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thepagelady's review against another edition
3.0
Followed by Millions, Watched by One
To her adoring fans, Emmy Jackson, aka @the_mamabare, is the honest “Instamum” who always tells it like it is.
To her skeptical husband, a washed-up novelist who knows just how creative Emmy can be with the truth,
To one of Emmy’s dangerously obsessive followers, she’s the woman that has everything
but deserves none of it.
As Emmy’s marriage begins to crack under the strain of her growing success and her moral compass veers wildly off course, the more vulnerable she becomes to a very real danger circling ever closer to her family.
People Like Her explores our desperate need to be seen and the lengths we’ll go to be liked by strangers. It asks
What
and who
we sacrifice when make our private lives public, and ultimately lose control of who we let in. . . .
Thank you, Goodreads and Harper for the chance to read People Like Her!
“{I have a feeling something terrible is about to happen}”
“{I have an awful feeling it is all my fault.}”
I don’t think I have actually ever read a book about Instastar {instagram star or any other social media sites} or even about an influencer. So, this book was a little different for me. It says that it is a thrill. I don’t think I really agree with that. I thought it was more a suspenseful mystery. Some of the things that happen are scary to think about actually happening. But really, it's a good reminder. There are so many people putting their lives out there for everyone to see. We all say at some point “That won't happen to me.” But all in all, it was an ok book. I was able to finish the book just not as fast as I usually would. For some reason I just couldn’t get into it for long periods of time. So, I had to read a little and come back later. Happy reading everyone!
{“This is not about revenge. This has never been about revenge; it is about justice. And when it is over, all I want to do is close my eyes, and know that I have done what needed to be done, and rest.}”
“{Goodbye, Emmy.}”
To her adoring fans, Emmy Jackson, aka @the_mamabare, is the honest “Instamum” who always tells it like it is.
To her skeptical husband, a washed-up novelist who knows just how creative Emmy can be with the truth,
To one of Emmy’s dangerously obsessive followers, she’s the woman that has everything
but deserves none of it.
As Emmy’s marriage begins to crack under the strain of her growing success and her moral compass veers wildly off course, the more vulnerable she becomes to a very real danger circling ever closer to her family.
People Like Her explores our desperate need to be seen and the lengths we’ll go to be liked by strangers. It asks
What
and who
we sacrifice when make our private lives public, and ultimately lose control of who we let in. . . .
Thank you, Goodreads and Harper for the chance to read People Like Her!
“{I have a feeling something terrible is about to happen}”
“{I have an awful feeling it is all my fault.}”
I don’t think I have actually ever read a book about Instastar {instagram star or any other social media sites} or even about an influencer. So, this book was a little different for me. It says that it is a thrill. I don’t think I really agree with that. I thought it was more a suspenseful mystery. Some of the things that happen are scary to think about actually happening. But really, it's a good reminder. There are so many people putting their lives out there for everyone to see. We all say at some point “That won't happen to me.” But all in all, it was an ok book. I was able to finish the book just not as fast as I usually would. For some reason I just couldn’t get into it for long periods of time. So, I had to read a little and come back later. Happy reading everyone!
{“This is not about revenge. This has never been about revenge; it is about justice. And when it is over, all I want to do is close my eyes, and know that I have done what needed to be done, and rest.}”
“{Goodbye, Emmy.}”
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Deliciously satirical delve into social media career-mums, good thriller at the same time.
Hate the term and the idea of an 'influencer'. Avoid them and their peddling. That's my philosophy. So it felt a little schadenfreude-y to enjoy seeing the top InstaMum in this novel finding her Jenga-like position might be as temporary as you'd hope it is.
Shared perspectives between a husband-and-wife author team, Emmy and Ben allow us into their lives (well, they let the rest of the world in already) as InstaParents. Ben is a writer who can't finish his second novel, and has allowed Emmy to turn their young family into a career, she dispenses advice, parenting highs and lows and product-placement messages through her posts, photos and events. Their kids? Coco and Bear. Of course they are.
I felt validated in seeing how these 'naturally occurring' social media accounts are actually stage-managed to within an inch of their lives, total twaddle and split-second perfection, with a lot of hard work needed to make someone's house look just the right degree of messy, the right phrase to seem humble and just-about-coping while actually being on top of everything.
That in itself was great. Add in a disgruntled third voice, a stalker targeting Emmy and her family for an unknown reason, and we then have a thriller as well as a satire. This actually was shocking in how it played out, though the reasons for the stalker's actions weren't particularly credible. It however brought about an ending that had me laughing out loud with the sheer perfection of the direction. Bravo, Lloyd, a very nicely judged end.
