So Over Sharing

by Elissa Brent Weissman

In this timely contemporary middle grade novel from award-winning author Elissa Brent Weissman, two girls find their private struggles against their influencer mothers going very public

Quiet, introverted Hadley and rough-around-the-edges Willow have one big main thing in both their moms have gained a huge online following sharing every detail of their lives. Hadley’s mom—Phoebe of @PhoebeAndJay fame—loves to share all the terrible, down and dirty bits about raising kids while Willow’s mom Rosalind at the up-and-coming @MoonbeamsAndMarigold basks in the glow of motherhood.

If getting all her life's moments (including an almost decade old viral potty training video) shared online isn't enough, Hadley’s starting a new school in a new neighborhood and desperately trying to keep her mom’s identity a secret while Willow is struggling with a recent life-changing announcement from her mom who, it turns out, is not getting out of the influencer world anytime soon. 

As the two girls build a friendship on a private Instagram page and share the pains of having a momfluencers, they come up against the same question—how long will they have to share their lives with everyone?

Genres: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Social Media, Fiction, Young Adult

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2025

About the author

Elissa Brent Weissman is an award-winning author of novels for young readers. Best known for the popular Nerd Camp series, she and her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, NPR’s “Here and Now,” and more. Named one of CBS Baltimore’s Best Authors in Maryland, Elissa spent many years in Baltimore City, where she taught creative writing to children, college students, and adults. She currently lives in Christchurch, New Zealand with her husband and their two super cool nerds-in-training.

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book at a library conference.

Hadley and Willow are very different people, but they have a few things in common. They're both 12-years-old and their mothers are both family bloggers. Hadley's mother is an unfiltered blogger who shares every aspect of her children's lives, even the most embarrassing moments. Willow's mother is the opposite, sharing photoshopped snapshots that paint the fantasy of a perfect family. Both girls hate how the blogging affects their lives. When Hadley and Willow meet at a influencer event, they agree to share a private Instagram account where they shed the truth on their mothers' posts. As their friendship grows, so does the influence their mothers' blogs have on their lives... and not in a positive way.

I really enjoyed this book. Both Hadley and Willow were easy to connect to and empathize with and I found myself drawn into the story from the first page. The story approaches the dangers of privacy and social media from an angle that a middle grade audience can understand. What you post publicly online can be accessed by anyone and used in anyway, so be careful what you post about yourself, but also about other people. I will be buying this title for my school library along with Kelly Yang's Finally Heard which also centers around social media use.

[Nev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting middle grade novel about the impacts of influencer parents on their young kids! Twelve year olds Hadley and Willow meet each other and strike up a friendship, commiserating over the fact that their moms both share inauthentic or exaggerated content about them and their siblings online. They start up a private Instagram page @WeAre_NOT_Content where they can post about how their moms’ content is manipulated and share their feelings about being posted for thousands of strangers to see.

I really enjoyed how there were two different perspectives of “momfluencers” and the ways that they portray their families. Hadley’s mom is all about “keeping it real” and showing the chaos of raising a family. But that also comes with posting embarrassing videos of Hadley that she wishes weren’t online. She’s entering a new school and hopes that she can keep this a secret so that she doesn’t get bullied again because of the viral potty training video of her. Whereas Willow’s mom is trying to portray a very curated, beautiful view of motherhood and her children that doesn’t allow Willow to show her true style or interests. She ends up feeling that she isn’t good enough because her mom wants to change everything about her in order to go online. The book shows that even though Hadley and Willow think that the other’s experience might be better than their own, that there are still downsides to both of them.

Outside of just speaking about the impact of influencer parents the book also touches on inauthentic friendships, learning to stand up for yourself, and pursuing your true interests. Willow and Hadley were both unique and well fleshed out characters. I enjoyed reading about their individual journeys and seeing the ways that they grew from their mistakes and learned to stand up for what they felt was right.

This seems like it would be a good book for parents to read with their kids. It can show the kids the downsides of being an influencer and all the backlash that can come with it. But it would also show the parents how what they post (even if they think it’s a cute story or image) can result in bullying for their kids even if they aren’t influencer level famous. But I think that outside of a parenting context it’s a fascinating read for people who enjoy middle grade stories or are disturbed by influencer families online. So definitely check this one out if it sounds interesting to you!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I get the feeling thinks that moms putting everything about their children's lives on social media is a bad thing, but this book wasn't just momfluencers are bad. It also showed the reasons why moms do this to help their kids, however misguided. I also liked that it showed different kinds of momfluencers (everything is perfect vs everything is chaotic) and how the kids felt about it and that everything wasn't neatly resolved at the end.

[VinaBrielleReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by my librarian aunt, this was quite the eye-opening middle-grade read! People are so much different on the internet, and actions taken there can have a massive ripple effect, so this was a very good warning against oversharing. Although social media isn’t inherently a bad thing, fame can quickly take a dark turn, as it did for Hadley and Willow. The ending was resolved very well, not necessarily in a hug-forgive-everybody’s-happy manner, but rather compromises made and boundaries established.

[Cleanbooks4ever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow i LOVEDDD this book , I've never read about momfluencers and didnt think i would like it. I was wrong. I LOVED IT ,the social dynamics everything! I really liked willow and hadleys perspective, it was refreshing , and the writing made me feel like it was right there. Overall this was a great book for 8 to 12 year olds but all ages can enjoy it! I give this a 4.9 stars out of 5

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Hadley's mother has been a mommy blogger for ten years, and went viral after a potty training video of Hadley crying about her poop sliding. Clearly, this is embarrassing now, but her mother still embraces her frenzied, disorganized, "parenting is so hard" brand, and has turned this into a lucrative career. The family, which includes older brother Colton and younger siblings Nash and Quinn, has recently moved from Brooklyn to a big McMansion on Long Island, where her mother continues to post embarrassing content to her PhoebeAndJay channels. Willow, on the other hand, has a lifestyle blogger mom who romanticizes motherhood on her Moonbeams and Marigolds blog. Willow has to wear clothing to match her family's and be perfect all the time. When the two girls meet up at a Women in Content conference, they both share how frustrated they are that their mothers don't respect their privacy. Willow is hopeful that now that her younger brother is getting older, her mother will stop, but finds out at the conference that her mother is expecting, and hopes to monetize the new baby. On a school supply run, Hadley is filling her basket with binders, and runs into Ava, whose mother doesn't want to spend the money. Hadley's mom comes up and tells Hadley to put some items back, because they've just gotten a whole box for free. When Hadley meets Ava at her new school, she doesn't want her new friends to know about her mother, since it's embarrassing. She and Willow have their own private channel called "We are not content", where they show the truth behind some of the posts their mothers make. It is hard to hide her family from her new friends, but Hadley tells them that her mother is a different influencer. Of course, this only lasts so long, but Hadley digs up dirt on the others because their parents post embarrassing things on Facebook. Eventually, both girls want to find a way for their mothers to stop posting about them, and make comments that cause a lot of problems. Both influencers lose followers, but gain national attention for the role of parents and kids on social media. Will Hadley and Willow's mothers find a way to still earn a living while not involving the girls?
Strengths: There are a lot of parents who have their children as their profile picture, and this has always worried me. Children should not be discussed in such a public and lasting forum, and this book points out a lot of the reasons why in a spectacular fashion. Willow and Hadley have very different experiences with their mother's content, but it all comes down to the same issue: not every aspect of life needs to be shared. It's easy to understand the allure for the mothers, especially Hadley's. Her father has even been able to leave his job and start a bookstore because of the social media success. I liked that the two of them were able to have each other to bounce ideas off of. They make fairly desperate attempts to get their mother's attention, but this book makes a great point. Young readers will be enthralled with the details of being in the social media spotlight, but also sympathize with Hadley and Willow's desire for privacy.
Weaknesses: Clearly, I have failed at monetizing my blog. After 18 years, all I have to show for my social media is a lot of copies of books that I donated to my school library. I would have liked some statistics on how many people actually can make a living being a social media influencer, since my students think this is a realistic career goal. Even a failed attempt like my blog takes a LOT more time than I think they envision.
What I really think: This is another intriguing choice for readers who like to explore different facets of social media in books like Parks's Averil Offline, Parra's The Quince Project, Wilson's Sparkle, or Yang's Finally Heard. Tanya Lloyd Kyi's Better Connected: How Girls Are Using Social Media for Good is a good nonfiction title to read along with this story.

https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...

