This was a completely compelling and page turning book, and I tore through it in less than two days. It is at once the story of two conmen who rise through the ranks of society with their fake meditation science and also a look into a codependent relationship that neither can truly separate from for different reasons- one because he is addicted to the thrill of the con, the other because he is in love with the first. Ezra in particular is a fascinating character, a man of gray morality whose utter devotion (obsession?) with having Orson’s love causes him to lose nearly everything. The juxtaposition of his increasing blindness with his unwillingness to face the reality about the events around him or his relationship with Orson provides the crux of the story, and he inspires pity and scorn in equal measure. A unique and timely story.

Con men, queer love, and corporate colonization - this book covers a lot of ground.

Full of wonderfully unlikeable characters, CONfidence is the fictional relative of many a recent startup scandal (Theranos, Fyre, WeWork, etc.). And just when you think it's time for a redemption arc, you'll be disappointed all over again.

While the first half of the book succeeds in plot, pace, and character development, the second half fails to keep up. The narrative becomes repetitive, and elements that are new feel out of place.

one star off because it started to feel a touch repetitive in the middle but i do love it when gay people have terrible personalities

In writing this review, I think I've started to like the book more: to be honest, my only complaints were that the characters frustrated me at times and that I couldn't really understand how they could act the way they did at times, but the characters are unlikeable and deeply flawed and badly reasoned intentionally. Perhaps, it just isn't entirely my genre.

Ezra was an absolutely fascinating character to follow; his reasoning, his obsessiveness, his blind (pun intended (sorry)) loyalty. The story is told as something of a recounting of events; the tone is sustained throughout the book and serves to fully flesh Ezra out. The characters surrounding him, including Orson are all also well written: we never know more than we would if we had been in an interaction with them, which I highly appreciated.

The pacing of the books is sustained and the build up is quite subtle; you almost don't notice it until you realize you haven't taken a full breath for a few pages as the tension has ridden so high. Some of the developments seem almost outlandish when removed from their development and that, truly, is part of the beauty of this book.

The book is also impeccably structured -- the symbolism, the parallels, it's beautiful. Despite the tone of the book overall being very dry, there are moments when you can truly feel the muffled intensity of the happenings; stunning execution.

Overall, honestly, it's a great book.

I think this would've made a better short story or novella. Not much happens during the middle, character or plotwise; Orson and Ezra's ascent to the top is very linear and without any real obstacles. And these characters don't get much development or depth, so it was hard to see why Ezra loved Orson so much, which is arguably the core of the novel.

This book was really interesting--intense and layered. I enjoyed reading about the characters without ever really liking any of them. Their relationships were complex and messy, and watching the sway that a single personality can have on an international scale felt especially relevant to recent years.

This was such a fun ride! I loved hanging with Ezra and Orson and am very impressed with the ease and extent in which the author developed the characters. The plot was so interesting and as it built to its pinnacle, I waited for the other shoe to drop. It did take a while, but it was a very fun ride. The ending was very satisfying and well done; however, I was not ready to be done with the adventure. I hope this book gets the accolades it well deserves when it finally comes out in March 2023. It’s brilliant!Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this beautiful gem!

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.

Ah, finally. I’ve been waiting to read this book for a while, ever since Netgalley offered a deficient ARC. The first chapter engaged me absolutely and then I had to wait until the publisher reached out and ever so kindly furnished a proper ARC. So naturally the question is…as it worth the wait?
The answer is YES…mostly. The story did take some directions I didn’t quite expect from the first chapter, but hey, don’t you want your books to surprise you?
I love con stories. I find them uniquely American, like apple pie and gun violence. I’m sure there are con artists all over the world, but there’s something about the very specifically American blend of stupidity/gullibility, rampant and baseless exceptionalism and individualism and, above all, the greed and exigencies of Mammon that makes the art of con proliferate and thrive here.
This is very much a con story.
A story of two young men - the proverbial odd couple of charm and brains – that sets up a personality programing cult. Well, technically they start off small, but cults are where the real money are, so they turn to that. And they are killing it too, for a while. But then, like every tower that reaches too far…
What gives the story its emotional backbone is the profound, obsessive, and ultimately destructive love the two men share. Or, more specifically, one of them has for the other. The balance is way off between the geek and his Adonis and it ends up being as messy and complicated as such dynamics tend to go.
And so, in three classic acts, you get to witness a version of the American dream. The pursuit of green at all costs. All that.
And yes, it is compelling and well-crafted and clever. Like a good con.
Not sure how much I enjoyed the characters as far as emotional engagements go. There’s something tragically pathetic about the geek and something oddly vague and unfocused about the object of his desperate attentions. But overall, this was definitely a very good read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

