This one was a little too weird and tongue in cheek for me. It was snarky, but almost like it was trying to hard. I made it to 40% and gave up. The main character was OBNOXIOUS.

A chaotic satiric look at internet fame and a murder mystery rom com to boot! That's a lot and some readers, myself included, might find themselves tiring as Rose spirals. Rose took Poppy down, only a bit, but now Poppy's back in the world, living her best life, and Rose is determined to finally reveal and prove the rest of the story. While I lost interest, I'm sure I'm an outlier. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

I am a huge fan of Hariri-Kia as a person but felt disappointed by her first book - the premise sounded fantastic and it just didn't live up. I wasn't sure what to expect with the second novel but she KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK. The story was even more campy than it sounds and I absolutely devoured it. It's whipsmart and laugh-out-loud funny and transcends genre as it weaves between thriller, crime, and romance. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time - and don't even get me started on the rug under your feet twist at the end.

This is begging to be made into a Netflix miniseries! Will be recommending this to everyone when it debuts!

I don't know why I loved this book so much! It actually shocked me by how much I liked it. I will say it was hard to fit into a category—I couldn't figure out if it was romance, mystery, or a thriller—but it was definitely campy. I'm not the biggest fan of the cover. I want it to either be a limited series on Netflix or a movie. It was so campy and outrageous, and I don't want to spoil anything, but I am excited for Iman's next book. She's definitely an author to read. Her perspective was fresh and entertaining.

The Most Famous Girl in the World by Iman Hariri-Kia
Humor-Satire / Mystery-Thriller

This book is Anna Delvey coded. ....with a side of the humor and banter of the Finlay Donovan series!

We follow Rose, a journalist who's friends and boss feel is obsessed with Poppy Hastings, a high-end scam artist, as she tries to prove that her instincts are right: not all is as it seems where Poppy is concerned.

The cast includes a hunky FBI agent who has his own agenda when it comes to outing Poppy, Rose's two best friends who are both endearing, a quirky roommate, a mean boss, and parents that are kept in the dark.

The story pokes fun at our society's obsession with modern celebrity, includes a deeper theme of first generation born Americans (Rose is the daughter of Iranian immigrants), has funny banter and enough mystery to keep the pages turning! ALSO: the epilogue sets up an option for a sequel? Which I would definitely read!

Thank you to @bookmarked and @NetGalley for the advanced e-copy!

Will be posted to instagram on/before Sept 17: https://www.instagram.com/nicolesreadthat/?hl=en

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for my copy! All thoughts are my own!

This book truly could not be coming out at a better time than with the announcement of Anna Delvey joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars. I was literally reading this book while Good Morning America made the announcement. So, if you were totally and completely riveted by her story and the Netflix show, Inventing Anna, you are going to want to read this book.

But it more than a fictionalized version of Anna Delvey. It’s about the media and how someone can rise to fame not of their own actions, but with an obsession that takes hold with our virality culture. I really liked how this book felt so different in terms of content from Iman’s debut but still stayed true to her almost irreverent writing style. It’s not a romance, but there is romance. It’s not a thriller, but it’s so thrilling. It’s not a mystery, but you’re left wondering what the heck is going to happen next.

Synopsis:

“Rose Aslani is mid-bikini wax when her phone lights up with a notification: Famed scam artist Poppy Hastings will be released from prison today.

It's been two years since Rose—a first-generation Middle Eastern American, functional trainwreck, and reporter for online journal The Shred—wrote the investigative article that exposed Poppy as a socialite grifter. Normally, one of her articles going viral would be cause for celebration, but the highly publicized trial that followed turned Poppy into the internet's favorite celebrity. And Rose has been reeling from the aftermath ever since. Although Poppy served her time for defrauding some of the richest, most powerful men in the world, Rose knows this is only the tip of the iceberg for Poppy's crimes. She just can't prove it yet… At least not without the help of a devilishly handsome FBI agent gone rogue.