[Rachel Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am frankly quite furious after reading So Over Sharing, for a myriad of reasons. I absolutely abhor the idea of being "chronically online," that one's life has to exist almost entirely in a digital plane for it to be relevant or noteworthy these days. People of all ages are falling pray to addictive algorithms and social media models, and the style of communication, work ethic, humanity—our very brains!—are becoming altered by the influence of these types of dangerous technolgies, that more and more kids have been exposed to. I don't need to harp on that: I'm a millennial and it seems that my generation was the last one to bridge the divide between analog and digital living. So Over Sharing encompasses all of that so well in such a maddening way, which, to its credit, does mean it sparked some interesting dialogue among the characters.

Hadley and Willow are two pre-teen girls whose mothers are big into the "momfluencer" scene on instagram, staging photos and making up fake scenarios that are supposed to be reflective of their lives. Their daughters are sick of it, and they are quite literally being emotionally manipulated and exploited (for money or not, which is another complication I have lots of feelings about) to become internet content for their mothers' businesses. Naturally, the girls take action to become independent and live their own lives, and things escalate with how much the girls want the truth to come out and their mothers to be real mothers again, to be present in their real lives, not in the digital world. The last several dozen pages of the book were the most intense part of it,

However, Elissa Brent Weissman's book was, unfortunately, also so chronically online, or perhaps maybe just so influenced by influencers and by media in general, that I found a lot of the dialogue between the characters and the drama between all the middle schoolers to be totally unrealistic. And what about any school staff being aware of the issues and doing anything about it? Again, it took until the very end of hte book, when Child Protective Services gets involved, before the school even did anything about the thread of middle schoolers ganging up against everyone. I was so annoyed while reading about the lack of accountability from any adult in their lives, and while I understand the book was written from a child's perspective, the fact that both the mothers and fathers were so oblivious to anything that was going on, refused to even have a single conversation with their children, and really neglected their children altogether in the face of internet fame...well, you can understand how much that rankled me.

So yes, the Child Protective Services part was really quite relevant and important. Because using children for content is manipulation, coercion, and exploitation, and you cannot change my mind about that. Turn off the cameras, turn off the internet, and go do the world some good instead.

[Line Magnus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly excellent middle grade novel about the impact influencer moms can have on their children's lives. Twelve-year-olds Hadley and Willow are very different people, but they bond over the fact that their mothers are both 'momfluencers' on social media. Hadley is going to a new school and dreads her new classmates finding embarrassing videos of her online. Willow is trying to break out of the mold of 'perfect daughter' her mother keeps pushing her into for her Instagram account. The story comes to us through the alternating perspectives of Hadley and Willow.

I was hooked from the start by this story, and remained hooked throughout. The struggles Hadley and Willow are faced with feel real and very relevant in this age of social media, and both girls are great and fully realized protagonists with layered and distinct personalities. Throughout the story, they make questionable choices, but still remain understandable and easy to root for. The stakes of the story feel high for both these tweens and the adults around them.

The novel brings up a number of interesting and relevant themes, which all feel integrated seamlessly into the narrative. Hadley and Willow deal with family dynamics, friendship dynamics, and the effects of social media fame (both good and bad). The story shows the difference between good and bad friends, the difficultly and importance of standing up for yourself, and the consequences of lying, illustrating how one harmless initial lie can snowball out of control.

The portrayal of the impact that 'momfluencers' have on their children's lives feels realistic and concerning. The author does a great job discussing social media with nuance, neither glorifying nor villainizing it. This would be an excellent book for all middle graders to read (and some parents too!) to make them more aware of the impact of social media on their real lives, and it would be a great jumping-off point for parents to have further discussion with their tweens about this topic.

Highly recommended!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Dial Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Fallon · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟☆☆
So Over Sharing offers timely insights on parenting in the digital age, but its execution doesn’t always match the strength of its premise.

The topic couldn’t be more relevant: how much is too much when it comes to posting about our kids online? Elissa Brent Weissman tackles the culture of "sharenting" with care, nuance, and a much-needed call for reflection. The arguments about consent, digital footprints, and the emotional well-being of children are important and worth discussing—especially in a world where everything from tantrums to first steps can become content.

The author does a great job breaking down the psychological and emotional impacts of overexposure, and their parenting advice is often gentle, relatable, and affirming. I appreciated how they emphasize connection, boundaries, and modeling healthy digital behavior rather than offering rigid “rules.”

However, the tone occasionally veers toward repetitive, and some of the anecdotes feel a bit stretched or overly moralizing. At times, I wished for more diverse perspectives—particularly from non-traditional families or those navigating different cultural norms. The structure could also be more focused; a few chapters wander, and it feels like key ideas get diluted in the process.