While I appreciated the witty satirical take on the American Dream, this book was a mess. The linear timeline interspersed with flashbacks didn't work, the middle slumped big time, and the ending was super predictable.

If you loved satirical books like Black Buck, you might find this one lacking...

CONfidence (emphasis mine) is the fictional baby of every true crime scam, hustle and cult of personality. This book is ideal for anyone who can't tear themselves away from the newest podcasts and limited series about romance scams, Theranos, WeWork, Ponzi schemes, and communal living gone wrong.

When Ezra and Orson meet at a Last Chance Camp for teen criminals, it feels like destiny. Something awakens in Ezra - it's not just romantic desire - it's something more, a magnetism that tells him life without Orson isn't life. Orson gives Ezra a purpose, a reason to use his talents for more. Together, they build a life of lies and longing, eventually love, and then loss.

Interesting premise here, but the plot really slowed down in the middle and I felt like more could have happened/been introduced.

I liked this story - had a hard time finishing the book but powered through. It definitely reminded me of the show WeWork. Too many names/people in the storyline to keep straight sometimes.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book actually caused a chain reaction that ruined my day. I stayed up late finishing this book, then the ending got me SO WORKED UP that I could not go to sleep. As a consequence of that, I forgot to bring extra shorts to team photos, I was deadly tired all day, and my eyes were swollen in my school photo.

Everyone is all “this was so humorous!” Me, on the other hand, I was tearing my hair out and beating on my desk. I was absolutely CAPTIVATED after about 15% of the book. During that first part, I thought it might be a 3.5 star book. THEN YOU FLIP THE PAGE AND STUFF STARTS ROLLING AS FAST AS I WOULD BE RUNNING FROM A PLACE THATS ABOUT TO BE BOMBED.

Ezra Green (not Miller)
Ezra is the big brains. He is a true scam businessman. Ez is our main character and we read from his point of view. He grew up poor and started scamming people in high school. When his fake-drug scam got a girl in a bad state, Ezra found himself in a Last Chance Camp. There, his life makes its own path; he meets Orson.


Orson
I don’t even know how to describe this man. The love-hate relationship I have with him is toxic. Orson is a man who lives off of confidence and arrogance. He knows these are the keys to being liked and successful in the business world. He gets bored easily, and he cannot be bored. This is one of the things that makes scamming so much fun for him, it keeps him on his toes.

All in all, this book has preoccupied my mind for the last 16 hours. Go read this right now.

Weirdly this book really reminded me of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow but with grift instead of video games. I enjoyed this book and really responded to Ezra’s desperation and his love for Orson but I couldn’t help but feel like the second half of the book was treading water. The constant mentions of Ezra’s declining vision, financial shenanigans, and heartbreak felt like retread instead of forward momentum. Perhaps part of the problem is that we know from chapter one that Ezra ends up in jail, so there is very little suspense as things start to fall apart in the third act and Brianna’s betrayal was really no surprise at all. Overall, good book but not as great as it could have been.

This book had so much potential - a story about a long con, about two boys becoming men as they build an empire based on a scam - but unfortunately I really couldn't get into it. It was told over such a long period of time that I felt so unengaged from it the whole time, and I really couldn't root for any of the characters. The whole idea of it is very interesting, but the execution was lacking for me a little. I couldn't get into the writing style and the way that whole important plot points would go by in just a few sentences, which is often bound to happen when a book takes place over so many years as this one does. It just felt so much longer than it needed to be. I wanted to like this one, and I saw so many instances where greatness shined through, but it was just so hard to get through this book, it felt like I had to drag myself through it.

