What do you think?
Rate this book
Influential
Almond is forced into the spotlight when she was just a perfectly filtered bump: her mum has been documenting their family through social media since before she was born. And her family enjoy all the rewards that come from that level of influence. Only, it's not the life Almond would have chosen for herself, and being on a platform all the time has made her anxious and insecure. When the darkest side of the internet begins to haunt her, Almond feels like she's going to lose everything . . . If only she could see that she has a real-life, too, full of friends and family who love her, and that it could save her.
362 pages, Paperback
First published December 22, 2022
23 people are currently reading
820 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
April 6, 2023
3,5/5
March 3, 2023
*Thank you to Faber for sending me a copy of this book to review!*
I really enjoyed this book. As soon as I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. It was very easy to get into, and the pacing remained quite snappy throughout so I managed to fly through it within a couple of hours. I found the story itself really engaging, and something I’ve not seen much in ya fiction, and it had a great cast of characters and great writing.
I think this took a really good look at teen mental health through the lens of social media and influencing. I’ve seen deepfakes and AI being spoken about a lot in the news and online and debates around it, but I haven’t seen it tackled in fiction yet so this was quite a bold approach in my opinion but it really worked. I also think it’s ridiculously important to have these storylines and to bring these issues into young adult fiction because with the rise of social media and a lot of unsupervised internet access, these things can happen and for a young person it can be really daunting. I think the themes within this book were approached with a lot of care, and it didn’t glamourise social media fame but rather flipped that on its head. We had conversations of bullying, blackmail, controlling parenting, self harm, and mental health. It really added another dimension to the narrative, and it was great.
While I’m a sucker for romance (and this book did have the tiniest sprinkle) I love when friendships, family relationships, and self love take centre stage sometimes. This book really flourished when it came to exploring these relationships, and reevaluating what a healthy relationship with the different people in your life, and yourself, looks like. I love that romance didn’t overshadow the entire book, I think that would have taken away from everything else going on. I loved that Almond was really on her own journey and had to find her own footing before even thinking about a partner. She was very likeable and relatable as a protagonist.
Almond herself was the star of the book (quite literally, haha). I really enjoyed her as a protagonist, and her life was so interesting to follow. I think this book did a really good job of giving us plot, but also making us as readers care about Almond and her feelings. It’s usually fun to read about rich kids and influencers, we usually get thrillers or contemporary books full of drama but this took a different approach. I think it was really interesting to take a look at the world of influencers, particularly child influencers, who haven’t had much of a say in the matter too. It’s something that’s at the forefront of discussions on social media right now, and to explore that through fiction was amazing.
I really enjoyed this book. As soon as I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. It was very easy to get into, and the pacing remained quite snappy throughout so I managed to fly through it within a couple of hours. I found the story itself really engaging, and something I’ve not seen much in ya fiction, and it had a great cast of characters and great writing.
I think this took a really good look at teen mental health through the lens of social media and influencing. I’ve seen deepfakes and AI being spoken about a lot in the news and online and debates around it, but I haven’t seen it tackled in fiction yet so this was quite a bold approach in my opinion but it really worked. I also think it’s ridiculously important to have these storylines and to bring these issues into young adult fiction because with the rise of social media and a lot of unsupervised internet access, these things can happen and for a young person it can be really daunting. I think the themes within this book were approached with a lot of care, and it didn’t glamourise social media fame but rather flipped that on its head. We had conversations of bullying, blackmail, controlling parenting, self harm, and mental health. It really added another dimension to the narrative, and it was great.
While I’m a sucker for romance (and this book did have the tiniest sprinkle) I love when friendships, family relationships, and self love take centre stage sometimes. This book really flourished when it came to exploring these relationships, and reevaluating what a healthy relationship with the different people in your life, and yourself, looks like. I love that romance didn’t overshadow the entire book, I think that would have taken away from everything else going on. I loved that Almond was really on her own journey and had to find her own footing before even thinking about a partner. She was very likeable and relatable as a protagonist.
Almond herself was the star of the book (quite literally, haha). I really enjoyed her as a protagonist, and her life was so interesting to follow. I think this book did a really good job of giving us plot, but also making us as readers care about Almond and her feelings. It’s usually fun to read about rich kids and influencers, we usually get thrillers or contemporary books full of drama but this took a different approach. I think it was really interesting to take a look at the world of influencers, particularly child influencers, who haven’t had much of a say in the matter too. It’s something that’s at the forefront of discussions on social media right now, and to explore that through fiction was amazing.
October 16, 2023
This book was alright. The plot had its moments of interest, though it could get a bit corny at times. It tackled some heavy issues in a decent way. However, I found the main character somewhat unlikable and unrealistic.
My main gripe was with the pacing of the story. The beginning felt incredibly slow, then suddenly, midway through, some twists and turns happened, but towards the end, it became dull again. I was hoping for more than just a tidy, happy ending with everyone apologizing. I also had a hard time understanding why the main character would let people who had deeply hurt her back into her life.
I’ll give it a 3.5/5 stars. This is the most 3.5 star book I’ve ever read.
My main gripe was with the pacing of the story. The beginning felt incredibly slow, then suddenly, midway through, some twists and turns happened, but towards the end, it became dull again. I was hoping for more than just a tidy, happy ending with everyone apologizing. I also had a hard time understanding why the main character would let people who had deeply hurt her back into her life.
I’ll give it a 3.5/5 stars. This is the most 3.5 star book I’ve ever read.
January 4, 2023
Almond Hazel Browns whole life has been online, thanks to her influencer mother, who’s been posting about her since the day she was born, and her own influencer status growing during the 2020 lockdowns. But she’s had enough, wants out, and she has a plan…right after they get the paycheck from a huge skincare collaboration, and she can get away from it all.
