Contemporary

Idol

Idol

  • Downloads：9162
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-05-17 04:41:37
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Louise O'Neill
  • ISBN：1787635333
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Summary

'Follow your heart and speak your truth。'

For Samantha Miller's young fans - her 'girls' - she's everything they want to be。 She's an oracle， telling them how to live their lives， how to be happy， how to find and honour their 'truth'。

And her career is booming: she's just hit three million followers， her new book Chaste has gone straight to the top of the bestseller lists and she's appearing at sell-out events。

Determined to speak her truth and bare all to her adoring fans， she's written an essay about her sexual awakening as a teenager， with her female best friend， Lisa。 She's never told a soul but now she's telling the world。 The essay goes viral。

But then - years since they last spoke - Lisa gets in touch to say that she doesn't remember it that way at all。 Her memory of that night is far darker。 It's Sam's word against Lisa's - so who gets to tell the story？ Whose 'truth' is really a lie？

'You put yourself on that pedestal， Samantha。 You only have yourself to blame。'

Riveting， compulsive and bold， IDOL interrogates our relationship with our heroes and explores the world of online influencers， asking how well we can ever really know those whose carefully curated profiles we follow online。 And it asks us to consider how two memories of the same event can differ， and how effortlessly we choose which stories to believe。

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Reviews

Sefalika ，

‘Is that your story now？ Is that what you’re telling yourself？’ For any given scenario， there is always the one and only truth， but what if your truth doesn't match the truth？ Louise O'Neill tackles this topic in rather surprising ways in Idol。You know how Emma says， “Seldom， very seldom， does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken。” Well， Samantha "Sam" Miller takes it to a whole new level。 She has cra ‘Is that your story now？ Is that what you’re telling yourself？’ For any given scenario， there is always the one and only truth， but what if your truth doesn't match the truth？ Louise O'Neill tackles this topic in rather surprising ways in Idol。You know how Emma says， “Seldom， very seldom， does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken。” Well， Samantha "Sam" Miller takes it to a whole new level。 She has crafted a career for herself as an influencer， but her life and celebrity status starts crumbling rapidly when a rape allegation made by her best friend is exposed。A lie told often enough will become the truth。 When you tell yourself something enough times （and when you’re making six figure dollars for it）， you start to believe in it yourself。 Louise O'Neill brutally exposes Sam and this empire that she has built on her lies， which is quite shaky because lies are funny in that way。 The premise of being a pathological liar is further heightened because these are big lies， not lies about how many cigarettes you've had or infidelity。 These are lies built on rape。 The expositions are simply brilliantly paced out， and soon the reader is left grabbing at air for anything to justify Sam’s behavior。The premise of rape is quite different here as it involves two women。 It's quite easy for people to take sides of either the victim or perpetrator if it's a woman and a man respectively。 But how do you decide if it's two women and there's no evidence for the truth？ Do you still stick to your conviction of supporting the "victim"？ Ideologies are convenient until they turn against you and it tells a lot about our rape discussions on social media and a culture where instead of reporting crimes， women fester with their wounds before searching for acceptance from strangers。 I've removed this from my LGBT shelf because there is no romantic or sexual pleasure that motivates the rape， neither are the women on the LGBT spectrum。A significant theme of this story is the exposition of celebrities and influencers， the people we place on pedestals–our idols。 It's actually scary and atrocious how the general public does not give two farts about actual social workers supporting with rape survivors emotionally and with legal prosecution， helping teenagers out of depression， abusive households and childhood trauma。 No， people prefer to watch "beautiful"， "slim"， "white women" preach about body positivity and being braver。 This book covers a lot of ground without ever being preachy， weaving the message into a strong， fascinating psychological spiral。 ‘But this is my truth， Mom。 You have to respect that。’‘If it’s not the truth， what’s the point？’ 。。。more

