Nine year old Jack and her older brother, Andy, fall victim to a bogeyman that breaks in to homes at night stealing children's most loved toys.

There are some quite creepy scenes in the story but I wouldn't personally call it horror.  The supernatural/fantasy elements are not overplayed and this is more a story about family, particularly the love/hate relationship between siblings.  A decent urban fantasy.

"Brothers and sisters are like that, the best and worst of relationships, the entire world rolled into one."

Have you ever read a book that was both everything you wanted and everything you hated at the same time? Unfortunately, that was my experience reading The Toy Thief: I really enjoyed the main storyline but I didn't enjoy the main character or the narrative style. 

The book is written in first person and is narrated in such a way that feels like you are listening to someone try to tell a story - it is completely stream of consciousness and she jumps around her life, weaving a story that largely paints her as a horrible and unlikable character, which is in stark contrast with her as a child. The way Adult Jack talks about herself gave me vapid TifAni from Luckiest Girl Alive flashbacks, which is one of my least favorite reads. I found myself absolutely hating the book whenever we were in any time other than that summer when she was nine years old.

As far as horror goes, the central story and backstory of the Toy Thief was creepy and interesting. If the book had been told in the present tense and skipped the weird time jumps and fat shaming of a blind date, I would have thoroughly enjoyed this book. The Toy Thief is really about Jack growing up, and I read the Toy Thief as a metaphor for lost innocence. I would have liked to see the Sallie/doll side story resolved a bit; while not integral to the story overall, it felt as if something bigger was alluded to but was largely left unexplored. 

Overall, I thought The Toy Thief was a fast paced horror read with many layers: it isn't just about the horrors of the rat-like monster that has come into their home but also about the horrors of losing oneself, of growing up, and of loss. My enjoyment of the book was somewhat hampered by the adult persona of Jack and I did personally struggle with the stream of consciousness "confessional" narrative style, but if this book sounds like something you would be interested in I hope you pick it up!

cw: animal death, bullying, death, body horror, loss of a loved one, suicide

Many thanks to the publisher for providing me an electronic advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Quotations taken from an uncorrected proof and may change upon final publication. The Toy Thief will be released on October 6, 2018.

This is an unusual read and I really enjoyed it. 
It's a slow burn, well written story about a young girl and her brother, living with a loving father who is doing his best and all of them grieving for their mother / wife.
Into this comes a 'toy thief', a demon who has taken on human form in order to steal toys.
The horror is definitely there throughout the book, slowly, slowly becoming more evident and that, I really enjoyed as well as the link between a demon who craves/steals the positive side of humanity, alongside the potential for the children's grief being what brings the demon to life. In the main, this is a book about family, grief and growing up in a one parent home.

The story does jump around a bit, with the narrator switching between telling the story as her 9 year old self and then as an adult. This worked for me though and I did enjoy the flow of the book, although, it's definitely confusing at times.

Overall, It's a good read, with a really good ending.

I'm very grateful to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and the author for my ARC in exchange for this honest review.

THE TOY THIEF is a highly entertaining coming-of-age story with supernatural overtones that I enjoyed immensely.

This is the story of a rather dysfunctional but loving family, all of whom are haunted and affected in different ways by a tragedy for which Jack (main character and narrator) blames herself. When Jack accidentally discovers that a strange creature has invaded her home and inexplicably stolen a toy doll, she's compelled to unravel the mystery of this creature's existence and motivation and, above all, its ultimate goals.

THE TOY THIEF is a sweet, sad, and often creepy little tale with strong, if tragic, characters and a unique (legitimately chilling) monster. 

In THE TOY THIEF, D. W. Gillespie has put together a great story that deftly explores themes of familial love, sacrifice, and innocence lost, and I very much look forward to more from this talented writer.

It’s important to note that Jack, the main character in The Toy Thief, is not a very likable girl.  She’s a liar – she’d tell you this herself – and…kind of a jerk.   But despite the fact that I didn’t like her much, I was still rooting for her in this.

