Really intriguing story, and the dual timelines AND POV kept me engaged. I think it was possibly a little too long with small snippets that didn’t drive the plot along. But otherwise, I enjoyed the book! I hope the author writes more!

Thank you to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC! Doll Parts by Penny Zang is a dark, unsettling collection that explores the grotesque and the feminine with sharp, unflinching prose. Each story feels like a glimpse into a beautifully twisted nightmare, blending body horror with emotional depth. Zang’s voice is unique and fearless, making this a must-read for fans of experimental and horror-tinged fiction.

From the description, I thought that Doll Parts was going to be a kind of average thriller set on a college campus, which is a genre I love, but I've read before. However, the plot was actually much more nuanced than I anticipated, with some supernatural elements that had me questioning myself and the narrator. I really enjoyed reading Doll Parts and recommend to anyone who likes college-themed thrillers.

Maybe it just went over my head but I don’t really see how this essentially murder mystery really had much to do with Plath overall. Other than the weirdly obsessed professor, I don’t really understand “the murderers” motivation or connection at all other than just the million references to Plath’s name and the unfortunate suicides over the span of 30 years. It felt like a stretch honestly. This just felt to me that that author wanted all her readers to know she likes Sylvia Plath

Nothing and I mean NOTHING is better than a story about friendship between women. Doll Parts may not seem like that story, but I promise it is. The DUAL POV and timeline was the perfect way to tell this story. It has just enough creep factor, while not attempting to go full-blown into a genre blending novel. We learn about these women, from girlhood on and watch them develop on the page. The mystery aspect was well done and unraveled at the perfect pace to keep the reader hooked. Ultimately, the friendship is what stole the show, though. You can tell this was written by a women in every aspect, and that may be the highest praise I can give. It all felt extremely authentic. Harrison’s character felt a little underdeveloped but other than that, our main crew really came to life.

The story is told through the point of views of Sadie, in the present, and her best friend Nikki, in the past, during their college days twenty years before. I thought I knew how the story would go. I mean, Sadie had a baby with her friend’s husband soon after Nikki’s death - old friend hooks up with the grieving husband and Lifetime movie tropes ensue, right? I think you were supposed to hate Sadie, but you soon find more going on here than you think. As I kept reading, I found a beautiful story of friendship and grief. Even the strongest friendships can’t stand if the grief is so intense.
What drew me to this story was the relatability of Sadie and Nikki, who I saw as the “weird girls”- a label I’ve often felt applied to me. And the feeling that you’re barely holding things together after the death of a parent.
The two POVs, which were separated by time, resulted in a rich story. The distinct voices of Sadie and Nikki move the story with perfect pacing, and I couldn’t stop reading. Their expressions of heartbreak and longing leap off the pages. The book was haunting, yet beautiful.

*Doll Parts* is a haunting and evocative debut that weaves together friendship, grief, and the dark allure of tragedy. Nikki's obsession with the mysterious deaths surrounding her college's Sylvia Club leads to a chilling unraveling, only for her estranged best friend, Sadie, to discover the eerie aftermath two decades later. Through dual timelines, this novel explores the fragility of bonds, the shadows of past trauma, and the lingering presence of those we lose.

4.5 this was one of my most anticipated books this year, and it didnt disappoint. one of the best debuts i've ever read, i'll definitely read zang's future books.

I was immediately drawn to Doll Parts because of the Virgin Suicides reference—add Sylvia Plath and I’m sold. Haven’t we all had a Sylvia sad girl phase? The writing and structure of this debut really impressed me. I just wish it had a tighter edit and fewer loose ends. I’d recommend it to anyone into haunting, dark academia or books like Bunny by Mona Awad. Extra points for all the Plath references.

The title of this book is what drew me to it but I struggled to get into it and the only thing that kept me going was the continuous emails from NetGalley to review it. I wanted to like this book so so much but I just could not. The story overall unraveled slowly to me and some chapters were easier to get through than others.

I am new to Thriller and Dark Academia so maybe I just need to read more and the come back and re-read this but that is something for me to decide later.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I tried starting this multiple times and simply cannot connect to it/get started with it. The premise sounds very interesting and I would love to pick it up again later when I’m more in the mood for it, but for now I’m soft DNFing. Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the arc!

Doll Parts is a gritty, eerie collection with a strong horror aesthetic and flashes of originality. Penny Zang leans into the grotesque with confidence, offering stories that are vivid, strange, and often unsettling. Some tales hit hard and linger, while others feel underdeveloped or too brief to fully land their emotional or thematic punches.

The tone and voice are consistent throughout, which helps tie the collection together, but a few stories start to blend together by the end. Still, for fans of body horror, surreal storytelling, and dark feminist themes, this is a bold and worthwhile read—just a bit uneven in execution.

