Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Idol

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

nineinchnails's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

this was so refreshing! i went into it knowing the general gist of the story (read the blurb so that’s on me) but it was still insane to watch unfold. the commentary on wellness culture and influencer cults was super interesting and combined with the unreliable narrator it was addictive to read.

i found myself

really rooting for the protagonist at one point - not because i supported her actions but because i wanted to believe she was innocent, or at least just flawed in the way all humans are flawed. she is undeniably a horrible person and that’s cemented by the end but there were moments in between where i was starting to genuinely believe her. for better or for worse

sam felt incredibly real and in parts gut wrenchingly relatable. i did find the ending a little unsatisfying because

i felt like the story had been gearing up to show us how evil (privileged) people usually do get away with being monsters and end up thriving in the spotlight,

however i can see how some would prefer the ending as it is.

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sorkka's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense fast-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

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tomesandtash's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

What an interesting book! After the last couple of books I’ve read by Louise O’Neill were a bit disappointing, I’m so glad that this was a return to form from an author I love.

The themes discussed here are fantastically done. I loved the commentary on “wellness influencers”, the impact and perception of trauma, and the lengths people will go to to convince themselves that they are a good person.

If you are the kind of person who needs to like the main character of a book, then this is not for you because as the story goes on, and the more we learn about Samantha, the worse she becomes. However, for me, this makes the book so much more interesting to read. The things this woman does are absolutely wild; it’s like being unable to turn away from a terrible car crash. Pretty much every character is a shade of grey; no one is completely likeable or sympathetic.

The writing is well paced and it doesn’t take long to get into the action of the story. Every scene feels necessary and nothing feels like filler.

The most interesting idea discussed, to me, was the differing perspectives on the incident of alleged sexual assault and the utter hypocrisy displayed by Samantha regarding it. It’s similar to the many people crying out to believe victims, while also begging for proof when it comes to their favourites. Samantha is known for the former, but doesn’t for one second stop to think about things from Lisa’s perspective. Two different people can have two wildly different versions of the same event. I loved that, in the end, Lisa stuck to her guns and finally told Samantha that she really did believe that Samantha had assaulted her that night. I loved that Samantha is implied to get her comeuppance in the end. I love that, overall, it’s not about what Samantha did that night, it’s her attitude to the whole accusation. If she had had some more compassion, understanding, or self awareness, she may not have brought about her own downfall. It was her own self righteousness and staunch belief that she was a good person who could never do such a thing that caused her to treat the people involved so terribly, that caused her to deserve to have her whole livelihood taken away.

It could be debated, with all the information we learn about Samantha throughout, whether or not she deserved her fame in the first place. She is such an interesting character from start to finish as her own version of events about that night isn’t the only example of her rewriting her own history when it suits her. Sometimes, you can understand. She changes the details of her own story as a victim of sexual assault as she’s frightened that people won’t be sympathetic if they knew it was her boyfriend that did it. While this is a still a questionable choice, you can understand. However, she is so stubborn about her own perceptions of her childhood and her own life events that it’s hard to tell if she actually believes it, or she has to believe it to keep herself sane. We are lead to believe that it was Lisa that had the abortion from the way Samantha thinks and talks about it, only to find that it was really herself, with no indication until it is revealed to us. She forgets that Lisa didn’t write the letters she found, she wrote them herself. She remembers her father being cold and uncaring when other sources tell us that he was deeply loving in his own way and tried to provide for her always. Everything we think we know about Samantha is a lie, but does she know that or has she gaslighted herself to such an extent that she truly believes her own version of events.

Honestly, the more I think about it, this might be one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read and I might need to change my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars. I think I could write an essay (even longer than this one) all about this book. If there is one thing Louise O’Neill is an absolutely stellar at, it’s creating deeply complex, rich characters and stories that relate heavily to current events and discussions in a really mature and smart way. This book as intrigue, mystery, questionable motives and actions, unlikeable and despicable characters and a killer plot. Seriously read this!

Content Warnings

clairew97's review against another edition

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dark 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

0.75

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dlsmk's review against another edition

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slow-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

1.5

I hated this. I think that was the point but it was also just a slog. Not for me.

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madelinequinne's review

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dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I picked this book up on a whim and i’m so glad i did! i wasn’t expecting much, i thought it was just going to be your run of the mill adult thriller based on the cover, but it was so tense and really makes you reflect on how we view celebrities! it was a great view into the minds of people who commit assualt and how they’re not all these faceless monsters of men who creep in dark alleyways, they can be people who we trust and look up to and who’s persona convinces you that they could never commit an act as horrible as rape.

I’m obsessed with books that have unreliable narrators, and this one is a perfect example of it. I spent a lot of time switching between believing Sam and her story to questioning that maybe everything isn’t what it’s made out to be and she’s perhaps not as innocent as she’d like people to believe. From big things like whether that night with Lisa was assualt to whether her parents sent her away or if she chose to go to Utah herself, all these twisted tales add up to make her a perfect unreliable narrator.

I was often reminded of Pretty Little Liars whilst reading this book. The unknown online troll and the ‘popular girl in high school being an awful person’ trope has very similar vibes to that show, and I feel like Samantha is what Allison would have been like as an adult if the writers of PLL hadn’t completely ruined her character.

I heavily recommend this book if you’re looking for something that will keep you hooked, though i advise checking trigger warnings because there’s a lot of heavy stuff discussed

Content Warnings