Drama Dolls: A Novel

by Jason Tanamor

From the author of the critically acclaimed cult novel, ANONYMOUS, comes a dark, psychological, suspenseful thriller about love and loss.

Meet Jeffrey.

Jeffrey is turning forty. He has a good job, a loving wife, and a beautiful house. When the love of his life passes suddenly, his seemingly normal world turns upside down.

The sudden death, along with his midlife crisis, causes Jeffrey to grieve the five stages in unnatural ways. He trades in his Toyota Corolla for a Corvette, smokes pot with the neighbor kid, and dresses up in cheerleader outfits with his pals William and Lena in order to feel young and beautiful.

William and Lena agree to do whatever it takes to help Jeffrey during his grief, even when it means committing minor crimes such as burglary.

All is kosher until William notices a downward change in Jeffrey. Distraught by memories of his wife, and despite William's and Lena's best efforts, Jeffrey begins to slowly derail into a dark place that only he could get out of. An internal battle with his emotions and himself, Jeffrey takes matters into his own hands to pull through.

DRAMA DOLLS is an intimate, dark, psychological, suspenseful thriller about loss and obsession, survival and grief, and the desiring need to take control of your own life.

"DARK, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SUSPENSEFUL - WILL KEEP YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT! A GRIPPING LOOK INTO THE HUMAN BRAIN!"

PRAISE FOR JASON TANAMOR:

"Tanamor writes like a deformed love child of Chuck Palahniuk and Charles Bukowski who has finally discovered its own voice... a promising writer with lots of potential..." - Publishers Weekly

"...reveling in the vagaries of unreliable narration, Tanamor proves himself a master of the existential mystery..." - Small Press Reviews

"Tanamor has a gift for skimming the scum from the top of a boiling pot of rancid emotion and making you taste it.." - Dark Matters Reviews

"DRAMA DOLLS IS DEEPLY DISTURBING. IT'S ELECTRIFYING! A PAGE TURNING THRILLER!"

Q&A WITH THE AUTHOR:

Q. What is the inspiration for this dark, psychological, suspenseful thriller?

A. I saw a documentary about grown men who dressed up as dolls. They ventured out in public, running their errands, basking in the attention given to them. The dolls thought they were beautiful. The perception by the bystanders was the opposite. The dichotomy was amazing to see. I thought, "How disturbing!"

Q. Explain to readers what the most difficult part of writing this book was.

A. The documentary forced me to think, "Why?" Why would a man do this? Something triggered this. Maybe something traumatic happened. Like a spouse dying. I love my wife dearly and would probably act out in unnatural ways if she died. Creating this story was the hardest thing I had to do. Imagining...

Q. Why are you drawn to this genre?

A. I love stories where the protagonist experiences something tragic. When the main character feels, or lives, something that is dark and disturbing, the reader knows, from seeing the character living out on the page, that he has survived another day. This gives the reader hope that he will be fine.

Q. What other types of stories do you enjoy?

A. I enjoy everything from psychological horror, fast-paced thrillers, dark suspense, stories with lots of action, transgressive fiction, and unexpected plot twists.

My favorite authors are Chuck Palahniuk, Bret Easton Ellis, Gillian Flynn, Christopher Buckley, Clive Barker, Craig Clevenger, and Charles Bukowski.

Genres: Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

Jason Tanamor is the critically acclaimed author of the novels "Anonymous," "Drama Dolls," and "Vampires of Portlandia." His newest novel is a YA rom/com called "Love, Dance & Egg Rolls."

His writings have appeared in more than 250 publications. He's interviewed personalities such as Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Pete Rose, and Dane Cook, and has covered U.S. President Barack Obama.

Tanamor currently lives and works in the Portland, Oregon area.

