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A review by litwithleigh
Kids Run the Show by Delphine de Vigan
3.0
Thank you Europe Editions for the ARC. IYKYK, my reviews are ALWAYS honest.
Writing: sparse prose | Plot: great premise | Ending: last 30% went off the rails
SYNOPSIS
An exploration of the devastating costs of social media fame.
MY OPINION
First things first, THIS IS NOT A MYSTERY OR A THRILLER. Don't let the synopsis or NetGalley fool you. Yes, the bare bones of the plot is Clara, a young 'detective' of sorts, is investigating the disappearance of Kimmy, a famous child YouTuber who is managed by her clout-chasing mother, Melanie. But this isn't your typical police procedural wherein you're bagging forensic evidence and running tox screens.This is more of a social commentary on how lost in the sauce people get trying to be famous on Al Gore's internet, and how messed up it is when adults pimp out their children for clout.
I absolutely loved Delphine de Vigan's The Loyalties, but this is a totally different vibe. The prose is very minimalistic and there's little world-building or dialogue. If you don't enjoy being inside the characters' heads, skip this one. It's inner monologue after inner monologue, with some 'interviews' thrown in here and there. Also, if you need someone to cheer for, you won't find it here.
I enjoyed the commentary about the addiction of fame and how people will do anything, even put their children at danger, for a lil notoriety. But was it groundbreaking? No. Profound? Not exactly. But it's an important discussion and a worthwhile read if you're not chronically online. I thought the parts about introducing laws to protect the rights of children and ensure they get their cut financially were interesting and necessary. I think it would spark some great book club debates.
Everything was alright until the last 30%. I would've given this four stars just for kicks but that last third felt like a second book penned by John Marrs that was tacked on the end. Maybe it was done to lend credence to the book being slotted as a mystery/thriller? Idk. But... one star because wtf?? There was way too much crammed into the end and it drifted into "OK BOOMER" territory. Not Clara, a law enforcement officer who has directly benefited from technological advancements, moaning on and on about how she wished she could go back to pre-Internet times. Girl no one is forcing you to be on Instagram.
Anyways. This was a bit of a letdown for me, but I do recommend it to older readers who are not chronically online. Highly recommend you tackle it with a pal, or a couple of pals, so you can rant and debate amongst each other.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: interesting concept, great look into the consequences of being a child social media star and how whackadoodle the parents are, more showing than telling (until the last 30%)
Cons: last 30% should've been kept in the drafts; felt very preachy also the pace went 0-100 and not in a good way. tbh if you told me John Marrs ghost-wrote (lol?) that last third I wouldn't be shocked
___
Check out my YouTube and my TikTok
Writing: sparse prose | Plot: great premise | Ending: last 30% went off the rails
SYNOPSIS
An exploration of the devastating costs of social media fame.
MY OPINION
First things first, THIS IS NOT A MYSTERY OR A THRILLER. Don't let the synopsis or NetGalley fool you. Yes, the bare bones of the plot is Clara, a young 'detective' of sorts, is investigating the disappearance of Kimmy, a famous child YouTuber who is managed by her clout-chasing mother, Melanie. But this isn't your typical police procedural wherein you're bagging forensic evidence and running tox screens.This is more of a social commentary on how lost in the sauce people get trying to be famous on Al Gore's internet, and how messed up it is when adults pimp out their children for clout.
I absolutely loved Delphine de Vigan's The Loyalties, but this is a totally different vibe. The prose is very minimalistic and there's little world-building or dialogue. If you don't enjoy being inside the characters' heads, skip this one. It's inner monologue after inner monologue, with some 'interviews' thrown in here and there. Also, if you need someone to cheer for, you won't find it here.
I enjoyed the commentary about the addiction of fame and how people will do anything, even put their children at danger, for a lil notoriety. But was it groundbreaking? No. Profound? Not exactly. But it's an important discussion and a worthwhile read if you're not chronically online. I thought the parts about introducing laws to protect the rights of children and ensure they get their cut financially were interesting and necessary. I think it would spark some great book club debates.
Everything was alright until the last 30%. I would've given this four stars just for kicks but that last third felt like a second book penned by John Marrs that was tacked on the end. Maybe it was done to lend credence to the book being slotted as a mystery/thriller? Idk. But... one star because wtf?? There was way too much crammed into the end and it drifted into "OK BOOMER" territory. Not Clara, a law enforcement officer who has directly benefited from technological advancements, moaning on and on about how she wished she could go back to pre-Internet times. Girl no one is forcing you to be on Instagram.
Anyways. This was a bit of a letdown for me, but I do recommend it to older readers who are not chronically online. Highly recommend you tackle it with a pal, or a couple of pals, so you can rant and debate amongst each other.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: interesting concept, great look into the consequences of being a child social media star and how whackadoodle the parents are, more showing than telling (until the last 30%)
Cons: last 30% should've been kept in the drafts; felt very preachy also the pace went 0-100 and not in a good way. tbh if you told me John Marrs ghost-wrote (lol?) that last third I wouldn't be shocked
___
Check out my YouTube and my TikTok