Just for clicks tells the story of a set of twins, Claire and Poppy, whose mother has shared every aspect of their life on her extremely popular internationally known mommy blog. Now that they are teenagers, they have been expected to become famous social media vloggers in their own right. The only issue is that Claire doesn't want to be in the spotlight anymore, wanting more normalcy in her life. This causes some conflict between Claire and her twin sister, one that highlights their differences throughout the book. This is an adorable social media influenced story. It's a fast and fun read that I thouroughly enjoyed.

This was such a cute, pleasantly surprising book! I was initially interested because it seemed like a quick, fun read (which it was) but OH MAN- it was actually really great! Claire was a funny, interesting narrator and all of the characters had their own personalities. There's a lot of great friendships and relationships in this book that it's hard not to root for at least a couple. I really enjoyed Claire and Poppy's relationship throughout (most) of the book and though I agree with some other readers that the ending was a bit rushed, I like how it ended.

Also, there were some truly shocking twists in this. I did NOT see either of the two main twists coming at all and it really shook me up. The second twist is almost chilling- I honestly read the line and it felt like my heart stopped. I can't presently remember another line that I've read recently that affected me as much as this one did. Hopefully some other readers will know which one I'm talking about!

There were some instances in which I was really annoyed by what certain characters were doing- or not doing- so this book wasn't perfect. There were also a few cheesy moments (the second-hand embarrassment is REAL during a few parts) but I felt that it fit the book's overall vibe fine, so I was alright with it. It was also interesting to read more about the whole "Mommy Blog" lifestyle. I worked for a mommy-blog type company a few years ago and it was a LOT of work and at times very overwhelming, so I could relate to some of the things that happened in this book.

Overall, I was surprised by how much I liked this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a cute, fast read!

Great YA book. This writing style reminds me of Meg Cabot’s books, which I just adore! I love a book about twin teenagers, and it is interesting to read about the con’s (Claire’s side)/ pros’s (Poppy’s side) about vlogging / having your whole life written about online by your mom. Being “internet famous” can have it’s drawbacks! My favorite quote from the book is "so where is the line between what is ok to share with the world and what isn't? Is there a line? Should there be?" Makes you think!

(Will post to Amazon reviews and goodreads once book is released.)

Kara McDowell’s debut novel invites you into the midst of twin sisters Claire and Poppy, whose lives have been chronicled online since the day there were born. Their Mom, internationally known mommy blogger managed to build a brand by telling the world about her family – and as teens, Claire and Poppy have taken up the torch and have become famous vloggers. The only problem? Claire doesn’t want to be in the spotlight anymore. She craves a normal life away from the cameras, away from the prying eyes. But along with getting rid of those nuisances, what else might she lose?
Claire was such a fascinating protagonist – constantly thwarted by her sister and her mother whenever she expressed the wish to stay off camera. We got a good glimpse of why Claire doesn’t want her entire life laid out for everyone to see, and I kept finding myself rooting for her to get her wish and live a normal life away from people who pretend they know her just because they’ve read her mom’s blog. I really enjoyed the way she was portrayed; especially her social anxiety issues felt very authentic and relatable – it is tough to realize that sometimes we see celebrities as these untouchable people standing on a pedestal and we forget that they are still humans, just like us, and deserve their privacy. McDowell dealt amazingly with the issue of modern fame in a world where everyone is always watching.
My favorite character by far was Rafael, a pure soul who doesn’t own a phone and sees Claire for who she is instead of who she presents online. There were some definite inconvenient misunderstandings that kept this slow-burn romance stretched out longer than it needed to be, but Rafael made up for it by delivering lines that made him extra swoon-worthy.
However, there are also a few things that didn’t quite work in this narrative.
The secondary characters weren’t fleshed out; most of them were mentioned only in passing, without any features or traits to distinguish them. Olivia, who ultimately plays a fundamental role in the story, veers somewhere between honorary ‘mean girl’ and ‘girl next door’ without actually speaking more than ten sentences in the entirety of the novel – and she’s the most dynamic of the secondary characters.
Sadly, the same can be said about Claire and Poppy’s relationship. It is hard to believe these two are twins, seeing as it takes them almost up until the end to actually spend time together and talk about their problems. Poppy herself felt very one-dimensional as well – the only thing we ever get to hear from her is her wanting to gain more influence, and though her motive for that is quite altruistic, it still left something to be desired so the reader could relate to her.
There were also quite some inconsistencies during the course of the novel – some relating to a plot twist and that shall thus remain a secret. But there is a clear divide in the book, and Claire’s voice suddenly sounds quite different from the beginning. Especially towards the rushed ending, a tangible sentimentality creeps into the story that is at odds with every thought and interaction Claire has had thus far. The resolution, while satisfactory, felt a bit too easy and out of character for everyone involved.
Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading Just for Clicks. From the friends-to-lovers trope to addressing social anxiety and approaching a modern topic like vloggers and fame in the age of social media, this novel had a lot to offer. I think it had a lot more potential, but all in all, Just for Clicks is an enjoyable debut novel for fans of slow-burn romances.