Reviews

[Rebecca Gransden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me in two minds. Two minds about Jeffrey, about drama, and about extremity. Jeffrey is what could be called a normal man who responds in the most normal and suitable manner possible when a spouse dies, by finding the deep end and prancing all over it while doing star jumps. Desperate star jumps. Mascara stained, crusty wigged star jumps. It is a reaction as valid as any when it comes to grief and Jeffrey’s spiralling is at the heart of this book.

The writing is vibrant, terse, caustic at times but always with Jeffrey. It never sneers, like some of those bit players who take offence at Jeffrey in the raw, an unfiltered wreck before them who’s beyond caring, and they know it. It’s hard to deal, for those around him sure, but they all know that Jeffrey has it the worst. There’s something triumphant about Jeffrey embracing his inner doll, even if it costs him.

Luckily for Jeffrey he is surrounded by a few kindred doll souls who will do what it takes to let him have his grief and eat it. Soon they are thieving from houses in a ritualised purge, playing with jewels and feeling the heat of handling precious things that don’t belong, being in houses, lives, where they shouldn’t be. Headlights in the dark through the windows while they catch their breaths. All part of a path of not thinking things through, of letting the illogical and impulsive guide. They care too much, these dolls.

So what are my two minds? They don’t contradict, in the traditional sense. They are complementary two minds. They are the straight and true, and then the crooked and warped. They each feed the other and they don’t have to reconcile. Like I said, the only sane response to grief so bad.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book makes you feel really empty, the grief that Jeffery is going through can't help but affect you. I have no idea how I would deal with a loss like Jeffery experiences, I expect I would spiral out of control too. Jeffery's friends are doing their best to help him deal with his grief, dressing up as cheerleaders and carrying out robberies, but things are quickly gaining momentum and getting out of their control.

The book is well written, at times you can see the influence from Chuck Palahniuk, I was really feeling bad for Jeffery throughout the book, at times I had to shout at the book, that must be a sign of a good book. The plot twists at the end of the were really smart.

Highly recommend this book.


Full blog review is here> https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2018...

[Jennifer Kirkwood (Levac) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd, very bizarre novel, I mean it in a good way of course. At first I wasn't sure about it, I was thrown off with who was who and the fact that two of the drama dolls are men dressed up as cheerleaders made it confusing for names. Once I figured out who was who I started to get into the story. This is a story of Jeff, who recently lost his wife. Jeff is grieving but in a different way then most. He meets Lena in a counseling group, she lost her husband. Jeff has meet William who likes to dress up as a girl. Jeff starts dressing up as a cheerleader with William and then the three of them form a group they call the Drama Dolls. They do break ins together and steal small valuables, jewelry etc. Jeff is on a downward spiral after his wife's death, she is always referred to as Her until the end of the story. We are kept in the dark until the end on what happened to Her. Jeff steals, drinks, does pot, gets a corvette, and the biggest dresses as a female in cheerleader clothes. The character Emily totally threw me off until we learn more about her closer to the last half of the story. Each character is well developed and we see how each of them have been through traumatic events in their lives that have placed them all together.

If you like a psychological fiction that is a bit on the bizarre then you will enjoy this book. Give it a try you won't know until you do.

I listened to the audiobook book of this story. The narrator in my opinion is a bit monotone and I found he was hard to listen to at the beginning. I really had to give him time to grow on me. I found it felt like he was reading it out. I like narrators that sound like they are acting more than reading. I am not totally sure I would listen to another book by this narrator unless the book synopsis really grabbed me.

I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Leo Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love child of Chuck Palahniuk and Charles Bukowski? Maybe. One of those children that’s stressful to look after because they’re clearly surpassing you in every way.

Neither Palahniuk nor Bukowski have created characters I’ve felt sympathy for. (To put it mildly. Neither have written books I’ve enjoyed either. Because they are not good writers. So that’s cleared that up!)

Sure, the narrative is wild, but so is grief, and the protagonist’s actions are a metaphor for this. Yet the narrative is delivered with a nicely muted tone, carrying all the characters seamlessly through its sprawl.