This reminded me a lot of Idol (Louise O'Neill) about a similar high-flying female social media icon who takes a fall and must scramble to keep her pole position. This though had the element of danger, of two innocent young lives that their parents have splashed over the internet, sold out for free stuff and fame. I couldn't like Emmy and even Ben, who had allowed it all to happen. But I did very much enjoy watching it all happen, which says a lot about human nature and modern online life in itself.
Brilliant really, flashed through this, would recommend.
Hate the term and the idea of an 'influencer'. Avoid them and their peddling. That's my philosophy. So it felt a little schadenfreude-y to enjoy seeing the top InstaMum in this novel finding her Jenga-like position might be as temporary as you'd hope it is.
Shared perspectives between a husband-and-wife author team, Emmy and Ben allow us into their lives (well, they let the rest of the world in already) as InstaParents. Ben is a writer who can't finish his second novel, and has allowed Emmy to turn their young family into a career, she dispenses advice, parenting highs and lows and product-placement messages through her posts, photos and events. Their kids? Coco and Bear. Of course they are.
I felt validated in seeing how these 'naturally occurring' social media accounts are actually stage-managed to within an inch of their lives, total twaddle and split-second perfection, with a lot of hard work needed to make someone's house look just the right degree of messy, the right phrase to seem humble and just-about-coping while actually being on top of everything.
That in itself was great. Add in a disgruntled third voice, a stalker targeting Emmy and her family for an unknown reason, and we then have a thriller as well as a satire. This actually was shocking in how it played out, though the reasons for the stalker's actions weren't particularly credible. It however brought about an ending that had me laughing out loud with the sheer perfection of the direction. Bravo, Lloyd, a very nicely judged end.
This reminded me a lot of Idol (Louise O'Neill) about a similar high-flying female social media icon who takes a fall and must scramble to keep her pole position. This though had the element of danger, of two innocent young lives that their parents have splashed over the internet, sold out for free stuff and fame. I couldn't like Emmy and even Ben, who had allowed it all to happen. But I did very much enjoy watching it all happen, which says a lot about human nature and modern online life in itself.
Brilliant really, flashed through this, would recommend.
ladylovestead's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I wouldn't classify this as a thriller. It's not quite a horror or contemporary either. Its kind of a genre-bending mix of all three. It's slow and character driven builds up to to an ending where everything falls apart for the characters. I thought the writers did a good job exploring influencer life intermixing themes of motherhood, roles in marriage, and revenge. It asks the question: who are we when no one is looking?
litasheller's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kstanpadg's review against another edition
4.0
kinda loved it?? there were 2 quotes that i liked the best:
“for a split second, i see my four year old self in my daughters shoes and my heart cracks a bit for both of us.”
“it is strange how people come and go in life, so quickly, so easily. when you are young you think everyone is going to be around forever. first there was me and george. then there was me and george and grace…then it was just me and grace and jack. then it was just me and grace. then it was just me.”
“for a split second, i see my four year old self in my daughters shoes and my heart cracks a bit for both of us.”
“it is strange how people come and go in life, so quickly, so easily. when you are young you think everyone is going to be around forever. first there was me and george. then there was me and george and grace…then it was just me and grace and jack. then it was just me and grace. then it was just me.”
sennas_reads's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
wintrovia's review against another edition
4.0
People Like Her is both an interesting look into the world of social media influencer and a decent thriller. Emmy is a top-tier mumstagram minor celebrity and as the story progresses you get a deeper look behind the trivial and bland social media personality and find out what she's really like. This disconnect between her online persona and her real-life creates most of the conflict in the story and leads to a page-turning finish.
I mostly enjoyed reading this book and found it interesting to read a story that addresses the way social media is affecting our lives and how influencers have sprung up and now are part of popular culture.
The thriller aspects of the story are very slow to build and at times it's closer to a long essay about influencer culture and the perils of the internet. I did find myself pulled in towards the end though and was keen to keep reading to find out how it would all play out. The ending involved a dramatic and unlikely change of heart from one of the key characters which I found a little bit unbelievable but otherwise it was a satisfying conclusion.
I'd recommend this book to anyone that's concerned about the impact of social media and likes domestic thrillers.
I mostly enjoyed reading this book and found it interesting to read a story that addresses the way social media is affecting our lives and how influencers have sprung up and now are part of popular culture.
The thriller aspects of the story are very slow to build and at times it's closer to a long essay about influencer culture and the perils of the internet. I did find myself pulled in towards the end though and was keen to keep reading to find out how it would all play out. The ending involved a dramatic and unlikely change of heart from one of the key characters which I found a little bit unbelievable but otherwise it was a satisfying conclusion.
I'd recommend this book to anyone that's concerned about the impact of social media and likes domestic thrillers.
abbyhough's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0