Unpredictable Twist!
“Such A Bad Influence”, is a mixed media novel that follows the disappearance of an 18y/o social media influencer. Having spent her entire life on YouTube, insta, TikTok, etc., Evie seems to have a perfect life. No different than in the real world, she is offered brand deals, free merch, a cult-like following, and a steady income. With her mom as her manager, who is also an influencer”, they work together to make the most of it. Hazel, Evie’s older sister by 10 years, wants nothing to do with the spotlight. Seemingly the odd man out, Hazel makes every attempt to encourage her sister to back away from the spotlight- which she does, suddenly and without a trace. With Evie gone, Hazel, her mom, the police and her boyfriend all worry about her fate. Did she leave voluntarily? Could this have been a stalker? Did someone hurt her? While the book didn’t build suspense that kept me turning pages, I did find myself more and more engrossed as I got towards the end. The last 60 pages kept me awake way past my bedtime, whereas the build up to that was more mystery than thriller. The author does an amazing job of introducing new suspects in a natural way and bringing all loose ends together in the end. It was easy to read and provided a real life perspective into the superficial ways of being a social media influencer, with every moment controlled by someone or something else. The problems discussed in this story aren’t make believe for our entertainment- there’s a lot of scary truth to it as well. Overall, this book was expertly written, followed through with the story in such a believable way, and brings awareness to the addiction we have to our phones and the criticism we share of others. Thank you NetGalley and Quirk Books for this digital ARC!
