I read Idol in a day, it was impossible to put down. O'Neill's gift unique blend of clarity and empathy lends itself to the exploration of exploitation of different kinds, and the messy interplay between predator and prey, hero and villain, how we see ourselves and how we are.

A well written book but unfortunately not to my taste. I was expecting more of a thriller than a complex battle about social media and its gurus. The fault is mine for selecting a book in a genre that doesn't appeal to me.

The story of Samantha, lifestyle guru and feminist influencer, facing the revelation of her teenage past.
This novel raises some interesting questions around authenticity, memory and culpability that feel very relevant for the current moment. I enjoyed the contrast between Sam's 90s memories and the ultra-contemporary current day (the events are set in February 2022).
As a female-friendship thriller it felt fresh with an interesting angle. An enjoyable read.

Does everyone reinvent themselves and totally change their backstory?

I haven’t and honestly don’t understand why people do

I’d a friend I grew up with, we shared everything, I would have considered her my sister as I had none of my own. She married, started a family and completely reinvented herself. The sure way to do this was to totally cut me out of her life. This book reminds me of her so much. I know the secrets but I would never ever share

Samantha is a horrible person, I totally disliked her, however the character is very real and believable. Maybe every so called influencer should read this book and have a good think

With thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

This is the story of Sam, a lifestyle guru with fame, fortune and millions of followers…until it all goes horribly wrong! An accusation is made against Sam by her one time closest friend which threatens to ruin her lucrative career. Sam vehemently denies it and cannot understand why her friend would betray her in this way. She sets out to clear her name but will she makes the situation worse?
It took me a little time to get into this story as it’s very difficult to sympathise with Sam initially and I found her hard to like. She has definitely had a troubled past though and it becomes clear that she’s quite a damaged individual. As the story unfolded, I found myself becoming more interested in the character of Sam and I wanted to know more about her past and why she behaved in such a self destructive way. The ending of the story did take me by surprise as I wasn’t sure how things were all going to end for Sam. A great book and quite thought provoking in lots of ways.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

This is my first book by Louise O’Neill therefore my only expectations came from the write up given by the publishers and the limited reviews on NetGalley by other ARC readers and reviewers and the fact that I often enjoy Irish writers.

The book blurb was interesting enough to make me want to read it: Samantha is a social media influencer, who comes from a small town and who preaches the empowerment of women, clean living, clean eating, self-love, being oneself - whilst deny herself to stay thin enough and having Botox and fillers to remain youthful!! She is a staunch advocate of the “Me too” victims who have spoken out about their own sexual abuse, having experienced abuse herself and not spoken out about it at the time. She reveals an incident of sexual exploration with her best friend in her teens. Her then friend, however, remembers the incident very differently and responds with a letter saying so. Samantha then revisits her past and her hometown, in order to sort this out and thereby lies the story. All the while, her Instagram following of 3 million starts to fall.

Although I have social media accounts, I’m not an avid user other than staying in touch with people I worked with while living abroad, (and reading and writing book reviews) and it’s fair to say I have reservations about it’s use and it’s users. I have long since felt that it’s a potentially dangerous medium. It’s already been proven that casual comments made by users whilst either under the influence of drugs or alcohol or both, or when feeling low or vulnerable can come back to haunt the writer decades down the line. Even writing an honest book or restaurant review opens one up to the ‘dark side’ of this medium, where faceless trolls make personal comments and attacks that they would never make face to face.

This book highlights how high people can rise on this platform but how tenuous that status is, and how quickly and how far they have to fall, should their ‘popularity’ be threatened, even temporarily and possibly unjustly. It also questions how readily people follow the ‘image’ projected by social media influencers without really knowing how honest these profiles are and how there are two sides to every story and how, with ease, we readily elect which one to believe.
I find myself torn when it comes to giving a star rating for this book. It’s a contemporary topic, and I believe many people, especially younger people than me, would benefit from the message content of the book. However, I didn’t like any of the characters, except Samantha’s mother, but that may have been entirely intentional by the writer.