Samantha ，

Samantha Miller's career as an online wellness guru is booming。 Her new book is top of the bestseller list and she's selling out wellness events to help her followers live their best lives。 But when she publishes an essay about a sexual experience she had as a teen， her friend gets in touch to say that Sam's account isn't the way she remembers it， and her world comes crashing down。 This is a really original， compelling story which takes a look at some massively important and relevent topics - th Samantha Miller's career as an online wellness guru is booming。 Her new book is top of the bestseller list and she's selling out wellness events to help her followers live their best lives。 But when she publishes an essay about a sexual experience she had as a teen， her friend gets in touch to say that Sam's account isn't the way she remembers it， and her world comes crashing down。 This is a really original， compelling story which takes a look at some massively important and relevent topics - the status of online influencers， trial by public opinion， cancel culture， and the issue of consent and sexual abuse。 I found myself dying to see which way this was going to go and find out who was telling the truth。 I'm not sure I've ever read a book where the characters have been so unlikeable and unreliable， and yet still enjoyed the story as much as I did。 Infact this likely added to how compelling the story was - a testament to O'Neill's writing。 While （intentionally） uncomfortable and unsettling in parts， it was really thought provoking。 It's being marketed as a thriller which I'm not sure I'd necessarily agree with - I'd consider it more an engaging and gripping contemporary fiction。 An ideal page turner for Summer！ This book was high on my own TBR for this year and it didn't disappoint。3。5 stars rounded up。 。。。more

subhaga ，

Wow， wow， wow， wow！！！！ I read this in one sitting， I could not put it down。 Gripping， intriguing， and thrilling， this book examines memory， truth， the nature of social media， cancel culture， and celebrity and does so in such a fascinating way。 I was intrigued by the synopsis before the book was released and I was not disappointed when I read it。 The characters are flawed， unlikeable， and real which is what makes the book so great。 Definitely recommend it to anyone and everyone。

Rosh ，

What a waste of time。 Read Such a Fun Age instead， it is the book IDOL tried to be but failed。

Amy O'Hara ，

I have never read a book with a more unreliable narrator than Samantha Miller in my entire life。 It was such a frustrating read but in the best way possible。 I kept turning every page to find out what the truth was。 Never disappointed with O'Neill's work， can't wait to read her next one！ I have never read a book with a more unreliable narrator than Samantha Miller in my entire life。 It was such a frustrating read but in the best way possible。 I kept turning every page to find out what the truth was。 Never disappointed with O'Neill's work， can't wait to read her next one！ 。。。more

Chloe ，

Picked this up on a whim as I hadn’t heard anything about it before。 Such an eye opening read around social media， cancel culture & the power of the truth。 Slow middle but the last 100 pages were amazing。 Amazingly written character’s who are so unreliable you don’t know which way is up！

Billie ，

'Follow your heart and speak your truth。'For Samantha Miller's young fans - her 'girls' - she's everything they want to be。 She's an oracle， telling them how to live their lives， how to be happy， how to find and honour their 'truth'。And her career is booming: she's just hit three million followers， her new book Chaste has gone straight to the top of the bestseller lists and she's appearing at sell-out events。Determined to speak her truth and bare all to her adoring fans， she's written an essay a 'Follow your heart and speak your truth。'For Samantha Miller's young fans - her 'girls' - she's everything they want to be。 She's an oracle， telling them how to live their lives， how to be happy， how to find and honour their 'truth'。And her career is booming: she's just hit three million followers， her new book Chaste has gone straight to the top of the bestseller lists and she's appearing at sell-out events。Determined to speak her truth and bare all to her adoring fans， she's written an essay about her sexual awakening as a teenager， with her female best friend， Lisa。 She's never told a soul but now she's telling the world。 The essay goes viral。But then - years since they last spoke - Lisa gets in touch to say that she doesn't remember it that way at all。 Her memory of that night is far darker。 It's Sam's word against Lisa's - so who gets to tell the story？ Whose 'truth' is really a lie？'You put yourself on that pedestal， Samantha。 You only have yourself to blame。'This is a brilliant read。Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start。Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable。Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously。Can't wait to read what the author brings out next。Recommend reading。I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher。 This is my own hone\st voluntary review。 。。。more

Jesse Simon ，

I can't remember the last time a book had such a hold on my attention。 （view spoiler）[ The last page was chilling。 My one complaint is that I turned the page to find a deleted scene， exclusive to Eason apparently。 I was thrilled until I read it and found that it was fairly pointless so probably deleted for a reason。 This kind of reduced the effect of the ending and I may have to buy a different copy so I don't have this experience again。 （hide spoiler）] I can't remember the last time a book had such a hold on my attention。 （view spoiler）[ The last page was chilling。 My one complaint is that I turned the page to find a deleted scene， exclusive to Eason apparently。 I was thrilled until I read it and found that it was fairly pointless so probably deleted for a reason。 This kind of reduced the effect of the ending and I may have to buy a different copy so I don't have this experience again。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Emer ，

this feels harsh… i wanted to enjoy it more than i did。 quite repetitive and the shock twist at the end wasnt that shocking

