This book kept me reading, kept me interested to the end, though I'm not sure what it was trying to say about its subject matter of rape, silence, memories and glamorous women influencers. It was a rollercoaster with twists that were worth waiting for though not always entirely clear in my opinion, though that was maybe me reading it too fast to find out what happened next!

Samantha Miller grew up with her best friend Lisa. They did everything together. They knew everything about each other. They fell for the same boy. However something happened that caused them to loose contact.

Sam went off and became a very wealthy social media star. Millions of followers. Book deals and a very successful company. She has just released her latest book. In it she has told her fans of an incident that happened when she was eighteen. Suddenly her world is pulled from under her. The friend she has written about has emailed her agent. She claims that the incident was not as described. ( don't want to give any spoilers here).

Sam's carefully crafted world starts to crumble as rumours swirl. Followers disappear. Suddenly all the bad press in the media is about her. The only was she can save herself and her career is to head home. She needs Lisa to retract her statement.

On going home Sam has to confront many demons and people from her past. But can she save her future.

This is a brilliant read. It gives an insight into social media and touches on the Me Too campaigns.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC.

Irish author Louise O’Neill is well known for tackling thorny social and sexual topics in her books, and she does it again here. This time, it’s the #metoo movement, sexual consent, cancel culture and the influencer/wellness movement that comes under the microscope.

Samantha Miller is a successful online influencer and wellness guru with a multi-million following. Sam’s runaway train comes off the tracks though when an issue from her past that she has attempted to recast (knowingly or unknowingly), comes back to haunt her, and makes her (and the reader) question everything. The story is told in a dual timeline, with flashbacks to Sam’s teenage years providing the counterpoint to the present day drama unfolding. Sam is an unreliable narrator and not one that many readers will warm to.

This is quite a clever book in terms of the plot and the social issues it raises. There are some interesting tangents on relearned memories and revising past traumas that I’d have enjoyed more focus on.

Where the book fell down for me was in the flashbacks to the teenage years. It veered too much into YA for my taste and read like a Clueless spin-off at times. I’d have preferred more of the cancel culture and less of the angsty teenage melodrama. I get why the book was set in the US (the epicentre of influencer culture) but it was a little clichéd/Melrose Placey at times I felt.

I liked it more than After The Silence and Almost Love, but less than Asking For It. A timely, topical book that makes for an easy holiday read. It’ll be snapped up off the shelves of Irish airports this summer I imagine. 3/5 ⭐️

*Idol by Louise O’Neill will be published on 12 May 2022. Many thanks to the author, the publisher @randomhouse, Transworld and Bantam Press for an advance digital copy via @netgalley. As always, this is an honest review.*

📚 r e v i e w 📚
If you were to ask me to recommend a book featuring strong female characters and hard hitting subjects with unflinching rawness, a healthy dose of feminisim and witb an accessible writing style, i’d point you in the direction of louise o’neill. If you specifically wanted the above but with a sprinkling of modernity in the form of social media and inluencers then boy do i have the book for you.
Idol, like her other books, doesnt shy away from the tough topics and is unapologetic with its exploration of sexual assault, especially when perpetrated by women, what constitutes the truth and uncovering the darker side of the life of an influencer and cancel culture. We know that social media is a hot bed for those wanting to profit off of us but there is an equally high number of influencers who genuinely have our best intentions at heart - our protagonist, sam just isnt one of them and i’d like to personally congratulate louise o’neill for creating one of the least likable and yet somehow fascinating characters i’ve come across in a long time.
Sam is a special brand of narcissist and after being accused of secual assault, she is forced to confront the real her - not the one she presents to her millions of followers.
The result? A well thought out, captivating novel that is hard to put down and a cast of toxic and yet somehow relatable characters that will leave you questioning your own idols. Its incredible how sam tells us one thing and the author is able to tell us another, its almost like these characters are independent of the novel - if you’re looking for something with substance, this is the one.
Plus - look at that cover! That is the perfect cover for your summer holiday read!
Thank you to @netgalley for the chance to read an early copy - Idol is out 12th May.
___
As you might expect from the above, there are a few c/w to be aware of going into this including mentions of drug use and sexual assault.
.
.
.