I found this book fascinating, as like many others, there is a curiosity as to what it must feel like to of been one of those children who have been brought up online, in front of thousands, sometimes millions, of others. I think this book did a really good job of looking into what that must be like - the nostalgic happiness of being able to rewatch good days from your past, easily accessible on YouTube, but then also having people watching and laughing at videos of your recently divorced parents arguing, right in front of you. The money from brand deals, versus having people feel like they know who you really are, rather than them just seeing a snapshot of your life - and normally only the good parts.
This book also touches on mental health, self harm, internet drama, racism, blackmail, and deep fakes. It genuinely got quite dark at times, darker than I was expecting, but it’s also pretty realistic in regards to what some people will do, especially when hidden behind an anonymous username online. A brilliant YA, regarding a subject that I think will only grow in the upcoming years, as the real life influencer kids grow up, and begin to question just how much of themselves they really want to share online.
Thank you to netgalley and Faber books for the early copy to review.
I found this book fascinating, as like many others, there is a curiosity as to what it must feel like to of been one of those children who have been brought up online, in front of thousands, sometimes millions, of others. I think this book did a really good job of looking into what that must be like - the nostalgic happiness of being able to rewatch good days from your past, easily accessible on YouTube, but then also having people watching and laughing at videos of your recently divorced parents arguing, right in front of you. The money from brand deals, versus having people feel like they know who you really are, rather than them just seeing a snapshot of your life - and normally only the good parts.
This book also touches on mental health, self harm, internet drama, racism, blackmail, and deep fakes. It genuinely got quite dark at times, darker than I was expecting, but it’s also pretty realistic in regards to what some people will do, especially when hidden behind an anonymous username online. A brilliant YA, regarding a subject that I think will only grow in the upcoming years, as the real life influencer kids grow up, and begin to question just how much of themselves they really want to share online.
Thank you to netgalley and Faber books for the early copy to review.
January 4, 2023
ARC received from Netgalley and the publisher.
4.5*
C/W: blackmail, drug/alcohol use, racism, bullying, sexual harassment, toxic friendship, suicidal thoughts/attempt
Influential is a hard, real look at the online phenomenon of influencers, and the effect their perfect, filtered lives have on the youngest of them. Almond Brown is 17 and has nearly 3 million followers - her mother is the queen of self care, who pays the bills with brand deals and sponsorships, and who has shared Almond with the internet from her youngest years. But Almond is tired, and she wants out. The brand deal that will set her up for years is just a few weeks away - then she can walk away from it all. If only the internet were so simple.
This book is incredibly readable and fast paced and tense at times, while also showing us Almond's developing relationships with her new friends (and boy she's interested in), as well as taking time for her complex relationship with her parents and gramma. Her love-hate relationship with her mother is especially compelling, and I thought Eve was a wonderful character despite her flaws.
I particularly enjoyed the dialogue between Almond, Joss and Heather, as I felt like I was really reading three teenagers talking to each other. The characterisation in this book is very well done!
I would heed the content warnings for this book however, as the subject matter it delves into, while incredibly important, is also extremely heavy. The things which Almond experiences in this book are unfortunately not unsurprising or uncommon, for any woman with even a meagre internet following, but it is good to see a book addressing such things with the importance they need - there are many Almond's and Imogen's out there in the world, unfortunately vulnerable to online dangers.
4.5*
C/W: blackmail, drug/alcohol use, racism, bullying, sexual harassment, toxic friendship, suicidal thoughts/attempt
Influential is a hard, real look at the online phenomenon of influencers, and the effect their perfect, filtered lives have on the youngest of them. Almond Brown is 17 and has nearly 3 million followers - her mother is the queen of self care, who pays the bills with brand deals and sponsorships, and who has shared Almond with the internet from her youngest years. But Almond is tired, and she wants out. The brand deal that will set her up for years is just a few weeks away - then she can walk away from it all. If only the internet were so simple.
This book is incredibly readable and fast paced and tense at times, while also showing us Almond's developing relationships with her new friends (and boy she's interested in), as well as taking time for her complex relationship with her parents and gramma. Her love-hate relationship with her mother is especially compelling, and I thought Eve was a wonderful character despite her flaws.
I particularly enjoyed the dialogue between Almond, Joss and Heather, as I felt like I was really reading three teenagers talking to each other. The characterisation in this book is very well done!
I would heed the content warnings for this book however, as the subject matter it delves into, while incredibly important, is also extremely heavy. The things which Almond experiences in this book are unfortunately not unsurprising or uncommon, for any woman with even a meagre internet following, but it is good to see a book addressing such things with the importance they need - there are many Almond's and Imogen's out there in the world, unfortunately vulnerable to online dangers.
February 2, 2023
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eArc in exchange for an honest review!
Wow, this book was amazing. I loved how many important topics this discussed, not only does it go into the highs and lows of being on the internet, but also discussed topics such as mental health, and racism among other things. I felt like the story flowed really well, and I was gripped by Almond's story. At times I really felt for her, and that's a testament to the author's great writing, That being said, this book may not be for everyone due to some of the topics being triggering. This story doesn't stray away from the real lows of depression, and I think it was important to show that. Also how therapy can work, but there are still highs and lows that come from it. I loved how she formed friendships with Heather and Joss, it really shows how much a good support network is needed. Overall, I would highly recommend this book, it's so important for the society of social media lovers!
