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I Make My Own Fun
She's the woman who has everything. But she wants more. She wants you...
Everyone knows Marina, the A-list movie star. But very few know Marina, the absolute monster.
Years at the top have proved that whatever Marina wants, she gets. But when she meets bartender Anna, Marina discovers something that can't be bought: Anna's affection. As Anna remains unmoved, Marina's advances become more desperate - and her obsession more dangerous.
The price of fame is heavy - and someone will have to pay for it...
Everyone knows Marina, the A-list movie star. But very few know Marina, the absolute monster.
Years at the top have proved that whatever Marina wants, she gets. But when she meets bartender Anna, Marina discovers something that can't be bought: Anna's affection. As Anna remains unmoved, Marina's advances become more desperate - and her obsession more dangerous.
The price of fame is heavy - and someone will have to pay for it...
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 6, 2025
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5926 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
October 8, 2025
Oh my GOD, this was a delicious little romp.
I started it before making dinner, and found myself waking up early the next morning to finish it before my day began. It was impossible to put down.
A mega-superstar named Marina is at the top of her game. There's nothing she can't do or have, but her days pass in a very superficial way. Nobody truly knows her—which is intentional! She lets people see what she wants them to see. No more, no less.
Until she meets a bartender named Anna. Captivated, she becomes intent on "having' her.
Except Anna, it seems, is the one thing she can't have.
I love books where a woman unravels, and thought that this was an excellent addition into the ~genre.
I started it before making dinner, and found myself waking up early the next morning to finish it before my day began. It was impossible to put down.
A mega-superstar named Marina is at the top of her game. There's nothing she can't do or have, but her days pass in a very superficial way. Nobody truly knows her—which is intentional! She lets people see what she wants them to see. No more, no less.
Until she meets a bartender named Anna. Captivated, she becomes intent on "having' her.
Except Anna, it seems, is the one thing she can't have.
I love books where a woman unravels, and thought that this was an excellent addition into the ~genre.
June 23, 2025
ARC for review. To be published October 14, 2025.
3.5 stars.
Marina, an A+ list movie star is the actress everyone loves. But beneath her public persona…she’s truly awful. She’s set her sights on Anna, a London bartender and Marina will do anything to get what she wants.
This was a little fun, a little silly (Marina has five Oscars and she’s not yet thirty? That’s just dumb.) It’s always a joy to read about bad people doing terrible things. I’m not sure what that says about me but you got to dance with them that brung you.
3.5 stars.
Marina, an A+ list movie star is the actress everyone loves. But beneath her public persona…she’s truly awful. She’s set her sights on Anna, a London bartender and Marina will do anything to get what she wants.
This was a little fun, a little silly (Marina has five Oscars and she’s not yet thirty? That’s just dumb.) It’s always a joy to read about bad people doing terrible things. I’m not sure what that says about me but you got to dance with them that brung you.
March 6, 2025
3.5 stars
Marina is Hollywood's darling with a dedicated fan base, a swoon worthy boyfriend, a career that started off with a meteoric rise and hasn't slowed down to boot. Truly, it's hard to hate her, and she knows it. Behind closed doors, she is the ultimate definition of a diva - demanding, ill-tempered, unforgiving, judgmental, the list goes on. She's bored of her celeb, it's tiring having everybody love you so much so when she meets a bartender, Anna, who's playing hard to get, Marina's obsession only grows.
I was raised on E! News and "Wendy", so naturally, this was an extremely fun read for me! Hilarious, fast-paced, deranged, and ridiculous at times. This is a stellar debut and I would love to read more of Hannah Beer's work.
If you like unhinged, messy female characters, consider picking this up!
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC
Marina is Hollywood's darling with a dedicated fan base, a swoon worthy boyfriend, a career that started off with a meteoric rise and hasn't slowed down to boot. Truly, it's hard to hate her, and she knows it. Behind closed doors, she is the ultimate definition of a diva - demanding, ill-tempered, unforgiving, judgmental, the list goes on. She's bored of her celeb, it's tiring having everybody love you so much so when she meets a bartender, Anna, who's playing hard to get, Marina's obsession only grows.
I was raised on E! News and "Wendy", so naturally, this was an extremely fun read for me! Hilarious, fast-paced, deranged, and ridiculous at times. This is a stellar debut and I would love to read more of Hannah Beer's work.
If you like unhinged, messy female characters, consider picking this up!
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC
October 15, 2025
I couldn’t put this debut novel down. It’s about A-list celebrity movie star Marina who becomes obsessed with a bartender she meets named Anna. Marina is extremely unlikeable as she descends further into her madness and uses her fame, wealth, privilege and power to her advantage. The contrast of her life with basically everyone else is stark. I really enjoyed the short chapters, articles, forum threads and texts in the writing. There were definitely some shocking moments and I liked how this thriller pushed it right to the edge.
