Someone Else's Daughter

by Andrea Stewart

From Sunday Times bestselling author Andrea Stewart comes a twisty thriller about an estranged daughter of Youtuber parents, returning to her influencer family and their insidious secrets after the disappearance of her sister, perfect for fans of Listen for the Lie and The Last to Vanish.If you can't trust your family...who can you trust? Ellie Campbell’s childhood was monetized by her influencer parents. All her private firsts – first period, first bra, first boyfriend – were plastered online for the world to pick over. Until she grew up, changed her name, and separated herself from her family.But she hasn’t stopped watching their videos. When she spots some disturbing details in her parents’ latest upload and gets the news that a close family friend has gone missing – she rushes home to make sure that her younger sister Olivia is safe. She arrives to a house full of secrets, including one that her parents have kept from the Olivia has run away. But Ellie knows Olivia would have come to her if she’d run. So where is she? Could this be connected to the disappearance of their family friend? When a body is discovered, Ellie is forced to confront the realities of her childhood – and the darkness that lies beneath the perfect façade.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult, Contemporary, Social Media

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 23, 2027

About the author

Andrea Stewart is the Chinese American daughter of immigrants, and was raised in a number of places across the United States. Her parents always emphasized science and education, so she spent her childhood immersed in Star Trek and odd-smelling library books. When her (admittedly ambitious) dreams of becoming a dragon slayer didn't pan out, she instead turned to writing books. She now lives in sunny California, and in addition to writing, can be found herding cats, looking at birds, and falling down research rabbit holes.

Reviews

[Maja]

Thank you very much Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

Let me just say, overall, Someone Else's Daughter was a good book. The influencer trop is always something that gets me - especially when a story is determined to show the dark side of this world instead of just glitter and rainbows.

However, it was also much of a slow-burn, and the pace of the story felt pretty uneven at times, too. And the book jumping back and forth is time was not really helping, either. Also, can't say I did really warm up with any of the characters. Yes, it was a twisty tale, but I did not find myself rooting for any of them, really. 3,5 stars from me.

[Kristin]

I was drawn to Someone Else’s Daughter because of its look at the family influencer lifestyle, something we see so much of in our lives today. I was especially intrigued by Ellie, who grew up in that world before walking away from her family and everything she knew.

I was quickly drawn into Ellie—formerly known as Jillian—and wanted to understand what happened to make her leave everything behind. The story kept me curious about her past and the dynamics within her family and their close circle of friends.

While I enjoyed the story overall, I did have some trouble staying engaged through the middle. There were times when my attention wandered, but I was eventually pulled back in, and I thought everything was wrapped up nicely by the end.

This is Andrea Stewart’s first thriller, as she normally writes fantasy, and I thought it was an interesting departure into a completely different genre.

Overall, I enjoyed Someone Else’s Daughter and thought it was an interesting look at family influencer culture, secrets, and what happens when someone decides to walk away from it all.

Thank you to Andrea Stewart and Poisoned Pen Press/ SourceBooks via NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Chelsea]

Review to come Februrary 9th

[Nicole Austin]

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Someone Else’s Daughter” by Andrea Stewart is one of those thrillers that really shows that you should critique family influencer culture with how they can put entire childhoods (even the most intimate moments) on the internet for strangers to see.

Ellie grew up in a family where basically nothing was private. First period? Content. First bra? Content. First boyfriend? Probably content. Her parents turned their children’s lives into entertainment, and Ellie eventually had enough, changed her name, moved across the country, and cut them off. Honestly, I can't blame her.

Then she sees that a family friend and fellow influencer, Iris, has gone missing. Shortly afterward, she realizes her younger sister Olivia is also missing, and her parents apparently haven't even reported it. So, Ellie heads back home, because apparently escaping your toxic influencer family doesn't mean you get to escape the family drama.

The story jumps between Ellie's childhood and the present-day investigation, slowly revealing what actually happened behind all those cheerful family videos. And wow, these parents are awful. Her mother in particular is basically the human embodiment of “but think about the engagement!” She treats her kids more like props than actual people and cares far more about their public image than their emotional well-being. She felt like a caricature of an influencer mom, but there really are people just like her.

