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A review by ellen_mellor
The Goldens by Lauren Wilson

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What happens when a rich, psychopathic young woman surrounds herself with an adoring coterie of other young women with self-esteem issues? It turns out you got a girly Lord of the Flies set on a country estate crossed with Saltburn.
That is of course a very broad, not entirely serious assessment of The Goldens.
It is a really well written story about a young woman who gets drawn into the orbit of a beautiful, charismatic woman and slowly gets subsumed into just becoming an adjunct.
It is also a vicious takedown of Influencer Culture and the worship of people who are famous for being famous.
It felt uncomfortably believable at least partly because I have felt that jealousy of comparing myself to another woman and coming up massively short, blaming myself for it and wanting what she has in terms of looks, confidence and success. 
A somewhat uncomfortable read, then, but only because it's so well written.
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