A review by dufremde
Confidence by Rafael Frumkin

funny 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

my reading experience for this "theranos but gay" satire was that it gave same vibes as a vice dot com longread (rip) or podcast, which means it was incredibly propulsive and digestible but I also felt like the author left a lot on the table in terms of juicing up the details. as in, I truly think a fanfic girlie could have turned this into something show-stopping, a primo jacob elordi/timothee charmander script waiting to happen. 

ok but in all seriousness, the biggest issue I had with the whole cult of personality premise was the fact that Orson was so painfully mid and I never believed for one second in his charm or magnetism. Ezra did so much crime for this man and it's a mystery why. the deteriorating eyesight subplot-slash-metaphor also produced diminishing returns as the story progressed, although the actual descriptions were top-notch.