Thank you to House of Anansi for my ARC!
Thank you to House of Anansi for my ARC!
October 17, 2025
It hurts so severely when something has SO much potential.
When something is right up my alley, and I am convinced that it is destined to be my next 5 star read.
and then it flops.
I am aways a bit of a sucker for a thriller that has something to do with obsession.
They just feel realistic. In a way that both terrifies, and intrigues me.
So, this was set up to be everything!
Very much like a Joe Goldberg “You” situation.
Marina is a celebtrity that is used to everyone fawning over her, and giving her anything she wants, whenever she wants it.
That is, until she finally can’t have it. Anna doesn’t seem to be infatuated with her, at all.
This basically makes her lose her mind, because she simply cannot fathom it.
This missed the mark for me, pretty severely.
For starters, It came out a bit bland I think.
But not in a nice, interesting, thrilling "morally gray" bland kind of way. More of like monotoned, soulless, "i just want to get this over with" kind of way.
It also felt so disorganized.
I want to give it some credit, and say that perhaps it was done on purpose to mimic psychotic disorganized and strange behavior.
But that honestly might be me being generous.
The ending? Rushed.
So rushed. Like this was THE moment, and it just happened in like 5 sentences and then me moved on and the book ended.
I suppose one thing I did like about it, was the call out of celebrity and influencer culture.
Pointing out how so many of them lie to make a “brand” for themselves, pretend to care about certain movements and causes just to gain public support, and the belief that they are “elite”.
That is the best part.
It is also a nice show of how insane the media is, when they act like women are suddenly washed-up and useless the second they turn 30.
I don’t really have much else to say. It just felt a little bit low effort.
I am annoyed by of the amount of potential it had, and how much could have been done with this!
When something is right up my alley, and I am convinced that it is destined to be my next 5 star read.
and then it flops.
I am aways a bit of a sucker for a thriller that has something to do with obsession.
They just feel realistic. In a way that both terrifies, and intrigues me.
So, this was set up to be everything!
Very much like a Joe Goldberg “You” situation.
Marina is a celebtrity that is used to everyone fawning over her, and giving her anything she wants, whenever she wants it.
That is, until she finally can’t have it. Anna doesn’t seem to be infatuated with her, at all.
This basically makes her lose her mind, because she simply cannot fathom it.
This missed the mark for me, pretty severely.
For starters, It came out a bit bland I think.
But not in a nice, interesting, thrilling "morally gray" bland kind of way. More of like monotoned, soulless, "i just want to get this over with" kind of way.
It also felt so disorganized.
I want to give it some credit, and say that perhaps it was done on purpose to mimic psychotic disorganized and strange behavior.
But that honestly might be me being generous.
The ending? Rushed.
So rushed. Like this was THE moment, and it just happened in like 5 sentences and then me moved on and the book ended.
I suppose one thing I did like about it, was the call out of celebrity and influencer culture.
Pointing out how so many of them lie to make a “brand” for themselves, pretend to care about certain movements and causes just to gain public support, and the belief that they are “elite”.
That is the best part.
It is also a nice show of how insane the media is, when they act like women are suddenly washed-up and useless the second they turn 30.
I don’t really have much else to say. It just felt a little bit low effort.
I am annoyed by of the amount of potential it had, and how much could have been done with this!
April 6, 2025
A twisted journey inside the mind of a psychopathic Hollywood star…
Alright, let’s get into this. When I first picked up ‘I Make My Own Fun,’ I was expecting one thing and one thing only: a female serial killer. Like, I think of all those dark, feminist revenge stories that I have devoured lately — where the woman takes control and dishes out some well-deserved punishment. But nope, Hannah Beer didn’t give me that. Instead, I got Marina, who is, through and through, a psychopath. Not a feminist antihero, not a misunderstood character who’s been wronged. No, Marina is a full-on narcissistic and sadistic psychopath. The moment I realized that, I knew I wasn’t supposed to look for any redemption. She’s just… bad. Like, really bad!!
I mean, this isn’t like Villanelle from ‘Killing Eve,’ where there's a bit of an unpredictable charm to her madness. Think back to that scene where Villanelle pours ice cream on the little girl's lap just because she can? Yeah, Marina is exactly like that. She causes chaos, harm, and inconvenience “just for fun.” And spoiler, she doesn’t care about your feelings while she does it. So, no, I wasn’t exactly rooting for her. But I’ll be honest, I couldn't stop reading. And here's why:
- the premise of the book is wildly interesting. A woman committing crimes for her own amusement? Like, that’s a concept I’m here for.
- it’s refreshing to actually get a glimpse into a psychopathic woman’s brain. Normally, it’s all male psychopaths in these types of stories, and I’m usually repulsed, terrified, and downright angry. But here, Marina was just… different. And not in a “good” way, obviously, but in a way that kept me curious.
