FICTION: FAME, AMBITION AND MANIPULATION |
AcceptedBy Matthew LycakisSelf-publishedISBN: 978-1764036108262pp.
Matthew Lycakis is a crime-thriller author based in the Gold Coast of Australia, balancing a busy corporate career with writing. With Accepted, his debut novel, he offers a gripping and dark narrative that dives headfirst into the sinister underbelly of fame, ambition and manipulation.
The book serves as a stark commentary on the exploitation of youth and the price of acceptance in a world driven by power, secrecy and social currency. Set primarily in Gold Coast, Accepted follows the journey of Kath Corrigan, a high school track star with Olympic dreams and a fractured family life. Narrated in the third person but often from Kath’s perspective, the story opens with familiar young adult themes — athletic ambition, teen popularity and family dysfunction — but quickly pivots into a psychological thriller brimming with suspense and social critique.
Diving into the storyline, Kath is a student athlete with a strong social media presence and a seemingly bright future. Her best friend, Jasmine — another rising star — introduces her to ‘The Group’, an elite, secretive organisation masquerading as a talent management agency. The Group offers luxury, be it private jets, designer clothes or exclusive parties. But the price is steep.
Kath soon finds herself entangled in a web of manipulation, abuse and coercion. Her identity is moulded to fit The Group’s aesthetic........