Influence by Sara Shepard and Lilia Buckingham

 

Book title: Influence

Author: Sara Shepard and Lilia Buckingham 

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Release date: January 5, 2021

Genres: mystery, contemporary, thriller, realistic fiction

Book purchase link: Penguin Random House | Book Depository | Popular(Malaysia)

Source: Times Reads

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5/ 5

DESCRIPTION

Get ready to delve into the world of teen influencers like you've never done before--from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of PRETTY LITTLE LIARS Sara Shepard and sixteen-year-old actress and social media personality Lilia Buckingham comes a twisty mystery that takes place in the fiercely competitive world of Internet stars.

After a video she makes goes viral, everyone knows Delilah Rollins. And now that she's in LA, Delilah's standing on the edge of something incredible. Everything is going to change. She has no idea how much.

Jasmine Walters-Diaz grew up in the spotlight. A child star turned media darling, the posts of her in her classic Lulu C. rainbow skirt practically break the Internet. But if the world knew who Jasmine really was, her perfect life? Canceled.

Fiona Jacobs is so funny--the kind of girl for whom a crowd parts--no wonder she's always smiling! But on the inside? The girl's a hot mess. And when someone comes out of the shadows with a secret from her past, it's one that won't just embarrass Fiona: it will ruin her.

Who wouldn't want to be Scarlet Leigh? Just look at her Instagram. Scarlet isn't just styled to perfection: she is perfection. Scarlet has a gorgeous, famous boyfriend named Jack and there's a whole fanbase about their ship. To everyone watching online, their lives seem perfect . . . but are they really? The sun is hot in California . . . and someone's going to get burned. 

MY REVIEW

Part contemporary and part whodunit mystery, Influence brings us about the competitive side of influencers whereby fame and glamour top off everything. In tandem with this, we’re also given an insight of these influencers who rather have their life fully driven by public’s opinion instead of living a life they wanted to live. All is for the sake of attention, followers, engagements and sponsorship deals.

Written in an omniscient view, this book has four alternating characters – each of them coming from different backgrounds. Delilah, a rising influencer whose life suddenly takes a vast turning point when one of her videos gets viral. Jasmine Walters-Diaz, who’s accustomed to the influencer culture since young, begins to have an existential crisis about her identity as everyone still views her as Lulu C, a famous tweens fictional character that she once played on Netflix series.

Fiona Jacobs, an aspiring actress and a YouTuber who has the talent to entertain people with her funny traits, albeit she’s been battling with the insistent voices in her head. Lastly Scarlet Leigh, the mean girl who always gets under everyone’s skin. Yet she’s renowned for having a relationship with another uber-famous guy. Their image can send the whole fan base reeling in delight, worshipping the ship to sail forever even though the relationship is strictly meant for business.

These characters may seem flawed and you might find yourself drawn to them. However, I’m a tad bit disappointed that we only get to see them on a surface level. It could be more palpable if they’re thoroughly fleshed out. Perhaps, the author aims to deliver us the depiction of the influencer culture that’s pretty steeped in the world these days and I admit this part is well executed. Suffice to say, this book is full of glitters and infused with the glamour of Hollywood.

Plot-wise, the story is dragging before getting into another subplot - the whodunnit mystery. This mystery has thrust these influencers’ life into a tragic phase. From here onwards, there’ll be unending twists to be unfurled as the author successfully tweaks the plot to keep readers on edge.

Overall, I rated this book about 3.5/5 instead of 3 since I love how it’s ended. Fret not, it’s a crystal-clear kind of ending and your patience in unravelling those twists one by one will be paid off.

Warnings: murder, OCD mental illness, gaslighting, mentioned homophobia, implied child labour, drug abuse, bullying, body hatred. Thank you @putrifariza and @timesread for this copy in return for an honest review. This book is available in all major bookstores.