OMG! He evoked a sharing compulsion, even! (This is the highest level of literature.) So here it is:
when my dad lost his wife, he had work to do in Shanghai (DID he? Did he even? I don’t know. I hadn't thought about it until this book brought it up.) And he just stayed in the hotel alone for days (SO ill-advised) and eventually reception called him and pretended they had some survey to do, just to check he wasn’t dead (wasn’t he, though?) Had the opportunity been presented to him, he would have robbed ALL the banks.

This book really engaged me, which is difficult to do because when I get sad I don’t go there; I stay home, mostly, and develop a full-body affection for carpets (though no one is telling my story because it’s not interesting, haha.)

This probably means Tanamor could hold mine and most people’s attention by telling us anything at all.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect going into this novel - knowing little more than it was described as transgressive fiction & it had a cheerleader on the cover. Well, it certainly fits squarely into the transgressive category and definitely features a lot of cheerleaders - but not the type we are used to seeing.

Drama Dolls is a slow motion train wreck that right until the last quarter of the book slowly unpacks the layers of reason behind why Jeffrey dresses up as a cheer leader and breaks into houses. The narrative jumps nicely between Jeffrey the guy mourning his lost wife & Brittany the drama doll, Jeffrey's alter-ego.

This novel is captivating, depressing, entertaining & at times shocking. Everything one wants in a transgressive tale. Enjoyable!

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly as described - Dark, Suspenseful, Fast-paced, Exhilarating. A very emotional subject to broach and kudos to Jason for ambitiously (and successfully) doing so with humour.

Jeffrey is seriously on a downward spiral and he doesn't care. He knows people are pointing and laughing, and still he doesn't care. He is coping in his own way. And he has his friends helping him to distract from his grief. As the story unfolds, quickly, we see how far down Jeffrey is travelling, just to cope.

A great controversial read that I won't forget. I look forward to checking out more of Jason's work.

[Danielle's · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like no other book I've ever read.
A man who looses his wife ends up with a split personality. The empty shell of the man who was left behind and his alter ego a mysterious robber.
Strange but addictive 4*

*An advanced copy of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review*

[Jason Pettus · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)

So here's an interesting question for contemplation: Is there such a thing as a "standard" bizarro novel, and is it even possible to have such a definition? After all, part of what marks this underground literary genre is that it consists of books that are the most out-there out of all of them, strange and cartoonish stories whose plots change radically from one title to the next. But that said, after now reading hundreds of such books as part of running this website, I must admit that Jason Tanamor's Drama Dolls comes uncomfortably close to containing that fabled "checklist" that such an uncheckable genre like bizarro by all rights shouldn't have, but yet is seeming to slowly come together these days anyway, as more and more bizarro authors start existing in our 21st-century society. Subversive main characters who live on the edges of polite society? Check! Their subversion having to also do with the LGBT community? Check! These main characters acting out through cartoonishly violent, Tarantino-style criminal acts? Check! The entire thing written in a deadpan style reminiscent of a fable or children's tale? Check and mate! I don't mean to pick out Tanamor's book specifically for criticism, because certainly it's not badly done at all; but it is a good example of how even this genre for "literature on the edge" is starting to get awfully commodified at this point, which to be fair says more about the oversaturation of the contemporary novel industry than it does about any one particular bizarro author. Enjoyable for what it is, I must also confess that Drama Dolls left me at the end sort of shrugging my shoulders a bit and muttering "meh," a book that's not bad by any means but that nonetheless will probably only appeal to hardcore bizarro fans and no one else. It should be kept in mind before picking up a copy.

Out of 10: 7.8, or 8.8 for fans of bizarro literature

[Nick Rossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to release a novel that maintains readers' interests, it'd better have a LOT going on. Throw in a car chase, some crimes (both of the high and low kind), and some flawed heroes and you've got the key ingredients for modern fiction. Instead of losing his voice amongst conventions and familiarity, author Jason Tanamor puts a signature spin on a high-octane thriller and makes it both funny AND intense. Now that's a combination that's extremely rare these days.

