Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the approval of Idol. This has been on my radar to read for some time and I've finally gotten round to finishing it. I had this finished in 2 sittings such is the ease of the writing by Louise O'Neill. She has the knack for keeping you hanging to see what the end result will be for Sam.

The story follows two childhood best friends Sam & Lisa - flitting between childhood and adulthood. Sam, now a successful woman within the mindfulness field and Lisa, who stayed in their hometown and raised two children with her husband, Josh. The two women drifted apart as adults, but an email sent by Lisa about Sam threatens to topple everything in Sam's life.

The re-writing of history plays a key part in this book, each character having their own version of events until it all unravels and the truth is revealed at the end. Social Media has such a prominent role to play in everyday life - it only takes one wrong move for someone's career to be cut short and that's when Social Media turns on the individual.

I enjoyed this - good premise for a story, well put together and wonderful writing keeps you gripped, even though a whole lot doesn't happen within the plot, there is still enough there in the unravelling of the secret to keep you transfixed.

"How can anything be true then? How do you know what's real?"

There are many themes explored in Idol and O’ Neill does an amazing job at delving into these without getting too sidetracked from the story.

Our protagonist Samantha Miller is a social media lifestyle guru who has built her brand and business from scratch while recovering from a sexual assault and struggling with addiction.
Samantha’s manager receives an email questioning the truth behind an essay she had composed about her sexual assault, and this is the beginning of her online empire and persona starting to unravel. This tackles a very relevant topic of trial by social media and cancel culture.

I think O’Neill explored the online blogger fascination and demonstrating to the reader how all may not be as perfect as it seems.

Well written, and a very dark but addictive thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
The information provided on this book, the first I have read by this author, details the main points that Sam has become a 'lifestyle' guru with an enormous following on social media following her own recovery from addiction, and her celebrity status is jeopardised by a claim made by an old friend. The plot seems plausible but there were 2 things I disliked about this book, which other reviewers have also described:
The first is extremely slow delivery where very little seems to happen other than never-ending circular discussion about the email and post, and the teenage relationship with Josh. I got to 50% of the book and this was still going nowhere.
The second is the absolutely awful main character; Sam is an extremely manipulative, selfish, unqualified, insincere person. I presume that this is partly the point of the book, that we do not know those who are raised to celebrity status but I disliked her so much that I could not bring myself to finish this book.

God how I love Louise O'Neill. Her stories really live in the gap between how things really are and how they seem and she takes this to another level in IDOL. Her best book yet.

This book is very involved and hard to put down. If you were asked about the definition of The Truth you'd probably say it's an account of what actually happened in a given situation. But, what happens if what you perceive to be the truth about a situation differs from your protagonists version? What is the real truth and who should be believed? Read on and see what you think!!

Brilliantly timely, topical and relevant, this throws up so many things to think about and makes you look at social media in a whole new light. A great read

𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌…..

This is one that I devoured. One sitting, completely unable and unwilling to put down. I’m just like wow, this is the best yet from @oneilllou

This is a book that introduces us to Samantha and Lisa. Samantha is in the public eye and releases a story about her past. Only for her manager to receive an email from Lisa.

This means Samantha has to face her past. This takes us on a rollercoaster that I didn’t expect to consume me in the way it did.

This is powerful, well written and has moments that are tense, makes you feel uncomfortable and really takes you to a dark side. I have loved it, there are so many themes to unpick in the one. The characters are an interesting bunch and I admit I haven’t trusted all of them at all.

This is A MUST READ!! It’s a complete gem and addictive to the point that you won’t want to put this down. The only thing I’m sure of is that everyone needs to read this gem.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A novel that tackles difficult issues - sexual assault , the influence of social media and its tendency to be judge and jury. I found it a little slow paced and at times unbelievable.

This is a book with a promising premise - Sam, a self-help guru who fears being cancelled when her ex-best friend Lisa comes out to contest that a sexual encounter they had in their teenage years was consensual. Sam travels back to her childhood town to find Lisa and convince her not to go public with her allegations.
It's an interesting topic and an interesting take on cancel culture, with an unlikeable main character and contradictory memories, but the second half of the book didn't feel as clever and as polished as the first half. There is an ex-boyfriend of Sam who is now with Lisa; there is a girl who was ignored in high school, possibly bullied, who is now friends with the people who rejected her. A lot of it revolves around events that took place when the protagonists were in high school and it didn't really appeal to me - at times it felt like watching a teenage TV drama, and I lost interest in the intrecasies of what happened and who is telling the truth.
Overall it was fun enough to read but sadly I probably won't remember it in a few months. Oddly I could imagine it as a TV series, quite brief, maybe 8 episodes, because the characters feel... telegenic.

*Trigger warning for bullying and assault*
I am a big fan of Louise O’Neill and I love how she never shies away from big and serious issues that affect women; ‘Idol’ is no exception. The novel focuses on influencer Samantha Miller who at the top of her game, she has a bestselling book out and a sold out tour where she inspires young women to find their own inner happiness. Riding high on her success, she writes an essay about her sexual awakening which goes viral; however her recount of the night is not shared by her best friend.
As always O’Neill writes with current, controversial topics in mind and the question of guilt being discussed by the online world makes this one right up to date. I really felt uncomfortable at times because of the charged interactions between Sam and Lisa. However I couldn’t put the book down because as always O’Neill’s writing is intense and unflinching but utterly captivating.
My only downside was that I found the character of Sam extremely vapid and quite draining at times but that personality definitely adds to the themes of social media personality and the thread of cancel culture. This dark story is definitely one to get readers talking!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Samantha Miller has it all. She’s famous, with millions of adoring fans, and she knows it. She loves it. Just as she is about to hit 3 million followers, however, she is accused of a terrible crime that she has always spoken out against. How will she manage to survive the accusation with her squeaky clean image still in tact?