Pseudo Nymph ，

Well that was a lot to process。 It's not often that I can feel so conflicted about a character。 If this was based on character development alone I would give the book 5 stars because I really felt like I was Sam。 I could feel the invisible taint， the manic energy， the panic。 The way people reacted to her and her inner thoughts， it was really good。 The story was a little repetitive， and the sexual assault related morality was a little heavy handed， it just didn't quite make 5 stars for me。 I woul Well that was a lot to process。 It's not often that I can feel so conflicted about a character。 If this was based on character development alone I would give the book 5 stars because I really felt like I was Sam。 I could feel the invisible taint， the manic energy， the panic。 The way people reacted to her and her inner thoughts， it was really good。 The story was a little repetitive， and the sexual assault related morality was a little heavy handed， it just didn't quite make 5 stars for me。 I would definitely still recommend this book。 Lots of trigger warnings and not a feel good book at all， but it was engaging and intense and just。。。 how can someone write a character with equal parts compassionate love and pure hatred？ Fuck it I'm giving it 5 stars because Sam felt like a real person and I've read way too many books with flat protagonists lately。 Louise O'Neil， I stayed up until 2am to finish this book and then I spent 20 minutes trying to put my thoughts into something other than "what the fuck"。 I'm going to go download everything else that you've written now。 Thank you。 。。。more

Helen ，

What happens when an inspirational leader is knocked off her pedestal by an allegation of abuse？ For once its a female not male。 The twists as she goes back to her home town to correct the narrative。 Going back to high school rivalries and loves。 A roller coaster of emotions and memories from different perspectives。

jean ，

I really enjoyed this book， and raced through it。 The story contained a bit of everything including betrayal， trolling on social media， followers on social media， wellness gurus， addiction， and love in all its many forms。 It could easily have been a frothy beach read but I felt the author actually discussed some really important contemporary issues in a well thought out way contained in a very readable story。thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book

Angela Mellor ，

Idol is a book that I haven’t read anything remotely like it， there are a lot of sensitive issues covered within this book and at times is quite a dark read。Samantha Miller is a lifestyle guru and a social media influencer with 3 million followers， she has it all and her followers eat out of her hand so she writes a book about an incident that happened in her teenage years， it’s an instant top seller but with it comes trouble as her school best friend remembers what happened very differently and Idol is a book that I haven’t read anything remotely like it， there are a lot of sensitive issues covered within this book and at times is quite a dark read。Samantha Miller is a lifestyle guru and a social media influencer with 3 million followers， she has it all and her followers eat out of her hand so she writes a book about an incident that happened in her teenage years， it’s an instant top seller but with it comes trouble as her school best friend remembers what happened very differently and is threatening to take legal action over it as she feels she is easily identifiable。 You get to hear both sides of the story and it will split a lot of people， it was a shame for me as from the off I didn’t like Samantha so I probably never gave her a fair hearing， had the lead character been a bit more realistic I would have warmed to her。 This was a decent thriller it does touch on sensitive topics and it opened my eyes to what being a celebrity might look like and that it’s not as great as we think it is。 The book reveals a lot of dark secrets and it was this that made it a really good read。I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK Transworld Publishers for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Eilish ，

I am a huge fan of Louise O'Neill。 I have read almost all her books at this stage and always impressed when I see her in interviews。 This book did not disappoint。 The concept was thought provoking and the setting （in the popular world of a influencer/health guru） is particularly topical。 I liked the unreliable narration of the lead character and how the story unfolded。 Where the book lacked for me was that I found it repetitive in parts and the unresolved situation with Gabriel。 That aside， it w I am a huge fan of Louise O'Neill。 I have read almost all her books at this stage and always impressed when I see her in interviews。 This book did not disappoint。 The concept was thought provoking and the setting （in the popular world of a influencer/health guru） is particularly topical。 I liked the unreliable narration of the lead character and how the story unfolded。 Where the book lacked for me was that I found it repetitive in parts and the unresolved situation with Gabriel。 That aside， it was a fascinating read that will stay with me long after finishing。 Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK， Transworld Publishers for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more