I got in this book with no expectation whatsoever and I really enjoyed the read.

The story follows two twin sisters that are social media famous - it all started with their mom and her blog about the twins, and after they grew up they just went their "own way".

What I enjoyed most about this book:
- The bond between the sisters was amazing to see. I always loved sibling bond in books!
- The plot twist was really interesting. It talks about family love, sacrifices and what is more important than family.
- The slow romance, friends to lovers trope (LOVE IT!)
- The affect of social media in teenagers. That's such a important topic nowadays and it really needs to be addressed more!
- Social anxiety, general anxiety, anti-social behavior.... you name it, the author talks about it in this book.
- The fact that the author worried to add e-mails and texts in between chapters and they're related to what''s happening... so cool!

What I didn't enjoy:
- I still think that, even though it was explained in the end of the book the reasons behind it, Claire's mom is not very nice. This hurts me because I love mother-to-daughter bond and I miss it more in YA...
- The ending was resolved too quickly. Maybe a little more depth to what was behind all those picture/video leakage.

It was a very good book and I enjoyed a lot! Recommend this read for anyone who's looking to unwind and just read something relaxing!

More of a 3.5 star read.

I saw this book many times while browsing but it really wasn’t much on my radar to read until I saw a couple of trusted bloggers promoting it on social media. And it definitely didn’t disappoint. It started off really well but then took some interesting and not very pleasing turns, so I kind of have mixed feelings about the book overall.

Claire is a very realistic teenage protagonist. Her whole life has been about the blog and YouTube and she feels tired of living her life in the public eye. Being a teenager is difficult for anyone, so I could totally empathize with her wanting something different for her future and something even as simple as a friendship that has nothing to do with her online persona. She is also kind of a web design genius and I really loved reading about a STEM heroine. She is witty and hilarious and I loved her silly puns. But she is also scared of strangers and that added an extra dimension to the reality of fame.

The story faltered a bit when it came to the remaining characters. Claire’s twin Poppy, with whom she shares her vlog with felt slightly caricaturish. She is quite enamored with the fame and loves her million subscribers and free clothes and is most excited with the opportunity of a reality show. Their mother Ashley has had her blog since before the twins were born and her life revolves around her brand. She schedules every hour of their life, turns even their supposedly private celebrations into publicity shoots and doesn’t believe in talking about things that make her uncomfortable. Both of them never let Claire ever express her opinion and always impose their decisions on her. Maybe this is how Claire views them and I would have felt differently about them if they had their own POVs, but I just didn’t like both of them for most part of the book. Rafael was the sweet, new boy in town who befriends Claire without knowing that she is internet famous and I absolutely adored their friendship development. It was so beautifully done, but just when I thought I was getting more swoon worthy moments, Claire kept telling unnecessary lies which led to misunderstandings and their budding romance lost the magic for me.

The writing was very nicely done and I finished this pretty quickly in a single sitting. All chapters are peppered with texts or emails or forum posts in between which made for fun reading. I also thought the author did a good job of giving us the positives vs negatives of fame and popularity and how the persona that social media influencers show us is not the true reality of their life. I think this can be a good read for teenagers who follow such influencers and blindly idolize them. However, I did have some problems in parts too, the biggest being Rafael’s reason for not having a phone. I liked that he was one person who was kind of a technophobe and could happily be without a phone, but saying that it was because he was used to living in a village in India where there was no cell reception felt very poorly researched. Even remote villages like my own native place have reception and even internet these days and dismissing Indian villages as so primitive without technology was done in bad taste. Also, the execution of the plot in the second half of the book went a little downhill. The mystery of Ashley’s past, how Claire decides to deal with it and all the revelations and resolutions towards the end felt rushed, poorly thought out and very out of character for all of them.

