#OMG #WTF #WOW #TWISTED #CRAZY #REALLYCRAZY
If you have ever wondered what would happen if you mixed The Devil Wears Prada with American Psycho then Amina Akhtar’s book, #FashionVictim is for you.
Over the top characters take backstabbing and climbing the corporate ladder to new extremes.
Why worry about working hard to get promoted when you can just murder the competition instead?
Only make sure you are wearing the latest Marc Jacobs jacket paired with the Chanel pencil skirt and Manolo pumps while literally killing the competition. Don’t forget to blog about it afterwards. #killingit
Fashion editor, Anya St. Clair, has a killer job at fashion magazine, La Vie, an amazing wardrobe and a successful blog.
Unfortunately Anya doesn’t have everything she wants. She is not #BFFs with the ultra-glam, gorgeous colleague, Sarah Taft.
Sarah is not only gorgeous and wealthy but is the “It” girl of social media and the favorite of the magazine editor in chief.
Anya will do anything and I mean anything to be BFFs with Sarah.
Sarah takes every opportunity to remind Anya of why she will never be part of Sarah’s world and makes public humiliation of Anya a daily ritual.
Anya never gives up on becoming Sarah’s bestie until they are pitted against each other for a promotion.
Ali versus Frazier was nothing compared to the unbelievable dirty low punches these two throw at each other.
The story is told from the psychotic Anya’s point of view.
The book is a fast-paced, dark, campy look into the fashion industry.
Akhtar’s book was weak in character development and too easy in the way things fit perfectly. The premise of a dark campy psychological thriller was there but all of the characters were unlikable and Anya’s character needed more development and backstory to make her a character worthy of our interest.
Unfortunately #FashionVictim fell #FashionFlat.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #FashionVictim

Super fun story with a great premise. This is one that people will be talking about. Hoping there are additional books about Anya.

Interesting plot. Characters who fell just shy of being truly relatable, but they were fun to read about. I kind of feel as if a few things could have been flushed out a little more, but overall this was a fun quick read - perfect to bring to the beach!

Woah! I haven't thought I'd actually enjoyed it! If Anya St. Clair is real, I would probably have her as my bestfriend, but definitely won't cross her. I'll be her accomplice. LOL! The urge and her desire to be the best in the Fashion Industry motivated her in a *gravely* (yep, she's preparing your grave in advance.) competitive way.

The author was able to twist the story and make the ending unforgettable. Though I was just yearning for a love story and it didn't happen, since my BFF, Anya, was too focused on her goals. LOL!

Loved this story. I did not read it on time. Sorry. But, I did enjoy reading this deliciously suspenseful tale. Thank you.

Satire is a tricky balancing act — you have to maintain tight control of the tone at all times, never veering to the side of broad parody or the side of playing it too straight. And despite all the control it requires, satire must appear effortless in order to work properly. Amina Akhtar walks this literary tightrope with style throughout her debut novel #FashionVictim, a darkly comic send-up of the fashion industry that answers the question: What would happen if American Psycho and The Devil Wears Prada had a baby and named it Apple?

Akhtar, a former fashion writer and editor, simultaneously delivers a tense thriller and a stiletto-sharp satire that skewers the racism, misogyny, classism, and hypocrisy of high fashion. She cannily keeps the pace breakneck, grabbing the reader’s hand and dragging them along for a wildly fun ride through the superficial world of figurative and literal backstabbers at a top fashion magazine. Junior editor Anya St. Clair’s mind is deliciously warped. She has a glitter-soaked mood board for every occasion…and every victim. She obsesses over her desire to be her co-worker Sarah’s bff then imagines brutally murdering her, all within the space of a millisecond, and sees no contradiction between the two. Her relentless cheerfulness and oblivious optimism in the face of her murderous impulses make her one of the funniest protagonists I’ve read in years. At times Anya’s violent streak even works as wish fulfillment for the reader — she kneecaps a bully at a sample sale, earning her awed congratulations from a fellow fashionista, and she hunts down and dismembers an Internet troll.

