The last time I felt such a rush after finishing a book was with last year’s Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Confidence feels like an instant classic and a strong contender on this year’s must-read list. The book was incredibly well-written with such layered and dynamic characters. A remarkable journey from start to finish.

I must confess to feeling quite conflicted about this book. On the one hand the main characters are devoid of ethics and on the other it kept me fascinated all the way through - in a train wreck kind of way. I received this as an advance copy from the author via NetGalley as a review copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

** SPOILERS **

Fans of the tragic, anxiety-provoking conflicts of Succession will probably enjoy this book. But if you're looking for a healthy/mutual romance or a "bad guys win!" deal, you might not be a fan.

There are a few things I loved about this book. The author's writing style is lovely and the premise of two dastardly conmen falling in love is fantastic. In fact, the whole first half of the book is pretty great.

The second half of the book is where it starts to falter. The description of this book focuses heavily on Ezra and Orson's relationship, but we barely see Orson in the second half of the book, and their relationship is eventually nonexistent. It seems strange that Ezra would remain so fixated on Orson for YEARS, even after their breakup, to the point that he would go to jail for him. Orson's charisma doesn't seem powerful enough to warrant this kind of decades-long devotion.

Their relationship is also painfully one-sided and manipulative. Even though the description emphasizes their relationship, it doesn't really seem like a romance so much as Orson just using Ezra. Ezra's obliviousness to Orson's manipulations, and his insistence that they are happily in love, gets repetitive and depressing.

I had hoped the relationship would be healthier and more mutual. I wouldn't even have minded if both of them used each other equally -- anything to make it feel a little less one-sided. I can respect that the author wanted to play on that power imbalance, but it just didn't appeal to me.

Another thing that I liked about this book was its critique of capitalism and the American Dream. I enjoyed the protagonists' righteous and satisfying cons on the rich, but it became increasingly hard to root for them as they end up becoming the very thing they once hated, taking advantage of the vulnerable and putting people into hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt.

I actually liked the ending, in a tragic way. It seems only fitting that Ezra would never be able to escape Orson, that Orson would appear as his "savior" amid Ezra's loneliness, and that they would always find a way to make money. However, I think this would have been much more effective if we had seen more of Ezra and Orson's relationship in the second half of the book, rather than relying on the memories of the first half.

Please note that I am a very picky reader, especially where romances are concerned. Criticism aside, Frumkin's writing style and ideas are lovely, and I would love to read any other work they publish in the future.

There's a sucker born every minute, they say. You have to wonder why con artists don't put their intelligence and talents to more legitimate pursuits, don't you? This is the darkly comic tale of two such men, Ezra Green and Orson Ortman, who meet at a camp for troubled teens, recognize each other's unique talents and form a lasting bond. Over the next fifteen years or so, they perfect their art of the scam in the pursuit of the American Dream. One is handsome and charismatic, the other the brains, and between the two of them, they create a billionaire-dollar business they call NuLife to help people find peace and bliss (for a price, of course). But can this con hold up?

This is a very well-written story: it's interesting to watch these clever but deeply-flawed men maneuver other people to part with their money through their wits and personality alone. In the end, is Ezra the biggest sucker of all to be so in love with Orson? How symbolic that Ezra is going blind.

I received an arc of this novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I really, really enjoyed this creative and engrossing novel. It's almost difficult to talk about without spoiling the surprise of many of the plot points, but I can say the opening of the book centers on the two con men of the book, who happen to be both friends and lovers. Or at least, lovers in secret. Some of the drama in this book comes from the apparently bisexual Charming Dream Boat wanting to hide his intimate relationship with his quiet Partner in Crime, and the other storyline is even more unpredictable, IMO--the pair are heading a pseudo-wellness pyramid scheme by the 50% mark, and the stakes get progressively wilder. This book is really funny, engrossing, and very queer. I can absolutely see it being turned into a movie.

Wasn’t the right time for me to read but I know this dark comedy has potential. The greed, the trickery, the love story. All elements of a good book, just didn’t hit the spot for me.

This book was Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow meets Elizabeth Holmes: a story of corruption and power wrapped in a complex romance and a breathtaking depiction of disability. I found myself tensing my shoulders while reading, rooting for Ezra, the book’s antihero, even while seeing him self-sabotage again and again.

Confidence was a story that took me by surprise. When I read the synopsis, I thought of it as a modern-day take on Bonnie & Clyde, however, the story took some interesting twists and turns that I both did not see coming but also am not sure if I like. For example, the plot line of Ezra slowly losing his eyesight can be viewed as a very straight forward plot line but can also be interpreted as Ezra quite literally "turning a blind eye" to his wrongs and to willingly go along with Orson's con ideas in "blind faith". While I appreciated the literary tone that this struck, I vacillated between enjoying this particular plot line and being annoyed by it. Overall, the story was engaging, and the ending was a surprise to me (even though it should have been what I expected). I thought the writing was fantastic and reflected on the humanity behind modern day cons.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in current day fraudulent schemes such as Theranos and Fyre Festival.

