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Confidence
Best friends (and occasional lovers) Ezra and Orson are teetering on top of the world after founding a company that promises instant enlightenment in this “propulsive, cheeky, eat-the-rich page-turner” ( The Washington Post ) about scams, schemes, and the absurdity of the American Dream.
At seventeen, Ezra Green doesn’t have a lot going on for he’s shorter than average, snaggle-toothed, internet-addicted, and halfway to being legally blind. He’s also on his way to Last Chance Camp, the final stop before juvie.
But Ezra’s summer at Last Chance turns life-changing when he meets Orson, brilliant and Adonis-like with a mind for hustling. Together, the two embark upon what promises to be a fruitful career of scam artistry. But things start to spin wildly out of control when they try to pull off their biggest scam yet—Nulife, a corporation that promises its consumers a lifetime of bliss.
“Propulsive” ( The New York Times Book Review) and “laugh-out-loud funny” ( BuzzFeed), with the suspense of The Talented Mr. Ripley, the decadence of The Great Gatsby , and the wit of Succession, Confidence is a story for anyone who knows that the American Dream is just another pyramid scheme.
At seventeen, Ezra Green doesn’t have a lot going on for he’s shorter than average, snaggle-toothed, internet-addicted, and halfway to being legally blind. He’s also on his way to Last Chance Camp, the final stop before juvie.
But Ezra’s summer at Last Chance turns life-changing when he meets Orson, brilliant and Adonis-like with a mind for hustling. Together, the two embark upon what promises to be a fruitful career of scam artistry. But things start to spin wildly out of control when they try to pull off their biggest scam yet—Nulife, a corporation that promises its consumers a lifetime of bliss.
“Propulsive” ( The New York Times Book Review) and “laugh-out-loud funny” ( BuzzFeed), with the suspense of The Talented Mr. Ripley, the decadence of The Great Gatsby , and the wit of Succession, Confidence is a story for anyone who knows that the American Dream is just another pyramid scheme.
320 pages, Paperback
First published March 7, 2023
100 people are currently reading
13046 people want to read
About the author
Rafael Frumkin
6 books133 followersRafael Frumkin is the author of CONFIDENCE (2023), which was a New York Times Editor's Pick and one of the Washington Post's 50 Best Books of 2023. Her debut, THE COMEDOWN (2018), was optioned for TV first by Freddie Highmore and Regina King at Starz, and then by Sony Trident. Her collection, BUGSY AND OTHER STORIES, was longlisted for the 2024 Story Prize.
She has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Paris Review, Granta, Guernica, Hazlitt, Virginia Quarterly Review, and McSweeney's Internet Tendency, among other places.
She has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Paris Review, Granta, Guernica, Hazlitt, Virginia Quarterly Review, and McSweeney's Internet Tendency, among other places.
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March 7, 2023
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3 ¼ stars
Fans of books exploring white-collar crime and/or conmen & scammers should definitely give Rafael Frumkin’s sophomore novel Confidence a shot. There were aspects of the storyline that reminded me of certain sections from The Goldfinch and A Beautiful Crime, a book about art 'heist' & queer love. While the publisher’s comparisons to The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Great Gatsby don’t quite convince me, there were moments within the narrative that had definitely had Succession vibes.
There is much to be admired in Confidence and overall I definitely liked it more than not, however, it is very much plot-driven, and I’m afraid that the fast pacing comes at the expense of the story and its characters.
In the opening pages of Confidence, we learn that our protagonist, Ezra Green, is in prison. Far from penitent, Ezra is putting his conman skills to good use as he has recruited a fellow prisoner into what I can best describe as a pyramid scheme.
He then gives us a retrospective of his life in crime, starting with the pivotal meeting of Orson, who is charismatic, conventionally attractive, and confident. The two meet as teenagers at Last Chance Camp, a place for ‘troubled’ teens. Ezra, who comes from a low-income household, ends up there after he begins selling knockoffs and other things to his peers. His parents want him to ‘straighten’ up his act, so the awful Last Chance Camp. Ezra and Orson bond very quickly, and we know from the first that Orson is undoubtedly aware of the effect and hold he has on Ezra. This unbalanced power dynamic becomes all the more glaring as the years go by.
This early section exploring this period of their life is perhaps the one I found most engaging as here Frumkin maintains a good balance between plot and character development. Sadly, the following periods and years of Ezra and Orson’s lives are often presented to us in a stop-and-start fashion, so that we fast-forward over some major events or potentially interesting moments of transition in their lives & cons (rather than showing how they get from A to B, we are told that they have gone from A to B). It was a pity as I think Confidence could have benefited a lot from a slower pace, one that could have allowed for a more detailed and vivid portrayal of their life in crime.
Ezra’s compelling voice makes his narration fairly absorbing, to the point where I immediately found myself making excuses and exemptions for his criminal activities and the way he is complicit in and/or the instigator of some very sh*tty behaviour & dealings. Even so, I would have liked for his narration to provide us with some more moments of introspection, rather than consisting so heavily of him giving us summaries of his and Orson’s various schemes or detailing certain aspects of their cons.
I also thought that the narrative could have done with more tension and that if Ezra and Orson
’s relationship had remained the focus of the story it would have resulted in a more charged atmosphere. Orson’s had the potential to be the type of character who is a bit cypher and leaves you wanting to know more about the way his mind operates (like Ripley). But even when Orson is making an on-the-page appearance, he never captured my attention. I struggled to understand why so many would fall for his manipulations as most of the stuff he says is flimsy & kind-of-generic. I also don’t understand why his presence is so often relegated off page so that I sometimes even forgot of his existence until Ezra reminds us that he worships him and is wholly devoted to him.
The side characters were fairly one-note and often come across as caricatures of rich & otherwise privileged people…which weren’t particularly funny or cutting.
