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A review by kimmie1405
Idol by Louise O'Neill
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Idol 3.5⭐️
Brand New book from the bestselling Irish female author Louise O’Neill.
Idol starts with the character Samantha (Sam) Miller an influencer, wellness guru and recovering drug addict. She has created this online world for all her ‘girls’ to help them be like her until one day it all comes tumbling down when an allegation of sexual assault is made against Sam after she writes an essay about a lesbian experience she had as a teenager with her best friend. Except Lisa doesn’t recall the night going the same way. Who’s truth is the actual truth? Can memories be tampered with and recreated in the mind to be favourable towards ourselves? It’s not often I read a book that I hate the main character and continue reading but with Sam I had a love/hate feeling about her it became apparent to me how toxic she is and her relationships with people are. At the beginning I was outraged and couldn’t believe how easily someone’s life could be turned upside down with such an allegation but as the story continued I found myself being less sympathetic towards Sam as it seems she has remembered her teenage years differently to those she grew up with. This is a prime example of how social media influencers can create a world that we buy in to and place them on a pedestal but with Sam the higher the pedestal the greater the fall. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and all the different characters some more likeable than others. This would be a perfect summer/holiday read although rainy and cold January was my only option!
A Few TW to note:
Sexual Assault
Rape
Eating Disorder
Brand New book from the bestselling Irish female author Louise O’Neill.
Idol starts with the character Samantha (Sam) Miller an influencer, wellness guru and recovering drug addict. She has created this online world for all her ‘girls’ to help them be like her until one day it all comes tumbling down when an allegation of sexual assault is made against Sam after she writes an essay about a lesbian experience she had as a teenager with her best friend. Except Lisa doesn’t recall the night going the same way. Who’s truth is the actual truth? Can memories be tampered with and recreated in the mind to be favourable towards ourselves? It’s not often I read a book that I hate the main character and continue reading but with Sam I had a love/hate feeling about her it became apparent to me how toxic she is and her relationships with people are. At the beginning I was outraged and couldn’t believe how easily someone’s life could be turned upside down with such an allegation but as the story continued I found myself being less sympathetic towards Sam as it seems she has remembered her teenage years differently to those she grew up with. This is a prime example of how social media influencers can create a world that we buy in to and place them on a pedestal but with Sam the higher the pedestal the greater the fall. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and all the different characters some more likeable than others. This would be a perfect summer/holiday read although rainy and cold January was my only option!
A Few TW to note:
Sexual Assault
Rape
Eating Disorder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Rape, and Sexual assault