Like, Comment, Subscribe?

by Kat Ost

Fifteen-year-old Becca has been the face of @BeccaBakes since she was old enough to hold a wooden spoon. Her online success has kept Becca, her mum and manager aunt comfortable. Lately, though, Becca's followers have been pointing out she is no longer a cute flour-covered toddler, something Becca becomes more aware of with each pimple she sprouts.

Add no real friends or social life and Becca wonders if the influencer life is for her. Her only outlet - her poetry. When she forms an unexpected friendship Becca is faced with a choice. Does she continue to live the 'online' life she no longer wants and risk losing her first true friend? Or face her aunt and mum and finally brave a taste of the 'real' life she so desperately craves?

128 pages, Paperback

Published August 12, 2025

About the author

Kat Ost is a Sydney-based YA author and educator with a background in English teaching and a Master of Education in Teacher Librarianship. When she isn't crafting coming-of-age page-turners for teens, she’s helping students discover the magic of books in her role as a high school Teacher Librarian.

Kat is the author of YA novels Can’t Beat the Chemistry and Remind Me Why I’m Here under the pen name Kat Colmer. Whether through her fiction or her efforts to foster a love of literature in her students, Kat is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of Book Dragons, Story Chasers, Library Lions and Word Wizards.

Reviews

[Ruth Bonetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

As social media is foremost in teen eyes and minds, this engaging book is timely and important especially as its short length is ideal for reluctant readers addicted to digital screens. It would make an excellent addition to school libraries.

Fifteen-year-old Becca struggles with burn-out, balancing homework, and the pressure of supporting her family through her online baking channel. She wants out, but how to tell 1.3million followers—not to mention a pushy aunt and financially struggling mother?

Rhiza'Shorts' series is a brilliant concept from an Australian Christian traditional publisher, whose various imprints are highly respected in mainstream Kids' Lit scenes.

[Shelby Matheson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute story! Teens will definitely relate to the pressures of being on social media and feeling obligated to be "on" even when you don't feel like it. I loved the visual text messages in the story and the chapter header updates of Becca's followers and her mood. The "#TheEnd" on the last page was particularly clever 😅 Read this in one sitting and enjoyed it a lot 😁

[Lellie Lopter · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Like, Comment, Subscribe?’ by Kat Ost is a timely and thoughtful look at social media and teen identity. Told in first person, I loved how Becca’s story of balancing her online persona and her own shifting sense of self was approached in this novel. I think this book handles modern pressures with sensitivity. It’s engaging, relatable, and never moralising, which was really refreshing to read.

What I really liked though was how Ost captures the complexity of growing up with an online presence. She shows the lure of popularity alongside the loneliness it can bring and doesn’t shy away from exploring both. The story left me reflecting on what it means to be real in a world that often rewards the opposite.

What I liked the most was how Ost gives the reader space to reflect rather than preach. She portrays the allure of social media and the cost it can carry with nuance. The book doesn’t judge but invites conversation about what’s authentic in a world of likes and shares and what it means to ‘outgrow’ a part of your life and want to move on to something new. I really recommend ‘Like, Comment, Subscribe?’ for anyone wanting a quick read and an insight into the pressures of growing up on social media.

[Rebecca Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific read - a timely and topical story about 15 year old Becca, a teen influencer whose online baking channel helps support her family…but Becca’s joy has been rapidly diminishing. She’s burned out, losing the school/work balancing act, and has other creative dreams and talents as well as an exciting new friendship to explore. But how do you tell your family (and your 1.3million followers) you no longer feel seen, and want out? I love the issues and themes this book explores and the clever way the author introduces us to character and conversation.

[Brenton Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another title in the Rhiza Shorts series, this concise, whip-smart and quick-paced novella is ideal for reluctant, and passionate, teen readers. Kat Ost tackles important issues of social media obsession, living a true life, and developing your own personality - all ingredients that teen readers will relate to in this fine story.

[Wuhbet]

Becca who is a 15 yo who goes online is successful and it has kept her mum and her aunt comfortable, but lately her followers says she is no longer a cute flour covered toddler and Becca becomes more aware of this.

[Deborah Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and engaging read, highly accessible for reluctant readers. Themes of social media and its role in our lives, family relationships and friendship make this story perfect for teens- and even pre-teens- regardless of reading ability. 5 stars.

[Rachel Hogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the concept. It was sweet and well done for a teen easy reader. I wish they had another version for a more developed novel because I like the concept. But struggling readers will like this.

[Rochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Full review to come soon.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was cute but very short and low on substance.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Becca isn’t your average teenager.
She’s been baking since she was little, and what started as a fun activity turned her into a social media influencer and YouTuber. But now that she’s a bit older, she’s starting to question whether this is really what she loves or just something she’s always done.
As she tries to figure it all out what really makes her happy, she unexpectedly discovers a new way to express herself, something she never expected and didn’t even realise she was good at.
This realistic novella is perfect for young people exploring their own identity, navigating family expectations, friendships, and responsibility. With a tone that’s thoughtful but not too heavy, it’s ideal for readers looking for a relatable, high-low story that’s both easy to read and emotionally resonant.

[Frances Prentice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst Becca is an unusual teen, with her busy and lonely influencer life, she is very relatable. The central theme of parents needing to see teens as separate people, with dreams, ideals and thoughts of their own, resonated with me both as a parent and as a former teen. I loved Becca's secret life as a poet and the courage she developed to express herself. A satisfying read.