#bookworm #bookblogging #bookblogger #fiction #readerlife #readersofinstagram #bibliophile #bibliophilelife #bookstagram #reading #bookstagrammer #booklover #booksbooksbooks #bookreview

Louise O’Neill knows how to keep you on edge and guessing at all times! This was such a dark and twisted read with such a complex plot. It was impossible to know who to trust and what would happen next - the perfect book to absorb all your attention and shock you.

With such an unreliable narrator in Sam and an equally unreliable character in Lisa, I was drawn into the story whilst feeling the best kind of frustration at having no idea what was the truth. This book delves into very serious topics of sexual assault, addiction, race, eating disorders and more and whilst it’s overwhelming and has the potential to be very triggering for people, it was so well constructed and incredibly clever. It shines a light on idolisation of people in the public eye and how connected people feel to celebrity figures. You’ll be left wondering how well you know anyone in your life and how much of what you believe to be true is all based on your own misguided perspective.

This is outside of my usual genres but very much worth the read. I’m still reeling from it!

This was my first Louise O’Neil book and I was really interested to see how she tackles a number of very hot topics - cancel culture, online influencers and also how she would deal with sexual assault and rape allegations but in all honesty i felt this missed the mark.
It lacks depth and characterisation, and I just didn’t engage with a single character.

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for this ARC.

Absolutely brilliant!!!!! Loved this from the first page to the last! It’s an absolute page turner, it had me hooked from the start.

No spoilers, I don’t want to give even the slightest bit away, but I promise you that it’s fantastic!

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review

Another fantastic Louise O'Neill book, I couldn't put it down! Kept me reading until the early hours.

Samantha is a hugely successful influencer, but is her life based on a lie? Someone seems to think so, and Sam wants to find out who this someone is, before her carefully constructed life is completely destroyed.
Nowadays people speak about “their truth”, but what if their perceptions are skewed?
I enjoyed this book, but I’m afraid it did seem rather overlong!

Full disclosure, I loved Louse O'Neill's last book and couldn't wait to read her new one. It did not disappoint.

Loved the flow of the story, it kept me hooked to the end.

A good read.

Highly recommend

I've read a couple of Louise O'Neill's books before but can't say that I was very impressed. I was interested to see how this one turned out. It's certainly quite a relevant topic but it's also one that we've seen before. Social media, cancel culture and questions around consent are topics used in plenty of novels. The question wasn't whether it was a worthy topic but whether Louise O'Neill has anything to add to the conversation.

Short answer: not really.

Long answer: I'm not entirely sure what this book was trying to achieve. Actually, that's not true. This book was clearly trying to be as controversial as possible but I can't see what it thinks it adds to the issues. As a critique of celebrity culture, it's weak. As an exploration of cancel culture, it's pathetic. As a conversation about consent, it's bizarre and maybe a little contradictory. As an analysis of memory and truth, it feels a little clichéd. Basically, I'm not sure what the purpose of this book is other than trying to cash in on a hot topic.

Samantha Miller is a lifestyle guru. She's like a less famous Gwyneth Paltrow and has an army of white women following her every command. Before the release of her latest book, Sam is accused of sexually assaulting her former best friend, Lisa. The only problem is, that Sam has just written about the encounter in a recent article as evidence of her sexual awakening. The only thing Sam can do is go back to her hometown and confront Lisa. Unfortunately, this means coming face-to-face with her past. Including her ex-boyfriend who just happens to be Lisa's husband.

