Doll Bones is a middle-grade book about friendship and growing up, about imagination and adventures -- and it's also a ghost story involving a pretty creepy doll, a mystery, and a quest. 
 The book works on multiple levels. Children may read it as a straight-forward adventure story, with secret missions, dangers and risks, and a ghostly mystery to unravel. I think adults will more likely be moved by the book's exploration of the transition from childhood to adulthood, and the questions it poses: Does the end of childhood mean the end of dreaming and imagination? Do we have to give up magic and wonder in order to grow up? 
 The writing in Doll Bones is lovely and accessible. There's just enough of eerie winds, strange sensations on the back of one's neck, and seeing things that may not be there to give a reader a few chills and goose bumps along the way. It's not terribly scary, but the middle grade target audience may find themselves a bit spooked by certain scenes and images. The reading level seems appropriate for middle school and above, although it might be a bit much for kids on the younger end of the middle-grade-reader spectrum. As for adults... well, I read it and thought it was wonderful. It's a terrific book to read and and discuss with a kid, but there's no reason not to read it for your own pleasure too. For an adult, there's a certain sweet nostalgia for the days when one could indulge freely in imagination and make-believe, for the time before reality becomes more important than play. 
 In Doll Bones, Holly Black has created memorable, complex characters, a spooky ghost story, and a beautiful ode to childhood and the imagination. It's sweet, it's sad, and it's delicious. Don't miss it! 
 My full review is now available on my blog.