Title: Stalker Stalked
Author: Lee Matthew Goldberg
Year Published: 2021
Category: Adult fiction
Pages: 251
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Location (my 2021 Google Reading map): USA (NY, ME, CA)
Summary (from Amazon): Lexi Mazur is a depressed, alcoholic, pill-popper whose only joy has become her reality TV shows, often fantasizing that the people on TV are a part of her world. After her boyfriend Steve leaves her, she fixates on the show Socialites and its star Magnolia Artois, following every facet of the girl’s life on social media in the hopes of befriending and becoming more like her.
But stalking isn’t new to Lexi. She ultimately won over her ex Steve by following and manipulating every minute detail about him so he’d fall for her. In fact, she landed her other ex-boyfriend Jeremy in the same way. Being a pharma rep, she’s used to manipulation to get doctors to buy her drugs, along with the perk of saving pills for herself.
But what happens when the stalker gets stalked?
Recently, Lexi has felt someone watching her: in her apartment in Queens, at her job. At first, she thinks her mind’s playing tricks, but the watcher is behaving just like she would. And soon they begin leaving threatening clues like she starts to do to Magnolia once her obsession grows more dangerous. Is it one of her exes out for revenge? Her only real friend from childhood who she’s always had an unhealthy rivalry? A detective who may have figured her out? The reality star Magnolia trying to turn the tables? Or even someone she might not know?
Lexi learns the only way to beat her stalker is to use her own stalking prowess to outsmart them at their own game. But has she finally met her match?
Review: I am really torn about how to rate this book since I found it intriguing, but I am not sure how much it will appeal to most people who read this blog.
Let me be really honest and say that Lexi Mazur is not a character readers will like. She is crass, addicted, rude, delusional, and just so messed up. But, she is so screwed up that I wanted to know what she'd do next. Is she really being stalked? Is it all in her mind? Or, is her life really a living hell? And, I kept thinking that she deserved all that was happening to her even though it was a nightmare. Am I blaming the victim or is her excessive drinking and pill popping just taking her down a path of no return?
And the plot.... Lots and lots of reality show references, stories, and experiences. At first, I thought why am I reading about this, but then I realized that Lexi is obsessed with reality shows, thinks the characters are real, and wants to live in these shows. She wants to be a reality TV star. I think Goldberg actually did a great job of showing the insanity that is US television and our totally bizarre obsession with reality TV (for goodness sakes, our president came out of it!). He shows how some contestants are on multiple shows, that we know their lives, base fashion on them, catch phrases, and more.
So, you see, the book is disturbing on a most basic level because Lexi's life is a totally nightmare and it's a commentary on our society in general. Pretty clever. But, just ok.
I liked Runaway Train, Goldberg's earlier book, that I reviewed better, but you can see by both reviews that he does a good job of integrating societal issues into his novels.
Challenges for which this counts:
- Literary Escapes--Maine
Tour schedule:
Monday, September 20th: Instagram: @bookdragon217
Tuesday, September 21st: Stranded in Chaos
Wednesday, September 22nd: Instagram: @neverthless_she_reads
Thursday, September 23rd: 100 Pages a Day…Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Friday, September 24th: Instagram: @erynereads
Monday, September 27th: Instagram: @bookclubfor1
Tuesday, September 28th: Instagram: @the.magicalpages
Wednesday, September 29th: Instagram: @travelling.the.pages
Friday, October 1st: Instagram: @shobizreads
Monday, October 4th: Write – Read – Life
Tuesday, October 5th: Instagram: @thebookishalix
Friday, October 8th: Instagram: @brianas_best_reads
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