This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future

Wow, this book. This is so edge of your seat that you quite literally find yourself on the edge of your seat whilst reading it.

There’s so much tension, fleshed out characters and it had the most page turning quality in a book I’ve experienced for a long time.

I recommend this to everyone, although urge people to google the content warnings first before picking this up.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

What an interesting book! After the last couple of books I’ve read by Louise O’Neill were a bit disappointing, I’m so glad that this was a return to form from an author I love.

The themes discussed here are fantastically done. I loved the commentary on “wellness influencers”, the impact and perception of trauma, and the lengths people will go to to convince themselves that they are a good person.

If you are the kind of person who needs to like the main character of a book, then this is not for you because as the story goes on, and the more we learn about Samantha, the worse she becomes. However, for me, this makes the book so much more interesting to read. The things this woman does are absolutely wild; it’s like being unable to turn away from a terrible car crash. Pretty much every character is a shade of grey; no one is completely likeable or sympathetic.

The writing is well paced and it doesn’t take long to get into the action of the story. Every scene feels necessary and nothing feels like filler.

The most interesting idea discussed, to me, was the differing perspectives on the incident of alleged sexual assault and the utter hypocrisy displayed by Samantha regarding it. It’s similar to the many people crying out to believe victims, while also begging for proof when it comes to their favourites. Samantha is known for the former, but doesn’t for one second stop to think about things from Lisa’s perspective. Two different people can have two wildly different versions of the same event. I loved that, in the end, Lisa stuck to her guns and finally told Samantha that she really did believe that Samantha had assaulted her that night. I loved that Samantha is implied to get her comeuppance in the end. I love that, overall, it’s not about what Samantha did that night, it’s her attitude to the whole accusation. If she had had some more compassion, understanding, or self awareness, she may not have brought about her own downfall. It was her own self righteousness and staunch belief that she was a good person who could never do such a thing that caused her to treat the people involved so terribly, that caused her to deserve to have her whole livelihood taken away.

It could be debated, with all the information we learn about Samantha throughout, whether or not she deserved her fame in the first place. She is such an interesting character from start to finish as her own version of events about that night isn’t the only example of her rewriting her own history when it suits her. Sometimes, you can understand. She changes the details of her own story as a victim of sexual assault as she’s frightened that people won’t be sympathetic if they knew it was her boyfriend that did it. While this is a still a questionable choice, you can understand. However, she is so stubborn about her own perceptions of her childhood and her own life events that it’s hard to tell if she actually believes it, or she has to believe it to keep herself sane. We are lead to believe that it was Lisa that had the abortion from the way Samantha thinks and talks about it, only to find that it was really herself, with no indication until it is revealed to us. She forgets that Lisa didn’t write the letters she found, she wrote them herself. She remembers her father being cold and uncaring when other sources tell us that he was deeply loving in his own way and tried to provide for her always. Everything we think we know about Samantha is a lie, but does she know that or has she gaslighted herself to such an extent that she truly believes her own version of events.

Honestly, the more I think about it, this might be one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read and I might need to change my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars. I think I could write an essay (even longer than this one) all about this book. If there is one thing Louise O’Neill is an absolutely stellar at, it’s creating deeply complex, rich characters and stories that relate heavily to current events and discussions in a really mature and smart way. This book as intrigue, mystery, questionable motives and actions, unlikeable and despicable characters and a killer plot. Seriously read this!

Deliciously twisty and brilliant, This is the first adult novel of Louise O'Neill I've read - it was fabulous!

I loved the close narrative, the twisting plot that carefully laid down little titbits to place a doubt or two in the readers mind. And then... BOOM! That wonderful, karma-led ending. Brilliant!

I really enjoyed this book. I love this author and have read everything by her.
I loved the way the plot unfolded, I found the characters extremely relatable.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Louise O’Neill for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my honest opinion with prejudice.

Samantha Miller is an influencer, she tells her adoring fans how to live their lives and has three million followers. She travels the world as a motivational speaker and her book "Chaste" is top of the bestsellers list.

Samantha receives an email from her childhood best friend Lisa, who challenges an article Samantha wrote about a sexual experience they shared as teenagers. Lisa argues that it was not consensual and now Samantha's career is hanging on the brink.

Whose truth is a lie? And how can two memories be so different.

A captivating read that I couldn't put down.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

She deftly portrays the emotional toll that comes with living in the spotlight, highlighting the disparity between public image and personal reality.

In conclusion, “Idol” by Louise O’Neill is a compelling and timely exploration of the dark underbelly of celebrity culture. With its swift pacing, relatable characters, and incisive commentary, the book captivates and engages readers from start to finish. If you’re seeking a thought-provoking and impactful read that sheds light on the complexities of fame and societal pressures, “Idol” is a strong choice. The novel’s swift pacing, coupled with its introspective themes, will likely keep you turning pages well into the night and leave you pondering the realities of celebrity long after the final chapter.

