'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.

An astute narrative that explores and highlights the modern concepts of social media gurus, trends such as ‘wellness’, and the culture of celebrity alongside the ageless and universal concepts of truth, friendship, jealousy, power struggles and growing apart. A sometimes difficult to read story as the reader’s own prejudices are examined and called out.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

We included this title in our article “22 books to look out for in 2022” on Caboodle, the rewards programme from National Book Tokens.

“ Idol is a riveting, compulsive and bold thriller that 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.”

I absolutely inhaled this book. Samantha Miller is such a complex character, and with every twist, every reveal I grew more certain of the eventual outcome. But I was completely wrong! O’Neill takes the traditional thriller setting of a small town riddled with secrets and deftly explores the implications of an event that occurred 22 years before, and how it has effected the characters decades later. I didn’t know who to believe. If anyone was lying, or if they all believed they were telling the truth. Doubt is so carefully woven through this story, it’ll leave you questioning each character and their motivation until the end. Unmissable!

Idol by Louise O'Neill is her latest book due out in May and I can see it becoming an essential pool side read over the summer months.

Sam Miller is an self-made wellness guru and influencer with legions of followers who she encourage to live their truth. Her latest book Chaste has hit the New York bestseller lists and in an effort to live her own truth shares the story of her own sexual awakening with her high school best friend Lisa which goes viral. Lisa, though doesn't see it the same way and feels she was assaulted. Sam goes back to her hometown to try and iron things out before her world comes crashing down. We then get to find out whose story is the truth and how our memories can be entirely different.

Sam Miller is an absolutely toxic character who really sums all that is wrong with social influencers and online personas. It is this unlikeable factor that drives the narrative and forces you to turn the next page - how much more dirt is going to come out and how will she manipulate everything to fit her narrative.

It's a pacy thriller and Louise O'Neill does a wonderful job creating a flawed protagonist who is willing to do all to save her image!
I envisage this being the summer 2022 blockbuster!

Huge thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouseuk for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC. I audibly squealed when I saw I had been given access to Louise O'Neill's latest book early and lucky for me Idol lived up to my high expectations. Part of what makes a O'Neill's books so brilliant is that she seems to relish making the reader feel deeply uncomfortable and I honestly can't think of another novel that has made me feel as uncomfortable as this one. The more I read the more I felt sick to my stomach at what I was watching unfold before me and yet I was physically incapable of putting it down. The book centres around Samantha, a lifestyle guru and influencer at the top of her game. Sam has thriving wellness brand, a cult-like following of female fans and a brand new book out that has rocketed to the top of the bestsellers list. Determined to 'speak her truth' and be vulnerable with her followers, Samantha writes an essay in which she recounts a sexual experience with her teenage best friend Lisa. Sam hasn't spoken to Lisa in years but once the essay goes viral, Lisa reaches out to say that she doesn't remember that night as a sexual awakening. She remembers it as a sexual assault. Thrown into damage control mode, Sam rushes back to her hometown to convince Lisa not to go public with her false accusation. But is the accusation false? Who gets to tell this story? And whose 'truth' is really the truth of what happened that night? O'Neill doesn't offer any black and white resolutions to these questions but instead embraces all of the shades of grey. This is a timely and challenging book that I will be recommending to all of my friends because I am desperate for other people to read it so they can talk about it with me!

Idol is really interesting thought-provoking book with an incredibly interesting lead in the form of Samantha, a social media wellness guru - she's messy and complex. Throughout you're constantly questioning whether you feel sorry for her, believe her, love to hate her, or just in fact hate her - a testament to O'Neill's brilliant storytelling and character development.
I devoured this in a couple of days, 4 stars.

I am a massive fan of Louise O’Neill’s work, so when I got approved for this ARC I was beyond excited. The premise will show you why:

Samantha Miller is everything her fans, her “girls”, want to be. She tells them how to live their lives, how to be happy and how to live their “truth”. She has just hit 3 million followers and her new book Chaste has gone straight to the top of the bestsellers list. 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 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. 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?

When I say I was gripped by this book, I was truly gripped by this book. This is unlike anything O’Neill has written before. Samantha Miller is one of the most unlikeable characters I have ever read, but that is what makes this a page-turner. It is full of twists and turns with shocking revelations. She is so toxic and, normally, I struggle to be in the head of an unlikeable character for too long but O’Neill did such an incredible job of making me want to turn the page and learn more about her.

O’Neill hits on so many issues from consent to our relationships with people online to sexuality to mainstream white-feminism to EDs, among more. What O’Neill does best is hit on important topics while creating a plot that genuinely has you on the edge of your seat. It makes you question why we put people on pedestals and whether they deserve to be there.

I don’t want to say any more because I don’t want to give the plot away. But honestly it’s one I haven’t stopped thinking about since I read it. This is without a doubt O’Neill’s best work. I can’t wait until this book is out and everyone is talking about it.
Dazzling. Nail-biting. Truly brilliant.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Author and the Publisher with providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book covered a really relevant topic to today's world, and I love how this author is able to discuss complex things that are going on in reality through a fictional lens. The main character is a really unlikeable character, but the beautiful way in which the author writes makes you become invested in her story and want to see how it ends.

The key plot points of the book are quite dark, so please do look up content warnings. However, this author handles these difficult topics incredibly well.

All in all, this was a gripping read from start to finish!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book.

One thing I admire most about Louise O'Neills writing is how she writes such captivating and complicated characters while they are also incredibly unlikeable throughout. it's fascinating to me how a character so unlikeable and eyerollingly self centred can still be interesting enough that you can't help but have to keep reading.
Samantha Miller is a character you love to hate. So focused on her own success that she comes across as incredibly arrogant.
This book is a really interesting perspective on trauma and cancel culture. How a person can use their own trauma as a way to defend how they've possibly inflicted that same trauma on to others. Such a fresh take on the 'trial by social media' we see so much of.

While you may spend a lot of the book disliking Samantha, there's a sense of compassion for her while learning about her past, until it feels like she may be gaslighting everybody. The manipulation to make herself out to be the victim is infuriating but it's something that draws you in completely.

As soon as Sam is accused of something horrendous by an old school friend, her main concern is her image. A shallow and all too well known concern, it seems, of many people in the public eye. What a rare and curious perspective to be confronted with head on, no holds barred.

Louise always seems to hit the nail on the head while writing these timely storylines. How relevant this book is in the current day with social media being so dominant in the majority of our lives, really makes the reader question the falsities of social media. Social media is fake. We know that's a fact. But being confronted with that head on in a book like this is incredibly poignant and leaves you kind of feeling shattered in a way.