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Influence

Sara Shepard (Goodreads Author),

Lilia Buckingham (Goodreads Author) (Contributor)

3.54 · Rating details · 886 ratings · 269 reviews

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, every ...more

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Hardcover, 368 pages

Published January 5th 2021 by Delacorte Press (first published 2020)

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Mar 31, 2020 Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ Campbell marked it as to-read

I am such a sucker for books that spill the tea on the dark side of influencing

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Dec 26, 2020 Lou rated it really liked it

Influence is a young adult thriller about the pitfalls of being a celebrity in the public eye and explores the sinister side of technology, offering a glimpse at the drama that unfolds behind the scenes of Hollywood’s it-influencers. How much of their seemingly picture-perfect lives are real and how much is facade? 16-year-old Delilah Rollins, known online as Puppy Girl, is an up and coming teen social media influencer from Minneapolis. She rose to prominence when a video in which she bravely re Influence is a young adult thriller about the pitfalls of being a celebrity in the public eye and explores the sinister side of technology, offering a glimpse at the drama that unfolds behind the scenes of Hollywood’s it-influencers. How much of their seemingly picture-perfect lives are real and how much is facade? 16-year-old Delilah Rollins, known online as Puppy Girl, is an up and coming teen social media influencer from Minneapolis. She rose to prominence when a video in which she bravely rescued a golden retriever from a neighbour’s burning shed went viral. Having just moved to Los Angeles six days earlier with her family, Delilah receives an exciting invitation to a huge influencer party for Wellness Beauty, taking place at the Evensong Hotel, via direct Instagram message from @LuluJasmine, aka Jasmine Walters-Diaz, aka Lulu C from That’s Hot!, Delilah’s favourite dance show on Lemonade. With 20 million followers Delilah can't believe actress and dancer Jasmine even knows who she is, never mind saying she's a fan; after all this is the girl who practically broke the internet when she wore her iconic rainbow skirt and lace leotard. At the gathering Jasmine introduces Delilah to Fiona Jacobs, an aspiring actress and YouTuber, with her caramel skin and gorgeous, flowing red hair. It's not long before uber influencer Scarlet Leigh, aka @ScarletLetter, shimmies into the lobby and the 3 girls greet her.

Scarlet was a tall girl with glowing skin; bouncy, white-blond hair; and a curvy, flawless body. She was on every Sexiest Girl Alive list, she’d received sponsorship deals for everything ranging from a small-batch whiskey maker to a renowned airline. Delilah is taken aback when Fiona's boyfriend, Chase, warns her away from the apparently toxic, self-absorbed Scarlet. Delilah slips into a dimly-lit booth to gather herself and is shocked to discover that half-concealed in shadows, is a guy with pale green eyes and soft, floppy chestnut hair. The guy turns out to be Scarlet's beau, YouTube comedian Jack Dono, and unfortunately, with cameras now everywhere catching every minute of an influencer’s life the encounter between them is recorded and widely circulated. Cue the melodrama, bitchiness and accusations between the social media moguls. And when a brutal murder takes place, Delilah vows to root out the killer in their midst. This is a compulsive, exciting and unique read set in a cutthroat world where influencers will do anything to acquire fame and anything to retain it. It's a glamorous way of life, and we are shown a fully rounded and immersive view of it as the chapters alternate between the 4 girls. It's fun, entertaining and a great piece of escapism made all the more authentic by knowledgeable real-life influencer Lilia Buckingham's involvement. Highly recommended. ...more

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Feb 02, 2021 Trina (Between Chapters) rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, 2021, mystery, contemporary, young-adult

Story: ★★★★☆
I thought this was a fun mystery about how messy our perceptions of internet influencers can be.

Audio: ★★★☆☆
So one of the co-authors, Lilia Buckingham, narrates this herself. She was very pleasant to listen to, but I sometimes couldn't tell the voices for different characters apart, especially the male characters. I believe this was her first time doing an audiobook though, so it's understandable. She obviously was able to be in tune with her character's emotions though, and that's a ...more

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May 28, 2020 Monte Price rated it liked it

Shelves: arc

It's my understanding that publication has been pushed to 2021, so I'll wait until then to publish my full discussion

--

the book is out now, so here's that review

As a piece of entertainment I’ll say that I enjoyed my time with the book. As a story that should make sense to me, that I had a harder time with.