For me, it was an interesting read but not a particularly enjoyable one. If I’m totally honest, I couldn’t wait to finish it and for me that happens when I don’t become invested in the characters. I didn’t care whether Samantha fell from grace or managed to silence the trolls and maintain her ‘celebrity’ status. There is definitely a lesson to be learned by all about the huge power of the internet and how careful people (especially youngsters) must be, in this day and age, as every post they ever make is out there for the rest of their lives! Parents today must have to address this topic with their children very early in their teenage years.

It’s three stars from me after careful consideration because at the end of the day reading, for me, is about enjoyment.

My thanks go to the writer, the publishers, and NetGalley for an advance e.reader copy of this book.

I was almost halfway through this book before I started to enjoy it. As the story evolves, the negative and darker side of social media emerges that Sam quickly learns and along with her need to be wanted ruins her life. I’m just glad that I grew up when I did as all those embarrassing moments were soon forgotten and not out there for everyone to see. The book is well written and thought provoking.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s Louise O’Neill at her best, tense and thrilling with details being revealed slowly to keep me engaged. I really enjoyed the commentary on influencer culture and sexual assault, especially examining women as the perpetrator of sexual assault, which is something that often isn’t discussed.

While the subject matters were dark, I genuinely enjoyed this and look forward to reading more of O’Neills work.

Oh my! This book is unbelievable! I've never read anyone that can deliver such important messages through fiction novel like Louise O'Neill .

This book follows Sam journey when confronted with a sexual abuse allegation. Diving into the thoughts and feelings of all those affected by it.

Honestly, this novel in modern day could not capture cancel culture in a more emotional light, this novel is certainly going to become iconic.

'Idol' by Louise O'Neill is deeply unsettling because it not only contributes to the conversation on consent but it actually projects that conversation forward in new directions. The effect is simply stunning.
In this novel O'Neill asks questions we may not yet have even considered and chief amongst these is who do we believe when an accusation of sexual assault surfaces and the accused doesn't fit the mould, is a woman, is the embodiment of success and empowerment, a celebrity lifestyle guru, a bestselling author, a motivational speaker who talks publicly about her own demons and trauma and who has gained the trust of millions of followers. Who do we believe?

Sam Miller, influencer, NY Times bestselling author and motivational speaker, is promoting her latest, Chaste. Sam is accused of a heinous act by her childhood best friend, Lisa, who features in a piece she wrote as L. Sam sets out to prove it was a falsehood. Twisted and crazy and kept me glued until the twisted and crazy end. Oh the great and many lies, betrayals and cloudy recollections.

However, I didn’t warm to any of the characters (though that is possibly the intention) and there were a few things that didn’t add up to me. Still, a good fast-paced read.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the e-copy in exchange for my views.

An intoxicating suspense read exploring sexual assault between two girls, and this one night comes back to haunt Sam, a famous self-help guru for girls and young women everywhere. A look at toxic female relationships.

I was intrigued by the premise of the book. It’s #MeToo, but exploring female on female sexual assault.
Samantha Miller is a self-help guru. She’s recently written an article reminiscing about her teenage queer sexual night with her best friend. Until she receives an email from this said friend who remembers the event differently. One where she didn’t consent to the act. Enraged Sam flies back to Utah, where she grew up to confront her friend.

This flashes back and forth from Sam’s teenage narrative and her now as a 40-year woman. I’m not gonna lie. This was hard to get into. A great premise, but what a slog of an execution 😴 O’Neill spends a tremendous amount of time explaining how the internet works and explaining the behind the scenes of Sam’s brand that she neglects to tend to the plot, which take ages to get going. Sam is selfish and immature. I think she was supposed to be an unreliable narrator but there’s something about her voice that was lacking. She’s not deliciously mean nor is she sympathetic. As a result the tone was all over the place. I did like the ending however and how the story was resolved.

Samantha Miller is a self made rich woman who has used her life experiences of - well just about everything to promote her wellness business which is a mishmash of various religions, pop psychology and other dubious bits and pieces. Her company is just about to go public when a friend from the past accuses her of sexual abuse. This is the story of what happens when Sam goes back to her hometown to confront her once friend, Lisa.

