Twisted evil full of greed, empowerment, and arrogance… So many characters in Snake Oil are self-centered and oblivious to everything except their personal brand of success. The book spirals along as their pursuit of greatness overwhelms even basic mores.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I started this and truly couldn't get into it! I enjoy women's fiction about the insane quest to achieve societal beauty standards, but this book seemed incredibly cult-y and derivative of other similar books in the genre that I didn't care for (namely The Glow by Jessie Gaynor and Self Care by Leigh Stein).

Thank you Mariner Books for the copy of Snake Oil by Kelsey Rae Dimberg. I have worked for startups and have friends who are startup founders and I loved how Dimberg captured Rhoda’s inspirational, supportive public voice and the cultish nature of the employees. Dimberg is obviously well-versed in how startups operate. The character and story development were great, but it took so long to get to the “shocking tragedy” that my interest started to flag, waiting for something to happen. Things picked up and I couldn’t stop reading until the startling reveal. If you want a fun, fast read, try this one. You won’t be disappointed. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Snake Oil isn't your run of the mill tell all faux wellness company story. Dimberg has conjured a very believable start up and very believable characters. The main voices are complex human beings. The story doesn't end with a big reveal -in fact at that point, it is just getting started!

Enter the world of Radical - a wellness culture for woman started by Rhoda, a young(ish) and hungry capitalist. She is pushing against the male dominated start up world with every step supported by her business partner Jason. Inside the company, Dani is a young(ish) customer service rep who is anxious to do what ever it takes to be the perfect woman Radical helps you imagine. Her friend and colleague Cecilia is a bit more....realistic.

Perfect plotting and timing and thrilling
#mariner #marinerbooks #snakeoil #radicalidiocy #kelseyraedimberg

This book has a large spoiler close to the beginning, so the synopsis is about all that can be covered! The story is about Radical, a lifestyle/wellness company that kept making me think of a high-tech “Goop” while I was reading it. Of course the emphasis is on beauty from clean living (aka, using their skincare products), but they also make MANY supplements for a host of ailments. Their newest product is Lift, something of a homeopathic anti-depressant that could revolutionize the market.

The women who work there, the “Radigals”, are encouraged to try Lift for market data and research. The book is about the company, but also three of those women - Rhoda, the founder and CEO, Dani, a pregnant woman working at Radical and doing the Lift trial, and Cecelia, a Customer Service Representative (known at Radical as the “Customer Worship” department). Cecelia never bought into the whole wellness thing, and created an online account called @radicalidiocy, where she posts her frustrations about the company.

Then, as we know from the synopsis, something bad happens at a party, and then that’s the rest of the book. These three women are thrown into the wringer, and as more comes out about Radical’s past, Rhoda’s current employees begin to question their commitment. Is anything she says true? Are they really just selling her expensive snake oil?

I’m very torn on this book - if you work at a place like that, you probably have some idea that profits are more important than actual health and well-being. Egos are more important than meditation and soothing balms. Maybe it just took some people longer to catch on. Also, the beginning and ending of the book are great, but the middle got very drawn-out. The writing was very flowy (I get jt, I can be the same!) which made for a lot of unnecessary pages that bogged the book down. Overall though, this was decent-to-good with some fun surprises. 3.5 stars.

(Thank you to Mariner Books, Kelsey Rae Dimburg and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on September 17, 2024.)

"Snake Oil" is a contemporary social satire set in the world of a billion-dollar wellness company, Radical, where appearances and ambitions collide with skepticism and hidden agendas. The novel alternates perspectives between Rhoda West, the charismatic yet paranoid founder of Radical; Cecilia Cole, a cynical team member grappling with chronic pain and a secret mission; and Dani Lang, a loyal employee whose dream job turns into a nightmare of disillusionment. The narrative explores themes of ambition, deception, and the murky truths behind the wellness industry.

While some find the portrayal of startup culture and the wellness industry compelling and well-developed, others criticize its treatment of feminist themes and its shallow exploration of intersectionality. The plot, filled with twists and turns, keeps readers engaged, although opinions on its feminist critique vary. Overall, it's recommended for those interested in thrillers and intrigued by the complexities of wellness and hustle culture.

This book reminded me a lot of Mona Awads "Rouge" and E.K. Sathue's "Youth Juice" hence hte 3 star rating. I speculate that I would have enjoyed it more had I not read Rouge or Youth Juice. However, good book and fun summer read!

Kelsey Rae Dimberg, you will always be famous. I'm still trying to process how you were able to craft this masterpiece. I cannot wait until the world gets to have access to this book. GREAT JOB!

Snake Oil was filled with twists and turns that kept me stuck to its pages. Initially starting slow, about halfway picks up its pace and has you questioning which of its narrators is telling the truth. The premise of the dirty business behind a wellness start up is almost too realistic it makes you question what goes on behind the products you may swear by. Overall interesting plot and incredible ending.

