Dollhouse Academy, Margarita Montimore (Review by Aura Johnson)

Rating: 5/5

The story is about an elite but mysterious boarding school where Hollywood’s biggest starlets are made. Ivy Gordon has been a famous star, one of the brightest of the academy for nearly two decades, however, she learns that the fame and all the glamorous perks come with a steep price. The novel follows Ivy as she chronicles strange things that are happening in the academy, including odd medical examinations, supplements that have unpleasant side effects, and an iron-clad contract that prevents her from leaving the academy’s film productions.

Meanwhile, Ramona Halloway and her best friend Grace Ludlow are two struggling theater geeks who accidentally get noticed by the Dollhouse Academy’s founder, and her notice grants them spots of privilege within the academy’s walls. All is wonderful for a while, the girls learn so much, spend time helping each other with auditions and lines, but suddenly, Grace’s talents start to shine through just a little more than Ramona’s, and it splinters their friendship apart very quickly. Ramona starts to notice strange things that parallel Ivy’s diary entries, and since her and Grace are no longer friends, she is not able to easily confide about this to her best friend. On top of that, Ramona keeps getting strange threatening notes that push her to prove them wrong and do better in the academy. As Ramona falls further behind and Grace’s stardom rises to great heights, they both discover that the price for fame, privilege, and fortune is not always worth it.

I really liked the book, it was definitely an original concept that I did not read in the past. With the story being something sinister, something suspicious, but the overall tone still positive kept me hooked until the very last page. From the outside, the academy seemed like an amazing opportunity for those who are in show business and the doors that the academy could open for them would be worth all the hard work. However, the school had a little…secret…that made it very difficult for students to either leave or stay sane. If you enjoy dark twists of academia, slight edge of mystery, and lessons that characters learn, I highly recommend reading this.