While the details and information we are giving about ‘Synthesizing’ and ‘Bliss-Mini’, which are at the heart of Ezra and Orson’s latest & biggest con, did not fascinate me all that much, I did find their earlier scams fairly gripping. In their early cons we can feel their titillation and excitement, that rush of adrenaline at getting away with it and ‘sticking it to the man’ and the ‘blood suits’ (white wealthy men). As the years go by however it becomes apparent that Orson is never really satisfied, that he is always on the lookout for the next big thing, and even when the two begin the whole ‘Bliss-Mini’, he still doesn’t seem to have found ‘it’. Ezra, whose criminal activities were borne out of financial necessities, only wants to be with Orson, which also means following him into his increasingly risky and unethical endeavours. As the two expand their operation and make more and more money, we have to question what happened to their earlier motivations, if they have become the people they had set out to take down, and the fallacies of the American Dream.
I liked that despite their appearances & first impressions, the author doesn’t push Ezra and Orson into that tired introvert/extrovert mould. While it is clear that Orson is using Ezra, we can see that his manipulations are not wholly devoid of fondness. Yet, I did think that their dynamic could have been portrayed with more depth and nuance. I wanted to ‘feel’ more but was often left rather unmoved by what I was reading. We are told that Ezra is hopelessly in love with Orson, but I couldn’t quite ‘feel’ that. More emotion, more angst even, would have taken their supposedly intense relationship to the next level. It's a pity as I tend to love books that combine the kind of atmosphere & aesthetics you would find in a psychological thriller or crime novel with a tale queer unrequited love (Giovanni's Room, The House of Stairs, An Ocean Without A Shore, Apartment).
While the characters populating the rarefied sphere our mc's come to move in where fairly one-dimensional, the social commentary is not, as there are many scenes or observations where the author is able to delve into themes such as privilege, class, and capitalism. I really liked the way the casual way in which Ezra and Orson's sexualities are depicted, without shying away from the realities of being gay/queer/bi in a heteronormative society.
Still, even if I didn’t always like how the story was executed I did find Frumkin’s premise & prose to have a lot of promise and they are an an undoubtedly talented author. I will definitely read whatever they write next…
grazie to the publisher for granting me an arc <3
3 ¼ stars
“It seems now like everything I’ve done in my life I’ve done because of love, a useless, gutting love that left me devoured from the inside.”
Fans of books exploring white-collar crime and/or conmen & scammers should definitely give Rafael Frumkin’s sophomore novel Confidence a shot. There were aspects of the storyline that reminded me of certain sections from The Goldfinch and A Beautiful Crime, a book about art 'heist' & queer love. While the publisher’s comparisons to The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Great Gatsby don’t quite convince me, there were moments within the narrative that had definitely had Succession vibes.
There is much to be admired in Confidence and overall I definitely liked it more than not, however, it is very much plot-driven, and I’m afraid that the fast pacing comes at the expense of the story and its characters.
In the opening pages of Confidence, we learn that our protagonist, Ezra Green, is in prison. Far from penitent, Ezra is putting his conman skills to good use as he has recruited a fellow prisoner into what I can best describe as a pyramid scheme.
He then gives us a retrospective of his life in crime, starting with the pivotal meeting of Orson, who is charismatic, conventionally attractive, and confident. The two meet as teenagers at Last Chance Camp, a place for ‘troubled’ teens. Ezra, who comes from a low-income household, ends up there after he begins selling knockoffs and other things to his peers. His parents want him to ‘straighten’ up his act, so the awful Last Chance Camp. Ezra and Orson bond very quickly, and we know from the first that Orson is undoubtedly aware of the effect and hold he has on Ezra. This unbalanced power dynamic becomes all the more glaring as the years go by.
“The rich glamorize being poor […] They think it gives you integrity or something. They think it’s like noble somehow to have been poor once. It means you’ve earned your wealth. But that’s a myth, because the poor just stay poor. No one gets rich.”
This early section exploring this period of their life is perhaps the one I found most engaging as here Frumkin maintains a good balance between plot and character development. Sadly, the following periods and years of Ezra and Orson’s lives are often presented to us in a stop-and-start fashion, so that we fast-forward over some major events or potentially interesting moments of transition in their lives & cons (rather than showing how they get from A to B, we are told that they have gone from A to B). It was a pity as I think Confidence could have benefited a lot from a slower pace, one that could have allowed for a more detailed and vivid portrayal of their life in crime.
Ezra’s compelling voice makes his narration fairly absorbing, to the point where I immediately found myself making excuses and exemptions for his criminal activities and the way he is complicit in and/or the instigator of some very sh*tty behaviour & dealings. Even so, I would have liked for his narration to provide us with some more moments of introspection, rather than consisting so heavily of him giving us summaries of his and Orson’s various schemes or detailing certain aspects of their cons.
I also thought that the narrative could have done with more tension and that if Ezra and Orson
’s relationship had remained the focus of the story it would have resulted in a more charged atmosphere. Orson’s had the potential to be the type of character who is a bit cypher and leaves you wanting to know more about the way his mind operates (like Ripley). But even when Orson is making an on-the-page appearance, he never captured my attention. I struggled to understand why so many would fall for his manipulations as most of the stuff he says is flimsy & kind-of-generic. I also don’t understand why his presence is so often relegated off page so that I sometimes even forgot of his existence until Ezra reminds us that he worships him and is wholly devoted to him.
The side characters were fairly one-note and often come across as caricatures of rich & otherwise privileged people…which weren’t particularly funny or cutting.
While the details and information we are giving about ‘Synthesizing’ and ‘Bliss-Mini’, which are at the heart of Ezra and Orson’s latest & biggest con, did not fascinate me all that much, I did find their earlier scams fairly gripping. In their early cons we can feel their titillation and excitement, that rush of adrenaline at getting away with it and ‘sticking it to the man’ and the ‘blood suits’ (white wealthy men). As the years go by however it becomes apparent that Orson is never really satisfied, that he is always on the lookout for the next big thing, and even when the two begin the whole ‘Bliss-Mini’, he still doesn’t seem to have found ‘it’. Ezra, whose criminal activities were borne out of financial necessities, only wants to be with Orson, which also means following him into his increasingly risky and unethical endeavours. As the two expand their operation and make more and more money, we have to question what happened to their earlier motivations, if they have become the people they had set out to take down, and the fallacies of the American Dream.