Overall, this was a fascinating read with an insightful look into the private lives of social influencers and I think it’ll be quite enjoyable to younger readers. I think it’s a great debut attempt which could have done with better execution.

This was CUTE! And Quirky! A very quick read that felt very summerish, I mean Claire only mentions the Arizona heat a dozen times, right?

Anyway, this story is about Claire and her unhappiness with her vlog/blog life. Her entire life is on the internet and that makes for a very mopey teenager. What's worse? Her twin sister LOVES vlogging and even wants to do a reality TV show! Yay! Or if you're Claire, ehhhh,,, please no.

Yes, this story is about a teenager having very teenagerish problems. It's also a story about online personality and the pressure of living constantly in the public. And there's quite of bit of fashion and computer coding thrown in.

I definitely enjoyed some of the characters. Claire seemed to be well-thought through, with adorable humor and lovely awkwardness. I mean, it wasn't lovely for her. But it was hilarious.
She was also into coding! More girls into computer science, please! Claire's enthusiasm for web design and to keep learning was infectious.
Also, her aversion to strangers and the public was realistic. It wasn't just about her, but her own past experience that led to a crippling fear of strangers.

Rafael was cute, if a little cookie cutter? His biggest personality trait seemed to be an aversion to technology. I'm going to talk about THAT later. Oh, and he was a great listener.

Poppy, well Poppy, was a bit boring. Claire seemed to see her twin as an internet personality. Poppy was just a walking youtuber and that was about all I got out of her from reading the book. I really wish we could have seen more of Poppy and Claire's relationship shown on page - instead of just bickering about the internet and boys. Oh, and after the adoption secret came out? Why wasn't there more development for that?

Overall, I enjoyed the plot. It didn't drag, and the storyline seemed fairly realistic. Well, mostly. There were some seemingly weird time jumps that momentarily confused me. I don't really like having to turn the page back several times to figure out where we are now. Did that happen? Yes.

One question I had - Claire's lying was never exactly justified? I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY SHE DIDN'T TELL PEOPLE THE TRUTH SOMETIMES. Especially her own sister??????? Okay, I was just confused.

There were also some unbelievable moments that led to me either shaking my head, or almost not continuing. Especially when those moments were VERY early on in the story.

Number one? Rafael claiming he lived in remote villages in India and couldn't use a cellphone because there was no reception. I feel like that's a very privileged American perspective and I really, really wish an editor had flagged that. Because, that's just casting an entire nation in a backwards light, and it's NOT TRUE. I mean, I've dozens of people from India and other nations in Southeast Asia, and all of them had technology. It was just such an ignorant mistake that I almost stopped reading. The only reason I continued past this point was because I was in a meeting and bored and needed something to read to not fall asleep. That's how annoyed I was by this portrayal.

Also, there are plenty of reasons to dislike phones and the invasion of tech into our everyday lives. Living in India should not be one of them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Now, my next ranty point is a bit spoilery. Putting in spoiler code, so read at your own risk. ;-) The way the search for Claire's birthmother worked, is NOT REALISTIC. Okay, after adoption, ALL of the records are changed. The Birth Certificate WON'T LIST your birth mom. I know this, I'm adopted. And my mom was adopted. So, yep, I'm kind of very annoyed because this information is easily available on the web.

End of spoiler

Really enjoyed this story! Really put into perspective how the internet is. Also thought it was a good story about family and what family really is.

I was kind of on the fence on the romance. It was a slow burn one, but at times it just felt a little out of place.

Although this book was really funny and I enjoyed it, it wasn't really what I was expecting, but I still believe that is is a nice read and the author's writing is great!

Just for Clicks is a dive into the interworkings of a family focused on their social media appearance and the secrets that are hidden underneath years as lifestyle bloggers. Claire and Poppy offer an interesting contrast with changing ideals and focuses.

Family dynamics are an essential aspect to Just for Clicks and the line of loving someone and doing what is best for them is hit with full force as Claire contemplates her relationship with her mother and sister.

While I enjoyed both Claire's determination and realness as a character, I couldn't create a sufficient connection or care for Poppy even with Claire's point of view.

There was so much that happened in the story certain aspects received less attention than they should have, creating a bit of a jumble of ideas that weren't satisfactorily resolved.

This is an adorable social media involved story. It's a fast and fun read. Great for a relaxing day.