I really liked the commentary about family influencers and parasocial relationships. There's something genuinely creepy about millions of strangers feeling like they know a child because they've watched them grow up online. Ellie also deals with being half Asian and the racism and inappropriate attention she experienced online, which adds another disturbing layer to the whole “your childhood is content” situation.

The relationship between Ellie and Olivia was probably one of my favorite parts. Their experiences with their parents are very different. Ellie participated in the videos because she wanted her parents' approval and believed she could protect Olivia by going along with things, while Olivia absolutely hated the entire situation and saw what it was doing to her sister. Ellie eventually leaving was supposed to be an escape, but to Olivia it also felt like Ellie abandoned her. That complicated sibling relationship gives the mystery an emotional core.

That said, this book definitely has some pacing issues. The beginning grabbed me, but the middle slowed down quite a bit. There are a lot of flashbacks, names, family connections, and little side plots, and sometimes it felt like the plot was being lost, like with Ellie’s romantic life. Some of the flashbacks were important, but others felt like they were putting the mystery on pause rather than adding to it.

The mystery itself is pretty solid, though. There are plenty of suspects and enough secrets flying around that I kept trying to figure out who was lying about what. I did guess some of the reveals, including the biggest twist, but that didn't completely ruin the experience. Once everything starts coming together, the final portion gets much more exciting, and the last 20% is basically the book hitting the gas pedal.

And I really liked where Ellie ends up emotionally. Beneath all the mystery stuff, this is also a story about taking back control of your own story. Ellie spent her childhood having her parents decide what parts of her life the internet got to see. Her eventual realization that she gets to decide her own story now was probably the most satisfying part of the whole book.

Overall, “Someone Else’s Daughter” is a twisty, modern psychological mystery about missing people, toxic families, influencer culture, parasocial relationships, and the horrifying realization that your parents may have monetized your entire childhood. The pacing gets a little wobbly in the middle, and I guessed some of the twists, but the premise is incredibly timely and there are enough secrets and revelations to keep things interesting.

[Caroll-Ann]

📖 Someone Else‘s Daughter by Andrea Stewart

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have to say, I was genuinely excited to read Someone Else’s Daughter. The premise immediately caught my attention, especially because the story focuses on the darker side of family influencers and what happens to the children once they grow up and have to live with the consequences of having their entire childhood shared online.

I’m honestly such a hater when it comes to family influencers who make money by putting their children’s lives on display. I often wonder how parents can justify sharing their kids’ most private and vulnerable moments with millions of strangers, especially when you consider the potential dangers and the impact it can have on a child’s mental health and sense of privacy. So the idea of seeing this from the perspective of a grown-up child who was raised that way immediately intrigued me.

The story follows Ellie, who grew up as part of her parents’ hugely popular YouTube family, with everything from her first period and first boyfriend to countless other private moments being shared and monetized online. As an adult, she has changed her name and distanced herself from her family, but she still keeps an eye on their videos from afar. When she notices something disturbing in one of their latest uploads and learns that a family friend has disappeared, she returns home to make sure her younger sister Olivia is safe. Instead, she discovers that Olivia has disappeared too, forcing Ellie to confront her childhood and the secrets hidden behind her family’s seemingly perfect online image.

I really enjoyed the story and thought the concept was incredibly interesting. I did figure out quite a few things as the story progressed, but surprisingly, that didn’t take away from my enjoyment. I was still invested in finding out how everything would unfold and what was really going on behind the scenes.

I’m a little more conflicted about the final part of the book, though. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about that particular direction the story took. Part of me thinks we could have done without it, even though I also understand what it was trying to show. The book really highlights how dangerous it can be when every single moment of a child’s life is put online, and how easily viewers can develop parasocial relationships with children they feel like they know simply because they’ve watched them grow up.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The premise was what initially drew me in, but I also appreciated that the story went beyond simply being a thriller and explored the consequences of growing up in the public eye, losing your privacy, and being turned into a product for other people’s entertainment.

[Hailey Kathryn]

3.5

Thank you for the publishers via NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

I do not let ARC lack of editing reflect my reviews. There were two jarring mistakes though to be fixed before release: Tracy randomly calling her Ellie out of nowhere and never again, and duckitygoose Reddit response - she says the person replies to a 15 year old (their name here, I’m not writing the name to keep things spoiler free) revealing the identity that she hasn’t figured out yet and doesn’t until a page later. While these things do not impact my rating both really stunned me while reading. There were little details too - one I remember is calling Justin her neighbour (he was not, he’s a coworker and lives at least one bus stop away when he gets on the bus.) Fake ultrasound never mentioned again and the fact that no one else chronically online was posting about it and ONLY Jillian caught it.