Con men – we have all read books and watched movies about them and seem to have a fascination as to how they get away with it! You may wonder how people fall for the line they are putting out there, and you might think it could never happen to you, but the reality is that are usually smooth operators that everyone is happy to give their money to, as there is always the promise of a big reward! This story gives us Ezra and Orson, who meet as teenagers at a camp for bad kids, and their story begins. But they, especially Orson, have a particular talent that is great fun to watch as he and Ezra build their empire over many years through lots of schemes and lying, and become the kings of cons. A fascinating look at our way of life and a unique look into the world of the con. Thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for this fast-paced fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Confidence.

I was pretty excited my request was approved since the premise was really interesting.

There's a sucker born every minute, to paraphrase what the great showman P.T. Barnum said.

Ezra Green is not much to look at, but he's got a brain on him. When he meets Orson, a born hustler with the looks of a Greek god at a camp for delinquents, the pair team up and hook up.

Told from Ezra's POV, we see how the duo hone their con men skills; from small scams to the BIG TIME, creating and fabricating a device that promises bliss and peace of mind. Then, things get crazy.

I liked the author's writing style and tone. I think writing from Ezra's POV was a good idea, since his perspective from the inside provides a look at his thoughts, outlook and personal feelings.

Orson is a typical trope; handsome, charming, the front man as Ezra handles the ins and outs of their growing business.

When NuLife enters the picture, the narrative takes a turn.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the small scams Ezra and Orson do together, but as NuLife gains traction, the story drags and Ezra and Orson become caricatures of themselves.

Ezra's misguided love for Orson turns him into a follower despite his intelligence; he neglects his health and failing eyesight, he makes terrible decisions to protect the company he and Orson have built even as Orson keeps pushing him away.

Orson, naturally, becomes a power hungry capitalist, and his constant refrain of being 'bored' is pitiful and a reminder that he is nothing more than a hustler, whereas Ezra has the brains to be more, but is subservient to Orson's beauty and charm.

When the coup happened, I found my ability to suspend disbelief caught at a crossroads.

The urgency and suspense of the earlier scams had disappeared.

You knew NuLife was going to explode in everyone's faces. It was just a matter of time.

Now, we had ridiculous decisions being made, Orson turning into Elon Musk 3.0 and Ezra still lapping up his indifference like it was chocolate milk.

Ezra and Orson began as funny, interesting con men you wanted to succeed in duping the entitled and privileged, but eventually they morphed into the people they set out to con.

Was something like that inevitable in the course of the story? Maybe. Maybe not.

I don't mind unlikable characters, but even unlikable characters should have something a reader likes or admires.

I wanted to like this more but the narrative dragged, the characters became awful, and when I got to the end, all I could think of, "What was the point?"

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an eARC of Confidence in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book in two days; it was that good! I was initially interested in this book because it reminded me of the Fyre documentary on Netflix. I love the documentary so much because you can really see how the scam started and why it worked the way it did, and that is exactly what this book did.

I had my reservations about this book at first because I was worried that the scam in the book would feel too unrealistic and unbelievable, but it wasn’t. Everything the characters did felt super realistic and I was completely wrapped up in the story Rafael Frumkin was trying to tell. Frumkin did a great job of using the time period(s) the story was set in to his advantage. I also felt I could connect to the characters and really empathize with them at various moments throughout the novel.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is really interested in scams and likes to see how they start and why they work so well.

I am rating this book 5/5 stars because this book perfectly set up and executed a scam while keeping the characters realistic and personable.

This was an entertaining read for sure. It plays with a lot of different themes that are in the cultural zeitgeist right now – cults, scammers, pyramid schemes, corporate colonization, corporate responsibility, etc. – and mixes them together in a really compelling way. The book manages to cover a lot of different ideas and a lot of plot quite efficiently and effectively. While it is a plot driven book, it is also a bit of a character study on Ezra whose perspective the story is told from. Ezra is at times a frustrating character to read from, especially in later chapters. But, it is a different perspective than the typical scammer story is told from, and added a refreshing element. I do think that there are parts of the story that don't fully make sense, but all in all this was a fun read I would recommend.