The Toy Thief is a mixture of a tale both scary and terribly sad.  When I discovered the nature of our thief, and why they do what they do, I just felt such pity for them.   And when I discovered everything our little family has been through, I felt for them.

But it isn’t just sorrow.  The book is disturbingly creepy.   There are scenes that give you that eerie chill down your spine and more action-oriented scenes that have your reading breathlessly.

Above all, you get a very unique story told by a very different main character – and it’s well worth the read!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

Thank you to D.W Gillespie and Flame Tree Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. For more reviews please feel free to check out https://abmostfiction.wordpress.com

As a child I had a favourite toy, it was a gymnast Barbie and, like most children, this toy went with me everywhere. Her bendy arms and legs meant she could kick and punch just as well as my brother's Action Man, and due to the paint job on her face she literally smiled in the face of danger. We were quite a team.

We scaled mountains together (the stairs), we went deep sea diving (as deep as a paddling pool gets) and we travelled into the wilderness (basically I used to throw her into some trees and then crawl underneath to see where she had landed).

But then one day she was gone.

My parents claimed I must have lost her, that I must have left her outside or over my friend's house, but I was sure that wasn't true.

I never did find out what happened to her... until now.

Jack didn’t know what to call the nameless, skeletal creature that slunk into her house in the dead of night, stealing the very things she loved the most. So she named him The Toy Thief…

There’s something in Jack’s past that she doesn’t want to face, an evil presence that forever changed the trajectory of her family. It all began when The Toy Thief appeared, a being drawn by goodness and innocence, eager to feed on everything Jack holds dear. What began as a mystery spirals out of control when her brother, Andy, is taken away in the night, and Jack must venture into the dark place where the toys go to get him back. But even if she finds him, will he ever be the same?

D.W Gillespie The Toy Thief is reminiscent of a folklore tale that parents tell their kids at night to try and teach them to look after their belongings. Except in this version the more you love something, the more likely it's going to be taken from you.

Told from the perspective of Jack, moving between her as an adult and her nine-year old self, we are slowly introduced to her life and what may have been haunting it all along - The Toy Thief.

I enjoyed the placement of this self-sufficient, hard-edged young girl against a creature that wouldn’t be amiss in a fairy-tale. Jack is no princess or Little Red Riding Hood; she’s mean, feisty and doesn't accidentally stray from the path, but willingly goes to play in the woods.

The description of the Toy Thief is slowly fed to us with a bit more detail with every encounter until the full image is revealed. This meant there was a continued feeling of mystery around the creature and it's mythology, which I think helps to keep the reader on their toes and interested, even when the pacing slowed down.

The story kept me engaged for the most part, overall I did enjoy the alternating timelines between Jack as a child and then her as an adult looking back. The more of adult Jack we were introduced to, the more of a shadow was cast over the past, intentionally putting doubts over the series of events being told. I did feel there were times that adult Jack's narrative was just there to act as exposition and, although an adult looking back will have a greater understanding of events than a child, it did feel forced at times.

As with most strong horror stories, the supernatural aspect is actually a layer over what is at the core of the story; a look at a brother and sister relationship and how they've grown up experiencing different sides to the same tragedy.

Gillespie presents some great moments developing these characters, their interactions with one another and how they each view their situation. There's a bitter-sweetness to the relationship between Jack and her brother that I think was well written, believable and left a taste of sadness behind once the novel was finished.

This isn't for horror readers looking for their next gore-fix, this is for readers who enjoy their horror tales with a touch of magical realism and characters struggling with personal demons.

TL;DR - D.W Gillespie has written a one part fairy-tale and one part bitter-sweet story of a brother and sister growing up who discover The Toy Thief. This is not one for the hardcore horror fans, but if you like your characters headstrong and fiesty and your antagonists mysterious and creepy, check it out. 

