Monday, March 2, 2026

Book Review: Dollface by Lindy Ryan

 

From the publisher:

Barbie meets Scream with a 90s nostalgia twist in this horror romp from Bless Your Heart author Lindy Ryan.

Horror author Jill has just moved to suburban New Jersey, hoping to fit in with the new PTA moms and maybe not weird everyone out with her Final Girl coffee mug. You know. Make some real friends.

But then a plastic face-masked serial killer begins slashing their way through town, one overly made-up mom at a time. The police are incredulous. The moms are indignant. And Jill is slowly wrapped into a killer’s murderous spree, until she might just be the last woman standing.

A delightfully murderous novel that is equal parts scathing and salacious, Dollface will win you over with its gossip and gore, one body at a time.

"A juicy, irreverent and bloody twist on the genre." - Variety

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed the book. I've enjoyed other things that I had read by Lindy Ryan, so I went into it thinking that I might enjoy this book as well. I like my horror a little on the light side. This was perfect for me. There were some scenes that were horrifying to be sure, but it all came together to make one good book.

From the minute that Jill has to answer the door in her bathrobe for her overly friendly new neighbor to the final scene, the book delivers on its promise. There is 90s nostalgia and horror trivia. There are mean girls. All that Jilly wants is to fit in and get her book written. The attacks and the growing friendship she has with Darla keep the book moving forward. It moves along at a good pace, right up until the final scenes with the plot twists. While I did guess at some of what was going on, I didn't predict all of the twists. That makes it a good book. It was unique. 

I gave this book 5 stars. I would recommend it to people who enjoy light horror and aren't too squeamish. There are a few scenes that are rather descriptive when it comes to the actual attacks.If you enjoyed other writings by Lindy Ryan, you will most likely enjoy this as well. Also, if you enjoyed Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer, you might enjoy this one as well.

Dollface by Lindy Ryan was released February 24, 2026 from Minotaur Books.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinions.