Look, if you’re going to write a book from the perspective of an anti-hero or villain, there’s a 90% chance that I’ll overlook all the terrible things they’ve done and cheer them on from my couch.

When I saw this book being likened to The Devil Wears Prada and Mean Girls, I expected fashion, cliques, backstabbing and I got all of that and murder.

This was so unexpected. Anya, the main character, leaves a trail of dead bodies in her quest for the coveted position of being Sarah’s best friend. Conning her way as an editor at one of the popular fashion magazines to have access to her targeted BFF, Anya’s determination knows no bounds. As morbid as it sounds, I kind of wanted her to win. Anya is clearly suffering from a mental illness; her conversations with the suspicious Dr M, vivid hallucinations and outrageous obsession with Sarah are a suggestion of this.

Working at La Vie Anya is subjected to condescension, workplace racism, belittling and constant bullying from her colleague and boss. She’s the weird Indian girl only there to fill up their diversity card but she’s got a knife up her sleeve or a pair of vintage Marc Jacobs to take down anyone who threatens her perfect plans.

This book was everything. One minute everything would be quiet and the next everything’s gone wild. Every time Anya thinks she’s managed to infiltrate Sarah’s circle she’s violently thrown out again leaving her worried and determined to get back in. Dead bodies begin piling up around her and the police begin to circle around.

This was such a fantastic read. Amina Akhtar’s writing is so vivid and entrancing. Half the time I lowkey feared for my own life at the hands of Anya, a spectacular villain.

After being in several institutions while being young, Anya is ready to let the past in the past and start fresh. She has changed her name and now works in the fashion industry. Her boss Celia is obsessed with her losing weight to fit as part of the magazine staff. Celia starts a competition for a promotion between Anya and her co-worker Sarah, but the thing is, Anya is obsessed with Sarah. She wants Sarah to do all she wants, to be her best friend and she will do whatever is in her power to keep her old life and secrets hidden… EVERYTHING.
While getting into the book I thought it will be a book like “The Devil wears Prada”, with the obsessed boss that only thinks about work, does not care about you or your feelings, and it some way it was, but it was much more like Dexter and The Sixth Sense movie…
In addition, there was many topics I was not comfortable with, like the obsession with Anya´s body and forcing her to weigh every day in the office and make a ridicule of herself was rough. I did not want to keep reading those scenes and they were a lot of them. Then there were the murders… I did not like how everybody was laughing at some of the deaths, like the hole title #fashionvictim was not funny at all, at least was not funny for me. I understand there´s dark humor, but no thanks, I pass!
Finally I was expecting a total different end for the story, maybe some justice, idk. This was just not a book for me.

Fashion do. FOUR AND A HALF STARS!!!

Calories burnt reading this: Probably not as much as I liked since I'd stay up reading this.

This book gave me what was promised, a The Devil Wears Prada meets Heathers experience. I think you could even toss in some American Psycho into the mix to truly describe this story.

Steps taken today: None. Like literally none. Because the last time I walked with my nose buried in a book, I was in the hospital with a sprained ankle.

The story centers around Anya. She's a girl trying to make it in the La Vie fashion magazine world. Her boss, Celia, is the devil incarnate. Her "friend" Sarah is just as desperate to "Mean Girls" her way above Anya. So many interns I can barely remember. So many evil cackles... and one handsome detective who could be Mr. Right. If only he could see the girl before him.

Fashion don't: Ignore this book.

For some reason, I found this book oddly compelling. The cover is eye catching. The over-the-top characters--Zhazha, I'm talking about you--kept this story going. Parts where Anya seemed thrown out like yesterday's sweater. Parts where Anya was the new "it" pair of Manolo's... This book was more than entertaining.

The psychosis of Anya was a whole new character in itself. And I think that is what contributed to the "ride" of this story. You didn't know who or what was real life and who or what was in her head. You had to keep reading to see who dies next--because you can't do Heathers-like fun without a death or ten. Just saying.

Now modeling: The best ending to this kind of story I've read in a long while.

By 85% completion, I didn't have a clue as to what was going to happen or how it was going to end. I did guess one plot revelation that came about at almost the tail end, but as for the true ending--hence the 1/2 star that's missing--I was pleasantly surprised.

Diet do's: Voraciously read this book!

The whole book was so enjoyable. At least for me. I cannot recommend this one highly enough!!!

If there were ever to be a sequel...which is difficult to say if that's even a possibility, though I wouldn't doubt it, I'd snatch it up and read it in a heartbeat.

Definitely FOUR AND A HALF STARS worthy! Read it!

Reading the description of this book I had an idea of what I wanted this to be, and I was so very happy when I started it because it was exactly the dark comedy I wanted. I have already recommend this book to friends, before even finishing it. This is a light, quick summer read and I am not surprised this already seems to have been picked up for a movie. For a fun light-hearted take murder and fashion, it's a must read.

Kind of American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada. The fashion world is pretty cut-throat, and Anya has a habit of imagining that phrase literally. She'll do anything to get to the top, and to become rival and icon Sarah's BFF4L, even if it means a few dead bodies scattered here and there along the way.

Thoughts: I was excited about the premise but had a hard time getting into it. One teaser I read bullet this as Heathers meets TDWP, which makes sense because the first few minor characters readers are introduced to are all named Lauren, are interchangeable, and are incredibly shallow and dimwitted. What I struggled with was Anya's somewhat split personality as well as how caught up in the fashion world the plot was. I get that it was the whole premise of the novel, but even having been a fan of The Hills I still could not keep up. I honestly couldn't tell when something was supposed to be serious or facetious. There was so much going on and so many minor characters with their own distinct personalities that I got easily distracted. This may be a fun read for others but it just wasn't for me.

I did not like this book. This was a lovely opportunity to write a book that shows you the inside of a psychopath’s mind. Sadly his book does nothing of that sort. There is the initial shock factor but after that it’s just boring. The characters are highly unlikeable and honestly the cheesy language makes it hard to enjoy. I was expecting a dark, twisty and humorous book but this one fulfills none of those criteria.

Great story. Couldn’t put it down. Great character development. Definitely recommend. Would be a great book to gift.

I thought to read this book because of the fashion aspect and figured a predictable little murder mystery would accompany the clothes and shoes. Wow, when I am wrong, I am wrong.
This book totally took my by surprise. Narrated in the first person, we get an unusual perspective on committing murder and the reasons that they have to happen.

There is a great dose of snark, some really fun discussion of clothes and a really interesting view of obsession.
This is a great, fun read; it took me a bit to really get what was going on and even that was entertaining.

It is rare when a murder mystery comes along and takes a really novel approach - this was one of those occasions.

Like a number of other readers I found this one frustrating and disappointing... Based on the blurb I expected something more than the usual lightweight fashion fare. Based on the blurb, I was expecting more substance, more mystery, more clever banter. What I got instead felt more derivative, more unlikable. and more trite.

Heathers is one of my all-time favorite movies for its brilliant satire and snarky one-liners and The Devil Wears Prada offered an insider's look that was full of unbelievable yet still credible viciousness and behind-the-scenes insanity. The description suggested this was a blend of the two, but I didn't find any of the murderous dark humor or vicious frivolous brutality of either here. Instead it felt like a hastily assembled attempt to capitalize on the zeitgeist. I just couldn't get past Anya's personality (which I found extremely unsympathetic) or the drama queen lingo and attitude (which felt overplayed and cliched).

This just was not the book for me,,,

I was really disappointed with this title. I was expecting something a little Devil Wears Prada mixed with Hitchcock and a touch of American Pyscho but instead got a flat, frustrating book. The main character Anya, is completely horrid and unrelatable. What could have been a great peek into the mind of a psychopath turned into a disjointed mess with fashion buzzwords. Pass.

Oh! Emm! Gee! Akhtar’s #fashionvictim is an all out bloody funhouse of horror! A dark comedy with plenty of twists and turns. I could totes see this as a dramedy on the CW. I found myself both cheering for and cringing for the heroine/slasher. Hold on to your Helmut, slip on those Manalos and get ready for a wild ride!

A great "beach read" . A light, fast-paced look at both a psychopath and the fashion industry. Hardly hard hitting but clever enough and very readable.