- also, let’s talk about how the book makes you feel paranoid about the “do-gooder” celebrities. I’m not even gonna lie, it made me second-guess some of the actresses I admire. You know, those women who campaigns about feminism or get involved in charity work to “raise awareness”? Yeah, this book really makes me question their true motivations. Is it genuine or are they just doing it for the press? Yikess!
But don’t get me wrong, even though I was all in for the concept, the book did fall short in a couple of key areas:
- let me start with the marketing; on Twitter, the book was advertised as Marina being this queer Miranda Priestly-type who might literally kill people just for fun. That hooked me! I mean, who wouldn’t want a psychopathic, ice-queen middle-aged woman in charge of Hollywood? Sounds amazing, right? I was picturing this icy boss lady who’s got a sharp tongue and a sharp knife. But no. No, no, no! Turns out, Marina is barely in her thirties. I mean, she’s supposed to be an A-list actress, and yes, she has that Miranda Priestly vibe where she’s disgusted by incompetence, but I was let down by the lack of the classic icy queen energy. Honestly, she just came off like a spoiled, over-privileged, unhinged teenager to me. Big letdown, seriously.
- and then, the writing style… whew! So, there’s a lot of long, winding sentences in here, which at first I thought I could get behind. But then it felt like Hannah Beer was cramming three thoughts into one sentence, and that made it hard to follow at times. Plus, don’t even get me started on the misplaced commas and quotation marks. It was a bit of a mess. It was so distracting that I found myself zoning out a few times — especially during the first 20% of the book. The whole Hollywood film promotion section was just dragging on and on, and I was like, “Okay, cool, but can we move this along?”
Final thoughts:
Honestly, this was a decent debut novel, but it wasn’t the rollercoaster I was hoping for. It didn’t thrill me the way I thought it would, especially with the whole “queer psychopathic Miranda Priestly” hype! 😔 But it was still a solid read. It kept me hooked just enough to get through the WTF moments, and the deeper commentary on the darker side of fame made me appreciate it more than I initially thought. So, yeah, not a perfect read, but definitely an interesting one. I’d say give it a try if you’re curious about the mind of a woman who literally causes chaos for fun. But, fair warning, don’t expect a polished, mind-blowing thriller. That’s all.
Alright, let’s get into this. When I first picked up ‘I Make My Own Fun,’ I was expecting one thing and one thing only: a female serial killer. Like, I think of all those dark, feminist revenge stories that I have devoured lately — where the woman takes control and dishes out some well-deserved punishment. But nope, Hannah Beer didn’t give me that. Instead, I got Marina, who is, through and through, a psychopath. Not a feminist antihero, not a misunderstood character who’s been wronged. No, Marina is a full-on narcissistic and sadistic psychopath. The moment I realized that, I knew I wasn’t supposed to look for any redemption. She’s just… bad. Like, really bad!!
I mean, this isn’t like Villanelle from ‘Killing Eve,’ where there's a bit of an unpredictable charm to her madness. Think back to that scene where Villanelle pours ice cream on the little girl's lap just because she can? Yeah, Marina is exactly like that. She causes chaos, harm, and inconvenience “just for fun.” And spoiler, she doesn’t care about your feelings while she does it. So, no, I wasn’t exactly rooting for her. But I’ll be honest, I couldn't stop reading. And here's why:
- the premise of the book is wildly interesting. A woman committing crimes for her own amusement? Like, that’s a concept I’m here for.
- it’s refreshing to actually get a glimpse into a psychopathic woman’s brain. Normally, it’s all male psychopaths in these types of stories, and I’m usually repulsed, terrified, and downright angry. But here, Marina was just… different. And not in a “good” way, obviously, but in a way that kept me curious.
- also, let’s talk about how the book makes you feel paranoid about the “do-gooder” celebrities. I’m not even gonna lie, it made me second-guess some of the actresses I admire. You know, those women who campaigns about feminism or get involved in charity work to “raise awareness”? Yeah, this book really makes me question their true motivations. Is it genuine or are they just doing it for the press? Yikess!
But don’t get me wrong, even though I was all in for the concept, the book did fall short in a couple of key areas:
- let me start with the marketing; on Twitter, the book was advertised as Marina being this queer Miranda Priestly-type who might literally kill people just for fun. That hooked me! I mean, who wouldn’t want a psychopathic, ice-queen middle-aged woman in charge of Hollywood? Sounds amazing, right? I was picturing this icy boss lady who’s got a sharp tongue and a sharp knife. But no. No, no, no! Turns out, Marina is barely in her thirties. I mean, she’s supposed to be an A-list actress, and yes, she has that Miranda Priestly vibe where she’s disgusted by incompetence, but I was let down by the lack of the classic icy queen energy. Honestly, she just came off like a spoiled, over-privileged, unhinged teenager to me. Big letdown, seriously.