In Drama Dolls, Tanamor has crafted a tale for everyone, and I say this because it contains both diatribes on the false illusions of youth and the fright that accompanies of getting old. Acting as a catalyst for this commentary on life as we know it is Jeffrey, who experiences first hand the tumult that a human can suffer. In the face of such a maelstrom of dire circumstances, Jeffrey embarks on a journey that is so different than what other fictional characters choose to follow, and this is what makes Drama Dolls so cool. With formulas thrown out the window, the reader doesn't know which direction the author is going to take in telling this story of a grieving man and his decision to distract his thoughts instead of facing his emotions head on.

But this is what propels the story forward. We meet a cast of characters who share in Jeffrey's grief and want him to heal, but also want to be good friends and accompany Jeffrey on his unconventional path. The problem with that is Jeffrey needs help, and with his downward trajectory, he goes to places that are dark and deep.

Drama Dolls is interesting and important for a few reasons. the major one being the question it poses being what do we do when we lose the one we love? And how do we bounce back from it?

Like this review? Read more like it at www.readingotherpeople.com!

[Nadia Gerassimenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

The opening of Drama Dolls is executed in a very intriguing and masterful fashion. The story begins with two girls jumping on bed somewhat awkwardly without particularly having too much fun doing so, oddly enough. The reader soon realizes that they’re not quite girls—they’re dolls rummaging through someone else’s private property, treating themselves to things they see of value to them. The reader becomes baffled by learning that they’re not dolls after all but women wearing cheerleader uniforms and hiding behind doll-like masks. In reality, they’re none of the above. They’re men—Jeffrey and William—who like to dress as cheerleaders and commit burglaries in other people’s homes for thrills and delights. But they’re very solemn about their alter egos—Brittney and Barb—so much so that they think and feel that this is who they truly are: The Drama Dolls.

But the origin of how they’ve become The Drama Dolls is poignant and heartrending. William was never a handsome person even well past his puberty. He never felt beautiful. He never felt accepted. His self-confidence never had the chance to birth, to grow, to solidify. Jeffrey had everything going for him, especially a loving and strong relationship and bond between him and his wife. But she died prematurely and tragically, and everything else crumbled and had no meaning in his life anymore. Lena, their other friend that Jeffrey met at a bereavement support group session, also lost her spouse. A husband who worked non-stop and spent his free time playing golf with his fellows while giving Lena everything she ever wanted from the material world thinking that this approach to love would compensate for his lack of presence. His death was still a shocking and distressing blow. And so to feel attractive and to cope with their traumas, they start to dress up as The Drama Dolls and walk around like that in their neighborhood and have meals in their local diner, shocking the judgmental passersby and onlookers. For more adrenal rush and their penchant for gorgeous, expensive paraphernalia, they start breaking and entering into other people’s homes and stealing their high-priced belongings in the heat of the night.

Drama Dolls doesn’t just depict the interesting, unconventional process of how the trio dollies commit burglaries, but, most importantly, how they deal with their grief and suffering. Whether it’s a right or wrong approach is not up to anyone to criticize, it’s just the way it is. The novel explores the themes acceptance and rejection in the modern world. It sheds light on how disapproving, scornful, and insulting society may still be towards anyone who may stand out of the accepted norm although no one is afflicted by any of it directly. And even the misfits may be intolerant of someone who goes too far according to their perspective of what is acceptable. Lastly, the book takes the reader on a transcendental and enlightening journey of five stages of grief. Sometimes to move forward, one must go backward. And moving on does not mean the pain is gone. And everyone grieves differently and must need as much time as they can in order to fully heal. Overall, Drama Dolls is not for the faint-hearted but is still a very thought-provoking and stirring novel for the courageous venturers and challengers of everything stagnant and hypercritical.

[AudioBookReviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My original Drama Dolls audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Not sure where to start with this review as I'm still processing this book long after I have finished it. I am finding it difficult to write this mostly because  it was an extremely intense listen. This does not mean that I didn't enjoy every minute of this book. This is definitely a dark story that starts off a little confusing as you try to digest which character goes with which alter ego, but once it gets going you become part of the insanity.  The characters dress up as drama dolls (cheerleaders) to commit crimes and also to feel beautiful while committing these actions. As much as I say that I cannot relate to the characters' actions, in contrast, their feelings are very real and you will experience and be influenced by every emotion during this story. The author does a fantastic job with the main character Jeffery, who definitely has the most intense story in this book as the story starts off after he recently lost his wife. I was transfixed with every bit of Jeffery's story as it slowly unfolded through the book, and how his psyche was dealing with it. As small pieces of information are smoothly brought into the light of the story, another twist or turn will leave you absolutely clamoring for more. The ending was brilliant as it brings everything together but also will leave you shocked.

The narrator, Tom Kruse, would not have been who I selected although I'm not sure of the authors vision for the audiobook. The narrator sounded like a deep-voiced older gentlemen speaking in a very soothing and mono-toned voice that brings a calming feeling to an otherwise very creepy story, which may have very well been the authors intent. However, I was a little disappointed as I felt as if someone with a little more inflection had narrated, there could have been an even more heightened intensity to the story.

Audiobook was provided for review by the Author.

[Masood Vahdani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drama Dolls by Jason Tanamor is a very engaging, and extremely well-written book. The story, without spoilers, is a psychological thriller about Jeffry who is a recently widowed middle-age white collar. He is trying to make sense of the world around him following the death of his wife, only to befriend Lena who is also widowed. Lena, trying to help Jeffery, and maintaining her high standard life style, asks the help of another friend William. The trio forms a burglary team to steal from the houses that are put in the market to be sold.
The brilliant of Tanamor work shows itself in the fact that beneath a relatively simple plot line, he has created layers of psychological themes and motifs. His writing skill coupled with his eye for details has made Drama Dolls a must read. Tanamor, in contrast to most writers of psychological thrillers are not ashamed or cautious to dig into the psyche of the bereaved. He has sympathy for his characters, but he does not treat them as children. He is fair, but firm with them.
I enjoyed how balance all the different aspects of the book was. Drama Dolls deals with very serious and at some point disturbing situations, yet it never became too much. It is believable because Tanamor has managed to provide enough space for the story to develop and show all its hidden depth.
The other positive aspect of the book was that by the end of the book, the reader has a clear idea of why the main characters behave as they do. Tanamor has aimed to write a controversial book, and he has managed to write a great one.

[Rabid Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange but fascinating book. Drama Dolls is a very well written story dealing with the unusual way a middle aged man, Jeffrey, tries to deal with the death of his wife, and the slow devolution of his psyche. It is poignant and thought provoking, not only dealing with the strange and detrimental effects that grief can have on an individual, but also with themes of friendship, acceptance, depression, intolerance and deviations from the norm. Dressing as teenage cheerleaders and hiding behind makeup and masks, the middle aged adults, Jeffery, William and Lena assume their Drama Doll alter egos and rob houses, all as a means of coping with their emotional pain. I wasn't sure if I would like this book, as it is very different to what I would normally listen to and a bit confusing initially as to which alter ego belonged to which character, but the captivating writing, dark humour and surprising twists got me hooked. The audiobook narration fits the story perfectly, Kruse's voice draws you into the characters and allows you to feel their pain. All in all this was an unusual, heart wrenching story with more than a few surprises. The audiobook was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Martin Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jason Tanamor's novel is an interesting and somewhat strange tale of a grieving man who dresses as a cheerleader to rob other people's homes. Overall it is a well-written story, but there are occasions when Tanamor overwrites and distracts (this particular reader) out of the tale. One such event occurs early on, as Jeffrey/Brittney and his friend Barb are making their getaway from a burglary; the story momentarily changes POV and briefly latches on to a couple of Chinese restaurant workers having a conversation (in Mandarin that Tanamor translates into English) behind the establishment. We never meet these characters again, and they add nothing to the story (except extraneous detail). There are several other occasions when detail distracts from the story, which is a shame because when Tanamor keeps things simple, he writes well. A decent effort.

