I first noticed the cover to Idols & Cons while lurking around Omnium Gatherum's (the publisher's) blog. Come on, it's kind of hard to ignore, right? Also, I had no clue what the paintbrush was all about, so color me intrigued. (It now makes perfect sense, btw.) I was very happy to receive an ARC of the e-book. Officially, Idols & Cons is released on November 15th, but I believe the Kindle edition might have been released today, the 14th.Idols & Cons
By S.S. Michaels
Published by Omnium Gatherum
Available on Amazon
Goodreads
Product Description (as listed on Amazon):
Jake Wolfram is the biggest, slickest, sickest pop star of our time. Drug-dealing voyeuristic punk, Jake, is yanked from poverty and into the white-hot spotlight after witnessing a crime committed by his neighbor, Damien Tungsten, front man for the boy band, In Dreams. Jake lives life on the run, hiding in the limelight, and resenting every single minute of it. He’s relentlessly pursued by his former friend, psychopathic visual artist, Patrick Salinger, who coerces Jake into helping him turn a grisly murder into a masterpiece. Seizing control of the power he craves, Jake disposes of Damien, confronts Patrick, and lives a bad-boy rock-and-roll lifestyle as he hijacks Damien's super-stardom. But Damien's not quite ready to let it go.
In her debut novel, Michaels uses biting wit and seething satire to bring the reader behind the scenes, to an explosive world where pop music grinds up against the cutting edge of art and drugs are the fuel that ignite it.
My Review:
To say that S.S. Michaels' Idols & Cons is about sex, drugs, and pop music is completely accurate, but this book is also about three very powerful motivators: desperation, fear, and ambition. Michaels creates a set of characters, led by Jake/John, and dangles stardom over their heads like chum on a string. In return, each has no choice but to play the part of the shark.
I'll skip the summary, as you can read the product description on your own, and cut straight into the meat. Idols & Cons is told through first person, in dated entries by different characters. The format is very easy to understand, and it makes for a quick reading. I gobbled it up over two days, and enjoyed the ride immensely. The characters aren't entirely sympathetic, or even likeable, but the pacing keeps you hooked.
When I first read the synopsis for the story, I instantly wanted to see where the writer took the idea. I contacted the author about an advanced copy and received one. I knew there would likely be an intriguing murder, a cover-up, and a few thrills awaiting me. I wasn't expecting the heavy dose of despicable horrors, but I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out the story was about more than one young man getting bribed into keeping quiet about a crime.
Human depravity outdoes itself when the prized "fifteen minutes of fame" is at stake, a fact S.S. Michaels thoroughly explores. Be warned (or intrigued): the pages are littered with adult language from not-so-adult mouths, extreme drug use, sick works of art, a boy band, and the corrupting of the not-so-innocent. I recommend it for anyone who wants a glimpse of teen idols at their worst.
