THE DOLLHOUSE ACADEMY by Margarita Montimore is a bold novel that scandalizes Hollywood and the modern-day pursuit of fame. The book is set against a talent cult that compares to the studio system dynamics of classic Tinseltown.

When a former actress and Hollywood starlet created and named a talent agency in her own image, the results varied. Some young up-and-comers were able to graduate from the Dollhouse Academy to obtain starring roles and win awards, while others were outwardly rejected and crushed under the pitfalls that come with the pursuit of perfection.

The year is 1998, and we get our first glimpse of life at the Dollhouse through the eyes of one of its current-day success stories. Ivy Gordon is the star of the hit TV series “In the Dollhouse,” but she has had enough of fame and wants out of the role so she can pursue other challenges. However, she finds out the hard way that walking away from any reward granted by the Dollhouse is easier said than done, as she suffers near-death accidents and threats to keep her in check.

"THE DOLLHOUSE ACADEMY cleverly succeeds at everything it tries to accomplish.... [I]t magnifies the perils of fame while at the same time putting the concept of true friendship to the test in the face of promised stardom at the cost of everything else in your life."

Throughout the book, we are treated to diary entries from Ivy that open up Dollhouse’s secretive doors for us. The rest of the story is narrated by one of two new recruits, the New York City-based Ramona Halloway; she and her best friend, Grace Ludlow, are selected as fresh faces for the Dollhouse. For them, this is a dream come true as they are eager to follow in the footsteps of their idols. What they learn instead, though, is the evil intent that is at play behind the scenes and how the cost of fame might be their very souls.

Even before Ramona gets there, she begins to receive anonymous messages warning her about the Dollhouse Academy: "Whatever you think you want, you won't find it at The Dollhouse Academy. Don't come." Ramona does not know what to make of this and thinks it could be another student threatened by her talent trying to dissuade her. What does end up dissuading her is that the less-gifted Grace is excelling in this unique environment while she continues to fall towards the back of the pack. You are not allowed to quit the academy during the first six months without punishment and financial burdens. However, they can bounce you out at any time or simply decide not to promote you at the end of the program.

Complicating matters for Ramona is that those cryptic messages do not stop. In fact, they get far more pressing and personal. As she begins to get caught in the negative vortex like all those other aspiring stars who crashed and burned before her, she finds that the only salvation may be through Ivy. As Ivy continues to search for ways to get out of her own situation unscathed, anything she makes public could expose and bring an end to the Dollhouse. The question remains if she is willing to take that risk and save not only herself, but others like Ramona.

THE DOLLHOUSE ACADEMY cleverly succeeds at everything it tries to accomplish. Through its depiction of a cult-like organization, it magnifies the perils of fame while at the same time putting the concept of true friendship to the test in the face of promised stardom at the cost of everything else in your life.