Thank you to the author & Net Galley for allowing me to preview this book before it was published to the public. I absolutely loved this idea and the book itself didn’t dissapoint. The whole “it’s not a cult it’s a lifestyle” vibe throughout the whole book was creepy in a way that was weirdly natural? I felt like Iv been there and heard of similar things happening before in the real world so it wasn’t a stretch to take myself into the world of Deep Flow and feel like I knew exactly what and who were involved.
I loved the ending but felt it could have been taken in a different angle and focused more on the character of Vee and her experiences. Would have been good to know more of her story! My favourite quote of this book was “ if she were wearing pearls , I don’t doubt she would be clutching them right now as if her life depended on it.”

The themes False Idols are incredibly timely - the reveal of certain ones hitting me like a punch enough to draw a breath. (No spoilers, promise!)
Written extremely entities and passionately, I think Sweet has a sure fire hit on her hands. My only slight issue was that the ending and resolution were wrapped up a little too quickly for my liking. I wanted to luxuriate in the characters a little more.

Sadie has an interesting life story.
She and Derek move to LA and Sadie finds herself in Flow.
Flow becomes a mystery on its own.
I loved Sadie’s voice.
A few scenes felt less plausible and underwritten.
In general, the craft was good.
The plot and the resolution were 65-70%.
Nevertheless, Sadie kept me engaged. There could have been more depth and story.
Overall, still 3.5 stars rounded up because it was fun.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Headline for this ARC

False Idols is a compelling, dark dive into the underbelly of the wellness industry.

Sadie is adrift; looking for something to hold on to when she meets the magnetic leader of wellness class Deep Flow, an enigmatic woman named Lilith.

Lilith takes Sadie under her wing, and soon, Sadie is addicted to all things Deep Flow and Lilith. When others around her profess their skepticism, Sadie is quick to insist that Deep Flow isn’t a cult, but a transformative experience and a chance to escape her past.

However, soon, the walls start to fall down and Sadie begins to realise the truth about Deep Flow and Lilith.

This is such a unique concept for a thriller, and brilliantly captures the dark side of the wellness industry; how it can be unregulated and how it can pray on the vulnerable, isolating them.

Sadie’s state of mind is portrayed so well, and you’re completely captivated as she falls under Lilith’s spell.

Overall I really enjoyed this book - a unique story that balances thriller with literary fiction.

This story does explore some difficult themes which may need a trigger warning!

A compelling literary thriller about the wellness industry and the rise of the “conspiritualist” (a conspiracy theorist that preaches under the guise of health and wellness). This book felt very timely and unsettling.

Sadie meets the magnetic Lileth and her Deep Flow movement when she moves to LA and is feeling adrift, dealing with past trauma whilst struggling to find her “tribe”. Lileth and Deep Flow offer her a way to connect, feel good, unlock her creativity as an artist and give her life a new focus.

There were so many sharp observations on the wellness industry peppered throughout - when Sweet talks about how it culturally appropriates other practices and belief systems and commercialises them, how it offers ways to feel good but can be problematic, and how it can exploit people’s vulnerabilities and loneliness / desire for community in increasingly insidious ways.

Of course, this is not reflective of all of the wellness industry, but it does speak to a dark underbelly and a side that is borderline lifestyle brand and borderline cult, which this book in particular plays with. At one point, Lileth refers to her upcoming plans to start a paradisical off grid community to her followers, which certainly seems pretty cultish. The plot builds tension well, and the slow unravelling of Deep Flow’s true nature is both chilling and believable.

The only part of the book I really didn’t enjoy were the dream sequences. I get why they were in, but I struggle to read and engage in descriptions of other people’s dreams and found it a bit cliche. Also, whilst I was hooked by the plot and really liked the characters, I would have liked to see a bit more depth from the secondary characters.

Overall though, False Idols was a captivating, fast paced read - a perfect fictionalised spin off to Amanda Montell’s Cultish (which I loved!) It would make a great holiday read as it’s absorbing and hard to put down!