I read columns of mine that I would have written 10 years ago, and I think it’s interesting how much my worldview or my feminism has really shifted.” I really liked Samantha for the first part of the book then this changed to a rabid dislike of her, but there are reasons for this and I think readers will either empathise or totally loathe her Samantha is a social media guru, loved, adored, cherished by millions of girls who stand by her feminist vocality and vegan lifestyle…until she is accused of sexual assault…by a former female best friend ( Lisa ) and her life becomes, well in the words of one author comment ‘gloriously messy’ IDOL is utterly compelling and totally fearless. I literally had to ban myself from reading it after 8pm as I couldn't sleep otherwise. Louise isn't afraid to grasp nettles and IDOL is a confronting exploration of toxic female friendships, consent, and the gross hypocrisy of influencer culture. Destined to be rightly huge. It will take a long time to get these characters out of my head." - Holly Bourne By the way, the deleted end scene in Idol is well worth seeking out, if only to ‘compare and contrast’. I found that useful, and I’m delighted with the ending Louise chose (evil grin emoji). Right, enough about Idol … I’m off for that much needed ‘cleansing’ hot shower now.

In a perceptive timely story as well-told as Idol, we don’t have to like everyone in the book. Nonetheless, what happens to these characters has convincing authenticity and so we can empathise with them, and the various curveballs they’ve to contend with. For this alone, I envisage robust debates among readers. In my opinion, Idol would make a great Book Club choice. Often what people call cancel culture is more like consequences culture. If someone is called out for something and they give a genuine apology, I do think people are okay about it There were lots of satisfying moments in this book but the ending was the cherry on the cake, and I feel like I let out a sigh of relief when everything came crashing down once again. She enjoys watching influencers at work, especially those who are “really clever and good at it”, like James Kavanagh. But the sheer amount of work required to keep up with influencing isn’t for her. “It seems very tiring, and it also seems that you can never take a break,” she says.

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IDOL is fresh, glamorous, and surprising, taking an issue we all care about and with a deft twist, recalibrating our position. It dazzles us before revealing the darkness at its heart. Louise O'Neill is not afraid to take on a taboo but somehow always makes it utterly compelling. This is such an exciting book.' Marian Keyes For me, it basically ruined all the good parts by the way the MC deteriorated in the second half of the book. I didn't want to be part of this spiral into utter and absolute desolation and chaos, I really didn't want to be. Especially not in the head of this insanely unreliable narrator. Many parts of this were so cringey I really don't know how I made it through. This is supposed to be an adult woman losing her shit, but she reads like a thirteen year old. It wasn't fun, believe me. When things get busy I have systems in place – whether that is the gym, or my therapist, or the meditation, the scaffolding that keeps me on an even keel

Throughout the majority of this book I didn’t like a single character. But it actually worked really well to keep me engaged and wanting more. By the end there were two characters that really stole my affections, one of which managed to bring a huge smile to my face as they showed their true cunning and strength. This is a book that is going to stay with me for a long time. I wish I could erase it from my memory and read it all again from the start. Idol by Louise O'Neill is a fast and addictive read that I found really intriguing. Well written and filled with darkness.

Customer reviews

In 2022, 40-year-old Samantha Miller has it all. What’s more, she has earned it – from her troubled teenage years, Sam has risen like a phoenix since launching her Gwyneth Paltrow-esque wellness brand Shakti. “She would never grow tired of… her girls, calling her name. It was all she would ever need to be happy.” Pretty much from the first chapter, I did not like Sam. This is by design—O’Neill has a talent for creating unlikable protagonists, and I think they have their place. We so often label women “unlikable” (or even less polite terms) simply for being strident, forthright, assertive, etc. Sam is these things, yes, but that isn’t why she is unlikable—I don’t like her because she is self-absorbed and perhaps even narcissistic. However, she isn’t a shallow character. Based on the limited third-person narrator’s perspective, Sam seems to truly believe in much of her grift—she meditates, etc. (Note that I am not suggesting meditation itself is always a grift—rather, I’m pointing out that many wellness gurus do not practise what they preach.) Sam doesn’t have a public and a private persona: she generally believes in her reality, and that is fascinating.