3.5***(out of 5*****)

Every year after Labor Day weekend, even though the calendar still says summer for a few more glorious weeks, my mind starts to think about fall and what's next. Reading at the beach has been great, but soon the air will be cooler and pumpkin picking, corn mazes, and haunted houses will be the focus here on Long Island. That means Halloween is coming(I didn't really see costumes in Costco in August, did I) and scary books and movies will soon take center stage.
The Toy Thief by D.W. Gillespie seemed like the perfect way to shift from my summer psychological thriller book pile to some fall horror. The main character Jack is an adult now, who shares her terrifying encounters with 'The Toy Thief'. Jack is 9 years old and lives with her older brother Andy and their widowed father. One night, Jack has a sleepover, and a video camera is left running. When Jack reviews the recording, she sees an unknown hand snatch a toy and depart for parts unknown. Jack shows the video to her brother, who believes Jack has created this herself to trick him and he destroys the tape. With no proof, Jack decides to investigate and discover who and/or what crept into the house. No spoilers here, so if you like creepy horror stories, you will want to read this one. 
The author did a terrific job creating a childhood monster that managed to transport me back to a time when I believed that evil things lived in my closet. It is also a story about innocence, family and being brave enough to confront your fears and demons. A well- written and engaging tale that I read at home(and alone) that had me wondering if I was hearing 'house noises' or if I had something The Toy Thief wanted.
I received an e ARC from Flame Tree Press through NetGalley. This is the first book I read by D.W. Gillespie and it won't be my last.

I started this book before I even meant to. I merely opened it to see how long it was and then couldn't put it down. The story is told through Jack's point of view. Now a grown woman, she recounts a horrific summer from her youth, and the way it shaped her life and the life of her older brother.
 Jack and Andy hated and loved each other with the intensity that only siblings can share. Their father, loving them fiercely, but just not up to the task of being a single parent after the tragic loss of his wife, often leaves them without guidance. Into this working class family dynamic creeps "The Toy Thief" as Jack dubs the menacing entity that invades their home. If only toys were all that it wanted to steal! This was my first time reading anything by D.W. Gillespie. It won't be my last. This is my favorite type of horror. The kind that serves up characters I can actually care about, and fills me with an ever increasing sense of dread as I worry over what may happen to them next.

Intense, creepy, atmospheric and scary. Everything I love about a book. Lights off and imagination running wild. Fab story and great style of writing.

ADVANCE REVIEW COPY

I was so excited to see THE TOY THIEF as an option for me to read.  It's exactly the type of book that I'm going to snap up and run with.  I was prepared to love it.  

Coming of age horror stories about girls are few and far between; I looked forward to finally reading the girls POV rather than the boys.  Add that to what should have been a terrifying storyline and THIEF should have been a kick-ass novella.  It was not. Instead of reading this in one or two sittings, I kept putting it aside.  It took me about a week to finish this short book.

Why, you ask?  Well, the passages that should have been nightmarish and goosebumpy, were bland and ho-hum.  The writing - especially the last half - was jumpy and confusing.  There were plot twists that were necessary to the story that I found completely unbelievable.  In spite of all that, I liked the idea of the story and that's why I finished it and gave it three stars.  It was ok, but I wanted it to be so much more.

Ever wonder where all your childhood toys got off to? Look no further than this book, it has the answers you seek. This is a spine-chillingly creepy story about two young siblings and their toys. From the cover to the writing, THE TOY THIEF lives up to the hype. 

Jack is nine years old and lives with her father and her brother Andy. The two are total opposites. Her mother passed away during childbirth. The story opens on a sleepover with nine-year-old Jack and her close friend. While putting on a pretend show, the two girls leave a video camera running, and when Jack replays the tape the next day, she sees her friend's toy being snatched off the end table and out the back door by a swift, nearly unseen hand. That's when Jack goes digging for answers. She finds more than she bargained for. 

