Sadly I can't finish the audiobook, I swapped my phone and the netgalley app didn't keep the download.
Based on how far I got and the sypnosis I think my rating is correct.

Definitely a Lord of the Flies meets influencer parody!
Rafi is a podcaster with a Musical Mysteries true-crime podcast where she delves into the strange circumstances and secrets of various musicians’ lives.
So when the chance to attend the exclusive Fly Fest comes up, Rafi plunges all her savings into it, in the hope of getting an interview with hottest singer of the moment, River Stone, and getting the scoop on a scandal from his past which he’s never talked about publicly.
However, on arrival on the remote island where the festival is due to take place, everything seems to go wrong.
No one is there to meet the guests, the luggage has gone missing, and there’s no accommodation to be found.

Cue a bunch of influencers stranded on a desert island, when they had been expecting the festival of a lifetime.

If it reminds you of the catastrophic Fyre Festival saga of 2017, it should. This is a reimagining of real life as well as fiction, the title being a dead giveaway for Lord of the Flies. The author has taken the William Golding classic, in itself a dark response to a plucky 1858 children’s adventure story, The Coral Island, added a bunch of different characters like models, (one even called Hella Badid), social media make up artists, singers, wannabe entrepreneurs and people famous for being famous. Every reader will notice different references as there are no doubt many more than I caught on to.
I’m not a big follower of celebrity culture even if I feel like I absorb a lot of gossip through osmosis, but I was in the mood for a light, frivolous listen while doing jobs around the house, and this was ideal.
It’s silly but self-aware, and despite the tongue-in-cheek ness of it all there are thought-provoking moments.
If you were caught up in a festival gone wrong like this, would you want your millions of followers to know you’d fallen for a scam, or would you be doing your best to make it look like the party of the century it was promised to be?


Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of the book.

Admittedly I requested this because of the cover, however I found this hilariously wild. This is an incredibly satire YA thriller regarding our very real obsession with social media, influencers and keeping up appearances. It takes inspiration from the disaster that was the Fyre Festival and we see just how far some of these characters will go to make it look like everything is perfectly fine, whilst being stranded on an island with hardly any food, missing luggage and very unreliable Wi-Fi.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher HarperCollins UK Audio in exchange for an honest review.

This book is completely different tonally than what I was expecting from the cover. This looks kinda like a horror/thriller, but really it's a straight contemporary in tone. Lord of the Fly Fest is a retelling of Lord of the Flies, shifted to be a YA comedy. Our protagonist Rafi runs a true crime podcast and decides to attend the next big music festival, Fly Fest, to try and interview popstar River Stone. River's girlfriend went missing and Rafi is convinced he killed her, though her conviction looks more like she has a crush on him at times.

As mentioned, this book is pretty much a straight comedy. One of the main model characters is called Hella Badid, the name that made me realise I wasn't getting the horror I wanted. It's also way more like Lord of the Flies than I expected, with characters and some (loose) plot elements being lifted from it. This may sound odd and if it does, that's because it is. The end third of the book tries to ramp up the serious plot developments with increased comical farce, and the result is very hard to get what the author was going for.

Once I got over my disappointment about the lack of horror, this book was fine I guess. It feels a little dated already, making fun of influencers and popstars in a way which feels very 2016. Characters are often clear parodies of real people (Hella Badid, James Charles -> Jack, Harry Styles -> River Stone) and it all feels a bit mean. The main character is mocked mercilessly for running a podcast, even though podcasts are mega popular and tons of influencers either have their own or frequently guest on them.

I will say, I really enjoyed the audiobook. I think the narrator does some fun voices for the characters, and it was a lot more palatable to hear the humour than it would have been to just read it on the page. If you do decide to pick this up, the audiobook might be the way to go.

Ultimately, this book was a fun time but it's a big step down in my opinion from Moldavsky's other work. I also think it needs clearer marketing to avoid disappointed readers

Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

This book has the signature Goldy fun style. The story is easy to follow and at times crazy and ridiculous, but it's very entertaining. Listening to it made me feel like one of the teens trapped in the island, and I often wondered why no one ever really made an effort in getting out lol! All in all it was fun, unique, and ridiculous (in a good way!)

*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc audiobook*

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to the audio book for free!

I went into this with fairly high expectations based on the premise, and I really did think I was going to enjoy it. Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me at about 35%. Although I enjoyed the satirical take on influencer society, some of the characters were too dramatised and exaggerated; too on the nose. The main character, who is supposed to be the antithesis of those types, was honestly just as irritating.

I really wanted to continue but I just had no drive to do so. The plot wasn’t interesting enough, the characters weren’t likeable enough, and even the murder mystery aspect just fell flat and couldn’t hold my attention. An unfortunate DNF.

Lord of the Fly Fest is a whacky and surreal take on the classic tale of Lord of the Flies. It is Lord of the Flies for the social media age and I had a lot of fun reading it. Goldy Moldavsky is definitely an author who I will be reading more of in the future.