That said, So Over Sharing is a thoughtful conversation starter, especially for parents trying to navigate the fine line between documenting memories and respecting their children’s autonomy.

Not a perfect guide, but a meaningful one—and a valuable reminder that sometimes the most important audience is the one right in front of us.

[Emily Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was really interesting as someone who grew up watching family vloggers. It had an interesting plot twist with characters who made appropriately rash and not great decisions that fit the buildup and they were so different in all of their responses to things.
I think this book did exactly what it says on the tin but something that surprised and interested me was the fact that the moms were different in a lot of ways from each other and it made them feel more like real people instead of just a stereotype. I thought the names also seemed really authentic to influencer kids.
I thought this was good and seeing fiction on the world of family vloggers is a refreshing change to the real thing. This tackles a lot of things that were done appropriately for the age group but seem like they’re pushing boundaries of what can be talked about within middle grade, like a mention of inappropriate (yes that kind of inappropriate as well as obviously the social media stuff) photos of a 12/13 year old being circulated around groups of boys in the school. Not saying there’s anything wrong with that topic being brought to light within middle grade, just surprised me that it was within the bounds even as a passing mention.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO OVER SHARING is a thought-provoking book about the impact of influencer parents on their children’s lives. When Hailey, whose mom’s brand is about keeping it real while raising a family, and Willow, whose mom shares beautifully curated snapshots of their family’s life, meet at an event where their moms are appearing, they exchange stories about their lives. The girls form a friendship and collaborate on a private online account where they reveal what’s really happening behind the scenes. When the account becomes public, the fallout is far reaching and impacts the lives of both families.
The story unfolds from the alternating perspectives of Hailey and Willow, providing an inside look at the effect of social media on each of their lives. While the book focuses on social media, the characters also experience the ups and downs of middle school friendships and complex family dynamics, which round out the story. With humor tempering the serious messages about privacy, boundaries, and digital footprints, the book is a timely and relevant exploration of social media that will capture and hold the attention of middle grade readers.

[Francesca Pashby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an enjoyable read, and a much clearer and calmer experience than Kelly Yang's book on the same topic.

Basically, it was 2 girls with "Mom-fluencers" (bleurgh), who had contrasting experiences of having their personal lives displayed online for entertainment/information/monetary reasons. One mom was a touchy feely "my children are angels, my life is soft focus fuzzy love", and the other was "my children are a chain round my neck, but aren't they funny in the process". I felt sorry for both girls!

I think this book would introduce some great discussions about social media, about how fake it is, and how ephemeral. How "likes" and "freebies" are actually ultimately not more than momentarily satisfying, so more and more content is needed to catch that dopamine high.

So an interesting story, well told, with likeable main characters, but which ultimately slightly depressed me that this is our world in 2025 (I will crawl back nito my cave now!)

[Lauren Bayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids are NOT content.

But they are absolutely going to love this book.

I can't get over how fantastic this novel was and how much I think my students will enjoy it. It takes a topic that a lot of kids are fascinated by - influencing - but exposes the negative aspects of growing up without privacy. The dual narration provides two great perspectives of types of momfluencing and the responses to it, filled with humor and chaos and great character journeys. Whether you are drawn to Willow's boxing or Hadley's book references, it is very easy to root for these two girls to stand up for themselves.

Perfect for fans of One Kid's Trash or Maizy Chen's Last Chance because these are two perfectly imperfect twelve year olds. You may not always like their choices, but you will LOVE them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jasmine Shouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up

This is an interesting take on kids of momfluencers and really dives into content and privacy. I read this with my 8-year-old, and he liked the book pretty well.

There were distinct voices in the way Hadley and Willow are written. Hadley is a little more rushing to be heard, while Willow speaks in short punches. I liked Hadley's voice but not her storyline that much (because her "friends" were awful), while I liked Willow's story, but her short sentences made it very jarring to read.

I really liked the way this book tackled the discontent of the two girls being their mothers' content and think this will continue to be relevant to middle schoolers as social media continues to move forward.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a really successful book in terms of showing how toxic influencer culture can be, especially when it involves kids. It did a good job of demonstrating how addictive that culture can be from the creator AND the consumer. Since this is more or less a "problem book," I do think that some things could have been developed more. I was really nervous that they were going to have Hadley's mom come around very easily (as most middle grade books do) since she was pretty awful but I'm glad that even though she sort of listened, she still was committed to making social media work in some capacity. I wish that there could have been more talks between Hadley and her mom, especially about how her mom talks about hating having kids almost every day (even if that WAS just for her brand) like that has got to fuck a kid up!!