It’s my understanding that a teenage influencer type person was consulted / was a part of the writing process of the novel but that said there were still a lot of things that just felt off abou It's my understanding that publication has been pushed to 2021, so I'll wait until then to publish my full discussion

--

the book is out now, so here's that review

As a piece of entertainment I’ll say that I enjoyed my time with the book. As a story that should make sense to me, that I had a harder time with.

It’s my understanding that a teenage influencer type person was consulted / was a part of the writing process of the novel but that said there were still a lot of things that just felt off about the book. It felt more like a 2009 view of influencer life, something more akin to the studio system of the 40s than what life would be like. It also felt odd early in the book for the narrators, Delilah in particular, to feel the need to explain terminology surrounding social media life to an audience that most definitely would be familiar with the terms.

Scarlet’s “vlog” portions of the book were also a problem for me. Maybe its just because I’m a dinosaur and maybe there are people out there that go on Instagram live and call it a vlog, but to me as a reader the perception I have of what a vlog is and what those chapters were, are two very different things. Those were livestreams and as transcripts made sense. If they were meant to be on YouTube though, the idea of the commenters having the @ symbol in front of their username makes no sense as that’s not how the YouTube comment section works. If that was just a function of this being an arc and that’s just to symbolize something that will look different in the final version of the book, my apologies. As a reader though it was giving me stronger Instagram vibes than anything that would be posted to YouTube.

On the whole though I felt that the book wasn’t very focused. Maybe it’s because of the multiple narrators, but the storylines didn’t really seem to converge in any kind of meaningful way to coalesce around a singular plot idea until the 60% mark according to my kindle. Until then we had the Lilah/Jack subplot that felt like it was all being told to me and never shown, the Jasmine is maybe a lesbian but her Disney-like persona can’t come out [which could still very much be a thing, but in 2019/2020 it was another one of those things that made me feel like I was reading a book not set in this current time], and Fiona’s drama that all took place before the start of this book and left me not attached to anything she was going through at all. When Scarlet did eventually die even the investigation into the death didn’t really unite the perspectives.

At that point there wasn’t really enough time in the story to navigate that + give the other three remaining perspectives any sense of real closure on their independent plot points. I also felt the idea of continuing to have this thread of maybe Scarlet isn’t dead cheapened the plot in a way that really made me feel like the story didn’t have a plot and that beat was added in solely to be able to market the book as some kind of edgy thriller and potentially come out with a sequel at some point in the future.

As a slice of life drama about the semi unrealistic messy lives of high profile teenagers, it was a good time. I enjoyed it the same way millions of people enjoy a good blockbuster film, maybe not so much for the storytelling but the aesthetics and explosions. I think any kind of scrutiny makes this book fall apart, but on a surface level I think that a lot of people will get some level of entertainment out of it.
...more

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Apr 04, 2020 Amy Imogene Reads rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2021, arcs-reviewed, ya-comtemporary

Drama, drama, DRAMA! This insider's look into the world of teen influencers was a wild ride from start to finish—and I couldn't stop reading it.

Characters: ★★★★
Plot: ★★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★★★
Binge-level enjoyment: ★★★★

Delilah Rollins is catapulting to stardom in a major way on Instagram. From her Minnesota roots to her recent move to LA, she's scrambling to find her bearings in a world where hundreds of thousands of people know her name, her face, and her life. Is Delilah really ready for her autonom ...more

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Jan 26, 2020 Erin A. Craig rated it really liked it · review of another edition

So many twisting turns! A fun, quick read!

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Jan 19, 2021 Mandy White (mandylovestoread) rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2021, holiday-reads, owned, read-what-you-own-21

I could not put it down.. deliciously addictive and twisted is how I would describe it! Very much in the vein of Pretty Little Liars...Perfect holiday read

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Feb 04, 2021 Allie rated it it was ok

Shelves: owned

⭐️⭐️/5
now, if there is one thing i will say about this book, is that it was entertaining. i will probably find myself rereading this book in the future purely for entertainment value. however, there were so many things in this book that just felt out of place, or that they werent written correctly, that my rating is lowered so much.

influence is a YA contemporary thriller that follows a cast of “influencers” in LA as they navigate the social scene, blackmail, and jealousy in the world of social ...more

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Nov 01, 2020 Christy rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

An interesting story from the social media side of life but just not my cup of tea.
Maybe it was the age of the characters but they didn’t click for me either. Maybe a younger audience will enjoy.
Thank you Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Sep 02, 2020 Rach rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

I have read The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard but not the PPL series.

