I was intrigued by the premise of this book, a writer, who has chosen fame and success over authenticity, gets stuck in a murder mystery written by someone who is a worse sellout than him. It is a murder mystery that has a formulaic plot, stereotypical characters, dramatic dialogue and illogical twists that stretch the imagination.

The writer and narrator, Joe McElwee, slowly realises he is stuck in Niall Turner’s universe. Niall Turner is the author that Joe McElwee hates but also envies. He envies Niall’s success and popularity, he has sold out and written a Turner-like book precisely for the money and accolades it brings him.

The concept is cleverly fleshed out. The various characters in the book have a mind of their own, but they follow the rules and limits of Niall Turner’s universe. Then Joe McElwee shows up in this world as the central character and he breaks all the rules. He even influences the other characters in the book to follow their heart. It was fun to read because it is something as a reader I often wish I could do; make a character do something other than what is expected or what I know the rules of the genre demand.

The letdown in the book is the constant refrain by Joe McElee and the other character, Veronica, waxing poetic about stories with heart. The long expositions by both of them about what makes a story good and how a writer needs to be authentic got tedious after a point and broke the flow of the action.

The end was vague and slightly confusing for me. I wasn’t sure if Joe McElwee was still in some alternate universe or was back in the real world. But my clumsy interpretation is that Andrew Diamond was trying to express that selling out never ends and that catering to an unsophisticated audience and not writing from the heart is like being in bonded labour, forced to work like a machine.

In conclusion, the book raised some interesting questions about my judgements and what makes a good story for me. The value I place on other people’s opinions of what is good. I am still in two minds about whether I agree with the ideas in this book, but I am glad I read it.

I did not enjoy this read. I just wanted it to be over. The idea was there, but the execution left something to be desired. For starters I hated the main character's name, McElwee. The writer in the book was sellout. He wanted money, he got money, great. I found it odd that he accepted everything but continued to question the most random situations. I couldn't relate to any of the characters and the story just never got my interest.

📚 Just finished "The Sellout" by Andrew Diamond and it's a hard pass for me. 🚫 While the concept of a writer living in the world of his own formulaic thriller sounds intriguing, the execution fell flat. 😴 The story felt boring, trivial, and more like an exercise in ego gratification than anything else. Unfortunately, I had to dump this one early on. #TheSellout #AndrewDiamond #BookReview 📖

I really enjoyed this. The author has a very easy flowing writing style, even as he drifts through realities. He has created a colourful depiction of an incredible idea - what if we found ourselves inside a work of fiction? As the characters become conscious of their situation, the book gets more and more entertaining and seeing the protagonist get back to reality is a fascinating process. The ending was a surprise but I won’t say too much about it as it may reveal too much,

Although I don’t t read fantasy, this is “detective” fantasy. Joe McEwee is a writer in today’s world. As a result, he makes very little money, writes literature, lives in a basement apartment and teaches writing classes wherever he can find work. He has decided to become a hack and make money instead. The plot involves stories inside of stories, all of which involve Joey Sternjaw, McElwee’s alter ego. The most captivating story takes place in the mid forties and involves lots of voluptuous women, Joey as the only good looking man, lots of murders and an author from today’s world whose tongue is firmly entrenched in his cheek. Thanks to Net Galley and the author for an ARC for an honest review.

I want more. The Sellout is an immersive page turner in which a writer is thrown into the novel of his least favorite author as punishment for being… you guessed it… a sell out.

Joe Mcelwee has finally made it, a lowly college creative writing professor turned big time best selling novelist. But his biggest critic is quick to put a stopper to his celebrations.
When leaving her bookstore after a signing, she tells him how she really feels. Leaving in a hurry, Joe slips and falls unconscious and awakens as the protagonist of his nemesis’ novel.

The stereotypical tropes are straight out of the black and white era detective movies right down to the femme fatale and the description of the thugs you encounter.

The back and forth banter of the characters and the protagonist switch from typical to their design, to being self-aware. The ending however, leaves more to be desired.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC. I hope this isn’t the last of Joey Sternjaw.