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

We spend a lot of time telling kids and teens to be careful about what they post online, but what if it is their parents who are oversharing? Hadley and Willow both have mothers who are considered "Momfluencers," sharing the details of their families' lives. Neither Hadley or Willow are happy about it. Using the phrase, "We are not content" -- read as both CONtent (material) and conTENT (pleased), they commiserate about the havoc this wreaks on their lives. There is a lot going on in this story, from the highlight reel of social media to the ripple effects of sharing online. This would make a great mother-daughter read. Highly recommended for grades 5 & up.

ARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss and NetGalley

[Lauren Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hadley and Willow bond over their shared experiences as daughters of popular momfluencers. Hadley’s mom runs the account PhoebeandJay, where she posts funny—and often embarrassing—photos of her four kids. Willow’s mom curates Moonbeams and Marigolds, a feed filled with beautifully staged images of Willow and her adorable younger brother. Tired of being turned into content for their mothers’ followers, the girls rebel by creating a private Instagram account, @WeAreNotContent, where they vent and connect over their frustrations.

I really enjoyed how this book explores the impact of social media on teens and family dynamics. I think young readers will find it both relatable and thought-provoking. Plus, there are several laugh-out-loud moments that keep the tone lively and engaging.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Over Sharing is a wonderfully engaging book about two daughters of two mom social media influencers. Willow and Hadley meet at their moms' conference and immediately become friends. They both feel the consequences of having their lives shared with millions of followers. Together they start a private page where they air their grievances. When that page goes public, the backlash is huge and the consequences are more than either girl bargained for. This is a witty, but serious book about families, friendship and the dangers of putting things on social media. It is squeaky clean and perfect for any age.

I received an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if navigating middle school isn’t hard enough, Willow and Hadley both star in their mother’s social media accounts. Their moms are both “momfluencers.” When Hadley moves to a new school, she works hard to keep her new friends from finding out what her mom does (and to keep them from seeing embarrassing videos of her as a child). Willow struggles with feeling neglected and starts her own private Instagram account called “we are not content” and shares it with Hadley. There they both comment on their mother’s posts with the reality behind the post. Things quickly come to head for both families and this book will give readers a lot to think about.

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Timely and thoughtful. Hadley and Willow meet at a conference supporting their mom influencer parents. While each has a slightly different experience, they are both frustrated and hurt by their unwilling participation in their mother's profession. The story could have been stilted and a bit preachy, but the characters felt real and their emotions and reactions were valid. Some of the situations didn't feel particularly innovative, but I liked the plot overall, and the family characters were fun to read.

[Katy O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one on audio! I think middle schoolers will like it, but I truly think the message should be received the most intensely by parents. I rant all the time about adults using kids as content, and this book is the perfect example of why it isn't okay to do so without permission and willingness to delete things as kids age. My heart broke for the kids in the story who were tormented by peers because of things their parents shared to get adult attention.

Source: Sora audiobook via WSDLC

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

realistic fiction focusing on the impact of social media, especially for influencers. mother's are the influencers. story focused on how parental decisions impact the children. there was quite a bit of lying and deceit on the part of the MC. even though Hadley and Willow said they were friends, there was nothing in the plot that supported it. their relationship, along with most of the book, was about surface matters.

[greycar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to this driving - I loved the premise and the first half but then it ended waaayyyy too quickly and wrapped things up too tightly for it to be good. Yes it’s a YA novel but it’s talking about serious topic and to just be “oh yay everyone’s happy” is not a good ending.

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a really cute and interesting read...I don't think I've read anything yet about the idea of influencers from the kids' point of view. It was timely and made me think about things from another angle.

[Lizzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A junior fiction/middle grade novel about trying to navigate 12 year old life when your mum is a successful ‘momfluencer’ who broadcasts your life to their millions of followers online. Interesting discussions of online consent, bullying, making friends and authenticity.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall an enjoyable read. It got a little didactic and the last few paragraphs were a little odd. I think it has the potential to get conversations tarted about social media use and how social media is often a highlight reel.

[kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting, timely topic told well

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good middle grade book. I think that anyone in middle school can relate to these characters even if their parents are not influencers.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timely middle school novel about two girls with moms as “momfluencers” and how they cope with their lives on display.

[Jamie Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

review to come