Confidence was an interesting book, to say the least. Even though from the first page we know Ez ends up in jail, the book really pulled you along and made you want to know more. Confidence had some crazy elements that made my eyes widen. It was interesting having characters you didn’t exactly root for but were invested in. The middle of the book gets a bit tedious to read with a lot of nothing happening, but it does pick up again in the last 70% or so.

This book was a solid 4/5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel details a hustler who began scamming as a teenager and worked his way into the major leagues.

3.5 stars. "History has known some truly persuasive con artists: P.T. Barnum, L. Ron Hubbard, Donald Trump." So begins the prologue to this novel, the story of two other con artists: Ezra and Orson, the classic odd-couple combination of brains and charm, who meet as juvenile delinquents and grow to build lives of lies as they pursue their only goal: money. This dark humor satire of the American Dream is all about the grift, and Ezra and Orson are wildly successful at it, for a while until all comes crashing down. I found this to be an entertaining -- but insightful -- read, even though Ezra and Orson are not at all likable characters, and the ending made me laugh out loud.

While not satire, this novel is surely a bitter commentary on scam artistry and the constant seeking of "enlightenment" as a concept sale. Orson and Ezra meet at "last chance" camp for boys going down the "wrong path." Their friendship becomes one of desire and opportunities for taking advantage of the rich. Culminating in their founding of NuLife and it's related "The Farm" where their customers/followers come to be Synthesized by Orson. Ezra's diminishing eyesight, Orson's increasing distance, and a series of financially questionable decisions lead to their ultimate demise.

I really enjoyed Confidence, and learning more about Ezra and Orson's relationship. I thought the con of the NuLife company was well thought out and made for some interesting moments in the story.

this is the story of two young men, hard circumstances and lots of smarts get them into the con business. Ezra is totally/obsessively in love with Orson, who loves him but also loves other things more. The first half of the book is fun, funny, interesting as we root for them to succeed with their various scams. It loses a lot in the second half, built a successful pyramid style, similar to Scientology, it falls kind of flat and not all that believable. Resolution is somewhat more interesting but it had a lot of potential that it didn't quite meet for me3.5

When Ezra Green ends up at Last Chance Camp, it seems he is more likely to end up in jail than as one of the nation's most successful business leaders. But at the camp, he meets Orson who, even at 17, is charming, brilliant, and with an unmatched ability for scamming people. The two become fast friends and then more, as they embark on a series of schemes culminating in NuLife, a company which promises instant enlightenment if a customer uses one of their so-called cutting edge devices. As the company seemingly becomes increasingly successful, Ezra must scramble to keep what despite all outward appearances a scam going, even as he feels Orson, the center of his world, pulling away.

This is a perceptive and completely engaging story, filled with strong characters and interesting insights. Once you pick this one up, you won't want to put it down until you see what happens.

Highly recommended!

I really loved this book. So funny, but also touching—the lengths a person will go to for love. I will certainly be recommending this one. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Startup and hustle culture parodies are a dime a dozen, but of the whole genre, this one might be my favorite. It follows two grifters who meet a a juvie camp and pull bigger and bigger scams, culminating with a company that's a combination of Theranos, Goop, and a cult. There's an Elon Musk type, a failed coup, and a flip by the FBI right out of the Caroline Ellison playbook. It's a fast and super enjoyable read.

A queer story about two scam artists you can’t help but root for from start to finish 💗 Ezra and Orson meet as juvenile delinquents and decide to start working together to take from the rich and give to… themselves. Before long they’ve graduated to an enlightenment business that relies on Ezra’s behind the scenes acumen, Orson’s cult leader like charisma, and a Theranos type device that promises to give its users bliss. Of course, all good scams must come to an end 👀 I absolutely loved this book! The characters were well developed, the plot was a wild ride, and the ending was *chef’s kiss.* I didn’t expect to fall so in love with Ezra who spends the entire book vacillating between deep longing for Orson and blind, nearly furious ambition at the expense of everything else. I’d love to see this as a movie!

Very similar to some of the real life scams like Fyre Festival and Anna Sorokin that really hoodwink people and the power of perception. Really enjoyed it and the character development throughout the course of the novel!

Quite a fun read! I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with Ezra and Orson and enjoyed the smooth development of their characters. The plot was interesting and quite a fun ride, plus the ending was well written and I was not ready to put down the adventure! Would totally recommend!