I liked that despite their appearances & first impressions, the author doesn’t push Ezra and Orson into that tired introvert/extrovert mould. While it is clear that Orson is using Ezra, we can see that his manipulations are not wholly devoid of fondness. Yet, I did think that their dynamic could have been portrayed with more depth and nuance. I wanted to ‘feel’ more but was often left rather unmoved by what I was reading. We are told that Ezra is hopelessly in love with Orson, but I couldn’t quite ‘feel’ that. More emotion, more angst even, would have taken their supposedly intense relationship to the next level. It's a pity as I tend to love books that combine the kind of atmosphere & aesthetics you would find in a psychological thriller or crime novel with a tale queer unrequited love (Giovanni's Room, The House of Stairs, An Ocean Without A Shore, Apartment).
While the characters populating the rarefied sphere our mc's come to move in where fairly one-dimensional, the social commentary is not, as there are many scenes or observations where the author is able to delve into themes such as privilege, class, and capitalism. I really liked the way the casual way in which Ezra and Orson's sexualities are depicted, without shying away from the realities of being gay/queer/bi in a heteronormative society.
Still, even if I didn’t always like how the story was executed I did find Frumkin’s premise & prose to have a lot of promise and they are an an undoubtedly talented author. I will definitely read whatever they write next…
grazie to the publisher for granting me an arc <3
May 27, 2023
Two older teenage boys meet at Last Chance Camp, the final place to change their behavior before being sent to juvenile detention. Ezra is a nerdy outcast, but when he meets Orson, who seems to have a magnetic pull, they become fast friends. This chance meeting shapes the course of their lives, as the two put their hustler mindsets together to create something new, and lucrative — Both smart, one bringing the charisma, the other one executing. As Ezra and Orson’s ventures grow, so do the challenges with their company and with one another.
The synopsis for Confidence references “scams, schemes and the American Dream”, a description I found very fitting. This story was engaging and clever the whole way through!
The synopsis for Confidence references “scams, schemes and the American Dream”, a description I found very fitting. This story was engaging and clever the whole way through!
February 23, 2023
There's a sucker born every minute, they say. You have to wonder why con artists don't put their intelligence and talents to more legitimate pursuits, don't you? This is the darkly comic tale of two such men, Ezra Green and Orson Ortman, who meet at a camp for troubled teens, recognize each other's unique talents and form a lasting bond. Over the next fifteen years or so, they perfect their art of the scam in the pursuit of the American Dream. One is handsome and charismatic, the other the brains, and between the two of them, they create a billionaire-dollar business they call NuLife to help people find peace and bliss (for a price, of course). But can this con hold up?
This is a very well-written story: it's interesting to watch these clever but deeply-flawed men maneuver other people to part with their money through their wits and personality alone. In the end, is Ezra the biggest sucker of all to be so in love with Orson? How symbolic that Ezra is going blind.
I received an arc of this novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
This is a very well-written story: it's interesting to watch these clever but deeply-flawed men maneuver other people to part with their money through their wits and personality alone. In the end, is Ezra the biggest sucker of all to be so in love with Orson? How symbolic that Ezra is going blind.
I received an arc of this novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Read
April 18, 2024it's rare but not unheard of that I can't tell whether a book is good or not because it makes me emotional enough that my higher brain functions turn off. it is completely unheard of that I can't tell whether a book is good or not because it mashes my Dopamine For You buttons so hard that the high score counter breaks. con men!!! toxic gay pining!!! the quick change scam!!! toxic gay codependent romance!!! cults!!! toxic gay pining WHILE doing toxic gay codependent romance!!! I even forgive it for my pet peeve (Just Straight Up Putting Elon Musk In Your Novel)!!! is this how straight people who like The Girl on the Train feel every day
August 5, 2022
This was exquisitely fun in the way only fiction about morally bankrupt people can be! Ezra was compelling and human and shitty and complicated and watching him live his life in service of Orson's desires was frustrating and romantic and infuriating at turns and watching people assemble around them, drawn into the magnetic orbit of their grift, was a little bit satisfying and a little bit heartbreaking.
This could only end in the place it begins and I think Frumkin walks a fairly careful line with the way prison is handled here: the way being in Ezra's head shapes the way he sees the people and the experience, the way his fellow prisoners are humanized even as they're made marks. I think they handle the coup similarly carefully, making up the kind of action movie quality country you might expect to see involved in this kind of plot because Ezra was never going to see it as anything else.
Bad guys who never really needed to be bad guys who you kinda like but never really want to win run a powerful scam, ruin some lives, and get got for it. What more could you want really?
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC and especially for reaching out again when the complete version became available!
This could only end in the place it begins and I think Frumkin walks a fairly careful line with the way prison is handled here: the way being in Ezra's head shapes the way he sees the people and the experience, the way his fellow prisoners are humanized even as they're made marks. I think they handle the coup similarly carefully, making up the kind of action movie quality country you might expect to see involved in this kind of plot because Ezra was never going to see it as anything else.
Bad guys who never really needed to be bad guys who you kinda like but never really want to win run a powerful scam, ruin some lives, and get got for it. What more could you want really?
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC and especially for reaching out again when the complete version became available!
September 24, 2022
Ah, finally. I’ve been waiting to read this book for a while, ever since Netgalley offered a deficient ARC. The first chapter engaged me absolutely and then I had to wait until the publisher reached out and ever so kindly furnished a proper ARC. So naturally the question is…as it worth the wait?
The answer is YES…mostly. The story did take some directions I didn’t quite expect from the first chapter, but hey, don’t you want your books to surprise you?
I love con stories. I find them uniquely American, like apple pie and gun violence. I’m sure there are con artists all over the world, but there’s something about the very specifically American blend of stupidity/gullibility, rampant and baseless exceptionalism and individualism and, above all, the greed and exigencies of Mammon that makes the art of con proliferate and thrive here.
This is very much a con story.
