Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Idol

Having read and enjoyed the author's previous book, After the Silence, last year, I was really interested in reading Idol, especially as conversations surrounding the role of influencers in society and so-called "cancel culture" seem highly timely.

Idol is, in some ways, an ambitious novel: tackling lots of themes such as social media culture, the idolisation of health gurus and other influencers, consent and public image in a post-#MeToo world, cancel culture, friendship, memory and recollections and more still, it really felt as though I needed some time to digest it before I could share my thoughts on this.

Sam is a complex character, projecting a public persona while feeling completely differently inside, her self-centredness concealing profound fragility and loneliness. I found it very hard to sympathise with her, but at the same time could really appreciate the nuance in her character which I really value when reading about an unlikeable and unreliable character. It felt a bit as if this subtlety was somewhat lost as the story progressed though, with Sam becoming more and more extreme nearing the end which, even though I still liked reading about her, made her much more black-and-white than morally grey.

The author's writing here is brilliant, as always. I was completely captured by the story being told and, even though at times I was annoyed with the characters or felt like the plot was stagnating a bit, the way the book was written kept me turning the pages, eager to know more. The underlying critique of modern society, and social media/influencer culture especially, was very on point, sparking a lot of additional questions, thoughts and reflections for me.

There were a few things that didn't quite work for me though. While I appreciated the critique, at times it felt like there was almost too much going on with a multitude of themes being raised at the same time without having the time or the space to delve deep into any single one. I can see how they were all linked together, but I couldn't help but feeling that this resulted in a superficial overview, ticking off a multitude of themes, but lacking deeper substance.

The story is pretty much centred around Sam herself and, even though I can see how this would fit with her selfishness and self-centredness, it was disappointing to see all the other characters coming across as rather flat. Lisa, Sam's childhood friend, in particular mostly lacked substance, becoming almost instantly forgettable. The ending was also rather underwhelming, and I was especially unimpressed by the final scene.

Overall, Idol was a pleasant and gripping read though, even though I was probably expecting more from it than it could deliver. With its twisty nature and engrossing style, it would make a great beach read!

Content Warnings

booksaremyabode's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

ciaramreads's review

Go to review page

dark reflective 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

4.5

Content Warnings

elj_ne's review

Go to review page

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.

Content Warnings

More...