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was an interesting take on dealing with grief. However, I found it to be misrepresented. It was labeled as a dark, suspenseful, psychological thriller. Yes, it was dark but in no way was it suspenseful or a psychological thriller. There was no suspense whatsoever. It was more like a dark contemporary novel about grief and loss.
It's about a man, Jeffrey, whose wife suddenly dies and the ways he attempts to cope with his grief. He and his friends dress up as adult cheerleader dolls and rob houses.
This book is really an in depth study of Jeffrey. Jeffrey's character is sad and lonely. He doesn't know what to do to get past his wife's death. His new friends and fetishes aren't enough. He slowly self destructs as the book goes on.
Lena and William are Jeffrey's friends. He met Lena in his bereavement group. She is a formerly rich widowed housewife. She is very supportive of Jeffrey and tries to help him keep things positive while letting him grieve in his own way. William met Jeffrey online and shares in his love for the cheerleader fetish. He wants Jeffrey to try to move on past his grief instead of wallowing in it.
There were a ton of wordy descriptions in this book that made it seem longer than it was. The narrator does not help with this problem. He sounded like an old man. His voice did not fit the setting of the book. I couldn't get used to it. His speaking was measured and slow. There were a lot of unnecessary pauses. It just didn't work for me. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't listened to it and had read it in print instead.
The story had potential but because of the narrator I was put off from the get go and found I couldn't fully get into it.

I was gifted a copy of this audiobook by the author. This is an unbiased review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Gian Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since Bukowski and Palahniuk have been two of my favourite authors and of great influence over my work, after reading the review of Drama Rolls by Publishers Weekly I was genuinely eager to get started with this one book here - promising myself I'd be as weel impartial as accurate when it comes to my own review.
And honest I am, I like the story - better, the idea behind it - I really do, as I like everything that shakes your consciouness and makes you want to shut your eyes or throw the book away before you get sick.
Drama and extremity.
Anything that is provoking, and clever and (well) written, somewhow.
And for that, I do commend Jason Tanamor, and the choice of his main, disturbed, character:

The sudden death of his wife, along with his midlife crisis, causes Jeffrey to grieve the five stages in unnatural ways and dress up in cheerleader outfits with his pals to go housebreaking.

Here is the thing though, I'm a huge fan of transgressive fiction, so why did I find this particular book's style boring and rather annoiyng at times? Again, I'm not saying I didn't like it overall - probably I was just expecting something better after all the interesting premises that pushed me toward Drama Dolls in the first place.
Still, I feel like there's something that is not quite right about it.
In my opinion, It could have been different, it could have been better.
Yet, a quite interesting read, though.

[Elena Alvarez Dosil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was offered a copy of this book in audio format in exchange for an honest review.

Jeffrey loses his wife and takea comfort in his little group of friends, who call themselves the Drama Dolls and spend their evenings dressed as cheerleaders to burglarize houses on the market to be sold.

It took me a while to get into the story due to the writer's style. It was not that it was not told in a correct way, just that it was confusing at times. This is the story about how Jeffrey copes with his pain, and how this pain can make people connect. It was beautifully told and I have to admit that the book ended too abruptly for me, and the easy way out was disappointing. The only character that was deeply explored was Jeffery's. William and Lena were the other two characters but they remain quite flat and it is difficult to connect to them. We just see Jeffrey's pain but not how his mind is processing it, which could have helped to complement the end.