Now, I understand what Louise O'Neill is trying to achieve here with her comparison between the truth and "my truth". In this age of alternative facts, this could have been an interesting concept. What are the consequences of two people remembering one night in two very different ways? The main problem is that it's very easy to see how it's all going to end up. You can tell very early on what really happened so there's no mystery or big twist.

Also, the characterisation of these two women doesn't really offer much depth. They're both just cookie-cutter stereotypes. No depth or development to hide the truth. You can see through everything because we've seen these characters in so many other novels. It's so simplistic. In fact, everything about this book seems simplistic. The way that it represents social media is very singular and sensationalised. The way it represents women is very anti-feminist. The way it describes mental health is the opposite of nuanced. It's just so basic.

If I can find a positive it would be that it's a pretty quick read. I just wish it had done more with the topic. We've seen plenty of stories of successful white men being accused of sexual assault, so seeing it from a female perspective could have been interesting. It just didn't come together. <em>Idol</em> is just a little boring and lacks any real analysis. I'd also suggest that it totally misses the mark with regards to rape allegations both false and true. To a worrying degree.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review - thank you to the author, Netgalley and the publisher!

Firstly let it be known I am a Louise O'Neill stan - she can do no wrong in my eyes and so I went in to reading Idol with high expectations and it did not disappoint!
I think O'Neill has done an amazing job with this one and I recommended to all my friends and colleagues as soon as I was done reading it. If you are in to thrillers, mystery, cult like behaviour and a good story then you need to read this!

In Idol we follow the life of former party girl wild child turned lifestyle and wellbeing guru Samantha Miller who, after publishing an essay detailing a same-sex experience she shared with her best friend as a teenager, is confronted with the idea that her version of that night is very different from everyone else's.

This book was at times such a mindfuck because I am first and foremost a 'I believe her' girl, but Louise O'Neill was so great at writing the character of Samantha in a way that sometimes you DID feel sorry for her. I was quickly shocked out of that though as we get to grips with just how manipulative Samantha actually is and the depth of her ability to victimise herself completely unwarranted.

I think the story was pretty reflective of the time we are living in, exploring this current culture where it is considered almost stupid to really 'idolise' anyone for fear of them being the next one to be cancelled. It seems as if every day there is a new allegation or story breaking about somebody that you might have never expected.

Samantha's 'girls' and her image is really first and foremost to her. She came across how I imagine a cult leader to be in real life (the whole time reading it I also couldn't stop thinking about J***d L**o).

Loved it - highly recommend.

Samantha Miller is an idol to young girls everywhere. She has three million followers worldwide, everywhere she goes is sell-outs and autographs, and her 'girls' listen with bated breath to her every word hoping for inspiration to be more like her.

But in seconds, the foundation of everything she's ever built begins to crack. She's always shared her truths with her followers, about her struggles and addictions, but when she shares a story about her sexual awakening with her childhood friend, Lisa, she thinks she's sharing a beautiful, personal truth. But Lisa doesn't remember it that way. They haven't spoken in years, but Lisa manages to contact Sams manager to let her know that she remembers it happening quite differently and forces her to face the past.

So who is telling the truth? And who really gets to tell the story?

Idol is a compelling and timely story about the dangers of modernity, of addiction and adoration. This story will make you think about how your truth compares to the truths of others - and how somethings we can't even trust our own minds. O'Neill firmly blurs the lines between good and bad, between hero and villain - and explores the murky lands of consent, fame and victimisation with an authentic and vivid view.

This story has all the tension of a fast-paced thriller, but with real-world issues that are dangerous and terrifying in a totally different way. Each character was masterfully crafted to not necessarily be likeable - but be perfectly flawed and human in a painful way that provokes deep introspection.

We spend this story in pursuit of the truth - a truth that will hang around long after the last page is turned. Evocative, complex and thrilling - O'Neill as always captures the world in a way nobody else quite can.