We have four main characters who are influencers in the book. Delilah has just moved to LA and is gaining fame but is still kinda of a newbie. Jasmine was a famous childhood star and her image is based on this but underneath she wants to move away from this image. Fiona is famous but underneath this she suffers with OCD and anxiety and we also have Scarlet who is famous and appears to be the mean girl in this world.

I have to ...more

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May 29, 2020 Chelsea | thrillerbookbabe rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

I had to pick up this book because I’m a huge fan of Sara Shepard. I loved all the Pretty Little Liars books and have been reading them since I was a teenager. This book was co-written with an influencer and it was about...influencers!

I didn’t know much about the world of an influencer and a lot of what was in the book seemed like it was based on real life. It was similar to other Sara Shepard books and was about three girls who are influencers in LA. They talk about the world of trading free pr ...more

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Dec 29, 2020 AtenRa rated it liked it

Shelves: crime, romance, suspense, children, gay-character, teen-angst, social-media, mystery, ya-fiction

Influence is a book about the "dark side" of social media, with Pretty Little Liars-like twists and turns.

It is told through 4 social media influencers POVs.
Does anyone else just cringe when they hear the word "influencer"? Because I definitely do! Even as I am typing it now there is that annoying red dotted line underneath it, and why? Because it's NOT A REAL WORD! The fact that one single person, someone you have never met or know personally, a total stranger, can influence your way of living Influence is a book about the "dark side" of social media, with Pretty Little Liars-like twists and turns.

It is told through 4 social media influencers POVs.
Does anyone else just cringe when they hear the word "influencer"? Because I definitely do! Even as I am typing it now there is that annoying red dotted line underneath it, and why? Because it's NOT A REAL WORD! The fact that one single person, someone you have never met or know personally, a total stranger, can influence your way of living and/or your mentality in any way is terrifying. But in 2020, unfortunately it's more real than ever!
The 4 girls in the book are in various stages of fame, 3 being very famous, and 1 an up and coming socialite. They all have secrets to hide which little by little are being exposed on the internet, and each of them will do anything to keep them from coming out.

I will admit, there are a lot of things happening in this book that seem waaaay over the top. For example, the extravagantly opulent lives these teenage girls live, and their fans' reactions to them. But as I kept reading I though "Is it over the top, or is it just how it is?" I have seen how fans treat people on social media with a significant following (I refuse to say influencers!) for years. They either adore them to a disturbing level, or hate them to a repugnant level. There is no in between, because the in betweeners don't care enough to comment or voice their opinion.
So, I have seen enough things on social media to make me go "No, actually this is not crazy enough!"
Well, except the murder part. I have not seen that 👀
Otherwise, if you think that the social media part of the girls' lives is too far fetched, think again because I don't believe it is at all. If anything, I think it's downplayed for the book to be more easily digestible. If they wanted to go dark, they could go darker.

The mystery itself was alright, there were a lot of red herrings at first, until the end when it's revealed that the person you least expect actually did the deed. After 16 PLL book, you learn to pick out the culprit straight away, so if you are a Shepard vet, the plot won't be as interesting to you.

As with PLL, I liked some girls POVs more than others. I remember Hanna and Spencer were my favourites back then. In Influence, I would have to go with Faith. She had the most interesting background out of all of them, I just wish it was a little bit more developed and not forgotten by the end(view spoiler)

The romance was a bit of a fail, I'm afraid. I didn't particularly like Jack, I thought he was a total player and I am still not convinced otherwise. I felt like he didn't give Delilah a chance to decide whether she wants to be in a relationship when she was obviously torn about the whole thing.
But then again, teenagers! Maybe I'm too old to understand how people born after 2000 form relationships 🤷

As this is not a series, Influence wraps up in the end, which is quite refreshing in a world where everything must have a sequel.
It was a fun, entertaining read, filled with PLL nostalgia.
More suitable for ages 12-16. ...more

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Feb 04, 2021 Fatirah Murtaza rated it really liked it

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 comi 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. ...more

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Sep 25, 2020 Trish at Between My Lines rated it it was ok

This book just wasn’t for me. I liked getting to know the 4 main characters who are all popular influencers. However the plot felt melodramatic and unrealistic. Plus the romances were underdeveloped and with a strong whiff of insta-love.

I think this book might suit a younger audience.

Thanks to Little Brown Book Group for giving me for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion.

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Feb 05, 2021 Alex rated it it was ok

Shelves: 7-8-and-9

I wasn't really enjoying this book at all until the reveal that one of the MCs is a lesbian which is normally a very sticky situation for me reviewer wise because I hate having to try and decipher between whether I enjoyed a book because it was actually good, or if I just enjoyed it because I'm a little representation starved goblin who'll take literally anything I can get (spoiler alert, it was the second one).

I don't know who Lilia Buckingham is, but I did go into this knowing the co-author wa I wasn't really enjoying this book at all until the reveal that one of the MCs is a lesbian which is normally a very sticky situation for me reviewer wise because I hate having to try and decipher between whether I enjoyed a book because it was actually good, or if I just enjoyed it because I'm a little representation starved goblin who'll take literally anything I can get (spoiler alert, it was the second one).

I don't know who Lilia Buckingham is, but I did go into this knowing the co-author was an influencer so I was really excited to read an actual informed perspective on the social media scene, but somehow the terminology still never managed to make sense. Part of the story is told in transcripts from what are called vlogs so naturally, I assumed that was what they were but there was a consistent plot thread of bits and pieces of information that weren't supposed to be in the vlogs got there which I found really intriguing because unless some editor or something was sneaking in those bits and their existence as going to be revealed later, it seemed like the subject of the vlogs, Scarlet, was trying to get some sort of message out there under the ruse of 'mistakes'. Except it's not that because I'm pretty sure they were just livestreams and somehow no one caught onto the fact that livestreams aren't normally called 'vlogs'. A lot of the social media aspects are like that. Confusing and messy and just off enough that it feels like the writer has only ever experienced knockoff apps.

Characterwise, what was and wasn't shown seemed like a weird decision. For example, a big plot thread relies on 2 characters getting close and apparently exchanging hundreds of texts but we only see a handful and never a conversation. The book is already mixed media because of the transcripts so I don't get why they didn't show us any of those conversations instead of pulling a "we bonded off-page, trust us".

Also, I can't talk much about this aspect without massive spoilers, but the reason I managed to shed my giddy rep-starved googles was because this book does some not so great things with its queer rep. I'm not angry enough that I feel like it necessitates a spoiler and its definitely all well intentioned, but everything I was excited for with the introduction of a surprise queer lead quickly deteriorated. ...more

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Feb 14, 2021 Jay G rated it liked it

Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*

3.5/5 Stars

Delilah, a rising influencer known as Lila D. online, moves to L.A with her family. She is invited to a party by another famous influencer, Jasmine Walters Diaz, who was a famous childhood star but wants to move away from that image. While there, Jasmine introduces her to Fiona, and the three ...more

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Jan 19, 2021 chloe ♡ rated it liked it

Shelves: diverse, i-own, lgbtq-rep, 2021-read

3.5 stars
- the first half was a bit too slow for my liking
- the remaining half got me *hooked*

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Nov 16, 2019 Haley A rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I received this book as an ARC at YALL Fest 2019

This book was quite a ride!

Influence focuses around the premise of four influencers and their lives in and out of the limelight. I thought this came across very well in the book and brought an interesting perspective to YA books. I started out skeptical on if I would like it but at about half way the story picked up and got more interesting. Lilia and Sara write very compelling characters and the murder (around half way into the book) was very unex ...more

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Jul 21, 2019 William Cook rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I just want to take this time to say-wow! Lilia is an amazing writer! I’m so glad Sara gave her the opportunity to share her story! I was instantly hooked! I loved this book so much! So many scandals and juicy secrets! A twisty-page turner that’ll keep you guessing until the end. 5/5 stars

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Jan 15, 2020 Mollie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, reviewed, arcs

4.75/5 Stars

as of 79% into the book:
THIS BOOK OMGGGG!! I picked this book up as an ARC at Y’allFest and had low expectations for this book. It just didn’t seem like my cup of tea and I thought I’d get nothing out of it. So far I’ve had a terrifying look into the twisted worlds of social media influencers and a great mystery. The characters all have such a realness to them and are written so well! The twists have left me shook and I’ve never been left satisfied after reading a chapter! I always 4.75/5 Stars