A story of two young men - the proverbial odd couple of charm and brains – that sets up a personality programing cult. Well, technically they start off small, but cults are where the real money are, so they turn to that. And they are killing it too, for a while. But then, like every tower that reaches too far…
What gives the story its emotional backbone is the profound, obsessive, and ultimately destructive love the two men share. Or, more specifically, one of them has for the other. The balance is way off between the geek and his Adonis and it ends up being as messy and complicated as such dynamics tend to go.
And so, in three classic acts, you get to witness a version of the American dream. The pursuit of green at all costs. All that.
And yes, it is compelling and well-crafted and clever. Like a good con.
Not sure how much I enjoyed the characters as far as emotional engagements go. There’s something tragically pathetic about the geek and something oddly vague and unfocused about the object of his desperate attentions. But overall, this was definitely a very good read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
The answer is YES…mostly. The story did take some directions I didn’t quite expect from the first chapter, but hey, don’t you want your books to surprise you?
I love con stories. I find them uniquely American, like apple pie and gun violence. I’m sure there are con artists all over the world, but there’s something about the very specifically American blend of stupidity/gullibility, rampant and baseless exceptionalism and individualism and, above all, the greed and exigencies of Mammon that makes the art of con proliferate and thrive here.
This is very much a con story.
A story of two young men - the proverbial odd couple of charm and brains – that sets up a personality programing cult. Well, technically they start off small, but cults are where the real money are, so they turn to that. And they are killing it too, for a while. But then, like every tower that reaches too far…
What gives the story its emotional backbone is the profound, obsessive, and ultimately destructive love the two men share. Or, more specifically, one of them has for the other. The balance is way off between the geek and his Adonis and it ends up being as messy and complicated as such dynamics tend to go.
And so, in three classic acts, you get to witness a version of the American dream. The pursuit of green at all costs. All that.
And yes, it is compelling and well-crafted and clever. Like a good con.
Not sure how much I enjoyed the characters as far as emotional engagements go. There’s something tragically pathetic about the geek and something oddly vague and unfocused about the object of his desperate attentions. But overall, this was definitely a very good read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
December 9, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
Confidence.
I was pretty excited my request was approved since the premise was really interesting.
There's a sucker born every minute, to paraphrase what the great showman P.T. Barnum said.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Ezra Green is not much to look at, but he's got a brain on him.
When he meets Orson, a born hustler with the looks of a Greek god at a camp for delinquents, the pair team up and hook up.
Told from Ezra's POV, we see how the duo hone their con men skills; from small scams to the BIG TIME, creating and fabricating a device that promises bliss and peace of mind. Then, things get crazy.
I liked the author's writing style and tone.
I think writing from Ezra's POV was a good idea, since his perspective from the inside provides a look at his thoughts, outlook and personal feelings.
Orson is a typical trope; handsome, charming, the front man as Ezra handles the ins and outs of their growing business.
When NuLife enters the picture, the narrative takes a turn.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the small scams Ezra and Orson do together, but as NuLife gains traction, the story drags and Ezra and Orson become caricatures of themselves.
Ezra's misguided love for Orson turns him into a follower despite his intelligence; he neglects his health and failing eyesight, he makes terrible decisions to protect the company he and Orson have built even as Orson keeps pushing him away.
Orson, naturally, becomes a power hungry capitalist, and his constant refrain of being 'bored' is pitiful and a reminder that he is nothing more than a hustler, whereas Ezra has the brains to be more, but is subservient to Orson's beauty and charm.
When the coup happened, I found my ability to suspend disbelief caught at a crossroads.
The urgency and suspense of the earlier scams had disappeared.
You knew NuLife was going to explode in everyone's faces. It was just a matter of time.
Now, ridiculous decisions are being made, Orson turning into Elon Musk 3.0 and Ezra still lapping up his indifference like it's chocolate milk.
Ezra and Orson began as funny, interesting con men you wanted to succeed in duping the entitled and privileged, but eventually they morphed into the people they set out to con.
Was something like that inevitable in the course of the story?
Maybe. Maybe not.
I don't mind unlikable characters, but even unlikable characters should have something a reader likes or admires.
I wanted to like this more but the narrative dragged, the characters became awful, and when I got to the end, all I could think of, "What was the point?"
I was pretty excited my request was approved since the premise was really interesting.
There's a sucker born every minute, to paraphrase what the great showman P.T. Barnum said.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Ezra Green is not much to look at, but he's got a brain on him.
When he meets Orson, a born hustler with the looks of a Greek god at a camp for delinquents, the pair team up and hook up.
Told from Ezra's POV, we see how the duo hone their con men skills; from small scams to the BIG TIME, creating and fabricating a device that promises bliss and peace of mind. Then, things get crazy.
I liked the author's writing style and tone.
I think writing from Ezra's POV was a good idea, since his perspective from the inside provides a look at his thoughts, outlook and personal feelings.
Orson is a typical trope; handsome, charming, the front man as Ezra handles the ins and outs of their growing business.
When NuLife enters the picture, the narrative takes a turn.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the small scams Ezra and Orson do together, but as NuLife gains traction, the story drags and Ezra and Orson become caricatures of themselves.
Ezra's misguided love for Orson turns him into a follower despite his intelligence; he neglects his health and failing eyesight, he makes terrible decisions to protect the company he and Orson have built even as Orson keeps pushing him away.
Orson, naturally, becomes a power hungry capitalist, and his constant refrain of being 'bored' is pitiful and a reminder that he is nothing more than a hustler, whereas Ezra has the brains to be more, but is subservient to Orson's beauty and charm.
When the coup happened, I found my ability to suspend disbelief caught at a crossroads.
The urgency and suspense of the earlier scams had disappeared.
You knew NuLife was going to explode in everyone's faces. It was just a matter of time.
Now, ridiculous decisions are being made, Orson turning into Elon Musk 3.0 and Ezra still lapping up his indifference like it's chocolate milk.
Ezra and Orson began as funny, interesting con men you wanted to succeed in duping the entitled and privileged, but eventually they morphed into the people they set out to con.
Was something like that inevitable in the course of the story?