Just shock after shock! Wild ride until the end! Told from 3 perspectives it gives a view into the toxic world of wellness and beauty. You'll finish this book and feel like you eased dropped on the conversation that could cost you your life.

In Kelsey Rae Dimberg's "Snake Oil" we find ourselves asking, is wellness real or is it snake oil? That is a question we are posed as readers early on. As an avid Goop/Gwyneth Paltrow fan there are parallels between them and Radical/Rhoda which the author drew from and I loved. The author played off of startup culture and the wellness industry realistically in my opinion and sucked me right into the story.

We meet Rhoda the CEO or She-E-O and Stanford drop out. Dani, a Radical employee has drank the proverbial Kool-Aid or rather vitamins and juice remedies and works on the Customer Worship team with Cecelia who is disillusioned with what Radical is selling. Add in a rogue Twitter account that’s sharing secrets and snark we have a twisty yet realistic novel. I found the characters interesting in a setting we could either see ourselves working, wishing we owned or buying their products. The characters lives are intertwined, complex and relatable.

This book is contemporary, a satire, part mystery and thriller rolled into it and I couldn’t put it down. Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a sucker for books about 'girl-boss' CEOs who get taken down by employees or customers (but ultimately, by themselves). This is one of those, and I think it's done successfully. It's told from a few different POVs and they all have a different enough voice that it feels fresh, and there are some twists that I didn't see coming. It was a good read with an interesting take on the cult of wellness.

Super super good! The pacing was really good, keeping me interested and wanting to know more about all three women. The shifting of POVs was insightful and also added another layer of suspense, wanting to know who was where doing what and how it would all come together. The characters were interesting and in different spaces I was able to empathize and find where they were both “good” and “bad”.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this upcoming book!
3/5 stars for me

Ultimately, here is what I have to say. I am seeing a trend with chick lit/mystery books that are exploring the dark side of beauty and the industry as a whole. Of course under that is the wellness trend. Maybe it was too soon, but there was nothing new here for me.

Think suspense thriller featuring a Gwyneth Paltrow/ Steven Bartlett mash up.

⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5)

This book really excels in the portrayal of startup culture and the wellness industry - while there are a batch of stories in this vein right now, I think the setting of this one was pulled off really well and much more fully realised than e.g. Ripe. The 3 main characters, especially CEO Rhoda, leap off the page, and I found their ambitions and conflicts convincing and engrossing. The pacing kept me hooked and I finished this in just two days.

Without giving any spoilers, I think this book disappointed me as a feminist. There's a lot of gaslight/gatekeep/girlboss going on, I thought this was going to be critiqued but in the end it just felt low key applauded. There was an opportunity to consider intersectionality here - we have race and disability among our cast of characters, but they just kinda appear superficially as characterisation tools without getting a full exploration or conversation. A few other narrative points felt like they could have been something interesting but fizzled into nothing or was abruptly abandoned.

Overall I'd recommend this as a beach read, for thriller fans who aren't as finicky as me and for folks intrigued by wellness and hustle culture.

Rhoda is a girl boss and the founder of a billion dollar wellness company. She is seen as driven and flawless but deep down she fears that it could all be taken away from her. This book examines the concept of female ambition and the downfalls that can come along with it. It was such a good read and I would recommend!

Lots going on, but I appreciated this realistic look at working for a start-up and how social media rules all our lives in one way or another. Thank you to Mariner Books for the ARC!

4.5/5.0

Another well-crafted contemporary social satire that uses vantage point to showcase how jumping to conclusions about the people you think you know can be tragic, with a unique wellness industry spin. Coming September 2024.

Kelsey Rae Dimberg's "Snake Oil" contrasts female ambition with profound skepticism and disdain for deceptive marketing. It alternates perspectives between Rhoda, the ambitious founder of Radical, a wellness company on track to reach a billion-dollar valuation; Cecilia, a "Customer Worship" team member grappling with chronic pain and cynicism; and Dani, her friend and coworker with unwavering loyalty to Radical.

Perfect for readers who recognize shades of grey in human nature and society, but be aware that the novel features a significant focus on pregnancy for those sensitive to the topic.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

OK, snake oil literary fiction with a driller harsh vibe. I’ve been really into wood. Skincare mix with a little bit of bizarreness really enjoy this start to finish. The cover is intense and the story just gripped me an interesting how it all pulls in. Read this book and like one setting so good.

The premise and the cover of this book are both SO GOOD. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with the writing. The pacing wasn't fast enough to draw me in. I probably just expected something different, which happens. I do think there are great elements to this book that will resonate with other readers who have different expectations.

This one was a disappointment for me. Loved the premise but found the book to be very slow paced to the point of boring. I considered DNFing a few times but was interested enough to find out the ending.