The “American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada” logline is apt, but there is one key difference between #FashionVictim and its less bloody couture counterpart: Anne Hathaway’s friends and boyfriend, not the denizens of the fashion world, are the true villains of The Devil Wears Prada. They try to badger her into giving up a job she loves because they think they’re too good to be associated with someone who works at a lowly fashion magazine. (In case you can’t tell, I’m basing this comparison solely on the film version of The Devil Wears Prada. Please don’t hate me, but I haven’t read the book.) Sarah and Anya’s boss Celia, on the other hand, are irredeemably awful people. They’re racist and abusive, and they both fat-shame Anya, who commits the cardinal sin of having a dress size above a 2. Celia harangues Anya about her diet and even forces her to endure daily weigh-ins in front of her co-workers. I recommend caution for anyone with an eating disorder or who feels triggered in any other way by this kind of fatphobia.

The American Psycho comparisons are spot-on, though: Anya is definitely a kindred spirit to Patrick Bateman, with their shared bloodlust, obsession with status and appearance, and tenuous grasp on reality. Akhtar takes a look at that list and cheekily suggests that there isn’t much difference between Anya and the rest of the fashion world, either. The detective investigating all the corpses that keep popping up around Anya even tells her that she seems “too sane” to work in fashion, and by the end of the book, you can’t help but agree with him. #FashionVictim’s refreshing blend of camp and gore sharply satirizes the vicious world of fashion influencers, social media darlings, and the endless supply of wannabes who would kill to join them at the top. It’s a bloody, hilarious debut perfect for the Instagram age.

Fashion is notoriously a cut-throat industry.
Television competitions like Project Runway and movies like Devil Wears Prada have long given the large majority of us who, despite our best efforts, remain… fashionably challenged, a fleeting insight into a world filled with tears, ruthless competition and more than a few personal sacrifices.
It is easy therefore, to imagine this world as one in which murder could be treated with apathy and complacency. That the dog-eat-dog, kill-or-be-killed mentality could actually spill over into actual violence.
And in #FashionVictim, Amina Akhtar examines just that, but manages to do so in a way that made myself and my notoriously stoney-face, laugh out loud on numerous occasions.
In a narrative and humour style that would not be out of place in cult classics like Heathers and Jawbreaker (which are, admittedly, two of my favourite movies), Akhtar perfects black comedy to effortlessly juxtapose the glamorous existence of those style-icons who we all follow on Instagram, who fill their days with PR events, New York Fashion Week and trips to Milan and Paris; with truly gruesome scenes of utter spine-tingling gore.
And because of that, it paints a novel that is utterly unique, completely spell-binding and one that fulfils every single one of my deepest, darkest, if-I-lived-in-a-dream-world career aspirations. Only, if I was literally killing off the competition to get ahead, I would probably find a better way to do it than sticking a lone Louboutin in her head.
...I mean, let’s be honest, it’s a bloody expensive way to kill someone.
But hey, it certainly makes a statement.

was a gripping thriller that took you to every aspect of trying to figure out what was really going on and what was going to happen next! This was such an amazing book and I can’t wait to see what else is released from this author!

This book was Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars meets Project Runway. The main character was the most likable and she is kind of a jerk too, but that is the point, you root for none of these characters! She does all of the things people wish they could do to backstabbing, too critical work colleagues. Overall the story was kind of predictable even the ending but I did enjoy the fashion and the backstabbing. It was a bubble gum psychological thriller, fun and chewy at first but after a while, you were done with it.

I wanted this to be delicious and smart, but it was just hateful with no surprises. I am glad it was a short read!

I struggled through this book solely so I can write an accurate review. What was that? Seriously... what did I just read?? #Spoilers There was sooooo much potential for a great story. A first person serial killer story??? Sign me up! Negative. The dialogue was atrocious and there is no way that magazine people talk like this. It hurt to read. Also we never found out why Anya was crazy. Also the shrink being dead should have been a bigger reveal that that. Same with the detective. I would not recommend this book at all. Ugh I hate giving 1 stars.