Wow, this book was amazing. I loved how many important topics this discussed, not only does it go into the highs and lows of being on the internet, but also discussed topics such as mental health, and racism among other things. I felt like the story flowed really well, and I was gripped by Almond's story. At times I really felt for her, and that's a testament to the author's great writing, That being said, this book may not be for everyone due to some of the topics being triggering. This story doesn't stray away from the real lows of depression, and I think it was important to show that. Also how therapy can work, but there are still highs and lows that come from it. I loved how she formed friendships with Heather and Joss, it really shows how much a good support network is needed. Overall, I would highly recommend this book, it's so important for the society of social media lovers!
May 29, 2025
Heerlijk verhaal over een meisje die van kinds af aan, vanwege haar moeder, in de online spotlights staat. Ze is een influencer maar vindt deze hele wereld vooral erg nep en kan niet wachten deze achter zich te laten. Ondertussen krijgt ze mega veel kritiek en haat. In therapie ontmoet ze mensen die haar willen kennen om wie ze is en niet om haar bekendheid. De nodige drama zorgt ervoor dat ze uiteindelijk wél iets vindt wat ze leuk vindt.
August 8, 2023
Nice read, really engaging and easy to get into! I liked seeing the portrayal of how teen life and mental health is influenced by the media. I also loved how the love from Almond's awesome friends and family was just pouring out of the pages <33
February 12, 2023
I didn’t expect to completely fall in love with a story about the ins and outs of social media, but here I am, neck-deep into not only the mere photos people post on the internet, but also the devastating impact it can have on others—and that’s exactly what Almond Brown’s story reveals.
I couldn’t not give this book 5 stars. When I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about its characters, I loved it’s ability to tackle the societal issues (racism, sexualisation, alcoholism etc.) we face. No fancy pictures were painted, it was authentic and real, and really makes you think about how influencers are viewed.
And diving into Almond’s personal life, that even though everything looks perfect through a screen, you can have so much more going on than people realise. She had issues with her self-esteem, her family, her friendships, aspects of herself that were real and not, her excoriation… and despite her flaws Heather and Joss (and Honey the dog) were by her side when it mattered most.
Absolutely loved this book, and loosely related to Almond from the internal battles she had with herself. What an amazing debut by Amara, I’ll definitely read any other book she writes.
P.S: Joss gets his own little mention here because he is an absoluteeee sweetheart! I don’t know how many times I’ll use the word ‘love’ in this review but I did love him, adored him in fact, and he deserves everything good the world has to offer. So happy he got his happy ending with Almond <3
I couldn’t not give this book 5 stars. When I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about its characters, I loved it’s ability to tackle the societal issues (racism, sexualisation, alcoholism etc.) we face. No fancy pictures were painted, it was authentic and real, and really makes you think about how influencers are viewed.
And diving into Almond’s personal life, that even though everything looks perfect through a screen, you can have so much more going on than people realise. She had issues with her self-esteem, her family, her friendships, aspects of herself that were real and not, her excoriation… and despite her flaws Heather and Joss (and Honey the dog) were by her side when it mattered most.
Absolutely loved this book, and loosely related to Almond from the internal battles she had with herself. What an amazing debut by Amara, I’ll definitely read any other book she writes.
P.S: Joss gets his own little mention here because he is an absoluteeee sweetheart! I don’t know how many times I’ll use the word ‘love’ in this review but I did love him, adored him in fact, and he deserves everything good the world has to offer. So happy he got his happy ending with Almond <3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2022
4.5 stars out of 5!
Thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for this eARC!
I don't know what I was expecting going into this, but I have to say it absolutely exceeded any expectations I could have had. The modern, 'real-life' YA story that is needed for this generation, and one that could really be a defining read of the genre!
Almond Brown is a seventeen year old 'influencer', who's career started when she was only a child, thanks to her mother's own family vlogging 'influencer' aspirations. Her life is far from private and everything she does and posts is perfectly curated by a team, with an overbearing and selfish manager, brand deals who rarely want the truth from her, and a mother whose heart is in the right place, even if her head isn't always.
This story is incredibly current with the wave of new 'influencer' celebrities over the last few years, and opens up some really important discussions about social media marking, consent of minors to being filmed, and when to stop giving the internet all of the details about your life. As a society, we are so heavily invested in social media these days, with most of our online engagement on those handful of apps that we all know and have a love/hate relationship with; this book gives us a glimpse beyond the shiny, seemingly perfect lives of those with thousands of followers and constant #ad posts.
Beyond the social commentary (with a lot of important points being raised with regards to race too, the main character being biracial), it was also a super entertaining and, at times, deeply affecting read. I didn't anticipate that I would feel so emotional as to be almost brought to tears reading this book, but here we are! The pressures of being pretty enough and happy enough and skinny enough are all too real for young women in this day and age, and the author does an amazing job of showing the true, horrifying effects of that on mental and physical health.
There are some really complex characters - from Almond, to Heather, a straight-talking, golden hearted plus size girl who refuses to fit into the mold, to Imogen, another influencer with a perky Barbie-like exterior who is crumbling beneath the pressure of a mother she is never good enough for, to Joss - the caring, gentle, funny love interest we all dream of finding in our own lives. I really found myself invested in the characters and wanting the best for them, and appreciating their growth so much.
The writing is accessible, and I found this book easy to devour within a 24 hour period. I also liked the use of other elements - text bubbles between friends, emails here and there, the graphs showing Almond's 'following' count. It wasn't all just blocks of writing, and these elements being thrown in helped to make it feel even more relatable to a teen market, I believe. But on saying that, I do think this book opens up conversations that are useful and necessary for just about everyone!
An easy, strong 4.5 stars for me. This was a breath of fresh air in the genre and, with this being what I understand is the author's debut novel, I really am excited to see more from her.
Thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for this eARC!