"Idol" is another of O' Neill's trademark novels about the less-than-savoury elements of modern society. This scathing account looks at influencers within the "Wellness" industry, specifically Samantha Miller - all round golden girl and author of new novel "Chaste". While on the publicity campaign trail for the novel (with her hoards of fans - or "girls" - hanging on to her every word) her manager recieves an e-mail alleging that a sexual account that Sam has celebrated in an essay in the past may not actually have been consensual, and so Sam's dominos all begin to fall...
The novel is told from Samantha's POV which means our view of events is very much influenced (pardon the pun) by the version she is telling us, and while we do learn more as the novel progesses, through her interactions with the other main players in the story, it is hard at times to land on a concrete 'right' or 'wrong' for any side, which is part of the point; the grey areas in between one version and another are often just as important to decipher, but as to be expected with O Neill's writing she packs a powerful punch of a conclusion which leaves us in no doubt.
Elements are tough reads - the sexual assault element will of course be triggering to some, and for others it is an important lesson in making sure to learn as much about a situation as possible - which is also the point with the "Wellness" element - don't be fooled by the loud, beautiful, confident ones who are selling dubious cures and lifestyles.
A fresh, quick-paced read on what happens when we put people, espeically the wrong ones, on pedestals.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in return for my honest review.

As always Louise O'Neill smashes it out of the park. Always a good read, always challenging - I couldn't put this down.

Wow, oh Wow. This really is a book of our times and I loved it. Samantha (Sam) Miller is a little bit of every “influencer“ who has ever filled our screens and twitter feeds with their recommendations of what we need to buy for a happy life (always making sure that there is a payoff for every product endorsed), the so called health gurus (without qualifications) who tell us what we need to eat and what to avoid for a long and healthy life and of course the peddlers of mindfulness, telling their truths, some recollections may vary, which they certainly did with Sam and her BFF Lisa.

When you are at the top of your game, as Sam is, there is only one way to go and that is down. And don’t we love to see people fall. Social media can be vicious and when you are as flawed and fragile as Sam and used to nothing but adoration, the destruction of the world as you know it is not only commercial failure it is life destroying. I started out routing for Sam and wanting her to succeed in saving the empire she has worked so hard to build. I then moved on to pity for the flawed and desperate person she is revealed to be but ended up hating her. The complicated and somewhat unhealthy love hate friendship between Sam and Lisa is brilliantly described and so easy to relate to, especially thinking back to your teenage years.

I enjoyed this book so much I am going to suggest it to our book group, confident they’ll love it as much I do.

An instantly gripping read! I found it a fresh take on celebrity influencer culture and the toxicity which permeates so many spaces meant for female empowerment. The truth that remains elusive throughout the book, when finally revealed, was masterfully done and genuinely heart-wrenching.

content warning: sexual assault, eating disorders

A clever, gripping story of a successful influencer whose perfect life is thrown into disarray when an event from her teenage years is brought into the public eye and turns out to be remembered very differently by the people involved.

All the characters were to varying degrees unlikeable but nevertheless compelling, and I felt sympathy for the main character in spite of her serious flaws.

As well as an engaging plot, the book provides a thought-provoking look at social media, cancel culture and the boundary between real truth and constructed truth.

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Idol via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, the constant feeling that something wasn’t quite right made me feel unsettled and on edge as I was reading it. I felt empathy towards the main character (despite the fact that I didn’t find her very likeable) as its very easy to lose one’s way in life. I found the rest of the characters believable and empathised with them, despite all their issues, which is unusual for me. I wanted to believe the main protagonist hadn’t done what she was accused of and the twists and turns kept me guessing until the end which was a bonus. A very interesting read.

I really enjoyed this book...it was a really good delve into the fickle world of social media fame and cancel culture. I thought the way this was twinned with an old school friendship and how we all "remember" scenarios differently was really clever.
The book does cover A LOT of topics: #metoo movement, drugs, sexual assault, consent, abortion, addiction so a lot take on!
Samantha was quite the character, written really well and by the end I loathed her and felt sorry for her in equal measure.