This was very unique. I enjoyed the duel timelines and points of view. The dark academia. This was almost haunting but for sure a psychological mystery. The friendship was very complicated to say the least. This book will pull you and you will not want to put it down.

‘Told in a dual timeline, Doll Parts is an evocative and irresistible debut, at once an exploration of the dark chasms that break apart friendships, an ode to the aching beauty of girlhood, and a sharp portrayal of grief that can physically haunt you. ‘

Doll Parts was such an unpredicted, impressive and formidable debut.

There’s so many moving parts here. What with the alternating timelines and POV’s, the details, the intricacies, oddities and happenstances. It could have so easily played out in a stretchy, convoluted and implausible sort of way. But it didn’t.

Zang connected and delineated this very complex story that feels seasoned and almost harmonic for the reader, even with the troubling subject matter, which there was plenty of.

Haunting, puzzling and clenching, the pages don’t stand a chance to be left in peace while being held in any pair of hands.

I genuinely can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for review.

Pub: 8.26.2025.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOK Landmark for the eARC.
The writing was excellent, but I couldn't wrap my head around the plot. The story appealed to me, but it was convoluted and I struggled and finally gave up and DNF.

Doll Parts is the most mesmerizing and original book I’ve encountered in a long time. It promises an eerie and addictive story that will pull readers in and not let go. With Penny Zang’s extraordinary talent, I have no doubt I would eagerly read anything else she crafts. This dark, atmospheric exploration of friendship, exploitation, and female rage is sure to resonate deeply, delving into the most vulnerable and turbulent stages of womanhood.

A haunting experience, as this book offers an exquisite exploration and sharp critique of our cultural obsession with pretty dead girls. The riveting mystery pieced together by two fascinating and complex protagonists will surely keep readers on the edge of their seats. Much like a beloved collection of poetry, this story will be worth carrying around, dog-earing, highlighting, and returning to time and again.

This will undoubtedly be one of the most unexpectedly imaginative and soulful suspense novels we’ve seen in some time. Its blend of suspense and lyricism defines the essence of great poetry.

With its twisty, bold narrative pulsing with the fever dream of 90s girlhood, this book is a unique genre: part mystery, part dirge, and part love letter to Baltimore. It is also a postpartum story and a celebration of fierce female friendship. Penny Zang is set to deliver a glorious indictment of our cultural obsession with dead girls—so well-written and engaging that we’ll discover its true depths as we dive in.


a haunting and well-crafted debut that features poetic writing and immense heart. This story about the friendship between women—particularly the theme of lost friendship and the culture’s fixation on dead women—strikes just the right balance of weirdness to emphasize the dark and tragic parts. I anticipate feeling a sense of longing when it concludes, and I will undoubtedly find myself reading it again.

It’s a stunningly written debut that delves into a college with a dark history of “sad girls” obsessed with Sylvia Plath. The journey of two best friends forever changed by their experiences there will be profound. The characterization of both Nikki and Sadie will be outstanding, and I am eager to see how the mystery surrounding the Sylvia girls and Nikki’s death unfolds. Penny Zang is undoubtedly an author to watch!

- thanks to sourcebooks landmark & NetGalley for giving me a chance to read and review this book -

When a book draws you in from the very first page, you know it’s going to be a page turner. I loved this from the first second!! It drew me in and kept me wanting to read more. This was sooo good. I love the way it was written. I love the music that was mentioned throughout the book. The main characters were super relatable and like able. 4/5 only because the middle seemed to drag on for a bit. But the ending was so good.

DOLL PARTS by Penny Vang

5⭐️

An immersive read told in dual timelines perspectives of best friends Nikki and Sadie. I enjoyed the writing style; sometimes it wasn’t very straightforward and you’re left to assume. the story was nostalgic and ghostly + tragic including a string of suicides and professors who cross student/teacher boundaries

DOLL PARTS by Penny Zang is a fantastic debut taking place across two timelines. Both Sadie's and Nikki's voices are fully inhabited, and I was fascinated by the way each voice added rich context and perspective to the other's. The way Zang builds suspense and dread in each timeline kept me turning pages, and I loved all the details about the girls' late 90s outfits and accessories, as well as their jokes and the language they built with each other. The relationship between Sadie and Nikki was perfectly complicated and the undercurrent of class that impacted their decisions was really well done. I also really enjoyed the way Zang rendered the relationship between Sadie and Caroline. This is a love letter to friendship, to the girls we were and the women we become, to the pop culture that made us, and to Baltimore. I look forward to reading everything Penny Zang writes next! Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I sadly DNF'd this one. GAH I hate that.

I was drawn in by the cover and mention of grunge nostalgia. However this shit is my fault because I hated the The Virgin Suicides and am not a Sylvia Plath girlie. HELLO? What was I thinking requesting this book that is just that?

I was thinking I loved the cover so much that I wanted to love the book toooooooooooooooooo!