#FashionVictim

by Amina Akhtar

[Quirky Cat]

3 1/2 Stars

#Fashionvictim has got to be one of the quirkiest books I’ve read in quite some time. I feel like that’s saying something too.
The novel is Amina Akhtar’s debut novel, and fortunately for her, it made it onto the BOTM options – something that I’m sure helped it gain more attention. The novel itself is about the fashion industry. Not so much the designing elements of it, but the print elements. Think of the Devil Wears Prada, only with some unhealthy obsessions about fashion heroes.



Warnings: So, there’s a lot of murdering in this book. I wouldn’t normally bring that up, but some of the deaths have weird details in them that are kind of off-putting? So it seemed worthwhile to mention. There’s also a lot of pressure about dieting, and implications of eating disorders.
I’m not sure what I expected when I started reading #fashionvictim, but man was this a weird thriller if ever I’ve read one. It sort of read like somebody’s revenge fic – something that really really hated working in the fashion industry.
Which to be fair, I feel like that’s something most of us can sympathize with. However, it does sort of set the tone for this novel. It’s whacky and unique, to be sure. I wouldn’t say that it was one of my favorite reads…but I also don’t regret reading it.
My biggest problem with the novel ironically had to do with the character’s flippant behavior about serious situations. This behavior could absolutely be a symptom of a mental disorder of some sort, but it seems like nobody else in the world is capable of picking up on that. Even when there’s hard evidence indicating something wrong occurring. Those parts bugged me quite a bit, but honestly, I did find the rest of the novel oddly enjoyable.
It had a lot of commentary on the fashion world, both good and bad. And I still maintain that somebody had a grudge going into this novel. Not that that’s a bad thing or anything – how many authors have killed off a neighbor they hate in a novel they wrote? It’s not unheard of. Sometimes it can even make things a bit more interesting.
#fashionvictim was an extremely quick read. The book itself is relatively short, and there are plenty of chapter breaks. Between all of that and the pacing, it felt like I was through this book in no time. I actually think that I finished it in one sitting. So even if you don’t end up loving it, just remember that it doesn’t take that much of a time investment at least.
I enjoyed some of the more unique elements of this novel, even while I did have some legitimate complaints about it at the same time. I don’t regret the time spent reading it either. Though I honestly am curious about what everyone else thought about it. Any input?


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