Tom Kruse's voice and style felt a strange choice for this novel, and it took me some time to get used to it. It was quite monotone, but this could have been the original intention, since this book tells harsh facts in a very plain way.

This was a different book but I would have appreciated more development on the characters and the story.

[Bookworm86 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drama dolls is quite a bizarre novel about how Jeffrey copes with losing his wife. Bit of a mixed review with this one. I Will be honest it took me quite a while to get used to the name changes and until I did I didn't really enjoy it. As I worked out who was who it did get better. However, I must say the ending blew me away and definitely made up for what I struggled to enjoy. Fantastic twist. xx

[Saradia Chatterjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are books which entertain without making any kind of impact on the reader. Then there are books which have a lasting effect on the reader's mind. Drama Dolls belongs to the second kind. Jeffrey's tragedy is excruciating. He is going through a phase which is a reality in the lives of many people. The image of suffering is so vivid that knowledge of Jeffrey's trauma will immediately make you want to participate in his friend's maneuvers and attempt to help him. A psychological thriller must connect with the reader and this book does that perfectly well.Drama Dolls is not a success only in its treatment of the protagonist's psychological distresses. The book does well in every aspect. I would say that it exaggerates certain situations and complicates the storyline at times but it will have you think for hours over the unfolding events. The author has used a suitable style of narration and I could find no faults with the writing.I'd recommend this book to devoted readers of psychological fiction. It's not for everyone. It's for those people who like to trade comfort reads for books that unsettle them.

[Vanessa Kings · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Drama Dolls: A Novel" by Jason Tanamor is exactly what its description states: Dark, Suspenseful, Fast-paced, Exhilarating.
Described by Publishers Weekly as the "love child of Chuck Palahniuk and Charles Bukowski", you can sense a uniqueness and a strong sense of pace in Tanamor's narration as soon as you start reading.
The story revolves around Jeffrey, who is about to turn forty when his wife unexpectedly passes. From here on, his grief will take him down a winding path with increasingly dark turns, taking his friends along the ride.
Through the intense narration, we are treated to a dark, psychological thriller, at times funny, but also disturbing, with a deep look into the human psyche and what makes us tick, and how an event can change our lives forever.
Reading "Drama Dolls" made me happy to have found such a great voice and narration, as well as powerful storytelling. It is not uncommon to enjoy a great thriller, but to also have very human ingredients that make for a deeper and more meaningful read makes this book stand out.

[Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

With “Drama Dolls” Jason Tanamor manages to deliver a great story about the grief.

When main character named Jeffrey lost his wife, everything he had crumbled to dust. And instead of grief most people would choose, Jeffrey decides to spend time with his neighbor, dressed in a cheerleader uniform robbing houses…

Completely unusual subject, delivered in a kind of Chuck Palahniuk style, “Drama Dolls” are type of book you will not forget long after the last page will be read. Entertaining, humorous, in same time sad as well, Jason Tanamor keeps surprising reader up to the very end with his twists making his book highly recommended piece of indie literature.

I was given a copy of this book by the author for the purpose of unbiased review, while all the presented information is based on my impressions.

[Julie Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Review is for the Audio Book Copy....


At first I wasn't sure I would be able to get into this story, due to the grief part, but I soon found out this was a different kind read. A different way the grief was dealt with. Yes, it has the sad parts but, it also has funny parts. hopeful parts and awesome plot twists that will keep you listening. The narrator did a fantastic job with telling the story, If your looking for a book that will make you think an make you feel the feels then this is the book you need to listen to.

[Tara Woods Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drama Dolls was a wild, jewelry filled ride! It was not what I expected and so the raw emotion and beauty of the main characters took me by surprise. Anyone who has ever suffered a loss or felt boxed in by grief will understand the things about this book that make it difficult to describe. This book and these characters will stay with you long after you turn the last page. I'm looking forward to more from this author.