The Dollhouse Academy, Margarita Montimore
The Dollhouse Academy, Margarita Montimore
3 Rating(s)
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
Club: $13.49

The Dollhouse Academy
A Novel

Author: Margarita Montimore

Narrator: Brittany Pressley, Xe Sands

Unabridged: 10 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/11/2025


Synopsis

" ... audio readers are guaranteed an enthralling delight here." —Booklist on Acts of Violet (starred review)

" ... an absolutely delightful audiobook, essential for all contemporary fiction collections." —Library Journal on Acts of Violet

From the NATIONAL BESTSELLING author of GMA Book Club Pick 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

“Deliciously sensational…What could be more fun? As if the wives of Stepford went to the Valley of the Dolls.” —Kirkus

Ivy Gordon is living on borrowed time. For the past eighteen years, she has been the most famous star at the Dollhouse Academy, the 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 truth of her life at the Dollhouse: strange medical exams, mysterious supplements, and something unspeakable that’s left Ivy terrified and feeling like a prisoner.

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. When Ramona begins to receive threatening anonymous messages, it’s easy to dismiss them as a prank from a rival. Her bigger concern is Grace’s skyrocketing success, while Ramona struggles to keep up with the fierce competition. As the messages grow more unsettling, so does life at the Dollhouse. Can Ramona overcome her jealousy and resentment to figure out what’s really going on? Will Ivy finally find her voice, before another young performer follows her catastrophic path?

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

About Margarita Montimore

Margarita Montimore is the author of The Dollhouse Academy, Acts of Violet, Asleep from Day, and Oona Out of Order, which was a USA Today bestseller and Good Morning America Book Club pick. After receiving a BFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College, she worked for more than 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.

About Brittany Pressley

Brittany Pressley is an Audiofile Earphones award winning narrator in NYC. She has recorded over 100 titles and has received several nominations for American Library Association's annual list of Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults. She is also an accomplished singer/songwriter and voice actress. Her voice can be heard on national and international TV and radio commercials as well as several animated series and video games. She is a proud graduate of Columbia University.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nilufer on March 16, 2025

This book is a mesmerizing and unsettling exploration of the dark side of ambition and fame. This psychological suspense novel pulls readers into a world where the pursuit of stardom comes at a devastating cost, unraveling the twisted realities behind the dazzling facade of a prestigious performing......more

Goodreads review by Holden on February 09, 2025

I have officially found a new favourite authour in Margarita Montimore! When I saw the cover of this novel I was intrigued but after the synopsis, I assumed this was yet another dark academia and blew it off. I’m so glad I looked at the authour and rethought that idea because I’ve never been so wro......more

Goodreads review by Maren’s Reads on March 05, 2025

Best friends and aspiring actresses Romanq Halloway and Grace Ludlow join the illustrious Dollhouse Academy, an elite boarding school most known for being the residence of star Ivy Gordon. But once behind closed doors, Romona and Grace realize something is horribly wrong there. What an incredibly un......more

Goodreads review by Southern Lady Reads on February 11, 2025

Calling all Hollywood conspiracy theorists -- I have the thriller you need to read!! When Carrie Underwood 'fell' and her face changed.. if Elvis actually passed away... belief in the Illuminati.. whether or not Nicholas Cage is a vampire.. the list of Hollywood conspiracy theories runs wild, and hon......more

Goodreads review by emilybookedup on February 21, 2025

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for GR! read if you like: Hollywood conspiracies, slow burn mysteries, boarding school/campus settings, good audiobook narration, dual POVs this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025, so i was so excited to start it and get my hands on a copy! i highly recommend th......more


Quotes

Praise for The Dollhouse Academy

A Most Anticipated Book (Town & Country, Beyond the Bookends, BookBub)

“Consider this twisty novel dark academia meets the dark side of entertainment—with plenty of references to Hollywood's Golden Age and the studio system.”
Town & Country

“Deliciously sensational…What could be more fun? As if the wives of Stepford went to the Valley of the Dolls.”
Kirkus

“[A] frothy, 1990s-set thriller…Twisted fun…A darkly enjoyable takedown of the entertainment industry.”
Publishers Weekly

“Blending elements of various familiar stories like Fame, The Stepford Wives, Valley of The Dolls, and Stranger Things, Montimore explores the tensions between celebrity and privacy, performance and reality, memory and inspiration. Fans…will appreciate this book's intrigue and ripped-from-the-headlines feel.”
Booklist

“Montimore does it again! This time she sets her sights on female friendship, creating a protagonist we can’t help but feel for. Add in a shadowy entertainment school-slash-studio, a headmistress with a god complex, plus a star desperate to escape, and you have all the ingredients for an unputdownable novel. The Dollhouse Academy manages to be both dark and feel-good, a story that demands your attention.”
—Stephanie Wrobel, bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold and The Hitchcock Hotel

