I Didn't Ask For This

by Jennie Wood, Michael E. Wiggam (colorist), Charles Pritchett (letterer)

If your entire life was online against your will--if everyone knew about your potty training, your first breakup, and even your coming out story--how would you feel?

I Didn’t Ask For This follows the members of Not Your Baby Anymore, a group of kids who share one thing in common: their parents are social media influencers who have shared their entire lives online. The group forms a chosen family as each member struggles with how to break away from a life and fame that they didn’t ask for and do not want.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult

198 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 28, 2026

About the author

Jennie Wood is a nonbinary author, comic creator, and musician, currently living in Boston. They created the critically acclaimed, award-winning Flutter graphic novel series. Featured in The New York Times, Boston Globe, and on Law & Order: SVU, Flutter was named one of the best LGBTQ graphic novels of 2013 and 2015 by The Advocate. In November 2018, Dark Horse Comics published The Flutter Collection, all three volumes combined into one book. That collection won the Next Generation Indie Book award for best graphic novel of 2019.

Jennie is also the author of the YA novel, A Boy Like Me, which was a Next Generation Indie Book awards finalist, an INDIEFAB Book of the Year finalist, and one of Foreword Reviews’ 10 Best Indie YA novels for 2014. Their work can also be seen in The New York Times best-selling, award-winning FUBAR anthologies, The New York Times best-selling and Eisner award-winning anthology Love is Love, the Harvey-nominated 27, A Comic Anthology, and John Carpenter's Tales for a HalloweeNight.

More: jenniewood.com

Reviews

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting concept but sent the wrong message of accomplishing things. Parents who do theme park reviews is not the same as outing their children RTC

[Jada Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is what a lot of parents don’t understand in this day of age, but it’s also such a difficult situation…

On one hand, it’s what they do for a living. On the other hand, you sacrifice so much in the process. Although, I do like James’ parents— Solely ‘cause they brought attention to such an important topic.

I totally understood Shane’s POV on their situation too, but I suppose that’s just how it seems looking from the outside of it—
How bad can going to amusement parks as a job be?
I think the key note is consent though and honestly, no child should be put through that type of exposure.
Especially if they express it so openly!!

Absolutely HATED Daisy’s Mom.
(And her Dad for not sticking up for her), but I also get it… It’s what pays the bills fr.
BUT the way she went about her sexuality was such a breach of trust and that’s what a healthy relationship requires…
I’m just happy they accepted her tbh, but the follower farming is crazy work.

Also, Byron’s parents are insane lmfao.
The clout chasing is real w/ them and they fr put their lives on the line for that AND made him record?
I cannot even fathom.
These poor kids 😭🤍

Overall, this had an important message, esp for kids raised in such an era of social media.
(And ESPECIALLY for the parents raising the kids.)
Everyone just needs boundaries fr. Anyways—
Absolutely obsessed w/ James, strictly ‘cause
#PROTECTTHEDOLLS 🏳️‍⚧️ The representation in this graphic novel was soo sooo lovely.

[Loreleï Loreleï]

With I Didn't Ask For This, Jennie Wood tackles a deeply contemporary issue: the serious consequences of parents overexposing their children on social media, whether in terms of their private lives, their privacy, or their personal development. Through this comic book, the author questions the excesses of an era in which family intimacy becomes shared content, sometimes to the detriment of those who have not chosen to be exposed.

Jennie Wood highlights a current reality that raises many ethical questions: how far can parents go in sharing their family life? What impact does this overexposure have on children as they grow up? The comic book has the merit of opening up the debate and encouraging readers to reflect on practices that have become commonplace.

The parents depicted are mostly unbearable, selfish, and more immature than their children.

Unfortunately, although the subject matter is interesting, the pace can sometimes seem a little slow, which weakens the emotional impact.

Graphically, there is sometimes a lack of consistency in the faces between different panels.

Ultimately, I Didn't Ask For This remains a relevant read for its theme and the questions it raises, and may prompt readers to reflect on the possible excesses of a society where everything becomes content.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance publication.


A graphic novel about the kids behind the mommy bloggers. But it’s also about how laws are made in the USA and how teens can try to stand up for their rights (I suppose, I’m not American and the democratic progress over there doesn’t seem to be going very well at the moment, but no time like the present to inspire teens to do better). The angle of “teens try to get a child protection law passed because of their personal experience with how their parents are abusing the power they have over them” is a pretty good find. Sadly, there are too many characters and too little interpersonal tension. It just feels like a long pamphlet. The art also looks pretty rushed, with proportions that are all over the place. A shame, because I think there’s a good story here, if the authors had dared to go a bit further in what the parents were doing to their kids. Where are the van life TikTok parents? The unboxers? The skin care and medicine freaks?

I was also a bit surprised to see Tumblr in a book aimed at teens in the year 2026, and at the 2012’s Tumblr speak of the queer kids. Devil’s sacrament and all that.

But, Parc Asterix mention.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so mixed about this. On one hand, this story shines a lens on the harms of using your children as content on social media and what it does to the kids psychologically. But on the other hand, this story can't seem to decide if it wants to be purely educational or purely dramatic. It can't really blend dramatic and informational, and ends up feeling a bit flat on both aspects. I also feel like there are too many main characters, and they try to focus on too many interpersonal storylines. The tone of this story also doesn't quite read as YA, but the writing feels more like it's Middle Grade level. The message is important, and this graphic novel is a good way to tell it to kids and teens, but I just wish the story were a bit better paced. The art was decent enough, and the character designs felt like they could be real kids.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Adri Holt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daisy’s every development has been spread online by her mother that runs a blog in Chicago. While her mother makes the majority of the bacon in the household, as Daisy gets older, she consistently crosses boundaries when it comes to her children. Over the summer, Daisy realized that she is asexual and instead of having the time and space to figure out where she is on that spectrum, her mother blasts the information on her blog. This is the last straw. Her mother must STOP. Daisy ends up joining a group called Not Your Baby that has other kids whose whole lives have been blasted across the internet by their parents. They all comes to a consensus that it overdue to work towards their own rights.

#ThxNetGalley #JennieWood #IDidntAskForThis

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

A graphic novel about the kids of family vloggers/bloggers and them fighting against it.

The artwork in this felt really nostalgic, it reminded me of a childhood cartoon or something. I can't quite place it.

I liked the idea of this story, but I did find it a bit flat at times. But I will always be pro a story that is anti family vlogging.

This was a quick read and still enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[Curious Madra · Rating 1 out of 5]

The art is good but the direction of the story and the characters were pretty boring. I just felt the mum ruined it for me with her posting her child every single day and annoying her af every single time with her friends. It just wasn’t a great read from me unfortunately.

Got this via netgalley and publisher

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher (Mad Cave Studio/Maverick) on Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

WOW, what a stunning and emotional read! Toxic parents, fantastic teens who want to change things, relationships, music, and more. I was just loving each moment and couldn't stop reading.

Review to come April 8th on my blog~

[Haruka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!!! I enjoyed the storyline!! I love that they all had problems and it takes a lot for them all to overcame it. I love the ending that they all are finally happy. The story pace at first was a bit slow but it worth the read. Great read!!
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Thank you To the publisher and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book in advance~

[Holly Bevans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

The artwork felt incredibly nostalgic, it gave me such 90s feel.

While I loved the concept and the story felt a little flat in places. Some moments didn’t hit as hard as I hoped, and I wanted a bit more depth emotionally.

Still, it was a quick, engaging read that I enjoyed overall.