Ruby ，

4。5 rounded up to 5！！ I adore Louise O’Neill’s writing and preordered this last year， devoured it the second it arrived at my door。 She has such a great ability to write unlikeable characters without turning you off the book entirely。 This book was brilliant， some twists were quite predictable but executed in a way that kept it interesting。 Already waiting patiently for the next LO’N book！！

Deb ，

I chose to read this book because the premise sounded intriguing。 Social media surrounds us; influencers can become niche superstars but who are they really？ Is it all a façade？Samantha Miller is one such influencer。 She tells her adoring 3 million followers how to live their lives， unfortunately she appears to have lost sight of hers。In the current climate of trial by social media， & various legal cases which have hit the headlines， this is a very timely read。 The reinvention of oneself， & beli I chose to read this book because the premise sounded intriguing。 Social media surrounds us; influencers can become niche superstars but who are they really？ Is it all a façade？Samantha Miller is one such influencer。 She tells her adoring 3 million followers how to live their lives， unfortunately she appears to have lost sight of hers。In the current climate of trial by social media， & various legal cases which have hit the headlines， this is a very timely read。 The reinvention of oneself， & believing it， is scary especially as many people （youngsters in particular） believe every single carefully chosen word & filtered/posed photo。 What is the truth？Definitely a story for now。 Recommended。 。。。more

Andrea ，

Sam is a social media star， riding high in popularity， who then struggles to cope when her carefully curated world crashes down around her。 The book takes a wry look at influencer culture， fame and the self-help industry， and examines toxic friendship and the pitfalls of telling “your truth”。Its well written， and sharply observed but I just felt a bit ambivalent about it all - perfectly readable but perhaps not the perfect book for me！ Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC。 All Sam is a social media star， riding high in popularity， who then struggles to cope when her carefully curated world crashes down around her。 The book takes a wry look at influencer culture， fame and the self-help industry， and examines toxic friendship and the pitfalls of telling “your truth”。Its well written， and sharply observed but I just felt a bit ambivalent about it all - perfectly readable but perhaps not the perfect book for me！ Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC。 All views are my own。 。。。more

marnie | once upon a time book reviews ，

“Not everyone we put on a pedestal deserves to be there…”Samantha Miller， a lifestyle social media influencer has it all。 An adoring following of 3 million people who hang off her every word， a best selling author and business owner。 But all that is threatened when she is accused of sexual assault from her childhood best friend Lisa。There are 3 sides to every story。 The memories of two people and the truth。 O’Neill takes the reader on a journey as she delves into each side of the women’s take on “Not everyone we put on a pedestal deserves to be there…”Samantha Miller， a lifestyle social media influencer has it all。 An adoring following of 3 million people who hang off her every word， a best selling author and business owner。 But all that is threatened when she is accused of sexual assault from her childhood best friend Lisa。There are 3 sides to every story。 The memories of two people and the truth。 O’Neill takes the reader on a journey as she delves into each side of the women’s take on that night and how things can be perceived so differently。 The change up of traditionally stereotypical characters on this issue added an interesting element。I had mixed emotions for Samantha。 A complex unreliable narrator， she is fuelled by her need to be loved and adored， her past of abuse and addiction shaping who she has become in the present and who will do anything to protect her brand she has worked so hard for。Idol is a dark， wicked and addictive read where you are compelled to keep flicking the pages， as each chapter ends with you wanting more。 Fast paced， twisty and eye opening this is a powerful read and that ending…。BOOM！！ Mic drop！！Thank you to Louise O’Neill， Transworld Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Idol， which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily。Where you can find me 😊💻 Blog: bit。ly/3gR3io8👩‍🏫 Facebook: bit。ly/3gVeC2B🐤Twitter: bit。ly/3BQk2Dl📷 Instagram: bit。ly/3wSv0Gj📌 Pinterest: bit。ly/3vS2HGX📚 Goodreads: bit。ly/3wQxUM3 。。。more