Claire is probably one of the biggest disasters I've had the pleasure of reading about in the last couple of months. It's very important to note that "disaster" in this case definitely does not mean disaster of a character, it just means she's a bit of a disaster of a person. Which I, personally, found highly relatable. 


Synopsis

Claire is 17 years old and internet famous. It's about one of the only things she has in common with her twin sister Poppy. Their mom's blog about them went viral when they were babies and they've been a brand ever since. While Poppy is basking in the spotlight, Claire wants out. She wants to go to College halfway across the country, she doesn't want to do vlogs anymore and she certainly doesn't want strangers knowing every little detail of her personal life. But when Claire finds her mom's old journal, everything seems to spiral out of control.


The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Firstly, let's start with the pros. 

CLAIRE CODES!!
This is very cool and also very awesome and it's actually mentioned several times over the course of the book and serves as a pretty big plot point later on.

The romance was very adorable 10/10 would recommend
Claire meets a boy called Rafael. He's a bit of a grandpa since he doesn't have a phone. And yes, this is going exactly where you think it is. I do think that he and Claire compliment each other very well; in some things they're polar opposites and in others they're pretty much one person. But they always find a way to make it work and I love that. It's also a very slow burn gooey romance featuring friends to lovers, in case you're into that.

The little social media inserts between chapters
In between chapters (and sometimes even during a chapter) there are these social media messages, for example messages between various people, emails, YouTube comments and other things of the likes.

That goddamn plot twist
Shook me all night long is all I'm gonna say on that topic.

The conflict between Claire and Poppy about two thirds through the book
I loved this because I could genuinely understand both sides. My personal feelings were definitely more with Poppy but I understand why Claire was upset by Poppy's reaction.


The Cons

Rafael's introduction was a bit sudden. 
And by that I mean who the fuck sits down at a stranger's table and starts eating their food. But I did like Rafael a lot and while I wish Claire would've commented on that more, what she does say in that scene is very on brand.

The Social Media aspect
This can definitely be seen as a pro but for me, personally, it just didn't work out the way I wish it had. Several parts of this book make it seem like teenagers just spend all their time online and can never be persuaded to look up from their phones. And while that may be true for some, the majority definitely still knows the value of real life connections. 

Conflict
This book takes a simple situation and somehow turns it into a complete mess within two pages. Everyone angsts over things that just aren't that bad, realistically. If someone lied to me and said they played chess when they didn't... I would not call them a spawn of Satan and wish for them to burn in hell. It just ain't that dramatic, peeps!

One line
Towards the end, there's one line where Claire doesn't want to ask Rafael for help because she's afraid of bringing up her baggage again and because she thinks he won't like her anymore if she does. This is a throwaway line and it didn't hugely impact my enjoyment of this book but it hit somewhere too close to home. I'm trying to get better at opening up to people and this line did not help with that at all. 

Claire's whiny tendencies
You know what? I'm just gonna say it. Claire's a door mat. She pretty much never expresses her discomfort verbally and sends dubious signals instead. Yeah, her mom and sister should've picked up on that earlier but guess what? Claire could've also just told them once and for all that she didn't want all of this. I feel like a lot of things could have been avoided like that.

Flat characters
Some of the characters felt flat to me and I found myself wishing they were more fleshed out. A great example for this is Poppy. The narrative about her constantly changes and it's hard to keep up. It's also confusing because some of the interpretations just straight up conflict and it's weird. She's also shamed a lot for wanting influence, as she calls it. And I honestly don't get why. Why is wanting to succeed in media not seen as an ambitious goal? Poppy is incredibly hardworking and dedicated and yet it seems like she is completely egoistical for a good portion of this book. 


A list of iconic moments

"Rafael insists on living in the nineties" 
Me, browsing the internet from my laptop while texting someone: oh mood lmao

"A handshake. He tried to give me a good night handshake."
"Thanks to social media, there are so many ways to be ignored"
Oh ain't that the gospel truth

Candy Bar S'mores
"I think I need to be angry."
         "Do you want me to punch you in the face?"
         "No, but thank you for offering."
"I've been falling in love with you since our court-ordered eye contact"
Can you believe they invented romance

"I feel strong and in control instead of vulnerable and overexposed" As someone with anxiety: that's the dream


Bottom Line

I feel like this could've been an epic 10 star contemporary. If only some things had been changed. My main issue with this book was the character work. A lot of the characters felt one-dimensional and I couldn't really connect with them. But nevertheless, this is an easy read and if you wanna read, go for it! I think this is a great debut novel and I'm confident that these problems will sort themselves out over time.