3.5 ⭐️

Joe is an author who has struggled for years to get by while writing from the heart. He decides to write a more broadly accepted thriller, and while it means success for Joe, his friend Veronica calls him a sellout. She says he should be forced to live inside the novel of an even worse writer. He promptly falls, hits his head, and wakes up in that novel. He then has to solve a terrible murder mystery before he can escape. This was hard to get into, and then I liked it, and then I didn't really care for the ending 2.5 stars rounded to 2.

the premise of this was very very intriguing 👏🏼
if we remove all the unnecessary stuff like long philosophical paragraphs and sex talks – then this has a very good plot. i enjoyed the parts where they were in the book. entertaining and hilarious.
and that ending confused me. did she curse him again or what?

thanks to netgalley for free copy!

This story centers around an author, Joe, and a bookstore owner, Veronica. Joe has a "day job" of teaching classes on writing and also pens "serious" books that appeal to a niche audience. Veronica supports the "serious" writing by allowing Joe to read sections of his work in her store.

Their professional relationship turns sour when Joe decides to publish a work that Veronica deems beneath his abilities and talent. After Veronica verbally hurls a "curse" at him, Joe's world is not the same.

To me, this book is a well-written satire. In setting the different scenes, Mr. Diamond does a wonderful job of showing the readers what the characters are observing.

The Sellout by Andrew Diamond

A clever satire about the world of writing.

I liked the characters in this book. The chemistry between McElwee and Veronica made the story work. I liked the cheesy way he wrote the story when in the 1940s. So reminiscent of detective novels from that era. The author makes you think as he gives the rules about writing a novel from the perspective of the bad writer and then switches it, up by ignoring those rules. It’s definitely the kind of book you need to stop and think about for a minute now and then while reading it.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

“I think an author who writes crappy novels should be punished by having to live inside the novel of an even crappier author”.

Joe McElwee has been living in penury for years as a writer of literary fiction.
He finally 'sells out' to write cliched potboilers, which earns him lots of money and fame. But not everyone is happy. One of the very few admirers of his early fiction curses him to live the life of a character in a crappy novel.
So begins the mystery on how McElwee solves the murder mystery in a formulaic novel, breaking the stereotypical norms set to appease the masses.

This is a very meta fiction which parodies all the known tropes in the detective thriller genre. The author throws startling insights into the art of writing. At times it became philosophical, but it was easy to identify with the character's angst.
I enjoyed the unusual theme and quirky writing style. The book is funny and imaginative.

I should thank Netgalley for introducing me to Andrew Diamond's books through the ARC of '32 Minutes'. I was impressed and went on to read his other books on Kindle. I have liked them all. "To Hell with Johnny Manic" is my favorite.

Once again thanks to Netgalley, the Publisher and Author for the ARC of 'The Sellout'. Highly recommended

Full disclosure before I start - I received a copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is the first time I get to say "meta" in a review. The premise of this book is that an author of literary fiction decides that he would actually like to make some money from his writing, and caves in to write a formulaic thriller which is hugely successful. The problem is that the author, as well as a bookseller who has supported him, feels guilty regarding this success. There are not many references to the need to pay rent, buy food and live at above subsistence level as a justification for "selling out" to write popular fiction rather than continuing to write highbrow literary fiction which has a small readership. The author becomes entrapped as a character in a formulaic 1940s noir mystery, which is populated by a series of well worn crime fiction tropes. The author manages to get a few swipes in to the publishing industry as well. It was fun to see how the tropes came to life and interacted with each other.

The mystery was not very hard to figure out, but the premise was intriguing and was well written. My second book by this author (first was Johnny Manic) and Andrew Diamond definitely does not succumb to a pattern in his writing. Absolutely worth a read!

This book is not my usual read but I wanted to try something different and it intrigued me! I did get a bit lost at points but I did enjoy it overall, especially as it was something new to me.

A novel in a novel, if you like comic genre this is for you. Reminds me of the film sincity, totally zany and kooky. A total eclipse from reality.