My apologies, but I didn't finish this one. I got four chapters in and I just disliked the writing style too much. It doesn't strike quite the right balance between being funny and having a readable plot. It reminded me a tiny bit of Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho, which I also hated. Thanks to the publishers for sharing it though.

A satirically written, light-hearted thriller based within a Fashion company. This was an enjoyable read, but I felt it was just a repeat of the same thing over and over and I felt let down by the ending, as I was waiting for some big twist to unveil. The MC was crazy, but I loved the way she thought and the little scenarios that she would construct, were very entertaining and made the whole thriller aspect lightened. I also really liked how the perspective was via the murderer, so the whole time we knew who it was. But I think this is why I wasn't totally satisfied with the ending, as I wanted a little more. Overall it was entertaining and I am glad I picked it up.

An outrageous, unique, and dark story with the perfect amount of #craycray

Loved this! Are you kidding me? A book about fashion where I get to spend the entire time in the mind of a complete whackadoodle? It’s a dream come true, don’t judge! I am SO #teamanya loved her! Well with the exception of the murdering thing, and the obsession thing, and the fact that she had no moral compass, but who am I to judge?😉

Anya is a fashionista working for a fashion magazine with her eye on the prize, and nothing I mean nothing is going to stop her! She is a bit obsessed, OK a lot obsessed with her coworker Sarah... convinced if she can just become BFFs with her it will take her to The next level.... after the gauntlet is thrown down with a promotion on the line the bodies start dropping and nobody is safe! You know what they say; and fashion, one day you’re in and the next day you’re dead.

A dart campy quirky book that made me giggle and roll my eyes throughout! A book that had me feeling sympathy for the killer...Anya was such a disturbed, deranged, delusional psycho, but shoot I still adored the girl!This book captured my attention completely throughout... and that ending? that was both shocking and deliciously delightful! Definitely looking forward to the next book from this author, this was a bunch of fun!

If you are looking for a fun, fast read - this is it. It has a dark humor to it that keeps it light and not too sinister. Reading this felt like I was binge watching a TV show. Originally, going into the book, I did not really know what to expect. I was looking forward to the serial killer aspect but wasn't so sure about the fashion aspect. This book combines them so well that I enjoyed reading it. In a way, it reminds me of the book series The Lying Game - not the TV show, that was definitely a loosely based show - but more murderous.

This was a fun and unpredictable read! I think fans of fashion and mysteries will enjoy the ins and outs of the story.

Anya works at La Vie magazine. All she wants is for popular rich girl Sarah Taft to be her BFF. Anya knows it will happen, all she needs is to win the promotion over Sarah, and then she will have no choice but to like Anya.

I really enjoyed this book. It shows the darker side of fashion, the need to keep up appearances and to constantly be aware of photographers and the latest trends and fashions. Anya is a good main character. She slowly descends into madness throughout the book.

I did not expect the ending, and I could not stop reading until I found out what happened to all of the characters: Sarah, Jack, Anya, Celia and especially Dr M. I have downloaded the audio book too so I'm looking forward to listening to the book with a narrator!

People seem to hate this book but if you read it as a satire as it is meant then you’ll enjoy it. The narrator is working at a fashion magazine and simultaneously loves and hates her job and the fashion industry. She hates the shallow people and the ridiculous things she has to wear and do to be in style but then goes along with it because she wants to be accepted and loved so much. She ends up looking like a clinger and getting made fun all the time but unlike normal people, she is crazy and just starts killing people (really not a spoiler since she starts killing within the first 10% of the book). This is what people imagine they do to the “mean girls” but don’t actually do. I guess this could be a guilty pleasure read for some. I just kept on reading because I wanted to see how much she could get away with. If you don’t take the book seriously, you’ll love it.

I received a free, advanced copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

The premise was good. I had a hard time not being annoyed with some of the characters but that was the story, over the top. I liked the writing and I would read more by this author.

I DNF’ed this book around 40% because it just wasn’t engaging. All of the characters felt shallow and immature, and the plot line wasn’t really going anywhere.