I read the arc via netgalley in exhange for an honest.

Just For Clicks is a young adult novel about internet famous teenagers Claire and Poppy. Their whole life has been shared with world started with their mothers mommy blog and then their own youtube channel and instagram.

I really enjoyed the book the first 1/2, i felt like everything started to go down after that. The plot twist didnt make sense to me and actually made be a bit upset

I received a copy of this book in a giveaway from the author. I also got approved by Netgalley at the same time😊

Just for Clicks is about 2 sisters who are popular on social media. This book is very important for teens to see how much they put on social media and how they open their lives for everyone to see. It also brings to the forefront how family doesn’t always mean blood. It hits on anxiety and shows how not everyone feels comfortable just going with the flow. It’s ok to just be you. I enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it.

Just for Clicks is a smart YA novel about twins who have grown up on the internet. I’ve always been fascinated with twins. Growing up with a brother who was only a little over a year older than me, we were always pretty in sync until our pre-teen years, where angst sets in. At the heart of this novel is a story about siblings and family with a bit of a twist. I love that Kara McDowell incorporates the internet into this classic story. Although I’m far from being a teenager, I did grow up in a time when my growth can be tracked by likes, follows, comments, and a never ending train of selfies. What I can’t imagine is having all of that controlled by my mom. Would that have been better? More stressful? Kara creates a world I was happy to explore (and Raphael Luna is just a dreamboat love interest). It’s a little scary and a little heartbreaking at times, and towards the end, it all begins to be a little less teeny-bopper fun and it gets a little more real, which I appreciated. I wouldn’t reread this, but I think this is an excellent book for YA girls to read. The story highlights the importance of family, respecting yourself, and keeping people in your life who you have a genuine connection with and who root for you.

This book was full of laughs, delight and enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a book and is looking for a great read.

I loved this book!! What an unexpected surprise! The voice was fantastic, the story was thought-provoking and filled with just the right amount of drama, and I super loved Rafael from the start! I also related so so deeply to some of the romantic situations Claire found herself in- we're both terribly awkward hahah. The ending felt a little fast but I read this in a day and enjoyed it SO much. It reminded me of an emma Mills or Jenn bennett book, which is the highest compliment I can give. Longer review to come on the blog.

A book about kids growing up in the spotlight, just because their mom blogged about them, was interesting. How they develop their own social media careers or go the opposite direction. Claire is not thrilled about her social media life. Her sister Poppy lives for it.
Okay, I'm not going to summarize the book, because you can read it in other places. I'm just going to tell you how I felt about the book and if you should read it.

How did I feel about this book?
Well, it was a bit slow to get into, to be honest. I liked Claire enough and Rafael made me want to keep going, because he was sweet and a bit weird (no technology..?!). It's very closely narrated - we feel and live through Claire, which means some of the characters get to be one-dimensional, which is a shame. I liked reading about their growing relationship (starting as friend is the best) and Claire's struggles with wanting a normal life.

Kind of a fluffy read, but with some important stuff to think about. I also love a book what has more than your regular text-flow - so mail and texts and so on in between the chapters were great.

Should you read it?
Yeah, I think you should.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an review this ARC! The words and thoughts are entirely my own.
/ Denise

This book was really good. I enjoyed it a lot. Social media is part of our lives now. I see lots of people share too much on social media. Kara McDowell wrote this subject really good. It was actually really fast paced book but i couldn't read on my e reader. I don't know it happened only me but the format was weird so i had to read on my computer.

Just for Clicks
by Kara McDowell
Amberjack Publishing
Teens & YA
Pub Date 29 Jan 2019


I am reviewing a copy of Just for Clicks Through Amberjack Publishing and Netgalley:


Claire and Poppy are twins who became accidental social media stars, from the time they were babies their Mom blogged about them. They have been viral stars since they were babies. They are teens now and expected to build their own brand. They enjoy attending NY Fashion Week and they love receiving Fanmail but dealing with internet trolls and would be kidnappers they find maddening.


Poppy takes more to the spotlight than Claire. She’s more interested in the behind the scenes aspect, coding and dealing with technical issues.


When Claire discovers her Mom’s handwritten journals, not the happy blog postings but the ones that reveal a dark secrets.


I give Just For Clicks five out of five star!


Happy Reading!