Influencers seem to me to be the modern equivalent of snake oil merchants. They prey on people's insecurities and make themselves rich in the process. This novel does a good job of showing the shallowness and hypocrisy at the heart of this trend. An enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the AEC.

I read this book over two sittings. The subject matter is hard to read but you just have to keep reading to find out what happened. Initially I did not like the protagonist, she later won me over, then I disliked her again, then I felt something close to pity. She was quite complex and I found the character building very good. This book also shows the power of social media, the good, the bad and the ugly, Triggers for eating disorders, addiction and SA. A solid 3.5 stars from me

What a fantastic read! Unexpectedly dark, clever, witty and just brilliant. Definitely one to recommend and scarily realistic!

Louise O'Neill is an author whose name holds a gravitas many aspire to obtain. She creates characters who are flawed, complex, and dare I say difficult (in the best of ways, of course) dealing with live events or experiences that many authors would shy away from discussing. I have often found O'Neill's work to be impossible to put to down and to leave me after every sitting chewing over the words I have read, diagnosing the feelings it has driven to the surface and exploring why.

Idol is a fantastic example of O'Neill's fearless approach to tackling fiction against the backdrop of cultural moments. It's the story of Samantha Miller, a public figure/influencer/content maker who has used her stories and experiences to build a cult following. It feels very familiar to the world we can observe online and this story takes to you the underbelly of that world. Samantha's life is turned upside down when an allegation is made about her, forcing her to return to her hometown and to people she has actively avoided for decades.

The final page is OOF and I audibly gasped. What is truly brilliant about this book is that so many of the characters are deeply unlikeable yet you become invested in them and the journey they take. It's an example of O'Neill's ability to create nuance and familiarity in her writing that keeps people coming back.

If you have ever felt uncomfortable with influencer culture, been intrigued by the following it garners, then this is for you. A book you'll struggle to put down.

I’ve never read a book that had me so hooked to the story and the characters. I was literally addicted to the storyline and felt desperate to get through it as quickly as physically possibly to find out what was going to happen.

Louise O’Neill has this way of making you feel sorry for a character but also absolutely hating them. But you feel bad for them. But they’re awful and you hate them. It is mind boggling and I can’t deal with it. I completely despised Samantha but occasionally felt myself getting pulled in by her - why?!?! I don’t know.

And the themes and ideas dealt with throughout the book are so relevant and interesting. The idea of spiritual wellness and influencers, what qualifies as consent, what is the line between friendship and obsession. I mean just ridiculous really

I sometimes think ‘oh, is Louise O’Neill actually my favourite author??’ Then I read another of her books and realise I’m fucking stupid for ever doubting it x

It truly shows an author's skill that I loathed the main protagonist, loathed the world she lives in and hated all the emphasis on 'speaking your truth' but still have absolutely no hesitation in awarding the book 5 stars!

Samantha is a famous 'influencer' with millions of followers, lucrative book deals and a self-help/wellness youtube channel. She has been an addict, been to rehab, been abused and shares all this with her 'girls', raking in the money as she does so. All is going beautifully until she publishes an essay on her teenaged sexual encounter with her best friend Lisa saying it was an amazing night and the best sex she's every had although both her and Lisa identified as straight. Samantha was expecting a backlash but wasn't prepared for the email from Lisa saying that it hadn't been consensual and accusing Samantha of assault.

From here Samantha's world goes into a spin, social media goes crazy and she heads back to her childhood town fully intending to get Lisa to retract her accusation. The days that follow play out the differing memories that are held by Lisa, Sam's mother and Sam's other school friends whilst you have no clear idea of whose memories are accurate.

I couldn't put it down, I was riveted from start to finish. This is a fantastic book by an author who is a master of her craft.

I love books about influencer culture, and this one was no exception... a grown up and fresh look at that world, and the fallout when it all goes wrong. The dynamic between Sam and Lisa was strong, and I was kept guessing until the very end what had actually gone on, and was surprised when it was revealed. Louise O'Neill has twisted that one out perfectly! Would definitely recommend.