That aside. I absolutely LOVE the premise of this book and I’m a fan of slow burn thrillers with a good build up to the grand reveal. I don’t think someone actively trying to get away from the limelight though is moving to California - while we never get an exact city we assume LA because she was following what her mother did. Google tells me her job building is Sacramento but I digress. I think if it had been the inverse - raised in Cali and moves east coast to be more under the radar it would have made a little more sense.

This was a book with the full kitchen sink of topics, but they (mostly) all come together. We have grooming, childhood SA, childhood abuse, shop lifting, stalking, cheating, boyfriend vs male best friend, teen pregnancy, faked pregnancies - and that’s the tip of the iceberg. I think it did a good job with the childhood trauma of your life online - but not every flashback was needed and took away from the story and building the current timeline tension. Lots of repeated stories or segments that don’t land. Topics veering off as starting with one memory but drastically shifting to a different topic. A lot of the Justin / Liam memories could have been skipped. The passage about thinking of choking the dog to death by Jillian came right out of left field as their wasn’t enough focus on a simmering rage going on long term for her, the emphasis was more on the shoplifting.

I think the payoff in the end was good, it tied a lot of the smaller topics back together but was hard getting there as you feel topics like childhood SA are just thrown in there and never given their due diligence in story telling or investigating and rely on the conclusion to bring it all together.

[the.perpetualreader]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy!
•
•
AHHH I LOVED THIS SM!!!

I went into this expecting a twisty thriller, but I honestly didn’t expect to become as emotionally invested in it as I did.

I’m always a sucker for thrillers involving dysfunctional families, family secrets and the feeling that there is something seriously wrong behind a seemingly perfect image, and this book delivered that perfectly. Ellie was such an interesting protagonist to follow. She has spent years distancing herself from her family and the life they built around her. When she is pulled back home after a close family friend goes missing, she quickly discovers that there is much more going on than she could have imagined, including the disappearance of her younger sister, Olivia.

What I especially loved was how the story slowly peeled back layer after layer of secrets. Just when I thought I had figured something out, another revelation came along and made me question everything again. The twists genuinely kept me guessing, and I loved not knowing who or what I could trust. I’m deliberately keeping this review vague because I really think this is a book you should experience without knowing too much beforehand.

The influencer/social media aspect was another thing I really enjoyed. I liked the contrast between the perfect family life presented online and what is actually happening behind the camera. The book does a great job of showing how easily real life, privacy and even childhood can become content when everything is being filmed, shared and monetised. It

I also really appreciated the representation of Ellie’s Asian immigrant family. That part of the story gave the book an emotional depth that I wasn’t expecting, and there were moments that genuinely made me emotional. The family dynamics, the complicated relationships and the weight of everything Ellie had experienced made her journey feel much more personal than simply solving a disappearance.

And that ending?! I didn't see that coming at ALL 😭

This was such a fun, addictive and surprisingly emotional read, and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read it in advance.

This book made me want to read more from Andrea Stewart. I’m already excited to see what she writes next! Someone Else's Daughter comes out on February 23 2027! So make sure you don't miss it out!

[SueB50]

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC. These opinions are entirely my own.

Ellie has returned to her family after a six-year absence, and there is a LOT to unpack.

Ellie used to be the star of her mother’s social media empire—YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok—you name it. Her mother seemed far more interested in the money and attention than in what all of this was doing to her daughter. Her father wasn’t exactly thrilled with the whole situation either, but Ellie was the star.

Then Olivia, Ellie’s younger sister, came along.

Of course, the plan was for Olivia to become the new star. Except Olivia wasn’t as pretty, wasn’t as cooperative, and apparently didn’t fit the perfect social-media image her mother had created. Then Olivia disappears.

And as if that isn’t disturbing enough, a family friend who had taught Ellie’s family how to become social-media influencers is murdered.

That’s when Ellie comes home to figure out exactly what is going on.

