Oooo a proper page turner here, yet all the characters are very unlikable 😂 however I still enjoyed it immensely and could not put it down!! A great book and one which is perfect for a hot summers day!

I really enjoyed this book and loved the twist at the end of it.
There weren’t really any likeable characters in it and the main character was pretty awful!
I liked all the twists in it - when we were lead to think one thing and then it became apparent that what we were thinking was wrong.
It’s really interesting to see how things can spiral out of control really quickly on social media and I found this really true to life.
I would definitely recommend this book.

This book is such a page turner. I read it in a day as I just couldn't put it down. I had to find out what happened to Samantha.

The story had some good twists and really made me think about how what we don't know what is real online and that things aren't always what they seem. I'm not sure I will be able to look at influences the same way after this addictive thriller. It was also how to think about how different people can remember the same event differently.

This would be an ideal beach read. Prepare to be hooked!

This book grabbed my attention from the start - incredibly addictive and hard to put down.

I found the main character to be complex and unlikeable, feeling a mixture of emotions for her whilst also questioning her reliability as a narrative.

Personally, I thought it wasn't the easiest read at times. The plot moved on slightly too quickly, so I did have to go back and reread at times. But nevertheless, I enjoyed the plot and the focus on modern society.

Twisty, gritty, ABSOLUTELY my kind of book. I just love reading about complex, unlikeable people making terrible decisions! Five horrible stars from me.

Samantha Miller has made a career for herself empowering women to speak their truth and love themselves. However, following the release of an article about her best sexual encounter when she was a teenager, her childhood best friend speaks out accusing Samantha of twisting the experience because she never actually consented.

There are so many twists and turns in this book and it’s a long time since I’ve read a book with an unreliable narrator and actually enjoyed it. I don’t know why but I wasn’t expecting this book to be anything like what it was, but it was great!

Samantha Miller is the author of “Chaste” and has 3 million followers- to her “girls” - her fans - she’s nothing less than perfect, telling them how to live their lives, be happy, how to find and honour their “truth”.
She writes and publishes an essay which quickly goes viral, about her sexual awakening with her female friend Lisa when they were both teenagers.
When Lisa gets in touch- years after they last spoke- to tell Samantha that she has very different memories of their encounter, which are much darker and of course are damaging to Samantha’s reputation and career, it becomes clear that both believe they are telling the truth.
I enjoyed this book, the characters were well written and believable and I found myself alternating between believing Samantha and Lisa., depending on who was giving their version of events
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

This book was an absolute rollercoaster! I had not read any of Louise O'Niell's books but was intrigued from the moment I read the blurb.

Samantha Miller, an online influencer admired by millions around the world, finds her business and a reputation on the line after disclosing a sexual experience with a friend online. Her viral admission of lust and sexual discovery is remembered very differently by the friend in question.

This novel was full of twists and turns, forcing us to face how true what we read online really is, consider how reliable memory really is and how we would react when someone so beloved is accused of the most horrific things. This book is timely and oh so relevant. An fascinating depiction of one woman's quest to save what she build and "her truth", whatever the cost.

My one wish for this book would be to have the characters of Lisa and Becky more fleshed out, although that could alter the story based on the focus of Samantha's perspective?

A good read - 3.5 put of 5.

This was really engaging from the start. It was addictive and I didn't want to put it down.

The main character is extremely unlikeable but in a good way. Sam is really complex and you have to question if she's a reliable narrator even from an early stage in the book. I felt for her in parts but this is so well written that I couldn't make my mind up. There were so many little tidbits of information interwoven that asked questions of her.

The ending was good but it was so quick that I actually went back to read it again to get my head around it. Becky felt a little unnecessary to the plot - would have liked more from Lisa. Overall, this is a timely story about social media and the me too movement.

Great read.

I’d describe this book as realistic fiction. The author has done an amazing job at creating imaginary characters and situations that depict the world and society. The characters focus on themes of growing, self-discovery and confronting personal and social problems. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Having read and enjoyed the author's previous book, After the Silence, last year, I was really interested in reading Idol, especially as conversations surrounding the role of influencers in society and so-called "cancel culture" seem highly timely.