- and then, the writing style… whew! So, there’s a lot of long, winding sentences in here, which at first I thought I could get behind. But then it felt like Hannah Beer was cramming three thoughts into one sentence, and that made it hard to follow at times. Plus, don’t even get me started on the misplaced commas and quotation marks. It was a bit of a mess. It was so distracting that I found myself zoning out a few times — especially during the first 20% of the book. The whole Hollywood film promotion section was just dragging on and on, and I was like, “Okay, cool, but can we move this along?”
Final thoughts:
Honestly, this was a decent debut novel, but it wasn’t the rollercoaster I was hoping for. It didn’t thrill me the way I thought it would, especially with the whole “queer psychopathic Miranda Priestly” hype! 😔 But it was still a solid read. It kept me hooked just enough to get through the WTF moments, and the deeper commentary on the darker side of fame made me appreciate it more than I initially thought. So, yeah, not a perfect read, but definitely an interesting one. I’d say give it a try if you’re curious about the mind of a woman who literally causes chaos for fun. But, fair warning, don’t expect a polished, mind-blowing thriller. That’s all.
October 8, 2025
4.5 stars ⭐️ what an unhinged treat lol.
September 29, 2025
3.5
This was basically like She's a Lamb and Pearl if Jessamyn and Pearl actually achieved their dreams of being a star.
I find parasocial relationships incredibly fascinating, they all require at bare minimum a mild amount of delusion after all. So I did really enjoy the media aspects of this book (gossip mags, internet forums) which showed just how different people's perception of Marina was from reality. A lot of people waste their time speculating things about celebrities when they are never going to actually no the truth because they don't know them and that was definitely highlighted in this book.
Marina, an "aging" (she's turning 30) actress, has the world eating out of palm. Everyone loves her, everyone wants to either be her or be with her. But the truth is that she is a nasty, spiteful, and incredibly self centered individual in real life. One night she sleeps with Anna, a bartender who has played more hard to get than Marina is used to which seems to really excite her. She starts to become obsessed with Anna, unable to understand that someone would be uninterested in her. She finds "hidden" meaning in Anna's texts, thinks she post things on Instagram as messages to her, that kind of delulu stuff. It was interesting seeing this from a celebrity as opposed to an obsessed fan.
I do wish there was a bit more substance/development for Marina as she becomes more and more unhinged. It didnt feel like the escalation of events was matched with any desperation to make her more unhinged. She was kind of super sociopathic from the start. This one wasn't super surprising that it was a debut but Im definitely interested in the authors next novel.
Thank you to Netgalley and House of Anansi Press INC for the ARC.
This was basically like She's a Lamb and Pearl if Jessamyn and Pearl actually achieved their dreams of being a star.
I find parasocial relationships incredibly fascinating, they all require at bare minimum a mild amount of delusion after all. So I did really enjoy the media aspects of this book (gossip mags, internet forums) which showed just how different people's perception of Marina was from reality. A lot of people waste their time speculating things about celebrities when they are never going to actually no the truth because they don't know them and that was definitely highlighted in this book.
Marina, an "aging" (she's turning 30) actress, has the world eating out of palm. Everyone loves her, everyone wants to either be her or be with her. But the truth is that she is a nasty, spiteful, and incredibly self centered individual in real life. One night she sleeps with Anna, a bartender who has played more hard to get than Marina is used to which seems to really excite her. She starts to become obsessed with Anna, unable to understand that someone would be uninterested in her. She finds "hidden" meaning in Anna's texts, thinks she post things on Instagram as messages to her, that kind of delulu stuff. It was interesting seeing this from a celebrity as opposed to an obsessed fan.
I do wish there was a bit more substance/development for Marina as she becomes more and more unhinged. It didnt feel like the escalation of events was matched with any desperation to make her more unhinged. She was kind of super sociopathic from the start. This one wasn't super surprising that it was a debut but Im definitely interested in the authors next novel.
Thank you to Netgalley and House of Anansi Press INC for the ARC.
October 14, 2025
4.5 ★ rounded down
May 18, 2025
What I think made this book just ok and not great is that even villains need ONE redeemable quality. Marina, the protagonist, has none.