Memory and recall play a huge part in this story an show just how differently two people can remember key events. When you add in the modern day social media not only do you have a hugely relatable story but you also have a harrowing read. Filled with flawed characters, Idol proved to be a quick and thought provoking read.

A good summer read. I've read a few thrillers with influencers and this one covered some of the same topics but it was a page turner although the ending was a bit abrupt.

Full stars for this one. Kept me engrossed, kept my 100% attention. Easy to follow. My interest was continually peaked.

Idol

Idol because it’s based around just that however, it’s also based around a friendship from the past all remembered differently.

You know that song?

“It was a sunny evening”
“No it rained”
“You wore a red dress”
“No it was blue”

Oh yes! I remember it well.

Very much like that.

Past catching up with the future.
Obsession and control.

It was such a superb story.

Thoroughly enjoyed it.

If you like female friendships gone wrong
Secrets
Lies
Tragic past events dominoing on you like now…..

You found it, look no further!

I recived an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loiuse O'Neill can do no wrong. Her books are always thought provoking, engaging, and make you feel intense emotions. I read this book in one sitting. It was impossible to put down and i NEEDED to know how the story was going to end. There were amazing discussions around cancel culture, white feminism, and the perceptions of memory, but unlike other books that try to tackle similar themes, it never felt preachy.

One of my favorite things that O;Neill does is create main characters that you can't help but hate. Despite Sam being the worst, you still feel for her and understand where she's coming from. Ultimately, if you want a fast paced read that will be on your mind weeks and months later, you should read this book.

I love everything that Louise O’Neil writes and this interrogation of influencer culture was nothing shy of perfection. It was atmospheric and unsettling and made me feel frenzied. 5/5 highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this arc before publication.

I found this book hard to get into and to be honest even though the book surrounded social media and social influencers I just didn't like it. I don't feel like the characters were developed enough either.

I don't think I was the target market for this book as I didn't really enjoy the whole social media influencer thing. Not as gripping as her other books.

This was a great book!
I thought I knew where it was going but I was so wrong… Packed full of unreliable characters, you’re trying to work out who’s telling the truth the entire way through.
I just couldn’t put it down!
A thoroughly well written story, I highly recommend reading it. I’ll be on the lookout for more books by this author now.

This was a tense read and so accurate in the power of social media. A unique and interesting read enjoyed the characters and back story of when they were young.

The world's obsession with influencers is something I don't really get, but this book gets behind the story and make you understand how it works. Nothing is as it seems, and memories are not even what they are. Recommended for anyone who loves a good read.

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

Idol is such a hard book to describe. On the surface, it is the story of Sam, a wellness guru who has become popular with lost, broken women. One day her world is shattered when her childhood friend accuses her of sexual assault when they were teenagers. Desperate to clear her name, she rushes to visit her and effectively tries to force them to become best friends again.

This is a complicated book. It is hard to say I enjoyed it. Sam is a deeply unlikable character (entirely intentionally) and the subject matter is equally bleak. As the story goes on, it builds into an absolute mess which is incredibly interesting but not easy to read. Having said that, I really was gripped by this book. I would say it was well-written and, although I felt like the other characters could have been developed more, Sam made for an unusual main character.

With all this praise, there are a few caveats however. The overall message of this book is...uncomfortable. It ends in a bit of an odd place and I almost wish we'd spent more time near the end of the book to truly dive into the emotions and events that were going on. Josh and Lisa were begging for more of their side to be heard, and I think that would have really added some clarity and depth to the issues being talked about here. As it stands, something is missing. It's not huge but it is there. I also think some people will struggle with what this book is saying, and I think that's a fair interpretation.

Overall, I 'liked' this book as much as you can with this kind of deliberately uncomfortable read. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next, and it held my attention throughout. It wasn't perfect but it's definitely worth a try, particularly if you're a fan of Louise O'Neill's previous work.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

This book was a fantastic page turner and really delved into the influencer idea.

Samantha was an unreliable narrator and from the get go was clearly a narcissist but it was hard to truly hate her at the beginning. She definitely had charisma and was a very well written character.

Louise O'Neill clearly knows her subject matter and the book as a whole is extremely griping and well written.

The weaving of influencers, social media, anti vaxxers, #metoo and alternative therapies was very well done.

The second half loses a little bit of focus but the story unfolds very well.

Think this would be a great beach read.

It would be 4 stars if it hadn't ended so abruptly.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for an the of this book
A great read which was addictive and a very well written plot and characters. This really held my interest. I like Louise's writing style and highly recommend her books.