As Poppy's star rises as an influencer and pop-culture icon, Rose quickly descends into a downward spiral of guilt and obsession. Her article created Poppy's fame, so Rose needs to right her wrong by exposing Poppy for the monster that she is. But it's not going to be easy taking down the most famous girl in the world.

Campy, satirical, and utterly hilarious, The Most Famous Girl in the World is both a scathing indictment of modern celebrity and a thrilling rollercoaster ride of unhinged hijinks that will keep you gasping at every turn of the page.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Concept—Like most of the world, I watched Inventing Anna and got wrapped up in the whole Anna Delvey of it all. I thought this was such a fun concept, seeing it from a media persona’s POV.

The Pacing—Wow does this book MOVE. It almost made me anxious because things kept piling on for Rose and Iman’s writing of Rose’s anxiety, frustrations, fears, and anger is so visceral you can’t help but fall into the first person POV.

The Energy—Like the pacing, the energy of the book is just infectious. Iman’s writing is natural and readable, giving the reader moments were they laugh out loud, cringe, gasp and propulsive.

The Ending—I literally was like…are we getting a sequel??? (are we???)

What Didn’t Work:

Some of the Language—Like I said, there are some cringe moments. I mostly had this happen when I felt like the fourth wall was totally broken one or two times and it took me out of the story.

Character Authenticity: 4/5

Spice Rating: 2.5/5 Overall Rating: 4/5 Content Warnings:

alcohol and drug use, drug abuse, murder, violence, death

I think the pitch for this story is so interesting and creative but the execution didn’t work for me in the slightest. The dialogue felt incredibly unnatural to me and the pacing was strange. For a book with a thriller aspect, I don’t think it built any suspense.

I was pretty sure I was not going to like this one from the opening line, which I found unnecessarily crude and which really set the tone of the book unfortunately... It's not that I'm averse to graphic descriptions or language if they advance the storyline, but this felt like it was designed to shock the reader and nothing more. As I continued to read, I realized that was the point of the whole book - our society's obsession with outrage and scandal - and that's when I knew for sure it wasn't for me.

So why, you ask, did I request it at all - since it didn't exactly hide the eight ball as far as what it was about? I'll tell you - I was once again drawn in by a blurb that bore very little resemblance to the actual novel... I am resoundingly fed up with this cultural phenomenon of social media infamy, and yet was drawn to this book because of the description which promised it to be "Campy, satirical, and utterly hilarious". I recently finished Zero Stars, Would Not Recommend and I'm Starting to Worry about this Black Box of Doom, both of which tackled this issue in a snarky, wry, thoughtful and actually hilarious way, and I thoroughly enjoyed them both. I was expecting something similar here. Instead what I found was a rabbit hole of obsession and craziness that turned my stomach rather than tickled my funny bone. The characters are pathetic and I didn't find much funny here at all. It felt sad and lost and like spiraling out of control, and I'm not a fan of reading about any of those things, particularly in this context. This one was NOT for me...

So campy and silly and laugh out loud funny! I’m such a sucker for a messy, unhinged character and Rose fits the mold perfectly. My only thing is that I still don't know how I feel about the epilogue... Is this going to be a series???

This book was unlike that I read, and I loved it. That ending! Omg! I was engrossed in the whole story but the ending blew me away.

Iman Hariri Kia’s *The Most Famous Girl in the World* is a sharp, humorous satire of social media culture. The novel follows a teenage influencer whose rise to fame is as ridiculous as it is fast, providing a witty critique of celebrity obsession and online life. Hariri Kia’s writing is filled with clever dialogue and self-deprecating humor, making the story both entertaining and insightful. While the plot can be predictable and some conflicts are resolved too conveniently, the book’s humor and satire shine through, making it an engaging read for those interested in a comedic take on modern fame.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this arc!

