Margins
The Dollhouse Academy book cover
The Dollhouse Academy
2025
First Published
3.52
Average Rating
317
Number of Pages

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 hidden Ivy 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.

Avg Rating
3.52
Number of Ratings
3,559
5 STARS
12%
4 STARS
40%
3 STARS
38%
2 STARS
9%
1 STARS
1%
goodreads

Author

Margarita Montimore
Margarita Montimore
Author · 4 books

Margarita Montimore is the author of Asleep from Day, Oona Out of Order, and Acts of Violet. Oona Out of Order—a USA Today bestseller and Good Morning America Book Club pick—is currently being adapted for series by Amazon Studios. After receiving a BFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College, Margarita worked for over a decade in publishing and social media before deciding to focus on the writing dream full-time. Born in Soviet Ukraine and raised in Brooklyn, she currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and dog.

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