The Dollhouse Academy

The Dollhouse Academy

Margarita Montimore

Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

From the national bestselling author of Oona Out of Order, a novel about two best friends and aspiring actresses who join The Dollhouse Academy, where stars are made and dangerous secrets are hiddenIvy Gordon is living a borrowed life on borrowed time. For the past eighteen years, she has been the most famous star at the Dollhouse Academy, the ultra-secretive, elite boarding school and talent incubator that every aspiring performer dreams of attending. But now, at age thirty-four, she is tired of pretending everything is fine. In secret diary entries, Ivy begins to reveal the sordid truth of her life at the strange medical exams, mysterious supplements, and something unspeakable that’s left Ivy terrified and feeling like a prisoner. As she forces herself to confront the most painful parts of her past, she begins to realize that something truly sinister might be powering the Dollhouse’s success.Ramona Halloway and her best friend, Grace Ludlow, grew up idolizing Ivy. Now both twenty-two, neither has made much headway in showbiz, until a lucky break grants them entry to the Dollhouse. They’re enchanted by the picturesque campus and the chance to perform alongside their idols—though nothing prepares them for the fiercely competitive training bootcamp. When Ramona begins to receive anonymous, threatening messages, it’s easy to dismiss them as a prank from a rival. Her bigger concern is Grace’s skyrocketing success, while Ramona falls ever further behind. But the messages grow more unsettling, as does life at the Dollhouse. Can Ramona overcome her jealousy and resentment to figure out what’s really going on? And can Ivy finally find her voice, before another young performer follows her catastrophic path to stardom?With dark academia twists and enormous heart, The Dollhouse Academy is a novel about the complexities of friendship, our desire to be seen and understood, and the true cost of making our dreams a reality.


From the Forum

No posts yet

Kick off the convo with a theory, question, musing, or update

Recent Reviews

Your rating:

  • cecee
    Feb 12, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

    0
    comments 0
    Reply
  • huntresszafira
    May 02, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

    2025 reads: 73/300

    2025 tbr: 30/111


    i received a complimentary audio copy from the publisher as part of their influencer program. this did not affect my rating.

    ramona halloway and her best friend, grace ludlow, grew up wanting to be actresses. as young adults, they’ve booked small roles here and there, but still dream of entering the elusive dollhouse academy, where stars are made. finally, they get accepted, but years of dreaming have not prepared them for the intense bootcamp they’re about to experience. not only is it physically draining, but with ramona receiving threatening letters, having a falling out with grace, and experiencing extreme stress, it’s mentally draining, too. when the letters grow increasingly strange, ramona begins to question what she knows about the dollhouse academy and its treatment of its actors.

    this was such an interesting story! i love drama-filled books, especially ones related to the entertainment industry. the dollhouse academy was pretty messed up, and i enjoyed watching the story unfold through ramona’s narrative viewpoint and ivy gordon (a dollhouse academy star)’s diary entries. i remained entertained throughout this book! i’d recommend this to anyone looking for a quick mystery read dealing with the entertainment industry.

    narration: brittany pressley and xe sands did a great job of voicing their respective characters. there was a lot of emotion in their voices, which made it easier for me to follow along with the story and keep up with the characters.

    0
    comments 0
    Reply
  • View all reviews
    Community recs if you liked this book...