Review: Gold Rush by Olivia Petter

What if, the most famous man on the planet and one of your heroes was also the worst kind of human being? That is the reality experienced by Rose, the twenty-something protagonist of Gold Rush by Olivia Petter. Chance and circumstance leads Rose to strike up a friendship with rock star Milo Jax, but things take a strange turn after he invites her to his home. Rose can remember a night of drinking and flirtation, but her body is telling her a very different story...

Olivia Petter tells a convincing story of what happens when women and their bodies are treated as commodities. Rose's confusion over the events of that evening, denial and a search for evidence then answers, and questions of self-worth are entirely convincing. It is also a story of celebrity culture and how some celebrities are able to use their fame in the most vile way possible--and how that same fame allows them to get away with it.

The story isn't easy reading, and nor is it meant to be. Olivia Petter creates a sympathetic character in Rose. She works hard at her job, she is disinterested in celebrity culture and she is incredibly innocent. Not only is she easy for the reader to identify with, but it also deftly avoids perpetuating the myth that the women who these things happen to are hungry for fame. The novel is set in 2017 and ends just as the Me Too movement is taking off, giving the reader a sense of closure and a sense that Milo Jax won't just get away with it. However, the ending did not feel anywhere near as important to me as the deeply empathetic portrayal of Rose and her mental state. She also creates an interesting character in Oliver a deeply angry young man who shines when he shows himself capable of pushing feelings of jealousy aside to do what is right. 

Overall, a difficult story to read but well worth it. And although the target audience is anyone, I would be inclined to recommend this to young men as well as young women. 

Highly recommended.

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