I don't know what I was expecting going into this, but I have to say it absolutely exceeded any expectations I could have had. The modern, 'real-life' YA story that is needed for this generation, and one that could really be a defining read of the genre!
Almond Brown is a seventeen year old 'influencer', who's career started when she was only a child, thanks to her mother's own family vlogging 'influencer' aspirations. Her life is far from private and everything she does and posts is perfectly curated by a team, with an overbearing and selfish manager, brand deals who rarely want the truth from her, and a mother whose heart is in the right place, even if her head isn't always.
This story is incredibly current with the wave of new 'influencer' celebrities over the last few years, and opens up some really important discussions about social media marking, consent of minors to being filmed, and when to stop giving the internet all of the details about your life. As a society, we are so heavily invested in social media these days, with most of our online engagement on those handful of apps that we all know and have a love/hate relationship with; this book gives us a glimpse beyond the shiny, seemingly perfect lives of those with thousands of followers and constant #ad posts.
Beyond the social commentary (with a lot of important points being raised with regards to race too, the main character being biracial), it was also a super entertaining and, at times, deeply affecting read. I didn't anticipate that I would feel so emotional as to be almost brought to tears reading this book, but here we are! The pressures of being pretty enough and happy enough and skinny enough are all too real for young women in this day and age, and the author does an amazing job of showing the true, horrifying effects of that on mental and physical health.
There are some really complex characters - from Almond, to Heather, a straight-talking, golden hearted plus size girl who refuses to fit into the mold, to Imogen, another influencer with a perky Barbie-like exterior who is crumbling beneath the pressure of a mother she is never good enough for, to Joss - the caring, gentle, funny love interest we all dream of finding in our own lives. I really found myself invested in the characters and wanting the best for them, and appreciating their growth so much.
The writing is accessible, and I found this book easy to devour within a 24 hour period. I also liked the use of other elements - text bubbles between friends, emails here and there, the graphs showing Almond's 'following' count. It wasn't all just blocks of writing, and these elements being thrown in helped to make it feel even more relatable to a teen market, I believe. But on saying that, I do think this book opens up conversations that are useful and necessary for just about everyone!
An easy, strong 4.5 stars for me. This was a breath of fresh air in the genre and, with this being what I understand is the author's debut novel, I really am excited to see more from her.
October 22, 2024
[ARC from Times Reads]
this is the first book that isn’t romance or thriller based that i rated 5 stars, i didn’t expect to love it as much as i do now. come to think of it, how did Sage manage to tackle variety of issues in a less than 350 pages DEBUT book?!?!?! (i.e cyberbullying, body insecurity, racism, divorce etc)
Influential follows the life of Almond Hazel Brown, a famous biracial beauty content creator at the age of 17 (mainly bcs of her influencer mother too), who struggles with the journey of finding herself due to the popularity from social media that is born with her no matter where she goes. BUT, this book is so much more than the real life of an influencer.
i believe Sage has done her research in depth since the execution of key points of the story are well done; how almond gets racist comments almost everyday, how incredibly hard it is for someone with huge followers like almond to make friends, real friends, because some people might just wanna get some popularity, how great friends are not necessarily those that you know of for longer time (almond, heather, and joss became inseparable good friends from the therapy group they were going to, SO WHOLESOME TO SEE), how simple gestures could mean so much to other people (joss giving a vegan donut to almond, just because!! ok apparently it isnt simple gesture bcs joss’ mother baked the vegan donuts specially for almond hahaha but u get my point), and i could go on with the list. it’s not just some random plots thrown into a book.
maybe another reason i love this book so much is bcs of how it resonates with me: having a small but precious circle, like the trio in this book. i love how heather and joss are friends with the real Almond Brown, and not @therealalmondbrown (pun intended). it’s so therapeutic to read how almond can be herself and doesn’t need to please anyone when she’s with heather and joss. <3
now can we talk about joss? he’s not the perfect boy with privilege and no problem in life, and that’s exactly what makes this more real. he has his own struggles too, which is why he goes to the therapy (and meets almond!!) and i appreciate how his character is portrayed not to be the GRAND GESTURE MAN GIVE YOU THIS GIVE YOU THAT, but a simple lowkey character with little to no social media presence. he does the little things, which mean so much more, especially to almond, someone who for a long time has been “gifted with fancy PR packages” that she didn’t even want in the first place.
i feel like every small plot inserted in the book got their own closure in the end and that’s very good, the problems are resolved with the best ways. 🖤
‼️ spoiler begins
i also love the fact that Sage addresses how almond finally accepted that she may not know the name behind or the motive for Anarchy even after reporting to the police, because in real life that’s how most things are; people who hate you just turn out to have more time invested in their life messing with you, even if they are complete strangers to you.
spoiler ends ‼️
i could go on with what i love about this book, each scene specifically, but i couldnt express it in words. this book gave me such a huge impact that i’ll remember in my life. peanu- no i mean, almond, heather, and joss for life yay!!!
this is the first book that isn’t romance or thriller based that i rated 5 stars, i didn’t expect to love it as much as i do now. come to think of it, how did Sage manage to tackle variety of issues in a less than 350 pages DEBUT book?!?!?! (i.e cyberbullying, body insecurity, racism, divorce etc)
Influential follows the life of Almond Hazel Brown, a famous biracial beauty content creator at the age of 17 (mainly bcs of her influencer mother too), who struggles with the journey of finding herself due to the popularity from social media that is born with her no matter where she goes. BUT, this book is so much more than the real life of an influencer.
