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A review by rachels_booknook
Under the Influence by Noelle Crooks
3.5
Thank you @netgalley and @simonschusterca for sending me this book for review. Opinions are my own.
“The Devil Wears Prada meets The Assistants in this compulsively readble debut following a young woman who takes a job working for an enigmatic influencer and quickly discovers there’s a dark side to being a #girlboss.”
Noelle Crooks’ debut novel is described as having The Devil Wears Prada vibes and it definitely does. I was immediately intrigued by the description. After struggling to find a publishing or writing job in NYC, Harper is offered the opportunity to work for a self-help influencer in Nashville. The catch – she needs to move ASAP, but she’ll be compensated beyond her dreams.
Soon Harper is caught up in the influencer world, working night and day for a demanding boss, and with a group of people that seem to have drunk the kool-aid. Dance parties every day, a never-ending online chat, mandatory Instagram posts, and problem solving for a challenging boss and her even more challenging husband are just part of Harper’s new life. But how far is Harper willing to go for brand loyalty and a paycheck?
This job seemed terrible right from the start. The author was smart to put Harper in a situation where it seemed like this was her best option, because it was pretty crazy. I was exhausted reading about trying to keep up with all the team unity and praise. It really seemed almost like a cult. And it definitely seemed fake. I don’t think I would follow an influencer like that – she was definitely too gushy for me. Eventually, though, I loved how Harper’s story ended.
I think a couple plot points could have been expanded, but I think this was a good debut novel by Noelle Crooks. I flew through it and it kept my attention. I would be interested to see what she writes next!
“The Devil Wears Prada meets The Assistants in this compulsively readble debut following a young woman who takes a job working for an enigmatic influencer and quickly discovers there’s a dark side to being a #girlboss.”
Noelle Crooks’ debut novel is described as having The Devil Wears Prada vibes and it definitely does. I was immediately intrigued by the description. After struggling to find a publishing or writing job in NYC, Harper is offered the opportunity to work for a self-help influencer in Nashville. The catch – she needs to move ASAP, but she’ll be compensated beyond her dreams.
Soon Harper is caught up in the influencer world, working night and day for a demanding boss, and with a group of people that seem to have drunk the kool-aid. Dance parties every day, a never-ending online chat, mandatory Instagram posts, and problem solving for a challenging boss and her even more challenging husband are just part of Harper’s new life. But how far is Harper willing to go for brand loyalty and a paycheck?
This job seemed terrible right from the start. The author was smart to put Harper in a situation where it seemed like this was her best option, because it was pretty crazy. I was exhausted reading about trying to keep up with all the team unity and praise. It really seemed almost like a cult. And it definitely seemed fake. I don’t think I would follow an influencer like that – she was definitely too gushy for me. Eventually, though, I loved how Harper’s story ended.
I think a couple plot points could have been expanded, but I think this was a good debut novel by Noelle Crooks. I flew through it and it kept my attention. I would be interested to see what she writes next!