July 24, 2025
thanks to netgalley, house of anansi press, and hannah beer for the arc in exchange for an honest review of this book! ✨
i would rate this a 3.5, but rounding up to 4 for how quickly i tore through it, and reading from my phone no less.
i make my own fun follows a-list actress marina, famous and beloved by many. underneath her facade is a true monster, conceited, calculating, and darkly obsessed with stranger anna after one night together.
i’ll be the first to admit i love and delusional and unhinged female protagonist. marina is truly self-centered and evil, her deluded self-confidence is almost admirable in the way it never wavers. the pace of this book was fast, i was always dying to know what happened next. while i hated marina, i couldn’t help but be fascinated by what her next trick was. reminded me of american psycho’s patrick bateman.
i would have liked to see more exploration of her motivations. i felt the root of her obsession was clear (ego), but would have loved more background on why she is the way she is and if was she always this way. i would read about past marina to answer my burning questions.
highly recommended if you like queer and/or gossipy reads. i can’t wait to read what hannah beer writes next 🍸
i would rate this a 3.5, but rounding up to 4 for how quickly i tore through it, and reading from my phone no less.
i make my own fun follows a-list actress marina, famous and beloved by many. underneath her facade is a true monster, conceited, calculating, and darkly obsessed with stranger anna after one night together.
i’ll be the first to admit i love and delusional and unhinged female protagonist. marina is truly self-centered and evil, her deluded self-confidence is almost admirable in the way it never wavers. the pace of this book was fast, i was always dying to know what happened next. while i hated marina, i couldn’t help but be fascinated by what her next trick was. reminded me of american psycho’s patrick bateman.
i would have liked to see more exploration of her motivations. i felt the root of her obsession was clear (ego), but would have loved more background on why she is the way she is and if was she always this way. i would read about past marina to answer my burning questions.
highly recommended if you like queer and/or gossipy reads. i can’t wait to read what hannah beer writes next 🍸
July 14, 2025
This was such a wild ride in the best way!
The FMC Marina is so disturbed, truly just vile. But I could not look away. I seriously couldn't stop reading this book; it was so good. Not what I had in mind in the beginning.
I was immediately captivated by Marina's self-perception and her self-assuredness, which only intensified as her life began to unravel in three months right before her eyes. She was somehow always a few steps ahead, but also not entirely a part of the equation, the entire time.
I think the pacing of the book was superb! Easy to read, enjoyable, and simple to get wrapped up in this insane movie star's world. I was not expecting that ending though...holy shit!
Thank you, NetGalley and House of Anansi Press, for access to the ARC in exchange for a review.
The FMC Marina is so disturbed, truly just vile. But I could not look away. I seriously couldn't stop reading this book; it was so good. Not what I had in mind in the beginning.
I was immediately captivated by Marina's self-perception and her self-assuredness, which only intensified as her life began to unravel in three months right before her eyes. She was somehow always a few steps ahead, but also not entirely a part of the equation, the entire time.
I think the pacing of the book was superb! Easy to read, enjoyable, and simple to get wrapped up in this insane movie star's world. I was not expecting that ending though...holy shit!
Thank you, NetGalley and House of Anansi Press, for access to the ARC in exchange for a review.
October 7, 2025
Soulless rich celebrities are equally interesting and annoying to read. (Especially at the moment.) ‘I make my own fun’ is a witty and entertaining story that achieves what I believe it set out to do. But ultimately it suffers from formulaic stalker story syndrome by the climax and ending. The main character didn’t have the depth to distract from it.
October 9, 2025
What does it say about me that I love reading about unhinged women so much? I loved watching the FMC Mariana perfectly made facade deteriorate. An entertaining read.
Thank you House of Anasi for the gifted copy.
Thank you House of Anasi for the gifted copy.
August 29, 2025
it’s giving killing eve in all the best ways but somehow marina is even less likeable than an assassin ?!
an interesting portrayal of a celebrity who has reached icon status but still wants more and will do anything to get it.
spoiler: none of the terrible things marina does in this novel are excusable but why is this the second book I’ve read this year with really odd violence against a cat ??
an interesting portrayal of a celebrity who has reached icon status but still wants more and will do anything to get it.
spoiler: none of the terrible things marina does in this novel are excusable but why is this the second book I’ve read this year with really odd violence against a cat ??
March 6, 2025
This was such an entertaining read. I powered through this novel in 2 days and had a had time putting it down.
Great for anyone who loves pop culture and is fascinated by society’s obsession with celebrity.
Great for anyone who loves pop culture and is fascinated by society’s obsession with celebrity.
July 23, 2025
A wickedly fun and unhinged ride. Told from the perspective of Marina—a Hollywood elite grappling with turning 30 and no longer being the hot new “it” girl this book dives into her increasingly psychotic hobbies and her desperate quest for relevance. When Marina sets her sights on Anna, a bartender who finally stirs something deeper than her usual one night flings, she spirals into a darkly hilarious obsession, using her wealth and unusual methods to win her over.
Marina is like if Demi Moore’s character in The Substance had a baby with Joe Goldberg from You—glamorous, deranged, and disturbingly compelling. If you loved You or A Certain Hunger, this one will be right up your alley.