This is actually the second book I’ve read about families who become obsessed with social media fame and the idea that becoming an influencer is an easy way to make millions and millions of dollars. What they seem to forget is that putting your entire family—and especially your children—online can come with a very dark side. The online predators, the creepy people watching from behind their screens, and the loss of privacy are all very real and unsettling possibilities.

I’ll admit, the beginning of this book was confusing and took me a few chapters to really get into. But once I got past that, I found myself enjoying the story and wanting to know what was really happening in this family.

This wasn’t quite a five-star read for me, but it was definitely an eye-opening story that made me look at the whole influencer culture a little differently. If you enjoy family secrets, missing-person mysteries, social media drama, and characters who may not be telling the whole truth, I’d recommend giving this one a try.

[Suesyn Zellmer]

Ellie grew up with influencer parents, and she left as soon as she turned eighteen. She now lives across the country with a different name and hasn’t spoken to them in years. Then she sees a video posted about one of her family’s old friends who has gone missing, and she decides to go home. Because now, I guess, she cares enough about her younger sister, Olivia, to ensure she’s safe. She returns home and discovers that her sister is also missing, and her parents haven’t told anyone about it, not even the police. Is it too late for Ellie to save her family from total collapse? Or were they all destroyed years ago?

The story is told in alternating timeframes: when her family met another family of influencers who helped bring them to fame and in the present, searching for Olivia. Her mother was always obsessed with their image and coming across as the perfect family, at any cost. So of course Ellie left as soon as possible, but she’s worried that Olivia never forgave her for leaving her behind. While her family may never have been abusive, they were certainly neglectful of the nurturing home life and parenting she craved. Because it was all about the views, and behind the scenes, they were nothing like what they presented to the world.

I couldn’t really sympathize with Ellie’s character; she was annoying and too obsessed with no one knowing her past. I don’t think the author realizes that there’s a whole world of people out there who don’t care about social media and influencers. It’s not that hard to find a new life where no one would know you, especially across the country with a different name and different looks. There were some good surprises towards the end that kept it interesting and helped pick up the pace.

My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the free advance reading copy of this book.

[Anindita Guha]

Thanks to @poisonedpenpress and @netgalley for the ARC of Andrea Stewart’s Someone Else’s Daughter
A sharp pivot from fantasy bestseller Andrea Stewart, and it lands perfectly. Moving beyond the sweeping, epic scale of her fantasy sagas, Stewart demonstrates extraordinary range in “Someone Else’s Daughter”, crafting a narrative that feels hushed, invasive, privacy-destroying and emotionally devastating.
Stewart makes the influencer house feel like a haunted habitat. The horror isn’t supernatural, it’s the performative superficiality that blurs a child’s perception of reality and YouTube content. The narrative is twisty and propulsive.
Ellie Campbell/ Jillian Macdonald had to grow up online — every milestone, from first period to first boyfriend, monetized by her social media influencer parents. Eventually she has to leave her parents to protect whatever is left of her slightly damaged concept of reality. In the process she had to reluctantly leave her younger sister to the same social media glare that her parents depended on.
Estranged and watching from a distance in California, she is pulled back when a family friend and fellow influencer goes missing, presumed dead. When she returns, she finds that her sister Olivia is missing as well.
What elevates this book beyond a thriller about “YouTuber parents” is Ellie. She is not just escaping her family — she’s trying to figure out who she is really when someone else does not narrate her life story. Ellie’s damaged childhood has spillover effects like impulse control disorder driven by dopamine imbalance, low serotonin and cerebral opioid system issues, which lands as occasional shoplifting and infrequent alcohol abuse.
Tense, suspenseful, and uncomfortably believable, the thriller highlights the events that unfold when people’s childhoods are color-coded, strategized, scheduled content instead of intensely lived reality. This book proves that Stewart is just as formidable in small, shadowy rooms as she is across sprawling magical empires.

[Eva Marie]

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Someone Else’s Daughter by Andrea Stewart was a creepy and thought-provoking thriller that takes a disturbing look at family influencer culture and what can really happen behind the perfect image we see online.

Ellie grew up in a family where nothing was private. Her parents turned their daughters’ lives into content, sharing personal moments with millions of strangers. From the outside, they appeared to be a perfect, wholesome family, but behind the cameras were dark secrets, manipulation, and a very toxic family dynamic.