Maybe. Maybe not.
I don't mind unlikable characters, but even unlikable characters should have something a reader likes or admires.
I wanted to like this more but the narrative dragged, the characters became awful, and when I got to the end, all I could think of, "What was the point?"
March 29, 2025
3 stars = Good and worthwhile.
“I used to think the presidency wasn’t a grift.”
I have always loved the quote by George Carlin, “The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it.” This book is essentially that quote in satirical novel format. The story is a little sad, but only because it’s so true despite being total fiction.
“He’s the dinosaur and we’re the comet.”
---------------------
First Sentence: In prison, small things matter: a pencil, a banana, a packet of ramen.
Favorite Quote: You’re not American if you’re not in debt to someone.
“I used to think the presidency wasn’t a grift.”
I have always loved the quote by George Carlin, “The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it.” This book is essentially that quote in satirical novel format. The story is a little sad, but only because it’s so true despite being total fiction.
“He’s the dinosaur and we’re the comet.”
---------------------
First Sentence: In prison, small things matter: a pencil, a banana, a packet of ramen.
Favorite Quote: You’re not American if you’re not in debt to someone.
July 11, 2023
if you want a good satire about a start up company that actually has heart and soul, read tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. this was just... a total waste of time. especially with the ending that has no payoff.
March 23, 2023
more books about gays committing actual crimes without people complaining about "bad rep" please and thank you
March 6, 2023
read my review here
Rep: gay mc, bi li
Rep: gay mc, bi li
November 19, 2024
4 stars. Combining an indictment of corporate greed and wellness/hustle culture with the kind of lifelong homoerotic situationship that would send even the most stable gay man crashing out, the thesis of Confidence might very well be “forever is the sweetest con.”
July 19, 2023
full review on youtube. this book was fantastic. if you enjoy my youtube channel you'll LOVE this
February 8, 2024
what even was this supposed to be? in this book about scamming the real scam-ee was me :(
one star but i'm giving it two because i thought it was very funny Frumkin introduced hovercrafts into the story for no other purpose than to kill off an annoying tech bro by throwing him out of one. no one suffers any consequences for this specific crime - a real american fantasy!!
one star but i'm giving it two because i thought it was very funny Frumkin introduced hovercrafts into the story for no other purpose than to kill off an annoying tech bro by throwing him out of one. no one suffers any consequences for this specific crime - a real american fantasy!!
March 4, 2023
This book was a phenomenal read from start to finish. An instant hook, a captivating mystery to Orson and Ezra's business and professional relationship, and the lure of capitalism at heart.
"You're not American if you're not in debt to someone."
The book opens with Orson Ortman, a handsome, charismatic man, and his "friend" Ezra Green, meeker, less charismatic, but loyal to Orson. The catch? They're in prison - but we don't know what for. This book truly surrounds Ezra and Orson's humble beginnings - both grew up poor, and met at a reformation camp, becoming business partners and close friends. They become con men, hustlers, criminals, lovers, and maneuver their way through the hurdles the business world throws at them.
"Some part of them must have known I was lying -they weren't dumb- but when it came to money, they couldn't afford to care about the truth."
I found it hard to believe that their empire could grow so fast in a matter of a decade. Especially with people being "synthesized" by fake technology and the lure of relief, inner peace, and eventually - bliss. While Orson is certainly charismatic, and could likely sell anything he put his hands on, they essentially form a pyramid scheme. For lack of better wording, their "NuLife" product is similar to watching a televangelist perform God's "healing miracles". How it warps into a multi-billion dollar company, so fast is riveting, but is admittedly beyond belief. The pacing was spectacular in the beginning - watching them grow from small drug deals into fledgling companies was satisfying. I loved the way they tricked everyone initially - but the Jenga pieces were slowly displaced, and their empire grew far too large. It suspended my belief, and it began to drag on every so slightly. Besides that, I enjoyed this book significantly more than I thought I ever would! I would hands down recommend this.
What absolutely tore me apart was the undying, cruel torment of Orson's "love" towards Ezra. They were intimate - but Orson slowly withdrew from Ezra. "Business appearances" he'd say. And at every change, Ezra took it all. He took every smack in the face, every betrayal, and still loved him regardless. I'd honestly describe his love for Orson as Stockholm Syndrome at best. The unease Orson settled into my heart was awful. Ezra did too - they both had toxic traits. At parts I needed to take a break - it was absolutely heartbreaking to read, unsettling, and sickening.
"I'm not saying we'd stop everything. I'm just saying that maybe we'd try to keep it from being so obvious. People talk. People notice things."
The ending was a bittersweet poison, a cruel reminder of Orson's alluring, manipulative nature and Ezra's absolute forgiveness and loyalty. This is a friendly reminder that nobody in this book is absolved and a reminder of the toxic ecosystem that Ezra and Orson inevitably share.
"What was wrong with me that I couldn't have him?"
Overall, a thrilling, emotional tale of "The American Dream" with a twist, big stakes, and the grifters behind it all. 4/5.
*I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review from NetGalley.*
"You're not American if you're not in debt to someone."
The book opens with Orson Ortman, a handsome, charismatic man, and his "friend" Ezra Green, meeker, less charismatic, but loyal to Orson. The catch? They're in prison - but we don't know what for. This book truly surrounds Ezra and Orson's humble beginnings - both grew up poor, and met at a reformation camp, becoming business partners and close friends. They become con men, hustlers, criminals, lovers, and maneuver their way through the hurdles the business world throws at them.
"Some part of them must have known I was lying -they weren't dumb- but when it came to money, they couldn't afford to care about the truth."
I found it hard to believe that their empire could grow so fast in a matter of a decade. Especially with people being "synthesized" by fake technology and the lure of relief, inner peace, and eventually - bliss. While Orson is certainly charismatic, and could likely sell anything he put his hands on, they essentially form a pyramid scheme. For lack of better wording, their "NuLife" product is similar to watching a televangelist perform God's "healing miracles". How it warps into a multi-billion dollar company, so fast is riveting, but is admittedly beyond belief. The pacing was spectacular in the beginning - watching them grow from small drug deals into fledgling companies was satisfying. I loved the way they tricked everyone initially - but the Jenga pieces were slowly displaced, and their empire grew far too large. It suspended my belief, and it began to drag on every so slightly. Besides that, I enjoyed this book significantly more than I thought I ever would! I would hands down recommend this.