Marina is like if Demi Moore’s character in The Substance had a baby with Joe Goldberg from You—glamorous, deranged, and disturbingly compelling. If you loved You or A Certain Hunger, this one will be right up your alley.
January 5, 2025
★★★ ½
#ad — gifted
𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙤 𝙞’𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙜𝙡𝙮, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄’𝙢 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨. 𝙄 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙛𝙪𝙣.
a debut that bites back, hannah beer’s scandalous novel 𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗻 takes celebrity relationships to the next level in an utterly wild ride that leaves you reeling and still wanting more 🎢
𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭: everyone loves marina. beautiful, charming, adored by the public, she’s the A-list celeb you love to watch. except for one thing, marina is a terrible, evil person. when she meets anna one night in a bar, her deep + dark obsession begins as she spirals out of control.
like a queer + female version of american psycho, 𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗻 also plays with the concept of parasocial interactions and the gossip-heavy sections of the book are super fun to read, with tweets and tabloids covering marina’s every move, except the reader gets the real scoop🍦
I absolutely hated marina and it was so much fun to get inside her head and wreak havoc. I will say that she felt a little underdeveloped as a character, fairly two-dimensional and surface-level. I would’ve loved some backstory to her, like more about her family, childhood, and past life before she was famous.
for a debut, this absolutely slaps and I look forward to reading beer’s next novel 📖
read if you like:
🍸 characters you love to hate
🍸 page-turning, bingeworthy books
🍸 exaggerated satire + unhinged women
*thank you atlantic books + laura o’donnell for the proof copy! 𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗻 will be available at all your favourite bookshops + online retailers from 6th march 2025 🚀
#ad — gifted
𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙤 𝙞’𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙜𝙡𝙮, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄’𝙢 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨. 𝙄 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙛𝙪𝙣.
a debut that bites back, hannah beer’s scandalous novel 𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗻 takes celebrity relationships to the next level in an utterly wild ride that leaves you reeling and still wanting more 🎢
𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭: everyone loves marina. beautiful, charming, adored by the public, she’s the A-list celeb you love to watch. except for one thing, marina is a terrible, evil person. when she meets anna one night in a bar, her deep + dark obsession begins as she spirals out of control.
like a queer + female version of american psycho, 𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗻 also plays with the concept of parasocial interactions and the gossip-heavy sections of the book are super fun to read, with tweets and tabloids covering marina’s every move, except the reader gets the real scoop🍦
I absolutely hated marina and it was so much fun to get inside her head and wreak havoc. I will say that she felt a little underdeveloped as a character, fairly two-dimensional and surface-level. I would’ve loved some backstory to her, like more about her family, childhood, and past life before she was famous.
for a debut, this absolutely slaps and I look forward to reading beer’s next novel 📖
read if you like:
🍸 characters you love to hate
🍸 page-turning, bingeworthy books
🍸 exaggerated satire + unhinged women
*thank you atlantic books + laura o’donnell for the proof copy! 𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗻 will be available at all your favourite bookshops + online retailers from 6th march 2025 🚀
February 16, 2025
i make my own fun and apparently so does hannah beer! this was great (it’s giving evelyn hugo but sinister)
June 30, 2025
If Anna was a guy, people would be complaining that Marina is a pick-me seeking male validation and criticise her for it, but like...this is equally as pathetic, no? Hiring a blimp for a woman who barely recognises you? Come on.
I feel like Hannah Beer was desperately trying to make Marina her own version of Villanelle from Killing Eve, but with Villanelle, firstly you have Jodie Comer's towering performance, a clever script and the sense that there's something deeply wrong going on with her, to the point Villanelle is both hilarious and genuinely frightening. Marina is none of these things - Marina is a petulant, whiny fourteen-year-old in the body of an adult who causes destruction like a spoiled toddler and has her security and PA clean up her messes. Riveting.
This book had potential, but to be honest it starts to get boring with Marina's endless self-serving monologue and all her fancy clothes and premieres and people falling over themselves for her. I kept thinking the book was going to do a clever swerve where her poorly thought-out actions start to catch up to her, especially since Marina is actually nowhere near as smart as she thinks she is, she's just wealthy and has much more intelligent people picking up her slack. But no, we have to sit through her vain, empty lifestyle of parties and flings and being a giant bitch and there's no real payoff for doing so. Marina isn't funny or insightful or even entertainingly evil, she's just careless and destructive. There isn't any character for us to root for either - none of Marina's friends or staff have the balls to stand up to her, Anna is basically an non-character because she's barely in the story and all Marina's victims don't get any kind of fleshing out. The ending was a let down too - it feels like the whole book was just a waste of time.
