Bad Influence: Reflections On a Life Lived Online

by Oenone Forbat

' An ideal summer read ' EVENING STANDARD

'Equal parts insightful and entertaining - whatever your take on influencers, Bad Influence is a great read' YOMI ADEGOKE

Oenone didn't set out to become an influencer. The word barely existed when she started posting on Instagram at university to document her 'fitness journey' after a toxic relationship came to a messy end.

In this humorous meditation on her digitized life, Oenone chronicles the pits and peaks of coming of age online. Grappling with modern-day issues on a public stage - from body image and personal boundaries to the limitations of online activism, Bad Influence examines what happens when your day-to-day reality becomes #content - and that #content pays your bills.

It can you truly be authentic online? Can social media be a force for good? Is it necessarily bad for our mental health?

Written with wit, warmth and honesty, this is a candid account of what it really means to be an influencer, from someone still figuring it the good, the bad and the instagrammable .

'Warm, juicy, and eye-opening, like having a chat with a best friend' ANNIE LORD

'If ever a book captured the zeitgeist, this is it' GRACE CAMPBELL

' Funny, warm and brilliantly engaging' LUCY VINE

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook

164 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2023

Reviews

[Gee Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Bad Influence' left me feeling full up – inspired, validated, and with extra room for dessert (booking an Italian adventure).

Oenone is one of the few authors who has tackled this memoir style with true authenticity. Her voice really is her voice. We are all listening to one extended Instagram story of her life.

You can change your mind again and again. There is no 'correct version' of you is the pivotal message that jumps out.

If you can't tell, I'm feeling slightly pumped up writing this review but nevertheless, the points still stand.

'Bad Influence' addresses digital media culture in a way that is nuanced and feels balanced. The BTS of influencing is often forgotten and here, it is highlighted with just the right amount of shading.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Well written, insightful and informative about the online world. Oenone is disarmingly honest and humorous. I found myself reading it in one sitting. Highly recommended.

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really honest and fascinating look at a young woman's journey from basic fitness social media promotion to thoughtful, mature, social engagement.
A very modern journey not just of interest to her contemporaries, but also to older women like myself, unfamiliar with the social media influencing world. A real eye-opener. Recommended!

[John Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much and actually read it in one sitting, which is very unusual for me.. it’s such an interesting insight into the author’s life and it’s written in a way that’s fun, fast paced, interesting and in places very vulnerable and emotive. I found parts of it very relatable and while you’re learning about Oenone’s life, and how that translates into her life online, you also find yourself reflecting on your own relationship with social media and what it all means to you. I highly recommend it to anybody looking for an enjoyable and relatable read!

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written and interesting read. The personal stories and experience Oenone shared were powerful as they were written delicately and with intention.

[Freddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real gem, recommended by a friend and safe to say I really enjoyed this. Fascinating detail and insight into the world of "influencing". Candid throughout, felt like a really honest appraisal of the scene/industry/community told though her own experiences without being verbose. Lovely writing style, honest reflections flow easily into humorous anecdotes. I would hope anyone and everyone with a passing interest in social media, online communities or modern culture would enjoy it so highly recommend.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had been looking forward to this book all summer and was so happy it arrived just before I left for my beach holiday.

I have followed Oenone for a while and always found her hot takes informed, funny and well balanced. This book didn’t disappoint and I loved the insight into her life and the way Instagram had shaped her adulthood. Congrats to Oenone for being so vulnerable and honest - a thoroughly enjoyable read!

[Nikki N · Rating 5 out of 5]

The balance throughout this book is amazing- between strength and vulnerability, intellectual and conversational, and being relatable yet so personal.

Oenone writes beautifully. Every point is so well constructed, coloured with personal anecdotes or quotes and references that demonstrate how well read she is.

Despite addressing heavier and powerful topics, Bad Influence was funny and witty. I loved how clever and thoughtful each sentence was, or how each phrase turned.

5 stars.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up - really like Oenone and her writing style, but I‘ve knocked off some stars as not sure I enjoy the hybrid ‘social-commentary-turned-memoir’ genre that much. Wish this had either spoken more about her life and life philosophies, or delved deeper into social media and influencing. But an enjoyable read nonetheless

[Natalya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed feeding my parasocial relationship with Oenone who I’ve been following on Instagram for a while. The book offered some insights into the world of an influencer and gave me a newfound respect for the trade and Oenone, who came across likeable and ambitious! Some bits felt a bit classic but other parts were more thought provoking.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a read, loved it. Fully recommend.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an enjoyable book. As an Oenone fan it was super interesting to see how she’s got to where she is now and she is an entertaining writer. However, I don’t think I learned anything particularly new or felt moved in any particular direction. A solid little debut novel and I’m excited to see what Oenone writes next but not sure I would have enjoyed it as much had I not been a fan already.

[Sophie Naughalty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, honest and a seemingly good insight to the evolution of SM.
Though perhaps as an antithesis to this whole book, it also felt like I was feeding the parasocial relationship with someone I’ve been following for a while - especially since the audiobook was read in her own voice

[Andie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy and light read but the dog mom stuff lost me.

[John Brassel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! And that’s saying a lot cause I had pretty high expectations and they were still met and exceeded.

I didn’t necessarily learn anything about the industry that I didn’t already know but maybe that’s because I’ve always been curious about it and maybe because I already follow oenone quite closely but there’s a few things in there where I was shocked to learn about her personal! (Which is amazing since I already thought I knew everything?)

Anyways, loved the book would highly recommend you read it if you’re also figuring yourself out (or trying to) I found it very comforting and it offered a really fresh and hopeful perspective on the times we live in and I felt like it almost gave me permission to keep trying new things and just have fun!!