Rafi Francisco wants to put her true crime podcast on the map. She sets her sights on River Stone, the musician who rose to stardom after the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend. When she lands a ticket to the exclusive Fly Fest, where River is the headliner, Rafi can’t believe her luck.

But, when Rafi arrived on the island location of Fly Fest with hundreds of other influencers, they very quickly discover that the dream trip is more of a nightmare. Soon, Rafi goes from fighting for an interview, to fighting for her life. And, as she gets closer to River, she discovers he might be hiding more than she suspected.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way that this book references real-life influencers, influencer culture and the failure that was Fyre Fest. I’ve seen a number of people saying they expecting this book to be a little more serious but, I think if you go into this expecting satire you will certainly have a good time.

Rafi is an interesting main character who certainly showed her determination to uncover the truth. I enjoyed the involvement of her true crime podcast and what that brought to the story. The whole host of characters are excellent and at times hilarious. There are certainly a number of references to characters from the classic book this is inspired by and I enjoyed that!

I listened to the audiobook of this and I loved it. The narrator, Barrett Wilbert Weed, brings the story to life in the perfect way. Barrett Wilbert Weed reads it in way in such a way that enables the reader to easily distinguish between characters and give them all excellent personas. I would certainly like to listen to more audiobooks read by her.

I’m already on the lookout for another book by Goldy Moldavsky as her writing is hilarious, thrilling and a lot of fun. At times I did find the satire a little much but as I made my way through the story I grew to like it and loved the parallels between the story and the modern day world.

Overall, I would certainly recommend Lord of the Fly Fest if you are on the hunt for a thrilling YA story with a satire take on a classic. Also, if you get the chance, I would definitely suggest giving the audiobook a listen!

I absolutely adored this. I listened to the audiobook as well as reading along physically. I have to say as soon as I saw another Goldy Moldavsky book after I read the Mary Shelley club I immediately picked it up and one for a gift too.

This was a weird and wild journey that I’m so so glad that I went on! I really loved the social media and influencer themes and while parts of it seemed absolutely whacky and surreal, I could also imagine this happening which is the wild thing about it! I liked that I didn't immediately fall in love with Rafi, it was nice to see that everyone had their flaws, despite the whole illusion of social media. I feel like it wasn't perhaps as thrillery as I was initially hoping, but I still enjoyed it immensely and I would definitely recommend it to friends.

The audio narration was clear and digestible even when sped up to a faster speed. The narrators voice also matched this book really well I felt, and I just really enjoyed it all round.

Would probably have to say that Goldy Moldavsky is now one of my instant buy authors!

The cover of this book really is a bit of a catfish! I was so so drawn in buy it! I didn't pay much attention to the blurb before I listened to this. I wish I had because it just wasn't my bag! I didn't enjoy the storyline and I'm aware of what its based on. At best its something to listen to to pass the time, but there was so much more that could have been done.

Unexpectedly great, I didn't think the cover did it justice. The cover for me made me think of The Wilds tv series. Liked the story anyhow and would reccomend. Have mentioned it on my insta. 4/5

Imaginative 're-imagining' for a contemporary world and audience - incisive and cutting commentary.

And that's before you even start on the comparisons and homages to the original.

This was great, I picked up on the references as I went along, even though it's been over two decades since I read the book. If you have never read Lord of the Flies (er - read it?! It's amazing and important) you'll still take away some rather pivotal points about modern living and priorities.

Influencers the world over have all paid their fees and descended upon an island for a much-hyped music festival: Fly Fest. They've brought their clothes, their makeup and their promises for first class treatment and luxury all the way. Rafi stands out (and not just because she doesn't use bronzer) - she's scraped together enough for the festival to get close to a young musician she wants to interview for her podcast - Musical Mysteries - a gorgeous songwriter who went stratospheric after his girlfriend 'disappeared'. This is the chance to get close to him and take her podcast into the big time.

Imagine the surprise of everyone then when they arrive on this tropical island to.... nothing. No staff. No accommodation. No luxury food. Well, aside from some cheese sandwiches.

Events go as you might expect with wifi-addicted adolescents with few real-world skills and a penchant for drama. It goes a little 'Lord of the Flies' (oh you haven't read it? You really should!).

I just loved spotting the references, both characters (and names) and the scenes and set-pieces from the book, there's some absolute howlers involving DIY makeup, bananas and the fight for internet service. Rafi is our 'sane' narrator, who sees herself as a step apart from the others, who both wants rescuing but also needs more time to crack River and find out if he's actually a murderer... especially when another festival-goer goes missing.

This was a fabulous audiobook, very well read to give characters suitably entitled/vocally fried/youthful/smart/less than smart voices and personas. The format suits this book perfectly.

It's also made me want to read the original again. Very cleverly done, makes its points well while giving a fantastic new version of a 20th century classic.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio copy.