When Ellie returns home after a family friend disappears, she discovers that her younger sister Olivia is missing too. As she begins searching for answers, she is forced to confront the secrets surrounding her childhood and the reality behind her parents’ carefully created facade.

I especially enjoyed Ellie and Olivia’s complicated relationship and how their very different experiences shaped them. The influencer aspect also made this story especially unsettling. It really makes you wonder how much we actually know about the “perfect” lives we watch online and what might be happening behind the scenes.

The pacing slowed down a little in the middle, and I did figure out some of the twists, but the final portion picked up and kept me invested.

Overall, this was a timely and unsettling thriller about family secrets, toxic parents, influencer culture, and the dangers of believing everything we see online. It definitely left me thinking about how scary this obsession with creating and following the “perfect life” can really be.

[Nikkyg reads 📚]

⭐⭐⭐ 3 stars
This had such a good premise and was one of those books where the concept immediately grabbed me. Influencer families and the way children can be exploited for content is such a hot topic, and I think we’re probably going to see the effects of this much more as the first wave of “influencer kids” start growing up and moving away from their parents’ online worlds. There’s so much potential there for a really thought provoking story.
The actual story was… okay. I did struggle with the main character though, and unfortunately I just couldn’t connect with her. I found her quite wishy-washy about how she actually felt about things, sometimes she seemed to be vehemently opposed to her parents, yet also made excuses for them often. Also some of her approaches to people and problems left me scratching my head a bit. She seemed very socially unaware and inept, ok she was home schooled, but she also had the other influencer family with childhood friends and had work colleagues etc so her interactions at some points felt strange to me.
The pacing was also rather slow at times, which didn’t help me get fully invested. And honestly, I don’t know why, because I really wanted to love this one. The concept had me intrigued from the start, but somewhere along the way it just missed the mark for me in a couple of places.
Not a bad read by any means, and I still think the subject matter is incredibly interesting. I just wish the execution had hooked me as much as the premise did.
3⭐️
Thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC copy.

[Brandy Dougan]

I have eagerly been reaching for any and all books with a family vlogger premise, so when this one also was a thriller I was sold!

Someone Else’s Daughter focuses on the daughter, Ellie aka Jillian, of a very famous and well know vlog family. We discover she has stepped away from her family and completely reinvented herself with a new name, look, and backstory on the other side of the country. While Ellie has been dodging anyone or anything that could unravel her new life, she has to leave it all behind to go back home to make sure her family who she hasn’t spoken to in 6 years is okay after a tragic news story breaks.

I loved how Andrea Stewart slowly weaved in Ellie’s backstory with little glimpses and retellings of her childhood. The somewhat dual timeline truly propelled the story forward and gave just enough breadcrumbs to keep me hooked and wanting to know more!

The story was sad and at times hard to read but I really did enjoy the character development and felt like I could picture her mom soo clearly! (We hate her right!? Lol)
There’s a lot more I could say but I don’t want to give anything away.

Finding out that this is Andrea Stewart’s first thriller after only publishing fantasy was such a happy surprise because I thoroughly enjoyed it and will pick up whatever thriller she writes next!

Thank you to Andrea Stewart, Poisoned Pen Press & NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

[Jensen Potrykus]

We all should know how fake social media is, but Someone Else's Daughter aims to prove just how messy things can get behind the scenes.

Ellie Campbell, formerly Jillian MacDonald, grew up the shining star of a family vlog. 6 years after escaping from this life she didn't want, Ellie returns home to find the "perfect" family life falling apart more than she thought possible.

This definitely is inspired by the (frankly gross and exploitative) nature of family vlogs and lifestyle influencers that use their children to gain fans and money. When your whole life is online for others to consume, can you ever trust another person to see the real you? Do you even know the real you?

I was expecting it to get a bit more abusive than it did. For a thriller, it was quite mild. I slightly wish it took things a little further since there were almost no heart-pounding moments that really get into your skull. There is a small amount of manosphere content that somehow wasn't the most concerning thing going on with people in Ellie's life.

I do think this highlights the negatives of any social media, whether it be a "happy" family vlog or the dark corners of reddit. It felt slightly wrong to have the red pill guy be not really worse than the vloggers though.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an eARC of Someone Else's Daughter. This review is entirely of my own opinion!

