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ellamycroft's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Bullying, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Death of parent
taleofabibliophile's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Abortion, Sexual content, Cursing, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Rape, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Fatphobia and Vomit
Minor: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Cancer, Medical content, Dementia, and Self harm
booksaremyabode's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Addiction, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Toxic friendship, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Body shaming, and Drug abuse
wordsofclover's review
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Samantha Miller has it all - ambition, fame, money and 'her girls' - adoring fans that hang onto every word she says. Life is good for Sam, and her new book is set to rock the charts until an email from an old friend brings it all crashing down. Sam's childhood best friend is claiming a sexual experience between the two of them, that Sam wrote about in an article, wasn't consensual and now Sam's whole career is teetering on the brink. There's nothing worse than being cancelled, and Sam is determined to not let it happen.
Another fantastic book from Louise O'Neill - this had everything I wanted in a book looking at celebrity and cancel culture that I haven't received in other books and I loved how Sam's character was built up as this wellness influencer (think Brené Brown meets Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop), but then over the chapters all the cracks and ugliness in her perfect exterior started to shine through.
This author is just a master at creating these amazingly complex, flawed human beings and you hate them but relate to them all at the same time for the perfectly imperfect way they swan through life. I think so much can be written about the world of influencers - particularly a type of influencer (rich, white women) who don't really know the meaning of struggle taking advantage of the needs and issues of other women who are so desperate for a calm face to guide them through it all. There were some great moments in this when we see how Sam's following is mostly white young women (but that's not her fault) and she receives criticism from BIPOC influencers in the same sphere for her cultural appropriation when it comes to the type of practices she preaches which seem to be a mixture of different faiths and organisations.
Everything in Sam's hometown was like watching a car crash and Sam just kept digging that hole deeper, and deeper for herself. While she was 40 years old, it was obvious that she had never let go of some things from her childhood (namely not being chosen as 'the one' by the boy she liked). The look at the intoxicating, obsessive way female friendships can be especially at a young age when emotions and hormones are so out of control was done really well. And how we can see Sam exercise her control once more over Lisa when she comes back into town and uses her more domineering personality to wear the other woman (who is mentally & spiritually fragile) down.
There were lots of satisfying moments in this book but the ending was the cherry on the cake, and I feel like I let out a sigh of relief when everything came crashing down once again.
This book is a fantastic take on truth and memory, as well as how one can warp the truth/memory for their own gain. It's also a fantastic gaze at the danger of influencer culture to such an extreme and how it seems to be so easy for young women to fall under the spell of others who might just being using their trauma for their own gain.
Another fantastic book from Louise O'Neill - this had everything I wanted in a book looking at celebrity and cancel culture that I haven't received in other books and I loved how Sam's character was built up as this wellness influencer (think Brené Brown meets Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop), but then over the chapters all the cracks and ugliness in her perfect exterior started to shine through.
This author is just a master at creating these amazingly complex, flawed human beings and you hate them but relate to them all at the same time for the perfectly imperfect way they swan through life. I think so much can be written about the world of influencers - particularly a type of influencer (rich, white women) who don't really know the meaning of struggle taking advantage of the needs and issues of other women who are so desperate for a calm face to guide them through it all. There were some great moments in this when we see how Sam's following is mostly white young women (but that's not her fault) and she receives criticism from BIPOC influencers in the same sphere for her cultural appropriation when it comes to the type of practices she preaches which seem to be a mixture of different faiths and organisations.
Everything in Sam's hometown was like watching a car crash and Sam just kept digging that hole deeper, and deeper for herself. While she was 40 years old, it was obvious that she had never let go of some things from her childhood (namely not being chosen as 'the one' by the boy she liked). The look at the intoxicating, obsessive way female friendships can be especially at a young age when emotions and hormones are so out of control was done really well. And how we can see Sam exercise her control once more over Lisa when she comes back into town and uses her more domineering personality to wear the other woman (who is mentally & spiritually fragile) down.
There were lots of satisfying moments in this book but the ending was the cherry on the cake, and I feel like I let out a sigh of relief when everything came crashing down once again.
This book is a fantastic take on truth and memory, as well as how one can warp the truth/memory for their own gain. It's also a fantastic gaze at the danger of influencer culture to such an extreme and how it seems to be so easy for young women to fall under the spell of others who might just being using their trauma for their own gain.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Addiction
kellyung's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Abortion, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse
elj_ne's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC.
Well this was a ride. Like with all of Louise O'Neill's books I've read so far - fantastic, but I'm not sure I'd have the stomach to read it again. I devoured it in a day, and I would say this book is a mix of Thirteen (the 2003 film), Sharp Objects, Rachel Hollis, girlboss culture and some very interesting conversations around consent, misogyny and how we remember our own lives.
Sam is someone who's carefully constructed a marketable narrative for herself, a very successful white woman in what I'm going to refer to as the memoir/wellness industry, to the point where she believes that narrative herself. She's a dislikable character and an incredibly unreliable narrator but I appreciated how this book keeps you on your toes as to whether she's wrong or been wronged, what the truth really is. She believes she's a "good person", constantly makes herself the victim and never takes responsibility for her own choices, and she's also had harm done to her. The development of her character, and the portrayal of an obsessive toxic female teenage friendship, are both excellent.
Ultimately this book raises questions of fame, narrative, wrongdoing, accountability, misogyny, consent - all complex issues. I was having thoughts while reading it about the complexities of sexual assault justice and how timely this book is in terms of these themes and conversations. But also, this book is excellent and satisfying and I would very much recommend it.
Well this was a ride. Like with all of Louise O'Neill's books I've read so far - fantastic, but I'm not sure I'd have the stomach to read it again. I devoured it in a day, and I would say this book is a mix of Thirteen (the 2003 film), Sharp Objects, Rachel Hollis, girlboss culture and some very interesting conversations around consent, misogyny and how we remember our own lives.
Sam is someone who's carefully constructed a marketable narrative for herself, a very successful white woman in what I'm going to refer to as the memoir/wellness industry, to the point where she believes that narrative herself. She's a dislikable character and an incredibly unreliable narrator but I appreciated how this book keeps you on your toes as to whether she's wrong or been wronged, what the truth really is. She believes she's a "good person", constantly makes herself the victim and never takes responsibility for her own choices, and she's also had harm done to her. The development of her character, and the portrayal of an obsessive toxic female teenage friendship, are both excellent.
Ultimately this book raises questions of fame, narrative, wrongdoing, accountability, misogyny, consent - all complex issues. I was having thoughts while reading it about the complexities of sexual assault justice and how timely this book is in terms of these themes and conversations. But also, this book is excellent and satisfying and I would very much recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Abortion, Addiction, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexism
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