At least it was short and easy to get through, but I feel like the book is a bit false advertising too, it says Marina can't buy Anna's affection, but they fuck in like the first five chapters and text sporadically throughout the book. It's not really about "winning someone over" if said person doesn't even know what's going on - Anna doesn't actually reject Marina's advances because she doesn't know Marina is making them in the first place. It's kind of disappointing that the selling point of the book is Marina -gasp- not getting what she wants, but yet she also does because Anna sleeps with her straight away, so the potential for some unhinged Fatal Attraction antics got nipped in the bud before it could begin. This book reminded me a lot of Sweetpea where we're promised a female psychopath but what we get is just an overgrown spoiled child. What were we meant to take away from this book? Celebrity culture is toxic? Psychopaths don't change? Don't project your fantasies onto people? I'm not sure what this book was trying to say. I just wanted the amur leopard Marina obsesses over the whole book to rip her throat out - at least that would have been somewhat shocking, which this book was sadly lacking for a thriller.
Rating: 2.5/5
I feel like Hannah Beer was desperately trying to make Marina her own version of Villanelle from Killing Eve, but with Villanelle, firstly you have Jodie Comer's towering performance, a clever script and the sense that there's something deeply wrong going on with her, to the point Villanelle is both hilarious and genuinely frightening. Marina is none of these things - Marina is a petulant, whiny fourteen-year-old in the body of an adult who causes destruction like a spoiled toddler and has her security and PA clean up her messes. Riveting.
This book had potential, but to be honest it starts to get boring with Marina's endless self-serving monologue and all her fancy clothes and premieres and people falling over themselves for her. I kept thinking the book was going to do a clever swerve where her poorly thought-out actions start to catch up to her, especially since Marina is actually nowhere near as smart as she thinks she is, she's just wealthy and has much more intelligent people picking up her slack. But no, we have to sit through her vain, empty lifestyle of parties and flings and being a giant bitch and there's no real payoff for doing so. Marina isn't funny or insightful or even entertainingly evil, she's just careless and destructive. There isn't any character for us to root for either - none of Marina's friends or staff have the balls to stand up to her, Anna is basically an non-character because she's barely in the story and all Marina's victims don't get any kind of fleshing out. The ending was a let down too - it feels like the whole book was just a waste of time.
At least it was short and easy to get through, but I feel like the book is a bit false advertising too, it says Marina can't buy Anna's affection, but they fuck in like the first five chapters and text sporadically throughout the book. It's not really about "winning someone over" if said person doesn't even know what's going on - Anna doesn't actually reject Marina's advances because she doesn't know Marina is making them in the first place. It's kind of disappointing that the selling point of the book is Marina -gasp- not getting what she wants, but yet she also does because Anna sleeps with her straight away, so the potential for some unhinged Fatal Attraction antics got nipped in the bud before it could begin. This book reminded me a lot of Sweetpea where we're promised a female psychopath but what we get is just an overgrown spoiled child. What were we meant to take away from this book? Celebrity culture is toxic? Psychopaths don't change? Don't project your fantasies onto people? I'm not sure what this book was trying to say. I just wanted the amur leopard Marina obsesses over the whole book to rip her throat out - at least that would have been somewhat shocking, which this book was sadly lacking for a thriller.
Rating: 2.5/5
June 20, 2025
Hannah Beer will have you giving a second look at all those "nice" celebrities after you've read I Make My Own Fun! Marina is a Megastar actor, adored by all for her top notch acting, sweet demeanor, and philanthropic ways, but who is the real Marina? She is a great actor, but she's also an unhinged monster. This over-the-top story is sheer fun until the last page!
I was so skeptical about this one at first. I generally have a hard time with extremely unlikable main characters. The reason everyone loves Joe Goldberg is because he has moments where you get where he's coming from (And Penn Badgely doesn't hurt!), but Marina has none of the likability. But this book felt like a train wreck and I just couldn't look away. In the end, I enjoyed it a lot, but Marina can go DIAF now. 😜
I was so skeptical about this one at first. I generally have a hard time with extremely unlikable main characters. The reason everyone loves Joe Goldberg is because he has moments where you get where he's coming from (And Penn Badgely doesn't hurt!), but Marina has none of the likability. But this book felt like a train wreck and I just couldn't look away. In the end, I enjoyed it a lot, but Marina can go DIAF now. 😜
October 11, 2025
This book was utterly unhinged. It sort of felt like watching an episode of Criminal Minds. I really liked the style of writing, and found that it had a very entertaining voice but unfortunately felt that it lacked tension throughout.
It was so clear from Marina’s inner monologue that she was monstrous, so none of the behaviour felt that shocking to me. I think that the POV of other characters, or more interactions between Marina and them, could have added a lot to this story.
Overall, I thought it was quite clever to turn the object of the world’s obsession into the obsessed. It was fascinating to follow Marina’s delusions and justifications for her behaviour.
Thank you to House of Anansi for this ARC. Views expressed in this review are entirely my own.