What absolutely tore me apart was the undying, cruel torment of Orson's "love" towards Ezra. They were intimate - but Orson slowly withdrew from Ezra. "Business appearances" he'd say. And at every change, Ezra took it all. He took every smack in the face, every betrayal, and still loved him regardless. I'd honestly describe his love for Orson as Stockholm Syndrome at best. The unease Orson settled into my heart was awful. Ezra did too - they both had toxic traits. At parts I needed to take a break - it was absolutely heartbreaking to read, unsettling, and sickening.
"I'm not saying we'd stop everything. I'm just saying that maybe we'd try to keep it from being so obvious. People talk. People notice things."
The ending was a bittersweet poison, a cruel reminder of Orson's alluring, manipulative nature and Ezra's absolute forgiveness and loyalty. This is a friendly reminder that nobody in this book is absolved and a reminder of the toxic ecosystem that Ezra and Orson inevitably share.
"What was wrong with me that I couldn't have him?"
Overall, a thrilling, emotional tale of "The American Dream" with a twist, big stakes, and the grifters behind it all. 4/5.
*I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review from NetGalley.*
May 27, 2024
rip ezra green you would’ve loved casual by chappell roan
November 21, 2022
It was difficult to be me in 2007.
from Confidence by Rafael Frumkin
Ezra Green was short, soft, with bad eyes and a snaggletooth, his family too poor to afford a dentist. He was also very bright and always looking for a chance to make some money–not always legally. It landed him at Last Chance Camp at age seventeen. The misery of that place changed with the arrival of Orson, astonishingly good looking and surprisingly adept at hustling. Together, it seemed that nothing could stop them. They hustled at the camp. They scammed their way into money after camp. In fact, they created a cultish pyramid scheme that brought them billions and fame and access to rich and beautiful people.
Ezra had fallen in love with Orson from the beginning, and for a long time it appeared that Orson not only needed him but cared for him. But after they reached their greatest success, Orson took up with a beautiful airhead actress and sidelined Ezra. It didn’t stop Ezra, whose business acumen–quite illegal, of course–grew the business.
This dark humor satire was a fun read. Ezra is a fantastic, original character. His worsening eye sight and unrequited love make him vulnerable, but his drive to con is relentless. Orson remains a mystery; we never know his true feelings; we see that he uses his charm and beauty to manipulate people for his own purposes. It makes him dangerous. But not as dangerous as Ezra, the real brains of the operation.
Frumkin wanted to write the book he wanted to read, a heist novel that was overtly queer. He got to thinking of what a millennial con-artist might come up with. The idea of the pair selling bliss through a machine is perfect. In today’s world, most of us want to escape and find peace and happiness anyway we can. If only we could just put down a few dollars, strap on a headset, and find Nirvana..
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
from Confidence by Rafael Frumkin
Ezra Green was short, soft, with bad eyes and a snaggletooth, his family too poor to afford a dentist. He was also very bright and always looking for a chance to make some money–not always legally. It landed him at Last Chance Camp at age seventeen. The misery of that place changed with the arrival of Orson, astonishingly good looking and surprisingly adept at hustling. Together, it seemed that nothing could stop them. They hustled at the camp. They scammed their way into money after camp. In fact, they created a cultish pyramid scheme that brought them billions and fame and access to rich and beautiful people.
Ezra had fallen in love with Orson from the beginning, and for a long time it appeared that Orson not only needed him but cared for him. But after they reached their greatest success, Orson took up with a beautiful airhead actress and sidelined Ezra. It didn’t stop Ezra, whose business acumen–quite illegal, of course–grew the business.
This dark humor satire was a fun read. Ezra is a fantastic, original character. His worsening eye sight and unrequited love make him vulnerable, but his drive to con is relentless. Orson remains a mystery; we never know his true feelings; we see that he uses his charm and beauty to manipulate people for his own purposes. It makes him dangerous. But not as dangerous as Ezra, the real brains of the operation.
Frumkin wanted to write the book he wanted to read, a heist novel that was overtly queer. He got to thinking of what a millennial con-artist might come up with. The idea of the pair selling bliss through a machine is perfect. In today’s world, most of us want to escape and find peace and happiness anyway we can. If only we could just put down a few dollars, strap on a headset, and find Nirvana..
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
June 13, 2023
I read this based on reviews from several illustrious publications, to wit, the Washington Post: "...holding an unflattering mirror to bloviating billionaires, scam start-ups and the wellness industrial complex."* An eat the rich novel? Sign me up!
Unfortunately, midway through the novel, I realized I was hate reading, because I truly and unequivocally could not stand the main characters. My problem, I know, and this may be the greatest book ever, but OMFG I could not stomach Ezra or Orson and that made reading their stories slightly problematic. Ezra: I will do whatever because I WUV ORSON and Orson is just gross, blech.
"What happens when an unreliable moral compass enters the magnetic field of a narcissist like Orson?" (Washington Post again). I mean, the premise is a good one, it's just I had to read pages and pages and pages about unlikable grifters to get there. And Ezra going blind just drove me crazy as a metaphor because I just kept thinking he was being stupid (which he was) and I could not get past it. I hate Orson, I hate Ezra, I hate Elaine, and I don't care that they took advantage of the uber wealthy and movie stars because THEY ALL SUCK, full stop. Whatever.
* "Frumkin accomplishes this by holding an unflattering mirror to bloviating billionaires, scam start-ups and the wellness industrial complex, but he also does it by digging into our confidence in our own morality. How easy would it be to lose, under the right circumstances? Would we notice if we did? Or would we wind up like Ezra: too convinced he’s still the good guy, doing bad things for good reasons, to see the truth?"