I enjoyed this book, it was different to what I normally read. We see the story through Sam’s eyes, and she is a classically unreliable narrator. I did guess a couple of the twists before they came, but, on the whole, an entertaining read.

A thoroughly enjoyable psychological thriller which keeps you guessing right up until the end. O’Neill is a master at keeping up the suspense. Who is telling the truth? Who is lying? And how much of what we remember is true anyway? There are some serious themes here: trauma, the dynamics of friendships, the power of social media and the ethics behind turning yourself into a brand, which are introduced rather than explored, as well as #metoo and the potential weaponizing of personal trauma. This is very much commercial rather than literary fiction – for fans say of The Girl on the Train or Liane Moriaty’s books. There’s a lot of flinging open of closets and picking out off-the-shoulder soft cashmere jumpers and suede boots. The dynamic between Sam and her team, and particularly her manager, is well done and O’Neill has a good grasp of the business behind modern wellness brand sensations like Goop and the cult of personality. It’s a glossy and over-the-top thriller that would translate well to TV. A great beach read or a guilty pleasure.

Having read two other Louise O'Neill books before, I knew this wouldn't be a breezy book. This is the story of Sam, a social media influencer and lifestyle guru with millions of followers and a wellbeing empire. Everything is going well for Sam, until an email surfaces from her childhood best friend Lisa, claiming that Sam sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers. Lisa version of events is very different to Sam's, and so she travels back to her hometown to settle the matter whilst she is hemorrhaging followers and her business is folding, in the wake of the leaked email. Back in her hometown Sam gets drawn into petty high school rivalries, and finds out that a lot of what she remembered from her teens is not accurate.

Sam isn't a likeable character at all, from the start right up to the end, you find yourself glad you don't know Sam, she is messy, toxic, and self-obsessed. Despite this I couldn't put this book down, wanting to find out what had really happened, including the uncomfortable flashbacks to the late 90s, early 00s. There are some difficult subjects covered in this book, around consent, assault, and rape, but yet again O'Neill balances a topical essay with some incredibly important social commentary in the middle of a work of fiction that you could see happening in real life.

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

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House and Louise O'Neill for the ARC of Idol.

I'd heard great things about this book and as someone who also delves into the world of social media I was really intrigued by the story line of an online social media expert.

Sam is worshipped online, with millions of followers and a successful career in the wellness sector. When an article of hers about a female on female experience she had in the past goes viral, her world is turned upside down when she gets accused of assault. Suddenly the Sam is thrust into the world of defending every action, clearing her name and trying to cling on to every ounce of integrity she owns.

This book is shocking and eye opening in parts, and whilst a slow burn, I found the action built up well and the ending was really satisfying. I found myself questioning the truth throughout and wondering which characters I could trust.

An enjoyable gripping read in a topical subject matter for the modern world - a stark reminder that our past is never truly our past when it comes to social media!

Intriguing storyline talks about a lot of current issues - social media, toxicity, trial by social media
Felt that this was a bit of slow burn, took time to get to the plot - but I enjoyed the overall book, the way it deals with Sam's issues and as truth gets revealed.
Sometimes the writing seems to be all over the place, keeping a track of timelines is tough in this one!

Thanks to netgalley & random House UK for the ARC in exchange for honest opinion.
This is my 1st book by the author, look forward to reading more!

I found this book really interesting to read and whilst I had some doubts about certain characters, I really didn’t know what to think. I thought I knew what was going to happen in the book but I really didn’t. It’s such an interesting perspective taken in this book and it highlights a lot of very topical issues.

I really found this book intriguing and the short chapters helped me fly through this. Overall, a really interesting, different book, that legit made me question my abilities of judging characters 🙈

Strong content warnings for this book including sexual abuse and substance abuse, but worth checking the full list before reading.

Wow, this was masterfully written. I spent most of the first chunk of the book flip-flopping between compassion for Sam and thinking she was an awful person, unable to make up my mind or see how things would end. If you told me this was a true story I could believe it, Sam felt like a real person and all the social media inclusion felt so accurate. This was a lot more intense than I was expecting, despite me knowing the theme of the book going in. I found it very gripping and it really kept me interested throughout. I think this is a book I'm going to think back to and also want to reread later.

First of all a huge thank you to the author, publisher and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

SYNOPSIS - '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.'

MY THOUGHTS - Wow I have raced through this book! I was gripped from the outset, completely drawn in to this life of Samantha, a social media influencer who has reinvented herself and is flying high. One email changes all that and shows how easy that downfall can be…. Fabulous characters, clever plot, difficult subjects covered including sexual abuse and eating disorders. A fabulous twist at the end too which I won’t spoil but I highly recommend you add this book to your TBR!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!

Idol is the story of a social media influencer whose world starts crumbling when she is accused of rape. Idol is a clever story of the impact social media has on everyone as well as showing how things are remembered differently by people.

Louise is a legend when it comes to her writing.

What a great story about social media status and how fragile that can be. A great host of well developed characters that were easy to relate to and feel empathy towards. This story was nicely written and executed.
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book