It was so clear from Marina’s inner monologue that she was monstrous, so none of the behaviour felt that shocking to me. I think that the POV of other characters, or more interactions between Marina and them, could have added a lot to this story.
Overall, I thought it was quite clever to turn the object of the world’s obsession into the obsessed. It was fascinating to follow Marina’s delusions and justifications for her behaviour.
Thank you to House of Anansi for this ARC. Views expressed in this review are entirely my own.
July 7, 2025
i love the cover but unfortunately, this book was not as fun as i hoped.
i liked the first part but then the book lost me. it just didn't make sense? marina didn't even know anna to become that obsessed and unhinged. plus, she didn't even really put in that great of an effort to build a connection with anna. a truckload of peonies and a blimp for someone you only know through a PI? that makes absolutely no sense.
anna showed barely any interest in marina so i didn't really understand why marina was obsessed. there was no actual chase - just stalking and random grand gestures. i think marina is supposed to be the female actress version of joe goldberg but it just didn't work.
i liked the first part but then the book lost me. it just didn't make sense? marina didn't even know anna to become that obsessed and unhinged. plus, she didn't even really put in that great of an effort to build a connection with anna. a truckload of peonies and a blimp for someone you only know through a PI? that makes absolutely no sense.
anna showed barely any interest in marina so i didn't really understand why marina was obsessed. there was no actual chase - just stalking and random grand gestures. i think marina is supposed to be the female actress version of joe goldberg but it just didn't work.
October 24, 2024
4.5 stars
What a messy and thoroughly enthralling reading experience! Marina was absolutely insufferable, her inner monologue was full of narcissism and her actions were equally as selfish and cruel. She made for an incredibly interesting main character, my only criticism comes from her awfulness, sometimes it felt a little too character like and villainous.
However, this entire book read like an unhinged nightmare that wouldn’t end. Her decisions get worse and worse and completely unforgivable. Not only is she aggressive and violent, but she’s delusional. I thought the media articles and fan forums provided the perfect contrast for the story itself, a commentary on celebrity lives and how little we actually know about them. A stellar and entertaining read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #IMakeMyOwnFun #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
What a messy and thoroughly enthralling reading experience! Marina was absolutely insufferable, her inner monologue was full of narcissism and her actions were equally as selfish and cruel. She made for an incredibly interesting main character, my only criticism comes from her awfulness, sometimes it felt a little too character like and villainous.
However, this entire book read like an unhinged nightmare that wouldn’t end. Her decisions get worse and worse and completely unforgivable. Not only is she aggressive and violent, but she’s delusional. I thought the media articles and fan forums provided the perfect contrast for the story itself, a commentary on celebrity lives and how little we actually know about them. A stellar and entertaining read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #IMakeMyOwnFun #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
October 24, 2025
Wow. This one was a complete surprise for me! I have never been in into celebrities/fanforums-so this is completely out of the box for me.
Pluuuuussss we have an unhinged, narcissistic, horrible, self centered, arrogant, rude, fake celebrity named Marina? Sign me up.
Marina meets Anna(a bartender), has an excellent night with her and decides she WANTS her. Quickly we dive deep into our lady stalker and her unhinged mind.
Fantastic.
Pluuuuussss we have an unhinged, narcissistic, horrible, self centered, arrogant, rude, fake celebrity named Marina? Sign me up.
Marina meets Anna(a bartender), has an excellent night with her and decides she WANTS her. Quickly we dive deep into our lady stalker and her unhinged mind.
Fantastic.
October 16, 2025
Thank you to the House of Anansi for the gifted advance reader copy.
This book came at just the right time for me as a much needed distraction from life. It was silly and over the top - so different from what I’d usually pick up, but entertaining and hard to put down at times - I just had to know what ridiculous thing would happen next. A good read :)
This book came at just the right time for me as a much needed distraction from life. It was silly and over the top - so different from what I’d usually pick up, but entertaining and hard to put down at times - I just had to know what ridiculous thing would happen next. A good read :)
October 23, 2025
Everyone is obsessed with Marina, a mega famous movie star. To the world she’s this beautiful and super nice person, but behind the cameras she’s pretty evil. Marina falls for a pink haired bartender named Anna one night and becomes obsessed with having her at all costs.
This was a quick and fun read, not my usual read, so I’m happy I enjoyed it. I liked how it reverses the tables on Marina, the person people usually obsess over and shows how she now is the one doing the obsessing.
Thanks to Anansi Press for an advanced reader copy of this book.
This was a quick and fun read, not my usual read, so I’m happy I enjoyed it. I liked how it reverses the tables on Marina, the person people usually obsess over and shows how she now is the one doing the obsessing.
Thanks to Anansi Press for an advanced reader copy of this book.
March 16, 2025
This was batshit crazy and I looooved it!
July 31, 2025
Oh Marina you chaos goblin
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