Idol: The must-read, addictive and compulsive book club thriller 2022

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She is at the top of her game and has just published another book, one in a line of successful bestsellers. She’s definitely moving more commercial mainstream than her previous works, but maintaining that ability to delve into nuanced feminist territory and unafraid to create unlikeable lead characters. Idol asks us to confront whether we really remember the past accurately—and what happens if we aren’t the person we remember being? We often place unrealistic expectations on "influencers", expect them to be perfect, and far too many people delight in tearing them down when it turns out they weren't as perfect as they were pretending to be.

Shout out to the Sam Miller I knew when I taught in England (aside from being a blonde white woman, she was nothing like this Sam Miller). She has a following of millions of her "girls" on social media and encourages them to speak their truth. Now, where is the marketing campaign to put this novel into everyone's hands and make a movie out of it? She has dealt with her own struggles and has reformed herself as this person that young women look up to and aspire to.So, the issue of consent is raised in this enjoyable tale that captures the modern world of social media and the online fame game. Overall, Idol was a pleasant and gripping read though, even though I was probably expecting more from it than it could deliver.

Her books are bestsellers, she set up a 'spiritual' lifestyle brand Shakti, her podcasts regularly top the charts and there has even been a Netflix documentary about her.As an author I am envious of the incredible achievement IDOL is, but as a reader I am so thankful for the three days of page-turning reading it provided.

Miller is absolutely obsessed with her past and her relationship with her best friend Lisa and ex-boyfriend. Before the launch of Chaste, Samantha had an essay published that recounted her sexual experience with her teenage best friend, Lisa. It's a book that dazzles and mesmerises, and will linger in your thoughts long after you finish reading. I thought there was going to be more of a 'big reveal' at the end to more of her history, it was all a bit disjointed for me - not 100% sure of the point of the casual sex she referred to in her earlier life or her ex Gabriel, but I suppose it was to give you a hint of what an awful person she was/is.This is by design—O’Neill has a talent for creating unlikable protagonists, and I think they have their place. It's a timely story - a morality tale for the Instagram generation - and all the more compelling for it. Her second novel for adults, After the Silence , was published in 2020 and was an instant bestseller in Ireland. She is an immediately unsympathetic character and the story peels back her many layers (and issues) until we get to the (unsurprising truth) at the centre of the story.