"Imagine the juiciest pop princess documentary crossed with the darkest David Lynch fever dream, and you’ll get some idea what Montimore’s smart, surreal new novel The Dollhouse Academy has in store. But as she masterfully shines a spotlight on everything from the costs of fame, to competitive female friendships, to the pleasures and perils of commodifying yourself, believe me: you have no idea where this wild ride is headed, and you’ll never look at your favorite celebs the same way again."
— Layne Fargo, author of They Never Learn and The Favorites

The Dollhouse Academy will change the way you think about fame forever. Margarita Montimore’s wildly creative novel is a page-turner full of surprising twists, vivid details, and characters worth rooting for.”
—Laura Hankin, author of The Daydreams


Praise for Acts of Violet

“Imaginative…Is it what we say our story is or is it a culmination of experiences told by others? Or a mixture of both? ... Montimore’s novel is a combination of those questions, which the reader is left to contemplate long after the novel’s end.”
―USA Today

“Sign me up! Told through a podcast recounting the disappearance, the narration of Sasha, the younger sister, and various media pieces covering the life and times of Violet Volk, the infamous magician, Acts of Violet is a story of family, loss, love, and life that is magical in more than one way.”
―BookRiot (Best Books of the Year So Far)

“[Montimore] flexes her full creative prowess…Acts of Violet offers something for everyone. A quick read with irresistible charm, it's a comfort book in every sense of the word, blending mystery, science fiction and family drama to satisfy a craving you didn't quite know you had. In the end, you'll be left with the inkling that there might be some truth to magic after all.”
―BookPage

“Montimore puts on a master class…Acts of Violet offers fascinating insights into the world of professional magicians, and the novel describes many astounding tricks―both those that real-world magicians spend their whole careers perfecting and individualizing, and the fantastical, Violet-specific illusions that Montimore seems to have had great fun imagining.”
―BookReporter

“Montimore astonishes readers with her authorial sleight of hand in the twisty, genre-defying family drama…Reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones & the Six. Montimore packs in dazzling tricks, but the complex and enduring relationships between the sisters brings the real magic.”
―Shelf Awareness (starred review)

“Mesmerizing… Montimore achieves a thoughtful, panoramic portrait of larger-than-life Violet while underscoring Sasha’s pain as she tries to grieve under an unforgiving public eye. This spellbinding effort delivers its fair share of magic.”
Publishers Weekly

“Fans of Nicole Baart and Kelly Harms will enjoy Sasha’s and Violet’s sisterly contrasts: the shared frustrations between a pragmatic people-pleaser and an audacious extrovert. Like an enthralling magic trick itself, Acts of Violet asks readers to suspend their disbelief and rewards them for the effort.”
―Booklist

“Montimore has written a layered story told in fragments of documents, emails, podcast transcripts, and narrated segments that jump through time, place, and voice. It’s a whirlwind of information and characters, much like a magic show with smoke, mirrors, and misdirection consuming the viewer’s attention before the final big reveal…A story of the lifetime bonds of sisterhood.”
―Kirkus

“A skillful blend of genres, from moving family drama and twisty thriller to insightful social commentary on fame, feminism, magic and media. Smart, suspenseful, and always tantalizing, Acts of Violet will be your perfect summer read.”
―Natalie Jenner, internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society

“Montimore has once again concocted a story that's wildly imaginative, wholly original, and clever as hell. This novel is as mischievous and mysterious as its magical protagonist―and yet, at its heart, a touchingly sincere look at the meaning of sisterly love.”
―Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Things

“Montimore brilliantly combines first person narrative, podcast transcripts, personal letters, and more to create a story that’s impossible to put down. Much like one of Violet’s magic tricks, you’ll find yourself in awe until the final reveal.”
―Kellye Garrett, Agatha, Anthony, and Lefty Award-winning author of Like a Sister

“Intricately woven and masterfully paced. I read the whole thing in forty-eight hours, so desperate was I to solve this hypnotic, striking mystery. This one is not to be missed.”
―Stephanie Wrobel, author of Darling Rose Gold

Acts of Violet is pure magic. A deft execution that will satisfy any true crime junkie. It will leave you believing in the legend that is Violet Volk.”
―Roselle Kim, author of Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop

“What an original, stylistic story of what’s real and what isn’t. After all, that’s the allure of magic. The twists keep coming in this story that asks how well we actually know the ones closest to us. Once again, Montimore dazzles in a tale of fame, family, and forgiveness.”
―Nancy Johnson, author of The Kindest Lie