i believe Sage has done her research in depth since the execution of key points of the story are well done; how almond gets racist comments almost everyday, how incredibly hard it is for someone with huge followers like almond to make friends, real friends, because some people might just wanna get some popularity, how great friends are not necessarily those that you know of for longer time (almond, heather, and joss became inseparable good friends from the therapy group they were going to, SO WHOLESOME TO SEE), how simple gestures could mean so much to other people (joss giving a vegan donut to almond, just because!! ok apparently it isnt simple gesture bcs joss’ mother baked the vegan donuts specially for almond hahaha but u get my point), and i could go on with the list. it’s not just some random plots thrown into a book.
maybe another reason i love this book so much is bcs of how it resonates with me: having a small but precious circle, like the trio in this book. i love how heather and joss are friends with the real Almond Brown, and not @therealalmondbrown (pun intended). it’s so therapeutic to read how almond can be herself and doesn’t need to please anyone when she’s with heather and joss. <3
now can we talk about joss? he’s not the perfect boy with privilege and no problem in life, and that’s exactly what makes this more real. he has his own struggles too, which is why he goes to the therapy (and meets almond!!) and i appreciate how his character is portrayed not to be the GRAND GESTURE MAN GIVE YOU THIS GIVE YOU THAT, but a simple lowkey character with little to no social media presence. he does the little things, which mean so much more, especially to almond, someone who for a long time has been “gifted with fancy PR packages” that she didn’t even want in the first place.
i feel like every small plot inserted in the book got their own closure in the end and that’s very good, the problems are resolved with the best ways. 🖤
‼️ spoiler begins
i also love the fact that Sage addresses how almond finally accepted that she may not know the name behind or the motive for Anarchy even after reporting to the police, because in real life that’s how most things are; people who hate you just turn out to have more time invested in their life messing with you, even if they are complete strangers to you.
spoiler ends ‼️
i could go on with what i love about this book, each scene specifically, but i couldnt express it in words. this book gave me such a huge impact that i’ll remember in my life. peanu- no i mean, almond, heather, and joss for life yay!!!
June 27, 2023
Welcome to the world of Almond ( not so real ) Brown's fiasco between the reel and real world. Born to a woman who is obsessed with her vlogging, all of Almond's life has been online!
Starting with nappies to breakfast meals most things in her life is #gifted in exchange for pre-written reviews for the company.
.
All of seventeen Almond's online life is now becoming too much of a mask for her to bear. What with her parents divorce, her anxiety induced unknown self harm, loss of her long time friend Callie and moving away of her pet dog Honey - she has too much on her plate to put out smiling, filtered selfies, posts and engage with followers!
.
Almond wants to run away from all of this and she s apparently waiting for the new collab money to come to her - while she s also being blackmailed and bullied online!
.
Putting to front in raw truth the cons of being consumed by an online life, especially as teenagers on the verge of adulthood, coping with emotional upheavals and simple wants of a good guilt free meal, friendship, love and family this book is a direct picture of what life is now becoming for us influncers!
.
Often we are running around with a facade of our real lives at the cost of our mental health to be able to have comfort and validity online, amongst the unknown. Sadly parents are pushing us towards it too in most cases with no concern regarding wants of the child at every level.
.
Bringing text style writing and graphics representing the instagram insight graphs I believe this book very well represents contemporary psychology very well.
.
The cover is just the cherry on the cake!
Starting with nappies to breakfast meals most things in her life is #gifted in exchange for pre-written reviews for the company.
.
All of seventeen Almond's online life is now becoming too much of a mask for her to bear. What with her parents divorce, her anxiety induced unknown self harm, loss of her long time friend Callie and moving away of her pet dog Honey - she has too much on her plate to put out smiling, filtered selfies, posts and engage with followers!
.
Almond wants to run away from all of this and she s apparently waiting for the new collab money to come to her - while she s also being blackmailed and bullied online!
.
Putting to front in raw truth the cons of being consumed by an online life, especially as teenagers on the verge of adulthood, coping with emotional upheavals and simple wants of a good guilt free meal, friendship, love and family this book is a direct picture of what life is now becoming for us influncers!
.
Often we are running around with a facade of our real lives at the cost of our mental health to be able to have comfort and validity online, amongst the unknown. Sadly parents are pushing us towards it too in most cases with no concern regarding wants of the child at every level.
.
Bringing text style writing and graphics representing the instagram insight graphs I believe this book very well represents contemporary psychology very well.
.
The cover is just the cherry on the cake!
January 25, 2024
Trigger warnings: mental illness, self harm, alcohol abuse, toxic parenting, online harassment, slut shaming, misogyny, racism, racial slurs, bullying, body shaming, vomit, panic attacks, suicide attempt, hospitalisation, drug use, disordered eating, stalking,
3.5 stars
I was very much on board with this for the majority of the book. There are so many teens now who want to grow up to be influencers, and this is a fantastic look at the toxic side of that. Almond is dealing with some serious mental health issues that are consistently pushed aside for the sake of appearances and brand reputation, and that stuff was well handled. I also liked the way that Sage brought racism into the story, in both casual and outright ways.
However. The blackmail plotline wasn't, in my opinion, handled particularly well. Do I believe that a teen wouldn't ask for help in that situation? Yes. But I also feel like reporting it to the police should have been brought into the story much earlier and in much more detail than it was. Especially given that she's underage.
So yeah, this is one of the better books I've read about influencer culture. I just wish it had gone a little further than it did.
3.5 stars
I was very much on board with this for the majority of the book. There are so many teens now who want to grow up to be influencers, and this is a fantastic look at the toxic side of that. Almond is dealing with some serious mental health issues that are consistently pushed aside for the sake of appearances and brand reputation, and that stuff was well handled. I also liked the way that Sage brought racism into the story, in both casual and outright ways.