Unfortunately, midway through the novel, I realized I was hate reading, because I truly and unequivocally could not stand the main characters. My problem, I know, and this may be the greatest book ever, but OMFG I could not stomach Ezra or Orson and that made reading their stories slightly problematic. Ezra: I will do whatever because I WUV ORSON and Orson is just gross, blech.
"What happens when an unreliable moral compass enters the magnetic field of a narcissist like Orson?" (Washington Post again). I mean, the premise is a good one, it's just I had to read pages and pages and pages about unlikable grifters to get there. And Ezra going blind just drove me crazy as a metaphor because I just kept thinking he was being stupid (which he was) and I could not get past it. I hate Orson, I hate Ezra, I hate Elaine, and I don't care that they took advantage of the uber wealthy and movie stars because THEY ALL SUCK, full stop. Whatever.
* "Frumkin accomplishes this by holding an unflattering mirror to bloviating billionaires, scam start-ups and the wellness industrial complex, but he also does it by digging into our confidence in our own morality. How easy would it be to lose, under the right circumstances? Would we notice if we did? Or would we wind up like Ezra: too convinced he’s still the good guy, doing bad things for good reasons, to see the truth?"
September 11, 2024
“Theranos but make it gay” is the most attention grabbing and accurate way to describe this book and I was SAT for it
August 28, 2025
Confidence didn’t con me one way or the other.
August 22, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an eARC of Confidence in exchange for an honest review.
I devoured this book in two days; it was that good! I was initially interested in this book because it reminded me of the Fyre documentary on Netflix. I love the documentary so much because you can really see how the scam started and why it worked the way it did, and that is exactly what this book did.
I had my reservations about this book at first because I was worried that the scam in the book would feel too unrealistic and unbelievable, but it wasn’t. Everything the characters did felt super realistic and I was completely wrapped up in the story Rafael Frumkin was trying to tell. Frumkin did a great job of using the time period(s) the story was set in to his advantage. I also felt I could connect to the characters and really empathize with them at various moments throughout the novel.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is really interested in scams and likes to see how they start and why they work so well.
I am rating this book 5/5 stars because this book perfectly set up and executed a scam while keeping the characters realistic and personable.
I devoured this book in two days; it was that good! I was initially interested in this book because it reminded me of the Fyre documentary on Netflix. I love the documentary so much because you can really see how the scam started and why it worked the way it did, and that is exactly what this book did.
I had my reservations about this book at first because I was worried that the scam in the book would feel too unrealistic and unbelievable, but it wasn’t. Everything the characters did felt super realistic and I was completely wrapped up in the story Rafael Frumkin was trying to tell. Frumkin did a great job of using the time period(s) the story was set in to his advantage. I also felt I could connect to the characters and really empathize with them at various moments throughout the novel.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is really interested in scams and likes to see how they start and why they work so well.
I am rating this book 5/5 stars because this book perfectly set up and executed a scam while keeping the characters realistic and personable.
December 31, 2022
A queer story about two scam artists you can’t help but root for from start to finish 💗 Ezra and Orson meet as juvenile delinquents and decide to start working together to take from the rich and give to… themselves. Before long they’ve graduated to an enlightenment business that relies on Ezra’s behind the scenes acumen, Orson’s cult leader like charisma, and a Theranos type device that promises to give its users bliss. Of course, all good scams must come to an end 👀 I absolutely loved this book! The characters were well developed, the plot was a wild ride, and the ending was *chef’s kiss.* I didn’t expect to fall so in love with Ezra who spends the entire book vacillating between deep longing for Orson and blind, nearly furious ambition at the expense of everything else. I’d love to see this as a movie!
Thanks to @simonandsxhsuter for this gifted eARC. Out 3/7/23.
Thanks to @simonandsxhsuter for this gifted eARC. Out 3/7/23.
March 26, 2023
What a wild ride this was. A brilliant story that exposes the con artistry behind the American dream and eloquently captures the beauty and consequences of blind devotion.
Recommended for all my fellow capitalism haters. And also the “be gay do crime” agenda.
Recommended for all my fellow capitalism haters. And also the “be gay do crime” agenda.
July 18, 2022
fantastic. this will be a movie someday. i, too, am an ezra not in the fraud, manipulative sense but the simp, loser sense
3.9 hours
3.9 hours
March 8, 2023
Raf is brilliant and I would (will?) die for him. Do with that what you will.
March 14, 2024
be gay do crime (& eat the rich)
Read
September 20, 2024Why I read it: The cover said "THERANOS BUT MAKE IT GAY" and I was in.
Thoughts: Did it deliver on that premise? It sure as hell did. Was it fun? It was fun, sort of. Do I have issues with it anyway? You betcha!
My biggest issue is that I didn't care for or about the protagonist or his partner in crime. I don't think protagonists always have to be sympathetic, but I do think I should feel something for them, and that's the mark of a halfway successful book. The other half of success includes a plot that makes me feel something, which at least this novel did: I confess, I started reading this because "Theranos but make it gay" and finished reading it because it was like a trainwreck I couldn't look away from, or a Cirque do Soleil trapeze act that I knew was bound to fall apart. But Ezra was unsympathetic, and Orson... I would describe him as worthless. Every time he was on the page, I was rolling my eyes. Not sure if that's what the author was going for, though. I feel like he was meant to be a half-mysterious alluring figure, a flame every moth burns itself out on, but maybe I'm just built different. Maybe trust just doesn't come naturally for me, but it seems to come naturally to Ezra, as far as the people he surrounds himself with goes. He thinks that just because his inner circle is Orson and a handful of people he's handpicked, he's safe. It's fine for a character to think that, but I thought Ezra was smarter.
I also absolutely hated the handling of Ezra's eyesight. It somehow felt like too much, like the author was trying very hard to drive a point home about how Ezra sees and treats himself, how he pits himself against the world over and over again, but realistically speaking, if you were going blind, how far would the chip on your shoulder actually carry you? Would you, like Ezra, literally not take your glaucoma eye drops simply because you've got a grudge against the ophthalmologist who prescribed them, because she has 20/20 vision???
My second issue is that the trapeze act didn't fall apart spectacularly enough. The build-up to the collapse was either too subtle, or simply wasn't there. I mean, yes, I saw the collapse coming. The book starts with Ezra in jail, post-collapse, so the reader is aware of the collapse from the get-go, and as the scam grows in scale and it becomes clear that the whole thing is a house of cards built on cotton candy that's sitting on a foundation of nothing, it's painfully obvious that eventually the whole thing will fold. It just has to fold. I maybe would have been more impressed if somehow it hadn't folded, if Ezra and Orson could've somehow moved past the... uh... unfortunate deaths... and if they would've somehow found a patsy to foist NuLife on while they smoothly moved on to other things. I also would've been more impressed if NuLife had folded big -- and I do mean big. Like, rats and traitors in every corner big. Maybe an international chase sequence big. Maybe Orson turning on Ezra or the other way around big (and I still would've kept the very ending even then, because the ending is, I admit, simply perfect for the characters; it's what they deserve). What I got was a flash in the pan. It simply happened, and then the jig was up, NuLife was over, everyone went to jail.
I also would've liked for the jail sequence to have been longer. I don't know how, but then it's not my job to know. I just know I've read fanfiction with more dramatic pacing.
My third issue is what other reviews have highlighted: the earlier scams are better. They're more engaging, more fun to read about, even if they were high-risk-low-reward, compared to NuLife. They worked so well particularly because Ezra and Orson worked together, riffing off each other and finding ways to make things work. I guess they were better because it was also a time when Orson was very eat-the-rich, before he became the rich himself, so all his earlier words turned out to be completely empty. The NuLife scheme is simply too big, and everyone involved is either a victim (and there are a lot of victims, as there always are with cults and pyramid schemes) and therefore pitiable, or actively in on it and therefore simply too full of shit to enjoy reading about.
Would I read more from this author: Maybe.
Would I recommend it: You'd think my answer would be "no" based on my review, but actually, I would. Why not? It's fun.
Thoughts: Did it deliver on that premise? It sure as hell did. Was it fun? It was fun, sort of. Do I have issues with it anyway? You betcha!
My biggest issue is that I didn't care for or about the protagonist or his partner in crime. I don't think protagonists always have to be sympathetic, but I do think I should feel something for them, and that's the mark of a halfway successful book. The other half of success includes a plot that makes me feel something, which at least this novel did: I confess, I started reading this because "Theranos but make it gay" and finished reading it because it was like a trainwreck I couldn't look away from, or a Cirque do Soleil trapeze act that I knew was bound to fall apart. But Ezra was unsympathetic, and Orson... I would describe him as worthless. Every time he was on the page, I was rolling my eyes. Not sure if that's what the author was going for, though. I feel like he was meant to be a half-mysterious alluring figure, a flame every moth burns itself out on, but maybe I'm just built different. Maybe trust just doesn't come naturally for me, but it seems to come naturally to Ezra, as far as the people he surrounds himself with goes. He thinks that just because his inner circle is Orson and a handful of people he's handpicked, he's safe. It's fine for a character to think that, but I thought Ezra was smarter.
I also absolutely hated the handling of Ezra's eyesight. It somehow felt like too much, like the author was trying very hard to drive a point home about how Ezra sees and treats himself, how he pits himself against the world over and over again, but realistically speaking, if you were going blind, how far would the chip on your shoulder actually carry you? Would you, like Ezra, literally not take your glaucoma eye drops simply because you've got a grudge against the ophthalmologist who prescribed them, because she has 20/20 vision???
My second issue is that the trapeze act didn't fall apart spectacularly enough. The build-up to the collapse was either too subtle, or simply wasn't there. I mean, yes, I saw the collapse coming. The book starts with Ezra in jail, post-collapse, so the reader is aware of the collapse from the get-go, and as the scam grows in scale and it becomes clear that the whole thing is a house of cards built on cotton candy that's sitting on a foundation of nothing, it's painfully obvious that eventually the whole thing will fold. It just has to fold. I maybe would have been more impressed if somehow it hadn't folded, if Ezra and Orson could've somehow moved past the... uh... unfortunate deaths... and if they would've somehow found a patsy to foist NuLife on while they smoothly moved on to other things. I also would've been more impressed if NuLife had folded big -- and I do mean big. Like, rats and traitors in every corner big. Maybe an international chase sequence big. Maybe Orson turning on Ezra or the other way around big (and I still would've kept the very ending even then, because the ending is, I admit, simply perfect for the characters; it's what they deserve). What I got was a flash in the pan. It simply happened, and then the jig was up, NuLife was over, everyone went to jail.
I also would've liked for the jail sequence to have been longer. I don't know how, but then it's not my job to know. I just know I've read fanfiction with more dramatic pacing.
My third issue is what other reviews have highlighted: the earlier scams are better. They're more engaging, more fun to read about, even if they were high-risk-low-reward, compared to NuLife. They worked so well particularly because Ezra and Orson worked together, riffing off each other and finding ways to make things work. I guess they were better because it was also a time when Orson was very eat-the-rich, before he became the rich himself, so all his earlier words turned out to be completely empty. The NuLife scheme is simply too big, and everyone involved is either a victim (and there are a lot of victims, as there always are with cults and pyramid schemes) and therefore pitiable, or actively in on it and therefore simply too full of shit to enjoy reading about.
Would I read more from this author: Maybe.
Would I recommend it: You'd think my answer would be "no" based on my review, but actually, I would. Why not? It's fun.
June 13, 2025
2.5 stars - plot had potential but the writing somehow made a book containing scams, a cult, coup, assassination, & accidental murder boring & didnt convince me to care. none of the characters were likeable but also not unlikeable enough to circle back to being likeable again. :(
July 11, 2023
A truly enjoyable read, with fully fleshed out characters and endlessly fun plot twists.
July 20, 2023
This book is SO good. It's funny, it's sharp, it's intensely American in a way that skewers what that means, and it holds up a mirror to our collective obsession with hoarding money (and the people who hoard money if we do not have it).
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