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."
The Dollhouse Academy is a twisty, emotional, and at times dark look into a world that focuses heavily on appearance and success--to the detriment of almost everything else. In The Dollhouse Academy, we follow Romance, Grace, and Ivy as each one tells their story and experiences the realities of being invited to and surviving in the Dollhouse Academy.
What I liked: I really enjoyed getting to know Ramona and Ivy and exploring the glamorous, secretive, and dark world of the Dollhouse Academy alongside them. This was a book that skillfully balanced so many different elements, from Romana's inner struggles with her identity and figuring out who she is to her conflicts with a toxic environment and toxic people, all while slowly unfolding the mystery of what's really happening behind the scenes at the Dollhouse Academy. I thought the author did a really great job telling this twisty story, particular with how it interwove the present day experiences of Romana and Grace with some of Ivy's epistolary-style chapters about her own experiences in the Dollhouse Academy. I'd also like to note that I listened to the audiobook version and thought the narrators did an excellent job of capturing the voice and emotions of the characters within.
What I didn't like: It hard to describe what exactly didn't work for me without giving spoilers, but I'll do my best to describe it. As the story progresses, there are some rather... disturbing ideas that being to come to light, which I thought added a lot of intrigue and certainly grabbed my attention. However, as the story dove deeper into some of these ideas, there was an element of it that didn't feel like it quite made sense and veered ever so slightly into some slightly absurd aspects that took away some of the believability for me. That being said, I think the story still managed to convey some deep meaning in regards to the pressure placed on young stars in the entertainment industry and how much they are forced through in order to always appear perfect and at their best, and the elements I've vaguely referred to do that really well. I think that as much as this book did, it still felt like certain elements were a little lackluster in the end, as well.
Overall, The Dollhouse Academy is a compelling read and perfect fans of complex relationship dynamics, mysteries or thrillers, or anyone who is interested in the entertainment industry.
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