THE TOY THIEF is an unnerving tale that stays fresh with the disjointed or unconnected narrative of Jack. The storyline is intense, making for one helluva emotional read. Family bonds and loyalty are tested. D.W. Gillespie rips out your heart and stomps it into the ground. This book wrecked me. I haven't bawled over a book in a long time, but this one made me ugly cry. 

The vivid scenes take me back to my childhood. The pages melt away and I was right there with Jack and Andy. D.W. Gillespie's writing makes for a quick read. I dig his writing style. The story starts out strong and ends on a high note. 

THE TOY THIEF is creepy. The dread sinks in early and you have a feeling something horrifying is about to happen. That incredible ending slays. I will be reading this one again. THE TOY THIEF has the nostalgia and empathy. It carries a lot of weight, too. 

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Pretty frightening tale about a really creepy monster from the main character Jack's past. Jack is a great narrator. She is tough as nails and I feel for  her.  Her mother died when she was in labor with her and all she has is her brother and her father. The story begins with Jack taking us back to a horrible thing that happened to Jack when she was younger.  I liked the writing.  I highly recommend to the YA world.

Scary stories used to be a majority of my literary diet. Anyone raised on proper European undisneyfied fairy tales would understand that. Tastes change and mine eventually started veering toward a variety of genres, although always favoring the dark undertones, but every now and again I revisit the old favorite to see if the passion can be rekindled. This book didn’t just rekindle it, it started a freaking fire. The author took the well known premise of young kids and their childhood monsters (actually, technically an adult looking back on their early years when something terrible occurred, usually featuring a monster of some sorts and they had to fight it themselves while adults remains completely ignorant of the goings on) and did such an exemplar job with it. So here the kids are 9 year old girl named Jack and her teenage brother. The adult is their loving but busy single father. And the monster is the Toy Thief, a singularly haunting creation, someone who actually does physically steal toys, but metaphorically it’s what the toys represent, innocence, love, joy…all the good things life starts out with. The story is narrated by an adult Jack, who’s become tough as nails (almost offputtingly so at times combined with a notably high self esteem), but as a kid she was smart, brave and very able. With her brother’s assistance she was the sort of kid who’d fight her monsters and stand a good chance of winning. And so fight they did. Sounds like a familiar story, give or take a monster, doesn’t it.  But what makes this one stand out is the quality of writing…Gillespie goes into all the dark corners and drags out all the things that hide there, preventing you from sleeping soundly at night. And emotionally it hits all the right notes too, making for a perfectly engaging read. The creature is rendered vividly, terrifyingly so, and the writing is genre appropriately atmospheric, dark and eerie. This works on just about every single level. Notable exception being (avoid this sentence prior to reading the book) the fingers thing being laid on the brother….really? two kids smart and crafty enough to dispose of a body and kill a demon can’t come up with a semi plausible story of two dismembered fingers? Particularly with father’s garage and all the tools there on premises? That one was tough to buy. Ok, you can continue reading now. Other than that one questionable plot turn, this was great. A very enjoyable read. You can zoom out and grand picture this as a meditation on the nature/nurture concept or zoom in and get absorbed by all the frights. Good books give you options like that, make you think while entertaining you all the way. And this is from a new publisher, Flame Tree Press (very appropriately titled for my kindle/fire analogy), arriving this September and going by the quality of this initial introduction, a very welcome addition to the scene. The book was well edited, included a brief interview with the author and an almost entirely uncheesy cover. With a toy robot even. Actually also this was a terrific introduction to a new (to me) author. The kind of introduction that sends you looking for all his other books. Great read, a dark fairy tale for adults who appreciate that sort of thing. Recommended for all genre fans. Thanks Netgalley.

The toy thief was So much more then I was expecting! 
At first glance a gritty horror thriller about a demon who steals toys but looking deeper it was a completely immersive experience that tore out my heart! 
It was an intense emotional look at the bonds of family and loyalty and so much more!
I took much longer to read this then I should have not because it wasn't Amazing because it was but because it was entirely and I just didn't want it to end! 
Truly Incredible Job D.W Gillespie!!