Release Date: May 17th 2022
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 288
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 3.25/5 stars

Synopsis

Simone is one of the Glitterati, the elite living lives of luxury and leisure. Slave to the ever-changing tides – and brutal judgements – of fashion, he is immaculate. To be anything else is to be unfashionable, and no one wants to be unfashionable, or even worse, ugly…

When Simone accidentally starts a new fashion with a nosebleed at a party, another Glitterati takes the credit. Soon their rivalry threatens to raze their opulent utopia to the ground, as no one knows how to be vicious like the beautiful ones.

Enter a world of the most fantastic costumes, grand palaces in the sky, the grandest parties known to mankind and the unbreakable rules of how to eat ice cream. A fabulous dystopian fable about fashion, family and the feckless billionaire class.

Review

Oliver Langmead’s Glitterati is a rollercoaster of a book. The story follows Simone – one of the Glitterati. The Glitterati are the absolute elite in society – they live their lives in complete luxury, but they must follow the strict rules around what is fashionable and what is not. If a new fashion comes along they must join in, or risk being seen as unfashionable. When Simone attends a party and accidentally has a nosebleed, it sparks a new trend. Simone expects to be hailed as a fashion genius, but another Gltterati – Justine – takes credit. This sparks an intense rivalry between the two and Simone must do everything he can to stop Justine from destroying him.

Glitterati is a fast-paced read, and one I read in just a few sittings. It’s such a unique idea and I was fascinated by the absurd, over the top life that Simone and the other Glitterati lead. The ever-changing fashions were unreal – even ones that could kill you. There are some quite funny moments in the story too – such as when Simone is confronted with denim or children. Langmead has a really vivid writing style so each scene practically leaps off the page. The story felt well written and well executed.

Overall Glitterati is an enjoyable read, but the characters are so unlikeable it’s hard to root for Simone to succeed. As a result, I didn’t feel as invested in the story. Glitterati is certainly a unique tale and if you’re on the hunt for a fresh take on the dystopian genre, Glitterati should definitely be your next read.