However. The blackmail plotline wasn't, in my opinion, handled particularly well. Do I believe that a teen wouldn't ask for help in that situation? Yes. But I also feel like reporting it to the police should have been brought into the story much earlier and in much more detail than it was. Especially given that she's underage.
So yeah, this is one of the better books I've read about influencer culture. I just wish it had gone a little further than it did.
August 24, 2025
I have mixed feelings concerning this one. I enjoyed the goal this book was working towards but the path there left me anxious and triggered.
First off this book deals with a lot of heavy subjects that are important to talk about and I feel like they were betrayed well. However I found the main character quite unlikable and her thought process was more confusing than understandable.
I felt like she was sharing a valid standpoint of letting people be who they are and then in the next passage she goes on judging someone based on the way they look. It made all her thoughts seem a bit inauthentic.
Another thing I didn't understand at all was her sense of self. There were people who hurt her immensly and with one short apology all that hurt is just forgiven? I sometimes wanted her to grow some sort of backbone.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 3 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀? ⭐
The book itself had a nice message and I really really liked the imagery and different usage of media within the book. That alone made the book feel a bit lighter when hard topics occured.
As mentioned before I did not like the main character and reading her confused me a lot and frustrated me when she forgave basically everything. Sadly this made my reading experience not as great but if you can see past that, this book has a lovely message and contains some great friends (I love Heather).
First off this book deals with a lot of heavy subjects that are important to talk about and I feel like they were betrayed well. However I found the main character quite unlikable and her thought process was more confusing than understandable.
I felt like she was sharing a valid standpoint of letting people be who they are and then in the next passage she goes on judging someone based on the way they look. It made all her thoughts seem a bit inauthentic.
Another thing I didn't understand at all was her sense of self. There were people who hurt her immensly and with one short apology all that hurt is just forgiven? I sometimes wanted her to grow some sort of backbone.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 3 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀? ⭐
The book itself had a nice message and I really really liked the imagery and different usage of media within the book. That alone made the book feel a bit lighter when hard topics occured.
As mentioned before I did not like the main character and reading her confused me a lot and frustrated me when she forgave basically everything. Sadly this made my reading experience not as great but if you can see past that, this book has a lovely message and contains some great friends (I love Heather).
July 11, 2023
dystopian reality, small romance, mental health, self harm, therapy, blackmailing, sexual violence and exploitation, found family, veeeery small spice but mention worthy,
I really loved this book.
To be honest when I started reading it I I was a bit bummed by the rather boring? writing style, at least that's what I thought, but the writing style isn't boring at all it's just different to what im used to reading but it honestly really grew to me, it was sarcastic, funny, trauma bonding without me actually having that trauma but it felt like I was almond. The author did a really good job at making the reader feel immersed and like the actual main character, at least that's what I thought.
And the overall plots and storyline was really great, it was interesting and wild yet still realistic and I appreciated that a lot.
The writing was so cruel sometimes, like not the writing itself but the content, it was amazing how much I wanted to throw up every time it was about anarchy or the callie fight, like genuinely as if it was happening to me.
And the ending made me very happy, especially with Immy and how they were still there fo her after all she's done.
I really loved this book.
To be honest when I started reading it I I was a bit bummed by the rather boring? writing style, at least that's what I thought, but the writing style isn't boring at all it's just different to what im used to reading but it honestly really grew to me, it was sarcastic, funny, trauma bonding without me actually having that trauma but it felt like I was almond. The author did a really good job at making the reader feel immersed and like the actual main character, at least that's what I thought.
And the overall plots and storyline was really great, it was interesting and wild yet still realistic and I appreciated that a lot.
The writing was so cruel sometimes, like not the writing itself but the content, it was amazing how much I wanted to throw up every time it was about anarchy or the callie fight, like genuinely as if it was happening to me.
And the ending made me very happy, especially with Immy and how they were still there fo her after all she's done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2022
[Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC]
In the past few months, YA hasn't been my favorite genre. I couldn't find a book that was both interesting and addressed some serious issues. Everything changed when I read the description of "Influential". I had a feeling that this might be the book that would make me love YA again. And I was right!
• I loved the writing style! I rarely read books in 1-2 days, but I couldn't put this one down. I had to know what else would happen to Almond and how her life would change. I think that even an interesting plot can feel exhausting if one doesn't like how it's written. Fortunately, Amara Sage seems like a very promising author, and I will definitely keep an eye on her new books in the future.
• The characters!!!! I don't think there was even one that I didn't like. Each one of them was very complex and crucial to the plot. Almond, our main girl, was relatable, and every teenager will be able to identify with her. Joss and Heather are the perfect supporters, and I feel like it's impossible not to love them ❤️ Also, Almond's parents or Imogen who sometimes didn't seem like good characters, were very interesting to read about as they kept on developing and in the end saw their mistakes.
• I also can't forget about the importance of this novel! Nowadays, everyone is immersed in social media. We all have them and use them on a daily basis. On the one hand, they are fun and make our lives easier, but on the other hand, they have made our world 100% more superficial. That's exactly what "Influential" is about. It showcases how hard it is to be a teenager in the reality of Instagram. Everything has to be perfect. No scars, no acne, no mental problems. On your feed, you are supposed to be perfect. In real life? Let's be honest, no one really cares about your life. They just want to see cute or sexy pics. Yet, Almond, who grew up with hundreds of people watching her life on the internet, just had enough!
• Also, I almost never cry while reading, but in this case, it was impossible to stop the tears from flowing. Reading the hate comments towards Almond or her discrediting herself just broke my heart. Maybe I didn't experience online hate, but I was bullied for many years of my life, so I couldn't help thinking of myself and what I felt back then.
This is a must-read for everyone! No matter the age!
