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ninawieland's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Abortion, Rape, and Drug abuse
luise96's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really like the idea of this book but I think the execution was somewhat flawed. It was very nice to read a story from the viewpoint of such an unreliable narrator. But I didn‘t think that any other characters were really fleshed out and the „plottwist“ was not that surprising to me and the ending felt rushed. It still made me think about my teenager years and how sometimes we tell ourselves stories which then become more real to us than the actual reality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Rape
Moderate: Abortion
njm1993's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
garciaga's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
nadinej127's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Addiction, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Abortion
books_r_cool's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was so unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It’s safe to say I’m now obsessed with this book and it will be the only thing I think about for a while.
The plot twists of the main character realizing she misremembers things? Exquisite.
This book was packed with social commentary but not once was it boring. The writing style and the storyline in general was SO GOOD.
At the end I liked not a single character, they were all such bad people and they all sucked. The way they were written was so modernly evil.
Samantha in the beginning was a successful woman who had built an empire for herself healing and empowering women through her own stories of trauma and her life experiences. Lisa’s claim absolutely ripped her life to shreds as we saw everything deteriorate from her social presence, her image on social media to her health mental and physical. She goes to her hometown to try to sort this mess out but as the reader we end up seeing everything fall to absolute pieces as we find out that Sam has misshapen so many of her memories and experiences to the point that she believes they’re true herself. These characters are so flawed (not in a quirky girlboss way, they are literally fucked in the head especially Sam). In the end we find out that Sam has gaslit herself once more but for the very major thing that is Lisa’s sexual assault claim being true. Her career is gone, she is a terrible person (and not to mention extremely mentally ill and delusional) and nothing was solved and no one learnt anything. It ended in turmoil I absolutely loved this book.
This book was amazing incredible showstopping and I loved it. (please read cws)
The plot twists of the main character realizing she misremembers things? Exquisite.
This book was packed with social commentary but not once was it boring. The writing style and the storyline in general was SO GOOD.
At the end I liked not a single character, they were all such bad people and they all sucked. The way they were written was so modernly evil.
This book was amazing incredible showstopping and I loved it. (please read cws)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Vomit, Abortion, Addiction, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Rape, and Toxic friendship
geraldinerowe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
3.0
Louise O'Neill is primarily known for writing YA fiction, and that style of writing is often apparent in Idol. That's not a criticism, just an observation. The book covers many themes including consent, how two people can remember the same situation differently, and power balance in a relationship. Ultimately it's the last of these that is dealt with most successfully as the other themes are entirely let down by the conclusion. The book keeps you guessing as to what the truth of the situation is, but its resolution is neither satisfying nor particularly believable. The final few pages are painfully clichéd and adolescent, spoiling what had been up until that point a fairly strong narrative. Three stars for the writing up until then.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Abortion and Rape
feebles640's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcohol, Fatphobia, Abortion, Body shaming, Drug abuse, and Addiction
Minor: Dementia, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
divyak's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Rape
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Abortion
caoimhe_93's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Slow burn at the beginning to set the reader in Samantha Miller’s world, moving into a crescendo of dark and emotive themes that renders the reader into questioning their own views on tough issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Rape, Mental illness, and Eating disorder