The Most Famous Girl in the World has an exciting premise and it’s a very campy storyline. There’s a lot of strong language (including a very memorable opening first line), and the author borrows a lot from current internet culture. Overall, it was, at times, difficult for me to stay interested in the story and I wondered if that was a generational thing. This might work better for older Gen Z. I did really enjoy reading something from a Middle Eastern POV, however, and found that Iman Hariri-Kia has a very smart way with words.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ a cat and mouse chase type murder mystery, between a reporter, an FBI Agent and a socialite grifter/influencer. Rose’s big break came from an expose of Poppy, who was released from prison. Then people started ending up dead.

Somehow this was well written, kind of funny in parts, but my word did I dislike the main character. She seemed so crass, so self-pitying, so arrogant. I am all for flawed characters but I genuinely didn’t like spending time with Rose. The murder victims were people we barely know, but it was interesting to try to figure out exactly what was going on. The pacing was great and so was the dialogue.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC. Book to be published September 17, 2024.

The Most Famous Girl in the World follow the unlikeable journalist Rose and her obsession with social media starlet, Poppy. Poppy give big Anna Delvey vibes as she gains traction as socialite and "it" girl via unscrupulous means. Rose suffers a complete break down after helps put Poppy behind bars.

But, Poppy's out on parole. Rose's sanity and job are hanging by a thread. Can she keep her head down and let Poppy be?

Of course not! This was a fun ride. I think this book will do well with new adult readers--it read more like a buzzy, netflix limited series. I will say that there were a couple of twists at the end I didn't see coming. The writing was well done and very funny at times.

4/5 stars

It took me awhile to write this review because I kept going back and forth on this book. Ultimately, I will say, this book is campy, silly, and surprisingly spicy.

You do have to go into this book knowing that it’s satirical (which I did not at first) and it takes a second for the plot to find its groove. But once it’s there, the book is so much fun to read!

Our main character Rose is obsessed with a fictionalized Anna Devly character, and ends up in a wild goose chase trying to pin point crimes on our Anna. There were a few times that I was like “wow this is wildly unbelievable” but I think that’s what ends up making the book a very fun read! You end up becoming as obsessed as Rose trying to uncover what the truth is.

If you need a fun, silly book with a kooky cast of characters, I say pick it up :) but if you’re looking for something more serious, I wouldn’t recommend.
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A sharp, fun read with major Anna Delvey vibes. If you were as captivated by her story as I was, or if you enjoy a messy, unhinged narrator, pick this one up.

The author’s musings on modern celebrity culture and mass conspiracy were thought-provoking and timely. The dialogue was funny, even if the use of contemporary internet slang felt over the top at times.

The ending left just enough unanswered questions to keep me thinking—and maybe even anticipating a sequel? We’ll see!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I don’t know what to say about this book other than it was an interesting premise with absolutely terrible execution. The character development is lacking, the plot is nonsensical, and the writing is juvenile at best. I probably should have DNFed this, but I always feel bad when I don’t finish an ARC.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. Rose was messy and funny and real. Her friends are people that I feel I would be friends with. It’s campy and sometimes over the top but it really felt like this could be a true story with how we worship and glorify awful people, especially celebrities, to a point it becomes unhealthy. This would have been a 5 star if not for the ending. I’m hoping that we get to revisit Rose and her story again. There are some spicy scenes and I’m going to be real honest I skimmed those. I’m not super into spicy books and didn’t really think that it would be in this, but it was fine. I was really rooting for her and Simon. All in all if you want a fun mostly light hearted murder story this one will be great for you. It doesn’t seem to take it’s self to seriously but does make some good points on media and celebrity worship.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced reader copy.

The premise was interesting enough--piggybacking on the Anna Delvey tale, but with a main character of color who gets too entangled with the story she's reporting and a potential murderer--but the execution didn't pull it off. The voice and actions of the main character felt like it was trying too hard to be edgy and different. I found myself less and less interested in what the main character was doing and thinking.

Wow! I loved this! I couldn’t put it down and read during every free second I could spare. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!