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A review by katykelly
People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd
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.