I was primarily drawn to this book due to the narrator, and I really enjoyed their narration. The story itself was fine and I think a younger me would've really connected with our main character - not getting the popular, make up loving, vain kids but having a, in my case, youtube channel rather than podcast.
I was hoping for more mystery but it was very brushed off and more of a social commentary but I did feel the characters were thought out - even minor background ones - and I fully felt the atmosphere. I think had it been a physical read I would have dnf'd as it wouldn't have managed to keep my full focus but for an audio it was engaging enough to keep on while doing other tasks.

Many thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK Audio, Electric Monkey and the author, for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows the story of Rafi, a podcaster who has been stranded on an island, along with a bunch of social media influencers and celebrities. Rafi had paid her lives savings worth of money to attend Fly Fest, an exclusive music festival that promised absolute luxury at exorbitant prices on a private island. Rafi is here on one mission. To make the second season of her podcast successful, for which she is here to prove that River Stone, a famous singer is a murderer. But however all her plans are ruined when she reaches the island only to find out that the whole thing was a scam, and there in no music or festival or luxury to be had. She is now stranded in the middle of nowhere surrounded by self-absorbed new-age influencers and the object of her investigation River Stone. How will she get to the bottom of the real story?

Now this book is a new age retelling of Lord of the flies and so you can imagine how the story went. Every single character is obviously flawed, full of themselves and will walk over another to get what they want. It was kind a new age satire about the bad sides of internet fame and how it makes people to behave to keep up the illusion of grandeur at any cost.

The narrator was quite literally acting out the story which added to the experience, even though I could have done with alittle less of Pig poop. I said what I said.

It started off well but somewhere along the way logic left the building and refused to return. I'm so disappointed that this is the same author that penned The Mary Shelley club, the book that convinced me that horror could be my genre.This felt like it was written by a ghost writer. I hope this was just a horrible misstep and their next book is decent.

This cover sold me, but the plot did not do it for me, neither the highly unlikeable characters. Could not even warm up to the main character, I wanted to throttle her. And it took everyone soooooo long to realise what was going on... playing on that old chestnut of they're pretty, shallow and on social media, but stupid. Come on!!!! We all know that's not the case. It wanted to be something satirical, but sadly did not ... fly.

The concept of this book really intrigued and drew me in but unfortunately I just felt it could have been so much MORE. It was repetitive and I was just waiting and waiting for something to happen! Its saving grace was the humour which kept me going through two thirds of the book, as which point I skipped to the final chapter! Narration was good.

This was a delightfully wicked and enjoyable read. I started it just after I lost Darwin and it became the perfect escape from my own grief (focusing on someone else’s problems). I laughed, I cringed, I squealed and laughed some more!

The writing is clever and captivating; the cast of characters brilliant! The story is based on William Golding’s Lord of the Flies but unique and interesting in its own way too.

The plot is about Rafi exposing River Stone as a murderer based on very little evidence, and despite him showering Rafi with kindness on the island. Meanwhile, we see how desperate everyone becomes on the island, the extend influencers go to maintain their popularity and how mankind behaves when they find themselves isolated away from all of civilisation.

The story is full of tension, angst, secrets and mystery. Yet, contains the perfect amount satire and humour to keep it fun!

4.7 stars
Highly recommend 💛

Lord of the Fly Fest - Goldy Moldavsky

Having read and enjoyed Moldavsky' book The Last Girl, I was really intrigued to read this new addition. It shows a disturbing view of modern technology use, and has so many huge characters to get stuck into. I really liked the choice of narrator and thought she did a great job. Overall I found it quite an odd book but still strangely enjoyable, I felt I was taken along for a ride and did not know where we would end up. Thank you so much Netgalley, HarperCollins UK Audio & Electric Monkey for the e-arc in return for my honest opinions.

This was a fun and silly Teen thriller that I flew through.
The characters were over the top but in a funny way and I did love the fact that certain characters were based off of real people.
The inclusivity of LGBT+ was minimal but I really enjoyed Peggy and how no one batted an eye about them being non binary.
If you want a quick easy read about lord of the flies meets Fyre fest, then I would definitely recommend!

Rafi Fransisco has paid $2000 for a ticket to the celeb laden Fly Fest, set with the idyllic backdrop of the Caribbean jungle and white sand beaches. However when the festival goers arrive, nobody that works for Fly Fest is to be seen and there are no villas or cocktails, no yachts or supermodels … what exactly is going on here?! 



Hilarious in places with definite nods to Fyre fest and a bunch of popular podcasts, models and musicians. I loved all the stereotypical characters, the beauty influencers, privileged, rich, ’it girls’, jocks and famous musicians. Conversely as someone with a practically casper like complexion, I can identify with the horror at the lack of sunscreen, which only makes the writing more amusing to find a sprinkle of yourself in the wild personalities.


This is a really light and funny, satirical YA book. It was a nice break from some of the more heavy books/ audiobooks I usually consume, and I would recommend it for some lighthearted silliness, an exciting storyline and entertaining characters.


I totally warmed to Barrett Wibert Weed as the narrator, she has perfect humorous intonations and her various voices are great, really bringing the story to life. She definitely elevated this audiobook.