where we gradually learn more about the past 18 months, Jemima's past and reasons she wants to start over. Jemima was an interesting, complex character who longed to be the girl she was before Whiteladies yet knowing her physical and emotional scarring had changed her irrevocably.

Jemima begins work for Miss Grayson, the evil woman who should be fitted with a device that gives her an electric shock when she gets within 200 metres of a child, otherwise known in this story as the schoolmistress. This is a school where little things like light in the form of candles are rationed and punishments are doled out in abundance and recorded for posterity in The Punishment Book. Punishments may include wearing the imbecile's cap while sitting in the stupid corner, being made to go without meals and heating, and being sent to Solitary where you may well freeze to death.

Needless to say, Miss Grayson wasn't exactly my favourite character and throughout the book I determined her appropriate punishment would be for me to lock her in Solitary to enjoy some quality time with Annabelle, who I would have previously arranged to loan indefinitely from Lorraine and Ed Warren. While on the subject of punishments, I think Redwing may have benefited from a new friendship with Chucky.

Now that you know which characters' names and offences should be inked into The Punishment Book for perpetuity, allow me tell you about my favourite character, Estella. Besides having the coolest name of anyone in the book which translates appropriately as star, Estella is a strong willed little girl who, despite having a history of not being believed no matter what she says, defiantly tells her truth regardless of the consequences. And believe me, for Estella there are always consequences. I definitely had a soft spot for her and would've adopted her in a heartbeat.

Henry was going to be my second favourite character as he was so sweet and loyal and loving, but he ended up annoying me because no one is that perfect. So, my actual second favourite character/s? The super creepy evil dolls, all named Frozen Charlotte with the exception of the lone male known as Frozen Charlie. Interestingly enough I don't remember Charlie being psychotic but the poor guy was surrounded by some seriously unbalanced female dolls.

If you're like me, by the halfway point, reading "Charlotte says..." will fill you with equal parts dread and morbidly fascinated anticipation that mirrors hearing Chucky's "Wanna play?". I loved the supernatural aspects of this book, dabbling in mediumship, automatic writing, séances, ghosts, possession and, of course, creepy dolls. I enjoyed the slow reveal of Jemima's past and the reason why she doesn't remember what happened the night of the fire at Whiteladies.

I spent a lot of the middle of the book arguing with myself about Jemima's actions and lack of action - "Why doesn't she just - she's only 17. She's just a kid! But couldn't she just - remember her past. But what if she told - I told you! She's a traumatised 17 year old! Just shut up and enjoy the book!"

I don't usually find books creepy these days. I'll get to the end and think to myself, 'You think that's scary? Come and sleep a night in my nightmares!' Yet Charlotte Says was delightfully creepy, best read at night when the house is silent and you can hear the creaks from the house settling and the wind rustling through the trees. This book comes with a fairly significant death toll and some really disturbing and detailed descriptions of actual and fantasised about violence against animals.

I'm not usually that into books that linger in the early 20th century. Sure, I'm happy to time travel there on my way to another time period, but Alex Bell is such a talented writer that I would have happily signed up to stay longer on the Isle of Skye reading by rationed greasy, stinky, animal fat candlelight.

Having not read Frozen Charlotte first like I probably should have as it got buried under my towering TBR pile and temporarily forgotten about until I heard about Charlotte Says, I now have the excitement of knowing I get to read about what happens next with the benefit of knowing the backstory. I can't wait!

I received an ARC from NetGalley (thank you to NetGalley, Little Tiger Group, Stripes Publishing, and a special thank you to Charlie for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback. "Charlotte says you need to read this book!"