Idol is, in some ways, an ambitious novel: tackling lots of themes such as social media culture, the idolisation of health gurus and other influencers, consent and public image in a post-#MeToo world, cancel culture, friendship, memory and recollections and more still, it really felt as though I needed some time to digest it before I could share my thoughts on this.

Sam is a complex character, projecting a public persona while feeling completely differently inside, her self-centredness concealing profound fragility and loneliness. I found it very hard to sympathise with her, but at the same time could really appreciate the nuance in her character which I really value when reading about an unlikeable and unreliable character. It felt a bit as if this subtlety was somewhat lost as the story progressed though, with Sam becoming more and more extreme nearing the end which, even though I still liked reading about her, made her much more black-and-white than morally grey.

The author's writing here is brilliant, as always. I was completely captured by the story being told and, even though at times I was annoyed with the characters or felt like the plot was stagnating a bit, the way the book was written kept me turning the pages, eager to know more. The underlying critique of modern society, and social media/influencer culture especially, was very on point, sparking a lot of additional questions, thoughts and reflections for me.

There were a few things that didn't quite work for me though. While I appreciated the critique, at times it felt like there was almost too much going on with a multitude of themes being raised at the same time without having the time or the space to delve deep into any single one. I can see how they were all linked together, but I couldn't help but feel that this resulted in a superficial overview, ticking off a multitude of themes, but lacking deeper substance.

The story is pretty much centred around Sam herself and, even though I can see how this would fit with her selfishness and self-centredness, it was disappointing to see all the other characters coming across as rather flat. Lisa, Sam's childhood friend, in particular mostly lacked substance, becoming almost instantly forgettable. The ending was also rather underwhelming, and I was especially unimpressed by the final scene.

Overall, Idol was a pleasant and gripping read though, even though I was probably expecting more from it than it could deliver. With its twisty nature and engrossing style, it would make a great beach read!

I have read all of Louise O Neill's books to date and Idol continues in the vein of Louise's unique voice.
She writes well about dark subject matter and she builds tension and describes her characters well.
I found this an uncomfortable read, but it made me think.

This is a storyline I haven't ever come across and one that is very modern and clever. The protagonist, Sam, is a social media influencer who is accused of sexual abuse. The book highlights some important topics such as consent, and people having their own truth.

The reason I have only given it 3 stars is because, at times, I felt the pace of the book to be a little off. I appreciate that this may be deliberate to reflect Sam's chaotic behaviour. However, I thought that the revelation of the 'truths' happened far too quickly and some were only skimmed over (the ex and Becky). I would have loved for there to be more detail or more incidents in which there were two truths, especially between her mother and father.

Overall, it was a good read and I found the unravelling of the main Character Sam to be both uncomfortable, yet page-turning.

TW: ED, SA, Drug abuse

From the author of Asking For It, Louisa O’Neill’s latest novel, Idol is a gripping and twisted thriller tale that explores celebrities, heroes and our relationships with those we view as “idols”. Samantha Miller is a small-town girl who now lives in the city, having made a name for herself as a bestselling writer and “self-care guru”.

Samantha’s career is booming and her latest book, ‘Chaste’, has just been published. However, an essay she wrote about her teenage sexual awakening with her best friend at the time, Lisa, is about to change the trajectory of her life when Lisa gets in touch to say that she doesn’t remember the events that way at all. It is Sam’s word against Lisa’s, and as Samantha heads back to her home town to ‘fix’ the issue, her grip on the truth and the persona she has built for herself in this world becomes blurry and complicated.

This is a tale of friendship and relationships, the narrative of which jumps back and forth in time from the present, in which we follow Sam’s actions and her believed truth, to the past where some of the recollections of her life are beginning to unravel.

Like much of O’Neill’s writing, this novel explores a plethora of difficult issues and topics including consent and the #MeToo campaign, cancel culture, addiction, trauma, mental health including post-natal depression, and the weight of expectations. It delves into the human nature of making mistakes and asks the question of when and how people should be held accountable for their actions. The novel also touches briefly on the coronavirus pandemic, capturing the feelings of fear and hopelessness that many of us felt during this period.