I also didn’t find it defensive at all for what it’s worth and I thought she very eloquently acknowledged privilege and some potentially inaccurate perceptions about the industry.

Love Oenone even more after reading this! (Btw this is me just from my boyfriends account cause I use his Amazon hehe)

[Mary Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I’ve just finished it in almost one sitting. An easy to read book, but very well written and full of thoughtful insights into the world of social media. I’m a much older person and I started reading it with very little knowledge of the influencer world. I learned so much about it from this writer. However, there is much more to the book. It is a memoir, and offers a deep and reflective insight into the author’s own life and growth in her twenties, told with humour and honesty. Highly recommended.

[Yas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oenone's book is captivating and hugely insightful into the influencing world.

It felt so personal joining Oenone on the journey through her life and the writing really captured her personality throughout. Her humour and wit comes across and I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Bad Influence' flying through it in a matter of days.

Would definitely recommend!

[Lauren Rosegreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! Have followed Oenone on insta for the past few years, particularly for her more activist & conversation sparking content. Very interesting to see things from her perspective. A quick, thought- provoking read.

[Holly Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gobbled this up in 24 hours as I loved it so much. I’ve been following Oenone since the tiny tank days and found this such an honest and fascinating insight into the world of influencing. Also had a real ‘Everything I know about love’ vibe to it and made me so grateful for my female friendships.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reeeeeally enjoyed listening to this ! Makes u realise how social media really is only a tiny part of someone’s day !! Love following her on insta and love her even more now

[Annika Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Oenone, love this book, looking forward to all her future work 😍

[Tulsi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was between a 2 and 3. Quick and easy read, a little insightful into the world/life of an influencer. Not that interesting otherwise. A bit rom-com like at time too.

[Kath · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oenone is clearly an excellent storyteller (and I look forward to writing any novels she might write in future) and I found listening to the audiobook quite compelling.

I enjoyed this memoir more than I didn’t but it just didn’t quite delve deep enough into influencing and social media for me (which is what I was hoping for!).

[Samantha Main · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly had low expectations for this book and it was 10/10. Dolly Alderton vibes all of us ladies are the same deep down

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

mixed feelings about this but interesting insight into an industry that often feels mysterious & misunderstood

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t quite the book I was expecting, but I think that’s down to two (related) things: my understanding of ‘growing up/living online’, and the 5-year age difference between me and Oenone. When you’re a kid, a few years mean your worlds are completely different, and for our generation this is especially clear in our online experiences. I was anticipating stories of Livejournal confessionals, forum wars, MySpace top 8s, teaching ourselves HTML, the vibe shift at school as we all became ‘more online’… but the stories told herein were still interesting and engaging, maybe moreso because they differed in landscape from mine.

Oenone (and it does feel right to call her by her first name - I think she wants that) writes well, and you suspect she very much is as she comes across: smart, curious, enthusiastic, personable. I found her efforts to not just be self-aware, but really pull herself up on and examine her privileges and previous misconceptions, very impressive - for herself, but also for her audience. Holding yourself to account without ending up either self-flagellating or self-pitying can be really difficult, especially if you must do so publicly.

I think this is a great book for young women to be picking up, and am interested to see where its author goes from here. Keep at it, Oenone!

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t think I’d enjoy it after the first few pages, but it eventually drew me in.

Tbh I initially went into the book thinking “what does this posh middle class influencer have to tell the world?” (I actually quite like her content and have followed her for a while, but it feels like so many “content creators” are being given book deals and have absolutely nothing to contribute), but I was pleasantly surprised.

She stays in her lane and gives some great insight about topics she does know about - it’s not groundbreaking and I think she confirms most of what we all suspected about social media and influencers, but the addition of personal anecdotes and descriptions of her feelings have really brought it all to life. I don’t expect anyone to air their dirty laundry, not even in a book about themselves, but being sufficiently candid about her life has definitely made me like her more than I already did.

It might not be the most interesting book if you don’t know who she is, but if you’re interested in social media and content creators/ influencers, I think this book could prove to be interesting.

[Anne P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book! Warm, funny, thought provoking - I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was totally disarmed from the start. I raced through it, mainly because it’s a joy to read, it’s engaging, and as a female in her 30s so much of it resonated (sent photos of bits to my friends..!). But also because I was keen to get a window into the world of influencing through the eyes of someone who has genuinely come of age online. Entering this emerging digital wild west as a young woman - it takes a lot of resilience, tenacity and creativity to make it. The author grapples with this world and her role in it - giving an authentic and fresh account of the good, the bad and the more nuanced. It’s the best kind of book - one where you immediately feel at home with the author, you root for them - through their highs and lows, and realise as you turn the final page that you’ve learnt a lot without even noticing you were being taught. Great read!

[Mariangela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've followed her for years and was excited for her first book. The first chapter or two felt like I wasn't going to enjoy it, it felt like maybe she was trying too hard to write well, not really sure just the writing felt a bit 'purposeful' but by the end I really enjoyed it! Is it the best book ever written? No. But it's brave for someone to take a leap and try out being an author and her writing in general is very good for a first time author! It's very honest, covers a lot of different topics and issues, it's funny and you can see her personality shine through. And it does give you a different perspective on social media. Overall I liked it, and even though I already like Oenone, I feel that after this book I like her even more for her courage and her honesty to admit all that she is.

[Joseph Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m an occasional reader and sometimes I don’t even finish books. I blitzed through this book and didn’t find there were any parts that I had to work my way through. This book is well written, funny, engaging, thought provoking, and insightful. I feel like I’m more knowledgeable for reading this book, and chuckled along the way, once out loud on the train embarrassingly. I would thoroughly recommend this book. Particularly impressive for the author’s first books too. High quality and looking forward to the next one already!