In the past few months, YA hasn't been my favorite genre. I couldn't find a book that was both interesting and addressed some serious issues. Everything changed when I read the description of "Influential". I had a feeling that this might be the book that would make me love YA again. And I was right!
• I loved the writing style! I rarely read books in 1-2 days, but I couldn't put this one down. I had to know what else would happen to Almond and how her life would change. I think that even an interesting plot can feel exhausting if one doesn't like how it's written. Fortunately, Amara Sage seems like a very promising author, and I will definitely keep an eye on her new books in the future.
• The characters!!!! I don't think there was even one that I didn't like. Each one of them was very complex and crucial to the plot. Almond, our main girl, was relatable, and every teenager will be able to identify with her. Joss and Heather are the perfect supporters, and I feel like it's impossible not to love them ❤️ Also, Almond's parents or Imogen who sometimes didn't seem like good characters, were very interesting to read about as they kept on developing and in the end saw their mistakes.
• I also can't forget about the importance of this novel! Nowadays, everyone is immersed in social media. We all have them and use them on a daily basis. On the one hand, they are fun and make our lives easier, but on the other hand, they have made our world 100% more superficial. That's exactly what "Influential" is about. It showcases how hard it is to be a teenager in the reality of Instagram. Everything has to be perfect. No scars, no acne, no mental problems. On your feed, you are supposed to be perfect. In real life? Let's be honest, no one really cares about your life. They just want to see cute or sexy pics. Yet, Almond, who grew up with hundreds of people watching her life on the internet, just had enough!
• Also, I almost never cry while reading, but in this case, it was impossible to stop the tears from flowing. Reading the hate comments towards Almond or her discrediting herself just broke my heart. Maybe I didn't experience online hate, but I was bullied for many years of my life, so I couldn't help thinking of myself and what I felt back then.
This is a must-read for everyone! No matter the age!
January 30, 2023
4.5 stars
The only reason I didn’t rate Influential five stars was because I thought the ending was a bit… cringey 😬 It kind of felt like everything was resolved a bit too easily/quickly.
I really liked how brutally honest this book was and the ‘…and they all lived happily ever after’ ending didn’t feel very… realistic 👀 That being said, I guess the author couldn’t make the ending too bleak because this is a YA novel after all.
I’m being very nit-picky here – overall this was a really good book and an extremely impressive debut novel. I was slightly worried that I’d find the main character annoying (purely because of the fact that she’s an ‘influencer’), but the author did a really good job of ensuring that the reader empathised with Almond.
I’d 100% recommend giving this a read if you’re interested in the ugly side of ‘influencer’ culture.
The only reason I didn’t rate Influential five stars was because I thought the ending was a bit… cringey 😬 It kind of felt like everything was resolved a bit too easily/quickly.
I really liked how brutally honest this book was and the ‘…and they all lived happily ever after’ ending didn’t feel very… realistic 👀 That being said, I guess the author couldn’t make the ending too bleak because this is a YA novel after all.
I’m being very nit-picky here – overall this was a really good book and an extremely impressive debut novel. I was slightly worried that I’d find the main character annoying (purely because of the fact that she’s an ‘influencer’), but the author did a really good job of ensuring that the reader empathised with Almond.
I’d 100% recommend giving this a read if you’re interested in the ugly side of ‘influencer’ culture.
January 13, 2023
Influential is one of those novels that everyone should read at least once in their lifetimes. Even more so now with the rise of teen stars during the pandemic.
Almond is such an easy to love character, and I found myself relating to her more than I thought I would. Her perspective on the background and behind the scenes of child influencers really sheds a lot of light, and it’s interesting to see (and read about) what it’s actually like. It was also a quick read, which would make it great for all age groups.
Thank you to NetGalley, Faber & Faber and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Almond is such an easy to love character, and I found myself relating to her more than I thought I would. Her perspective on the background and behind the scenes of child influencers really sheds a lot of light, and it’s interesting to see (and read about) what it’s actually like. It was also a quick read, which would make it great for all age groups.
Thank you to NetGalley, Faber & Faber and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
January 15, 2023
Thank you to the publisher for my physical ARC and finished copy!
A really important debut story. I wanted to reach through the pages of this book and physically hug Almond. The effect of growing up hyper visible on the internet and being a young influencer is a topic I think we’ll be discussing and unpacking for some time. I think this author did a great job with handling this really sensitive overarching topic while also sharing an important story of love and community. I was really angry on Almond’s behalf for most of this story. So this is a very solid debut in my opinion, not perfect and not necessarily for everyone but it really resonated with me.l
A really important debut story. I wanted to reach through the pages of this book and physically hug Almond. The effect of growing up hyper visible on the internet and being a young influencer is a topic I think we’ll be discussing and unpacking for some time. I think this author did a great job with handling this really sensitive overarching topic while also sharing an important story of love and community. I was really angry on Almond’s behalf for most of this story. So this is a very solid debut in my opinion, not perfect and not necessarily for everyone but it really resonated with me.l
December 31, 2022
I received a review copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This feels like such an important read. Especially currently, in the world of social media.
Influential, is a peep behind the curtain, so to speak into the real lives of social media influencers.
Written so well that you don't notice the pages turning. Covering a range of subjects such as suicide, self harm, bullying and cyber crimes.
Definitely glad this was my last read of 2022
This feels like such an important read. Especially currently, in the world of social media.
Influential, is a peep behind the curtain, so to speak into the real lives of social media influencers.
Written so well that you don't notice the pages turning. Covering a range of subjects such as suicide, self harm, bullying and cyber crimes.