Title. The title suggests chic and of the fashion world that I immediately liked. And after reading the book will make you grow more appreciative of the perfect ring in the title.

Cover. Design of the cover is plain yet screams a lot of chic-mysterious vibes which too I liked!

It was unputdownable read. I inhaled the words from this book, I have enjoyed the writing, it was told in Anya St. Claire POV, a fashion editor who had always dreamt of being in the fashion industry, having designer clothes, to be accepted in the social elite world, especially with fashion icon Sarah Taft. It all changed when a little competition was presented by her boss. Anya and co-worker Sarah were pitted against each other up for a promotion. Winning for Anya means more social invites, more designer clothes and getting closer to her obsession, Sarah, her bestie! A figurative cut-throat competition will not suffice the circumstances but has gotten literal.

The storytelling style is completely refreshing! Usually, in reading mystery-thrillers the author would try to hide and reveal who did it in end of a novel, #FashionVictim doesn’t. Right of the bat, you can tell who had done it. It was grim yet funny at the same time. I grow more impatient as I go further down with its drama. It will make you go itch and seek answers to the questions of; what’s is she going to do next? What is she thinking now? When will this end? What is the end game here? And how? I gripped through it all.

The characters were the typical fashion stereotypes, which is rich and filled with dramas that let out my inner drama hyped butt sucked in. There are the elites of the friendship circle, the middle circle, and the social rejects.

A point of demerit; some of the characters were way too inaccurate, the fashion world building was a little off. But despite it all, I found myself enjoying still.

A grim and funny read that will make you root for the suspect! Hooking plot arc, twists, and pacing. Surely will make you drop dead on the track of the works you’re doing.

I totes see #FashionVictim turning a movie! I recommend it to thrillseekers, fans of Devil Wears Prada, Mean Girls and Scream Queens.

This was quite the read. It was compelling and the main character a mixture of endearing and terrifying. Dexter meets Devil Wears Prada really is the perfect description of this book. It has twists and turns some very complex and confusing character thoughts and a lot of catty fashion talk.

I could see a book like this becoming a movie, though I think the first person point of view is what makes it so compelling as a book.

It intrigued me enough that I am now interested to see what else this author has written.

#FashionVictim: A Novel was on my radar for a little while before I managed to snag an ARC.

I'm struggling with how to review this book because I feel like I should have enjoyed it a lot more than I did but I was left feeling a little underwhelmed. It was FINE but it wasn't what I had been expecting.

The protagonist of this novel is an up an coming fashionista named Anya, who got a job working at a magazine with the sole purpose of becoming BFFs with a socialite editor named Sarah. It's hard to pinpoint what the real plot is here - Anya wants to be Sarah's best friend, even though she spends most of the novel actively disliking her, and will go to any lengths necessary to manifest their friendship - even if she has to resort to murder.

This book is certainly a send-up of the fashion industry but at times it felt as though Amina Akhtar had only done surface level research on the ins and outs of how that industry actually works. It seemed like the most research that was done was on designer names and 'buzzwords' used in that business. The plot meandered at times and for a book that had a lot of murder and insanity, I was surprised to find that it moved quite slow through certain parts. Also, so much time was spent on Anya's character that everyone else felt extremely one dimensional and like stereotypes of actual people. I found it hard to have sympathy for any of Anya's victims (but then, I also didn't have any sympathy for her either). Despite the fact that most of this book was focused on Anya's character, I was left feeling like I still didn't know her or understand her motivations all that well.

There's a good idea buried somewhere in these pages but it the execution fell flat to me.

I received this ARC as a courtesy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

*DISCLAIMER!* I’m writing this based on a digital ARC I received. For those who aren’t familiar with the word ARC, it means Advanced Readers Copy.

“Fashion editor Anya St. Clair is on the verge of greatness. Her wardrobe is to die for. Her social media is killer. And her career path is littered with the bodies of anyone who got in her way. She’s worked hard to get where she is, but she doesn’t have everything.

Not like Sarah Taft. Anya’s obsession sits one desk away. Beautiful, stylish, and rich, she was born to be a fashion world icon. From her beach-wave blonde hair to her on-trend nail art, she’s a walking editorial spread. And Anya wants to be her friend. Her best friend. Her only friend.