Kelly Holland ，

The blurb of this book really appealed to me and it definitely lived up to expectations。I flew through it in a day， it was a really quick read but full of substance！ Some of the subject matter is difficult to read about but was handled really well by the author。Sam and Lisa were really interesting and complex characters， I didn't quite know what to make of them。 I won't say too much about the plot so as not to give away any spoilers but it's full of intrgue and told with a dual timeline focusing The blurb of this book really appealed to me and it definitely lived up to expectations。I flew through it in a day， it was a really quick read but full of substance！ Some of the subject matter is difficult to read about but was handled really well by the author。Sam and Lisa were really interesting and complex characters， I didn't quite know what to make of them。 I won't say too much about the plot so as not to give away any spoilers but it's full of intrgue and told with a dual timeline focusing on Sam and Lisa's school years and the present day。I really wasn't expecting it to end the way it did but it definitely went out with a bang。🌟🌟🌟🌟 from me。 。。。more

Claire ，

4。5*When it comes to social media， we all know that pictures are painted to create an image， particularly when it comes to influencers。 So nothing is quite what it seems。Sam has curated her own persona， one with a huge following， sponsorships and she written books that are bestsellers。 She’s living the influencer’s dream… that is until she writes something from her past that those involved disagree with the version of events she paints。 Enter free fall status…O’Neill shows the power of social me 4。5*When it comes to social media， we all know that pictures are painted to create an image， particularly when it comes to influencers。 So nothing is quite what it seems。Sam has curated her own persona， one with a huge following， sponsorships and she written books that are bestsellers。 She’s living the influencer’s dream… that is until she writes something from her past that those involved disagree with the version of events she paints。 Enter free fall status…O’Neill shows the power of social media and how anonymity can wield such an ugly sword。 But she also shows how memories can be perceived differently by parties – they say there are three sides to every story: my side， your side and the truth。 But what is the truth of that eventful night？ As the book goes on， O’Neill made me question the reliability of Sam’s narrative and I love an unreliable narrator so one who starts off steady and gradually head to unreliable central really got my attention。Having read Asking For It a few years ago， I fully expected Idol to be a hard hitting thought provoking discussion about a controversial topic。 It did not disappoint！ O’Neill tackles quite a few subjects that made me think – consent， the power of the influencer， the reliance of ones own memories。 I really enjoyed Sam’s very bumpy journey of damage limitation。 I really must read more from Louise O’Neill！ 。。。more

Tripfiction ，

A novel of social media culture - USA3。5*Welcome to a novel featuring millennial chaos。 Influencer Sam Miller has a terrific Social Media following - in the millions - and， together with her manager， she has carefully curated her image  She is into health and well-being。 Her website Shakti， think Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop。 She actively encourages her followers to be open and honest about past issues and share how things are。 In the spirit of her own advocacy， she writes about her own sexual awakeni A novel of social media culture - USA3。5*Welcome to a novel featuring millennial chaos。 Influencer Sam Miller has a terrific Social Media following - in the millions - and， together with her manager， she has carefully curated her image  She is into health and well-being。 Her website Shakti， think Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop。 She actively encourages her followers to be open and honest about past issues and share how things are。 In the spirit of her own advocacy， she writes about her own sexual awakening in her late teens。However， her view of what happened back in 1999， when she was a teenager， is strongly challenged and in such a way that a public smear campaign starts to erupt that her followers start to abandon her。 She heads back to Bennford， where she grew up， to challenge her best friend。 Oh， what a complex web has been woven！ Perceived truths from the turn of the century， when they were all teenagers， threaten now to engulf her public persona。 It has to be sorted and to that end she is quite willing to manipulate history and friends。Sam is a complex mix。 She has struggled to overcome the damage caused at the hands of her parents， a refrain for her that is on repeat， and she will still rail at her mother for misdemeanours， both past and present。 Sam goes on to reflect on her time when she suffered eating disorders and drug fuelled encounters and acted out her unhappiness。 Basically， she is a mess， struggling to hold it together， and her sharply constructed and caring carapace hides untold emotional and psychological issues。 She has a therapist， who is on call and will fit her in at the drop of a hat - but Sam still can't get her head around the possibility that she herself had "。。 been a problem， someone who had been pitied rather than envied。。"Her description of the specific encounter， which has led to the crisis in her life， that in turn has caused her so much derision and public harm， is set in stone in her own mind。 She argues her point， stating that you can't， she says， "hold someone responsible for what they do when they are drunk。" Well， er， yes， you can。 Imagine what people could get away with if they were exonerated because they were drunk？ And this is where， to my mind， the novel - called a 'thriller' which it really isn't - falls a bit flat。 The child-like voice of the central character is whiny and grating and it's really rather tedious spending time in her presence， as she blasts through her past and comes face to face with the present。 She can be such an abrasive and self-referring person， who essentially craves care and love， you can really feel that。This novel is garnering a lot of positive reviews。 It is certainly very well written。 I just feel that Sam hadn't been sufficiently fleshed out in a fully cogent and convincing way to carry the level of psychological damage she has experienced over her lifetime。 I suspect the story is aimed at a specific demographic and I don't fall into that category。 Check out the other reviews and make your own mind up。And you know what， the book cover really doesn't - to my mind - reflect the content， I would anticipate something very different when choosing the novel as a reader， based on the cover and NOT somewhere where it snows a lot as it does in fictional Bennford！ It's misleading。 。。。more