Although many of the characters in this book are flawed and at times very dislikeable, the hurt and pain they feel are very relatable and their riveting, compulsive and dark story is one that pulls you into the web as you try to discern what the full truth might be.

I am a big fan of Louise O’Neill and the unflinching assessments that her books make on our society, particularly the treatment of women. The premise of Idol immediately piqued my interest with themes of influencers, sexual assault allegations and blurring of the truth. Exactly my kind of read!

Samantha Miller has built an empire of loyal female fans, who idolise her and her mantra of finding and being your true self. Her latest book is topping bestsellers lists and her career is thriving. Riding the wave of success, Samantha writes and publishes an essay describing an experience that she hasn’t talked about before -her sexual awakening with her childhood best friend Lisa. But Lisa remembers that night very differently and she isn’t happy with Samantha’s actions at all. So, what really happened?

Samantha reminded me of a kind of Gwyneth Paltrow character. She seems to hold herself on a higher plane than everyone else and purports to be ‘dedicated’ to getting her fans up there with her. I didn’t buy her at all and unfortunately, I think she is an accurate representation of many real influencers of her ilk. Samantha is the kind of woman who is a prime target for scandal and I was waiting for her truth to be unravelled.

There is some commentary on how society views women and how limited women’s choices are, if they want to be accepted. The feisty woman is still often villified and held up as ‘difficult’ for not playing ball or for simply standing up for themselves. These misogynistic views are in the comments of every social media post featuring a woman talking about injustice or discrimination.

I loved how O’Neill played with memory and the truth about how inaccurate it can be. I’m fascinated with how distorted long-term memories can become and the reasons for that and there was a lot of exploration of this in Idol. I honestly didn’t know what the truth was and I was constantly being hit by curveballs until the very end. My jaw definitely dropped several times and I was thoroughly engaged!

Idol is a unique, thrilling page-turner that kept me guessing. It features a thoroughly unlikeable, complex heroine whose behaviour continuously crosses the line but somehow, I couldn’t get enough of her. I wanted the truth and there was no way I was putting the book down until I got it!

Sam is an influencer at the top of her game who seems to have it all - the money, the glamour, the wellness empire. To promote her new book, she writes an essay about an incredible sexual experience she had with her female best friend, back when they were teenagers. It was one of the defining moments of Sam's life. But her friend doesn't remember it the same way...

This is a fascinating look at the grey boundaries around a she said/she said case. Who do we believe? Who is the perfect victim? And what's the truth? Louise O'Neill is always extremely sharp around sexual politics and she forces the reader to constantly shift their perceptions as the 'truth' shifts around them. Clever, daring and incisive, this is much more than a thriller.

I really wanted to love this, but ended up feeling quite disillusioned about the power of social media in our lives, but even though I didnt love it I did enjoy it, it was thought provoking and well written, but many trigger points that I found slightly depressing, but that may just be me not being in the right mindset, a well written interesting and thought provoking read

This book had me gripped right from the start. Highlights the power of social media! I felt the ending was a bit abrupt but still a really great read.

There are a lot of triggers in this book so would advise checking those before reading.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK and Louise O'Neill for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A book that covers the way social media rules the lives of so many !!

Samantha Miller is living her life on social media. She has a following of ‘her girls’ that hang on every word she says and she is a lifestyle guru to millions. But when you are at the top of your game there is only two be way you can go and Samantha Miller is about to find out how hard you can fall !!

A trial by social media is what Samantha finds herself in. Why is no one believing her ? Why is someone out to destroy her ? When you live your life on social media do you have to accept the good and the bad ?

This book is a fantastic revelation in what happens when people turn against you on social media and how you can be at the very top one minute and then at the very bottom the next. If you are a fan of social media or hate it with a passion then this book has you covered. In my opinion a great summer read and one to keep you entertained.

Thank you to Random House UK, Bantam Press and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I reviewed this book as part of my May Wrap Up https://youtu.be/neIY-ESQ2Jk

I will also be featuring it in future videos, including my favourite books of the year so far!