as of 79% into the book:
THIS BOOK OMGGGG!! I picked this book up as an ARC at Y’allFest and had low expectations for this book. It just didn’t seem like my cup of tea and I thought I’d get nothing out of it. So far I’ve had a terrifying look into the twisted worlds of social media influencers and a great mystery. The characters all have such a realness to them and are written so well! The twists have left me shook and I’ve never been left satisfied after reading a chapter! I always just want to keep devouring this book and all its awesomeness!! I have never read/ watched Sara Shepherd’s Pretty Little Liars but now I have such an interest in these co-author’s style that I think I’d enjoy her individual writings and hope that Lilia writes her own book eventually or that they co-write again because :chefs kiss:. I right now at the moment would have to give it a 4.5/5 stars because of how well I’m enjoying it. There are some small things I think they could add like a few more descriptions on the characters themselves (appearance wise mainly) but yet again this is still an ARC and they might change things (??) but either way it won’t make me mad in the slightest. I’ll write more later after I progress more and finish and final thoughts :).

finished:
yES. tHIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE!! I am so glad I enjoyed it because I wouldn’t have finished it otherwise and what a shame that would’ve been!! The twists and turns kept me constantly guessing and never trusting anyone! Also to anyone who is thinking about reading this book but the synopsis doesn’t interest them PLEASE JUST GO FOR IT!! If you are interested in murder mysteries and thrilling page turners and an intense story that grabs you from the start and never lets you go, this book completely wowed me.

Characters: 3-4/5 - There was some things about certain characters that you usually don’t see in books! Of our main characters alone we have a diabetic, a character with OCD, and 2 lgbtqia+ character leads and a few side characters that had a few moments! The only reason I gave a 3-4/5 is because I feel like they were a bit forgettable to me personally.

Plot: 5/5 - Always kept me entertained and I never wanted to put it down! It was truly a page turner and unexpected from the start.

World building: 4/5 - The world was so like ours in how a normal person would see it but through the eyes of social media influencers was eye opening for many different reasons. Yes, I am aware that some of the eye opening crazy moments were because this was a book and fiction, but still it could happen and that makes it even scarier. Some times I wish they would just describe some things a bit more in depth so I could imagine things better but overall very well done.

Writing style: 4/5 - This isn’t the over-the-top fantasy terminology and stuff I usually read so this was nice to just have easy names and simple words to read. Sometimes I get to focused on the words themselves and not the meaning so it was just nice to flow through it so easily and not have to think to much except for guessing the mystery.

OVERALL ONE OF MY FAV MYSTERIES EVER (idc that i’ve only read two and no i don’t take constructive criticism😤) AND IM SO GLAD I GOT TO READ IT AS AN ARC AND SHARE MY LOVE FOR THIS BOOK!!

Thank you to the publishers at Y’allFest 2019 who had arcs for this!! ...more

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Apr 17, 2020 Crystal Hiatt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-netgalley-challenge

This book shines a light on the dark side of being an influencer.
The story starts off from the perspective of a dead girl. Who is it? I had to keep reading to find out!
The story follows the lives of 4 internet influencers.
Delilah is a newbie and is starting to feel overwhelmed with the pressure of it all.
Jasmine Walters-Diaz is a child star turned successful influencer. She can't seem to shake off her childhood role of Lulu C and be herself lest she loses her fans. The pressure of hiding her ...more

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Feb 18, 2020 Selene marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-stand-alone, not-yet-published, contemporary-tbr

How did I not know about this until now! I can’t wait to read this!

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Aug 16, 2020 Martina Primerano rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Full review to come, but definitely one of the most interesting and absorbing books I‘ve read this year. Highly recommended!

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Jan 15, 2021 The Book Club rated it it was amazing

Influence is a deep dive into the teens influencer world, where everything is not as it seems.
Delilah find that out after a video of hers, saving a puppy, goes viral, after making acquaintances with Jasmin and Fiona she finds herself in the midst of social media drama which will probably change her whole life.

Lilia and Sara have made such a great job at bringing to light some of the aspects of the influencers world, which sometimes we forget about and which should be brought to life more often ...more

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Jan 12, 2021 gio ✰ rated it it was amazing

“Delilah?” Fiona’s voice crackled with even more uncertainty. “But Delilah’s new in town. She doesn’t even know Scarlet.” Carlson started the engine, meeting her gaze in the rearview mirror. There was a weird, smug look on his face. “According to social media, Miss Jacobs, you girls were all the best of friends.”