But when Sarah becomes her top competition for a promotion, Anya’s plan to win her friendship goes into overdrive. In order to beat Sarah…she’ll have to become her. Friendly competition may turn fatal, but as they say in fashion: One day you’re in, and the next day you’re dead.”

The first thing I want to mention *spoiler* is that at one point in the book there is a very, racist scene. And I do mean VERY. I willingly overlooked that because I really wanted to give this book a try. But for some of you this may be a huge red flag. So keep that in mind. But by all means, read the book and form your own opinion.

Moving on, so this is basically a murder mystery book set in the fashion district of New York. The only thing is that you know who the murderer is from the first few pages. Non spoiler spoiler, THAT BITCH GAVE ME LIFE! with that said, Anya has it all like the synopsis says, killer wardrobe, amazing job, nice apt. But she doesn’t have friends. And that is where everything begins. This is very The Devil Wears Prada but with a shit ton of murders and fab outfits. Anya climbs her way up at La Vie magazine. Which btw, that’s where the racism takes place.

Don’t say I didn’t warn ya k?

While working there her obsession with Sara E Taft grows stronger. Think The Roommate but with Manolos. Any who, Sara is your typical Paris Hilton/Kim Kardashian hybrid but with better social media game. Point is, Anya is O B S E S S E D! But I don’t really want to give anymore away than I already have. Sara’s “bestie” Jack, reminds me so mucho of my sistersister JeanRay. So fab! This book has gossip, drama, a hot cop, one bitchy boss, and murder. I have to say that surprisingly this book touches mental health in a whole new level. To the point where *insert name of character here* sees the people murdered at the work place.

My only issue with this book is that its too short! I mean I was living for the Fashion Week scenes. Not to mention the screenshots of the conversations! And the shade? oh girl I have to admit is was mucho delicioso! Its your regular day backstabbing besties! Only wearing high fashion and dishing classy T.

Everything about this book, including the murders, was juicy! I wanted more! And more I got and more I wanted! I even started thinking like the murderer and started planning the death of a few characters too!

This book is one you don’t want to miss! Its scheduled to release on September 11th, 2018. So keep a look out if you like this typo of reads! I know I’m getting myself a copy cause the drama was muy rico!

Before I leave I want to do a special shoutout to my sis JeanRay! Who inspired some of the phrases you’ve read in here today! Keep it classy, never trashy and always super sassy. “A La Vie woman, never waits in line” ( I just live for the La Vie mantras lol!)

This book was so much fun! Despite how dark it was with all of the murders, as a reader you could find the lightness and satire in being a #FashionVictim yourself, being transported into Anya's world and her thoughts and justification of why she committed the murders. I loved how this book showcased the absurdity of social media influencers, the jargon of said influencers and how obsessed people are with getting approval from people they've never met and most likely will never meet in their lives.

Thank you for a great read!

Fashion Victim is a bit of a wild ride. The book reminds me very much of a cross between The Devil Wears Prada and Heathers. The main character is trying to make her way in the fashion world and becomes obsessed with befriending her colleague. Anyone who stands in her way doesn't stand a chance. At first it didn't really hook me in but I got gripped about a quarter of the way into it and then couldn't put it down.

Anya, the protagonist, is a female Patrick Bateman ("American Psycho"/Brett Easton Ellis) in this overly acidic, biting satire of the fashion world and publishing with a serial killer twist.
The narrative seems to be made up of vacuous Barbie doll women spouting obscenities and
Anya was never a sympathetic character to me, like Dexter, a serial killer from the tv series of the same name, but this book is pretty funny and spot on if you are familiar with the fashion industry.

This is a book that I wanted it to work. In fact, I held out hope as each page was turned and I got further and further into the story. However, I just got more frustrated by the characters. Both Anya's boss and her co-worker Sarah were both horrible. They were true "mean girls". Which I might have been able to brush aside if the rest of the book had been great. Yet, it was not.

Anya, herself was not impressive. She was not such a go getter as she is a follower. The fashion world I imagine can be tough and maybe full of some fake and catty people but if they are all like the ones in this book, I would be running as fast as I could out the door. There was really no joy for me in the characters that I wanted to keep reading. Therefore, I put the book down.