Esther Bultitude ，

Samantha Miller has it all - millions look up to her; but when her would comes crashing down around her because of an essay she wrote about a sexual encounter in her teens she doesn’t know what to do or how to cope。Idol is a poignant novel about how social media can both build and destroy a person and how difficult it is to rebuild the damage and trust one has built over years of using various social media platforms。 In this age of technology we live in， nothing stays private。From Instagram foll Samantha Miller has it all - millions look up to her; but when her would comes crashing down around her because of an essay she wrote about a sexual encounter in her teens she doesn’t know what to do or how to cope。Idol is a poignant novel about how social media can both build and destroy a person and how difficult it is to rebuild the damage and trust one has built over years of using various social media platforms。 In this age of technology we live in， nothing stays private。From Instagram following being diminished in a heartbeat; unfathomed statements being posted on Reddit and bombardments from journalists about your private life。What is the truth in this world we live in and how do we prove it when everything we see or read is ‘real’？ Or is social media all a lie？ 。。。more

MarmottanReads ，

Enjoyed this novel based on a celebrity influencer and guru who’s built a huge wellness following， only to watch it go terribly wrong after an accusation。 This was a very interesting spin on modern mores and values。

Federica ，

Wow， a powerful and beautifully written book！Very interesting， very modern and culturally relevant in a world where social media celebrities and influencers dictate fashion and trends。 A lot of difficult topics are covered， the atmosphere is dark and heavy， the characters are quite unlikable， but the book is compelling and a real page-turner nonetheless。Who is telling the truth？ Lisa or Sam？ Are they both？ Whose truth is the truer one？ Very thought provoking， loved it， 5 full stars for me！

Chloe ，

4，5/5 stars。Thank you to Transworld and NetGalley for the free digital copy in exchange for an honest review！This was absolutely insane。I sort of knew what to expect as it’s the fifth book I read by Louise O’Neill， but I still didn’t expect this level of intensity。This was fascinating， mind-boggling and gasp-worthy。 By the halfway point of Idol， I genuinely could not stop reading and by the end， I was gasping at the pages。O’Neill is a master at crafting complex， unreliable narrators that you str 4，5/5 stars。Thank you to Transworld and NetGalley for the free digital copy in exchange for an honest review！This was absolutely insane。I sort of knew what to expect as it’s the fifth book I read by Louise O’Neill， but I still didn’t expect this level of intensity。This was fascinating， mind-boggling and gasp-worthy。 By the halfway point of Idol， I genuinely could not stop reading and by the end， I was gasping at the pages。O’Neill is a master at crafting complex， unreliable narrators that you struggle to like or hate， and Sam is no exception。 I honestly have no better words than complex and unreliable to describe her， and O’Neill really did an amazing job at writing her。This book definitely won’t be for everyone and it deals with some heavy subjects including sexual assault， drug use and eating disorder， so please be aware of that， but it was definitely a big slap in the face for me。 Wouldn’t have hoped for any less from Louise O’Neill to be honest。 。。。more

Jane Hunt ，

Idol is a compelling and insightful contemporary story that explores current issues through the unreliable narrator Samantha， a phenomenally successful lifestyle and social media influencer。 Her books are bestsellers， she has millions of social media followers， and her company is about to be made into a public corporation。 Still， when a voice from the past challenges her latest expose， the foundation of her life and reality crumble devastatingly。 Dark and disturbing， many of Samantha's experienc Idol is a compelling and insightful contemporary story that explores current issues through the unreliable narrator Samantha， a phenomenally successful lifestyle and social media influencer。 Her books are bestsellers， she has millions of social media followers， and her company is about to be made into a public corporation。 Still， when a voice from the past challenges her latest expose， the foundation of her life and reality crumble devastatingly。 Dark and disturbing， many of Samantha's experiences are challenging to read， but they show how she became the person she is。 Perception， manipulation and reality are all effectively questioned in this addictive story。 Relatable characters draw the reader into a world of judgement and lies。 The brilliantly flawed individuals make it hard to like them in many cases。 I like the believability of the story and its contemporary relevance。I received a copy of this book from the publisher。 。。。more