[Jen]

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this title.
Someone Else’s Daughter is told through Ellie's perspective as the story bounces between past and present. The setup hooks you early on with a promising premise, but once the initial intrigue settles the pacing hits a wall and struggles to regain traction. The central mystery gets buried under repetitive flashbacks that fail to move the plot forward, making the midsection feel like a chore to navigate. Instead of building tension, the timeline jumps feel like stalling tactics rather than deliberate narrative choices.
Subplots that should have enriched the character development ended up feeling disconnected from the primary arc. Digressions into Ellie's shoplifting habit and stories about her dog added extra noise without offering any substance or payoff to the core tension. While the eventual twist was solid enough to briefly spark interest, the execution fell flat due to an abrupt conclusion that wrapped up the who and the why far too quickly.
If you like dual-timeline structures and slow-burn mysteries then you may enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #SomeoneElsesDaughter

Spoilers drop on release day at www.spoiltheplot.com. Until then, explore the site to find your next great thriller!

[Georgia Williams]

Fast-paced, chillingly relevant, and full of twists!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 stars)
This was my first time reading Andrea Stewart, but it definitely won't be my last. As a massive thriller fan, I am always on the hunt for a story that genuinely hooks me, and this one delivered.
The story jumps around a bit across different timelines, which I always love in a good thriller—it keeps you guessing and slowly pieces the puzzle together. It does start off a little slow while setting the stage, but then—poof 💨—it completely takes off and doesn't let go until the end.
The writing style is fantastic. The only thing I found a bit odd at first was that Gillian didn't call her parents Mum and Dad, using their actual names instead. As the story unfolds, though, it makes total sense. It feels like a subtle, clever choice by the author to show just how deep the disconnect and lack of love really was, and how much she resented them for monetizing her entire childhood.
The social media aspect made it feel so relevant to today's world. It's a genuinely chilling look at what happens when a family's whole life is put online for views, and the dark secrets that stay hidden behind the camera.
If you love a twisty, modern psychological thriller that makes you think, pick this up. A brilliant 5-star read!

[Sue]

Ellie Campbell is living a lowkey life in California. Her old life was a very public one, as her mother was a Youtube influencer, putting their whole life online, with millions of followers.
Ellie returns home when Iris, also an influencer is reported missing whilst hiking.

I really enjoyed this book. I have always wondered about the children and relatives of influencers who virtually live in front of a camera.
Some people enjoy it - like the Kardashians - but I suppose the money makes it worth it.

I understand Ellie's decision to change her name from Jill, and to move across the country for privacy. Her parents were toxic, especially her mother. Iris at least brought a little normality into Ellie's life.

Quite tense, suspenseful and twisty, the book is a quick read. I was absorbed in Ellie's life from the first chapter.

There were a couple of twists I did guess, but really was floored by others.

I recommend.

[Carissa]

Thank you NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Copy!

When I saw that Andrea Stewart had tried her hand at a thriller I had to pick it up and give it a try! I was not ready for the story that unraveled as I read this book! It is a empathic study of Family Vloggers concentrated on one of the children and how much the situation they had no control over damaged them mentally. Jillian's mother constantly wields coercive control over her daughter to guilt her into thinking she wants to be a part of this world. The inciting incident of a family friend gone missing; someone that was more of a mother figure to our main character then her own mother, Jillian sheds her carefully crafted new life as Ellie and goes home.

Throughout this whole book, I wanted to hug Jillian, let her know that it isn't her fault and get her to tell _everything_ to her therapist! The ending resolved quickly and though it felt pretty obvious to me, I enjoyed the ride as every piece slid into place.

[Kelsey Lawlis]

✨Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book ✨

I think I’m slowly becoming completely uninterested in books revolving around influencers-and there’s been A LOT of them this year. I understand it’s relevant to the modern world, but there seems to be an abundance of them suddenly.

This book follows the daughter of influencers-who left that life for California(??) and changes her identity. She’s extremely intent on no one finding out who she is or related to, almost obssessive. When a family friend goes missing (another influencer) she decides to return home-to discover her sister is also missing.

This one goes on several side quests to get to the ending. Lots of regurgitated past events that stir up all kinds of TW-grooming, SA, etc etc etc. I found them a bit unnecessary to the main mystery and it bogged down the story.