(before i start, this is more of a 4.5 than a 5 stars but it has gay women so)

WOW. this was definetly a roller coaster. so many twists and turns kept me completely hooked on this book an ...more

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Dec 29, 2020 Katie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, owned, read-in-2020, 2-star-rating

I really wanted to love this - I read the Pretty Little Liars books year ago and loved them, and the description for this seemed so interesting and right up my alley, but I think it just lacked the development it needed to truly work for me. I didn't really care about any of the characters, and it took WAY too long for the mystery to come into play. I also think that everything just felt so generic, and any of the characters could have been changed out with each other and it would have made no d ...more

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Feb 18, 2021 Teresa Dunivent rated it really liked it

Shelves: currently-own, 2021-books

3.5 I didn’t realize this was a mystery, which I am perfectly okay reading. Social media is constantly bombarding us: impacts lives, bank accounts, self esteem, trends... When I was told about the release of this book from our local bookseller, I was instantly intrigued. This is not only an entertaining read, it does give some insight into the world of being an Influencer. This would be a great read for those teens who are all things social.

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Jan 01, 2021 Kayleigh (BookwormEscapes) rated it really liked it

This was my first read of 2021 and is PERFECT for anyone who, like me, lives for ya thrillers and the guilty pleasure of celebrity culture and gossip. If you like bingeworthy teen dramas on Netflix and Karen McManus’ books, you will LOVE this!
📱
Influence is a murder mystery set in the cutthroat world of social media stars and influencers. It’s compulsively readable with its glamorous descriptions and unveiling of the dark side of being Insta famous. The plot is full of twists, turns, and SO. MUCH ...more

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Oct 19, 2020 Evangeline added it

As requested by the publisher I will not upload my review until two weeks before the publication date.

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Jan 01, 2021 Jenny (Bookbookowl) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: june-2020-releases

Thankyou to Hachette Australia for providing me with a copy of Influence, in exchange for an honest review.

Delilah and her family have just moved to LA. After gaining some notoriety on social media for saving a puppy from a burning building, Delilah, ‘Lila D’, is keen to rub shoulders with high end influencers and be a part of their world. When she meets insta-famous Jasmine and Fiona, she can’t believe they know who she is and want to be her friend. She quickly learns not everything is as perfe Thankyou to Hachette Australia for providing me with a copy of Influence, in exchange for an honest review.

Delilah and her family have just moved to LA. After gaining some notoriety on social media for saving a puppy from a burning building, Delilah, ‘Lila D’, is keen to rub shoulders with high end influencers and be a part of their world. When she meets insta-famous Jasmine and Fiona, she can’t believe they know who she is and want to be her friend. She quickly learns not everything is as perfect as it seems in the world of social media fame, especially when she finds herself the subject of anonymous internet hate, for chatting to the boyfriend of an influencer known for her callous streak. It turns out everyone has something to hide, but how far would they go to protect their secrets?

Influence is one of those books that made me feel like I probably shouldn’t be as invested as I was, but I just could not stop reading, in the same way that I could not stop watching Pretty Little Liars. 😄 The first chapter sucked me right in and I ended up reading it all in one day. I’ve read a few books about the world of high influencers now and I don’t know how embellished they are or whether it’s an accurate example of how these people actually live, although I understand one of the co-writers, Lilia Buckingham was a teenage actor and Instagram sensation, so I assume there is some truth breathed into the Influencer world. I don’t really have an interest in fashion or lifestyle bloggers, I stick to books and plants where it’s slightly saner and our followers don’t usually creep into the millions 😅 I really loved Jasmine’s character and poor sweet, naive Delilah. I imagine much of what the characters experience in Influence is similar to child stars – especially with fame hungry parents and a life that is not their own. I felt like we didn’t get much of a back story on how or why any of the girls actually became famous, other than Jasmine, and to a lesser extent, Delilah. I would have liked more information on Fiona, Scarlet and Jack’s journey on their rise to fame.

If you enjoy books (or TV shows) that make for compulsive reading, with multiple twists, where you’re never really sure if you can trust anyone, definitely give Influence a go! ...more

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About Sara Shepard

Sara Shepard

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Sara Shepard graduated from NYU and has an MFA from Brooklyn College. She has lived in New York City, Brooklyn, Tucson, Arizona, Philadelphia, and now lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Sara's Pretty Little Liars novels were inspired by her upbringing in Philadelphia's Main Line. ...more

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“It was the kind of herd mentality that was so prevalent in this world - when one person was doing something that looked amazing in photos, the community followed suit, even if it meant completely uprooting one's life.” — 0 likes

“Unless these people saw her cracks. Unless they got too close and realized that she was ruined inside.” — 0 likes

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