This is SUCH an interesting read. I haven't ever read a book before that was such equal parts funny and thrilling - if Single White Female had a baby with Mean Girls and The Devil Wears Prada, the baby would come out as #FashionVictim. I think "campy" is a good word to describe this book - it never takes itself too seriously, which is appreciable. We are in our main character's head, but still don't quite "get" her like we get most main characters. I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of thrillers and also chick lit - this is a rare hybrid.

***Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of #FASHION VICTIM by Amina Akhtar in exchange for my honest review.***

Take the movies HEATHERS and CLUELESS add a dash of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, sprinkle with extra satire and you’ve got #FASHION VICTIM.

Anka is obsessed with coworker and fashion icon Sarah. Obsessed with a capital O. Anka want Sarah all to herself, to be Sarah, who only scorns her biggest fan. We know Anka sees a therapist Dr. M, but not why. Whatever the reason, I doubted he knew the seriousness of her pathology.

#FASHION VICTIM is fun and campy, even the murders are more silly than serious. The characters are caricatures of the worst stereotypes in fashion, shallow, air-headed and ruthless. Amina Akhtar makes this work often with humorous excess.

I can picture #FASHION VICTIM on the big screen and becoming a cult classic. The ending leaves open the possibility of a sequel. Delicious.

Anya is a fashion editor obsessed with Sarah and wants to be her best and only friend especially as Sarah could be in line for her job and so befriending her keeps her close enough to be able to keep a close eye on the competition as there's six weeks until the best girl wins...



When one of the other girls at their work turns up dead however, obviously the police are involved and start to question everyone after its obviously a murder, even trending online under the title hashtag whilst we see Anya's character is not at all nice, in fact she's violent and sneaky as well as only ever looking out for herself to the point her past is hidden away...



With multiple murders they use online for news while the magazine staff all have to stay looking their fittest by seeing a Dr. M whom works with them all to achieve their best looks wise and gives them probably unnecessary prescriptions.



There's the usual work drama working for a magazine and writing articles to deadlines, gaining online traffic etc. But there's also the murderous side to one of the girls we see whom leads to a shocking conclusion of the book which I enjoyed but left me wondering just what would happen next? No one's safe still aren't they worried even a little?



Besides that, it was a good book, if a little stale in some parts, I would've liked more action and maybe the staff members trying to figure out who it is a doing the killings rather than assuming once the finger was pointed with persuasive evidence at one person over another and they believed it easily enough too, not doubting a thing. I would still be uneasy over it all happening so close but still the main mystery kept me reading wanting to know who did it all and I wasn't let down with the last quarter of the book at all it was the better part to me at least.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!