Overall-not a bad read! I think I’m just maxed out on anything “influential” right now-3⭐️

[MG]

This was a really interesting and original take on a mystery: a disappearance involving two famous YouTube family channels. If you have ever wondered what the future might be like for children whose parents splashed their lives all over the internet for the world to see, pick up this book. Even though it focuses on social media families, it really is a study on toxic and controlling parents and how far they’re willing to go to maintain the perfect facade to the outside world. Andrea Stewart writes so well about the mind games, thought conditioning, and the body’s learned responses to toxic behavior. As someone who has experienced some of this parental toxicity, I could relate so much to Ellie and Olivia (minus the murder part and thank goodness for that!)
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Haley]

3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ Honestly, I really enjoyed the angle tackling influencer families and how their lifestyle (and the things they will do to keep it) edged on a thriller. The MacDonald fam was cheesy in the way it was meant to be while also portraying this fake illusion to showcase to everyone else.

While it was fairly easy to predict a lot of the major plot twists pretty early on, the premise of it and reading it unfold was entertaining and kept me engaged throughout.

I think the end could’ve been wrapped up a little better or unfolded a bit more but overall it was an enjoyable and quick thriller.

[ShireenWrites]

My niece loves the videos of the "Mormon Utah mom vlogger cohorts," she's even met some of the people behind them, so I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book. I agree that Influencer parents are toxic, but of course this thriller/missing persons/family drama took it to another level. It seemed more YA then adult because of the 24-yr old MC's consistently terrible life choices, along with everyone around her, but it was a great read.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the advanced digital review copy.

[Amanda Alviz]

I really enjoyed this one! The mystery surrounding Olivia's disappearance kept me hooked, but what made the story especially interesting was the look at what it might be like to grow up as the child of influencers. It explores the darker side of heaving your childhood and personal moments shared online before you're old enough to understand or consent to it, and the lasting impact it can have. I thought that added a lot of depth to the story beyond the mystery. There were plenty of secrets and suspicious moments that kept me questioning what was really happening. This one was so good I finished it in one day.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital ARC.

[Tyler Drennan]

Someone Else's Daughter was a great read. It was super easy to get into right away, and I had a hard time putting it down once I started.

The story had a lot of good twists and turns that weren't easy to figure out beforehand, and I liked how everything played out in the present timeline. The pace kept moving, the details hit just right, and the character building and dynamics were solid throughout. Definitely worth reading!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Victoria Nizzo]

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was waiting for the book to get good the whole time I was reading it and it never came. There was a glimmer of hope at one point and it came and went fast.

The book was extremely slow paced. Lots of plots that didn’t seem necessary or even finished. Everything felt randomized. The back and forth from present day and past seemed out of order at times. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Overall I was plain bored. Even the ending was just alright.

Thank you netgalley for my ARC.

[Megan]

I really liked the idea behind Someone Else’s Daughter. It’s definitely a slow burn, but it kept me interested and wanting to see how the story would unfold. Things slowed down a little for me in the middle, but the pacing picked back up toward the ending.

I was able to figure out a few of the twists along the way, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment. I still found it interesting watching the story develop and seeing how everything came together.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Akeating2003]

Great idea about exploring the life of online families. I can't imagine why anyone would want that, and Ellie was right to make a new life somewhere else. Unfortunately, a lot of events just didn't make sense and the time jumps just muddle it even more. Overall a decent read, I just hoped for more.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Becky Frazier]

Overall this was an ok quick read. Was definitely a very curious plot. The characters were decent but seemed to be lacking a lot of information about them. The book started very strong, but kinda slowed in the middle. The ending was decent, but it kinda seemed like the death/murder had taken a backseat to the sister being missing.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

[Keri]

More than a commentary on the toxicity of social media and carefully sculpted family dynamics, this thriller was hard to put down. It’s easy to see these characters as real people, each battling their own private demons in the public eye. The story speeds up to a frantic pace, intensifying the action packed sequences as the web of lies is finally unraveled.

[Tony]

I had the pleasure of being an ARC reader for this book, it definitely didn’t disappoint! This was a first from this author but definitely won’t be my last! This book has a lot of information on it and it was frustrating at times but in the end I quickly realized I truly needed the whole backstory to understand everything! Defines great book!!


Amy