Kathleen ，

Superinfluencer Samantha Miller is at the pinnacle of her career。 Her advice books are best sellers， her lectures are sellouts and her company is about to launch its IPO。 But then something goes terribly wrong， something that may cost her everything。 After Sam writes an online essay about a teenage lesbian affair， her childhood friend Lisa emails a reply accusing Sam of sexual assault。 Almost immediately a Reddit post “Samantha Miller is a sexual abuser” follows and cancel culture springs into a Superinfluencer Samantha Miller is at the pinnacle of her career。 Her advice books are best sellers， her lectures are sellouts and her company is about to launch its IPO。 But then something goes terribly wrong， something that may cost her everything。 After Sam writes an online essay about a teenage lesbian affair， her childhood friend Lisa emails a reply accusing Sam of sexual assault。 Almost immediately a Reddit post “Samantha Miller is a sexual abuser” follows and cancel culture springs into action。 While her manager does crisis control， Sam returns to her hometown to confront Lisa。A journey of devastating self discovery follows for Sam。 Fond of embellishing the truth to attract more followers， Sam now has to confront conflated memories。 What is her true relationship with her parents？ With Lisa and her husband Josh？ How real are her memories of violent rape？ And can her reputation survive the truth？ As Sam realizes what is true， so does the reader。 Idol will have many twists and turns before a sad but satisfying conclusion。 5 stars。Thank you to NetGalley， Random House UK and Louise O’Neill for this ARC。 。。。more

Cora ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 An interesting read， showing the fragility of the fame 'influencers' have。 Deals with many themes including memory and truth and sexual assault。 I found that my perception of the main character changed throughout the book。 All in all I enjoyed this book in spite of the dark themes。My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review。 An interesting read， showing the fragility of the fame 'influencers' have。 Deals with many themes including memory and truth and sexual assault。 I found that my perception of the main character changed throughout the book。 All in all I enjoyed this book in spite of the dark themes。My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review。 。。。more

liz bailey ，

Idol by Louise O’Neill ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Lifestyle guru Samantha is flying high on success， adored by millions of her ‘girls’ who hang on her every word， but when an anonymous post accuses her of the very things she’s been campaigning against things start to unravel。 It takes place over two timelines， the present where Samantha is trying to come to terms with her situation and the past when the incident took place。 The author is very clever in only giving us Samantha’s version of the truth but as the stor Idol by Louise O’Neill ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Lifestyle guru Samantha is flying high on success， adored by millions of her ‘girls’ who hang on her every word， but when an anonymous post accuses her of the very things she’s been campaigning against things start to unravel。 It takes place over two timelines， the present where Samantha is trying to come to terms with her situation and the past when the incident took place。 The author is very clever in only giving us Samantha’s version of the truth but as the story unfolds that we learn just how unreliable a narrator she is， and that her ‘truth’ might not be the same as everyone else’s。I’m sure you’ve been seeing this all over at the moment and for good reason。 This book has so many talking points; consent， gaslighting， sexual exploitation， cancel culture， social media。 Would definitely recommend this intense and gripping read。However， was anyone else confused by the cover （which I love by the way！） as almost all the book takes place in snowy New England and there’s not a single mention of a swimming pool！？ 。。。more

Joo ，

Samantha is a social media 'influencer' with millions of fans。 She publishes an essay of an encounter with her bff from school and her friend denies it happened that way。 Samantha needs to salvage her reputation and returns to her hometown to try to fix it。 This was an interesting read on just how someone can believe their own press and how quickly things can fall apart。 Samantha is a social media 'influencer' with millions of fans。 She publishes an essay of an encounter with her bff from school and her friend denies it happened that way。 Samantha needs to salvage her reputation and returns to her hometown to try to fix it。 This was an interesting read on just how someone can believe their own press and how quickly things can fall apart。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Idol

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Idol&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Idol&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0