Definitely glad this was my last read of 2022
February 17, 2023
3.5 Stars
Content Warnings:Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Racism, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts/Moderate: Medical content, Blood, Racial slurs, and Toxic friendship
This book is a truly heartbreaking and at times an uncomfortable read which really questions and highlights the problem with posting your child on social media and what that means for them as they grow, change and try to find they own individuality. This book is did just proved all my feelings around family influences and all the problems that comes with exploiting and putting your children in dangers situation for fame and money and I just hate the whole things and it just think it something that can't be anything be morally wrong.This book was does a really good job at reflecting the pressure of young people and young girls to always be this perfect idea of what society wants from people and how it is getting harder for people to understand what is real and what is fake and the pressure and the impact of people's mental health that has. It is a really sad book because the thing that Almond go through in this book, you don't want any one to go through and I would say that this book isn't the easiest read and I would urge anyone that wants to read this book to please check the content warnings. I think this book is a really solid and strong debut novel and I would recommend this book to any one who has grow up with the internet and the pressure that creates. Also can we give it up to the cover designer of this book because it is absolutely stunning and that person that created it needs a rise and that rainbow holographic foil, stunning!
Also, think the writing is very well done as it clear that the author is writing from some personal experience of the internet and the expectations that come with that, it really clear to me that the author is not just 50 year old trying to sound young and in touch with the audience of this book. It just does an amazing job at showing what is really like to be a teenager now with all the pressure and feeling that come with growing up in the age of social media. It shown in the best time with the whole influencer dinner which showing the most chronically online book but it was just so funny because it is just taking the piss. I don't think I am the person to talk about this as a white people but I thought the book did really well show everyday and subtle racism, like to say that a person is lucky to have brown skin because they have the best of both worlds is just absolutely unacceptable and quite frankly disgusting and how it was just said with not fight back or backlash. Another thing that this book deals with really well is the premature sexualisation of women bodies and subtle misogyny that women deal with everyday. I also think this book brings up question around 'cancel culture' which is something I have really mixed views on cancel culture because I think accountability is really important but do think some of the shit that people (mostly women) get cancelled for because it just so fucking dumb and the things that Almond was getting cancelled for just so dumb. I also thought something that did make this book really stand out because of Almond's skin condition and the pressure to hide your skin and feel ashamed which is something I really related to because I have struggled with quite serve eczema which is affects my hands, face and legs which serenely and just to get picked on in school which made be really self conscious as people just to say that I was dirty has some kind of plague or something and I have felt the things that Almond felt about her skin condition and I just don't think skin conditions are ever really talked about in books and I just thought it really was well done. Another thing that this book highlights which is a growing problem which has been on a news which is the absolute horror and violation that are deep fakes and I think it is actually a really scary and worrying and really post-modern day problem. Another part of this book that I didn't really feel like we needed was the romance like I am not bothered about the fact that there was a romance between Almond and Joss because I just didn't think it needed to be a thing, it didn't add anything to the story but it also didn't take anything away from the story but I did think they were cute but I just didn't care.
You are probably wondering why I gave this book 3.5 stars because everything I have said is really positive because I do think this book is a really good and important read but I have got some really mixed feelings about this book because I like it and the point it is just trying to make but than I am just getting bored at time and I really loved it in the middle but I thought it had a really slow start and thought the ending was a bit slow. This book was one of my most anticipated releases of this year and I would say it was good not nothing groundbreaking but I am not mad that I read it.
I think about how lucky I am to have found my way here, into this moment with these people. And this is enough. I just want to be here right now.'
March 3, 2023
this book was amazing! it deals with so many important topics but please check tws as it’s very heavy sometimes
July 16, 2025
På nogle punkter banal, men kom også dybere ind i ting. God oplevelse🥰
September 6, 2025
Nicely done YA book, didn’t love but also didn’t hate and talks about some pretty heavy topics extremely well!
May 11, 2023
Absolutely INCREDIBLE!
April 29, 2024
Library book 📚
I picked this book up from my library for one reason only: the cover! It's such a beautiful, shiny, bright cover that I couldn't not choose it. Perhaps not the best reason for choosing a book but it worked out okay this time!
It's taken me a while to read this book which isn't normally a good sign but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story it tells is a pertinent and important one now (about social media and influencer culture) but I liked that it didn't paint social media as all bad and made a wild dichotomy that you have to give up your phone to be happy; it struck a nice middle ground.
For a YA novel, there's quite a lot of depth, covering quite a few issues but without becoming preachy.
I would recommend!
I picked this book up from my library for one reason only: the cover! It's such a beautiful, shiny, bright cover that I couldn't not choose it. Perhaps not the best reason for choosing a book but it worked out okay this time!
It's taken me a while to read this book which isn't normally a good sign but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story it tells is a pertinent and important one now (about social media and influencer culture) but I liked that it didn't paint social media as all bad and made a wild dichotomy that you have to give up your phone to be happy; it struck a nice middle ground.
For a YA novel, there's quite a lot of depth, covering quite a few issues but without becoming preachy.
I would recommend!
March 12, 2023
extremely important message
October 18, 2023
A nice easy-read on a really important topic of social media and the effect it can have on teen influencers. Also Joss is really cute <3 (shouldn't have actually taken me this long to read the book lol but busy with BMAT revision- now done!! XD)
January 7, 2023
Brilliant look at being forced into becoming an influencer as a child.
I can't think of anything worse than having my whole life online and yet so many people are born into that now. While fame and wealth sounds appealing this shows the reality of all that and will maybe get people to see what's behind the influencer mask.
I can't think of anything worse than having my whole life online and yet so many people are born into that now. While fame and wealth sounds appealing this shows the reality of all that and will maybe get people to see what's behind the influencer mask.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews