Before I say anything else about this book I need to start with this, WHAT. WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?! Still screaming.

When I found out Olivia Muenter, co-host of Bad on Paper Podcast, had a book coming out, I knew I needed it immediately. This is a slow-burn, realistic thriller that gets into your head. It makes you wonder about influencers' lives and what could be happening behind the scenes.

I had so many thoughts running through my head while reading this book. What has social media done to us? Where will it be in 10 years? Are any children of social media stars going to end up this way? And of course, Where is Evie?!

I loved the mixed media format that interspersed podcast interviews, Reddit threads, and more. I always feel more invested because it gives a bigger picture and feels like the real world instead of one created for fiction.

Once again, that ending was WILD. I could see this being a great book to discuss in a book club because I know we all have opinions about social media.

Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter is a thrilling debut that dives into the complex world of social media stardom, family dynamics, and the darker sides of influencer culture. If you're a fan of Jessica Knoll or r/blogsnark, this book is right up your alley.

Hazel Davis, the older sister who avoided the limelight, is living a less-than-glamorous life compared to her influencer sister, Evie. Evie, who grew up in front of the camera as the child of a family vlogging influencer (Erin), now has a multimillion-dollar career and millions of followers. However, when Evie goes missing during a live stream, Hazel’s protective instincts kick in, and she plunges into her sister’s world to find her.

The plot is a rollercoaster of suspense and unexpected twists, keeping you hooked from the first page to the last. Muenter's portrayal of the impact of social media on personal identity and family relationships is both timely and thought-provoking. The story is interspersed with social media posts, podcast transcripts, and Reddit threads, adding a layer of realism and urgency to Evie’s disappearance.

Hazel's journey to uncover the truth about her sister is filled with tension, emotion, and a few well-placed surprises. The ending is particularly jaw-dropping, leaving readers both satisfied and eager for more.

Muenter's writing is sharp and engaging, with a perfect balance of humor and suspense. The characters are well-developed and relatable, each bringing their own depth to the narrative. The book's commentary on influencer culture and the pressures of living a public life is insightful and often unsettling, making it a must-read for anyone curious about the realities behind the curated images on our screens.

Thank you to Quirk Books for the ARC. Such a Bad Influence is a compelling debut that promises to spark discussions and linger in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page. Highly recommended for thriller fans and anyone interested in the darker side of social media fame.

3.5 stars
Hazel is 28, currently unemployed, living in a not-so-great apartment in Las Vegas and wondering if she will ever get the chance to live her dream of being a journalist in New York, when she learns that her 18 year old sister, Evie, disappeared a week ago. Evie lives with their mom in Arizona and has been a very successful influencer for most of her life, when she is suddenly nowhere to be found. Hazel rushes to her mom's house to help find her sister and to find out why she didn't learn about this right away. Hazel and her mom have been estranged for the past year, and have always had a strained relationship, in part due to how Hazel felt about the constant sharing of their lives growing up. Hazel felt like Evie never had a choice about her life being so public, even though Evie claimed to be happy with it. This is a really interesting part of the book as it explores the very real issue of families that share so much about their children online.

Part of the book is about this mysterious disappearance and what Hazel finds while trying to find out what happened to her sister. Even though they were close and were in touch frequently, Hazel hasn't lived at home for 10 years. She had to contact Evie's friends, boyfriend, and rivals to learn as much as she could. Some of the story is told as Hazel's memories of her relationship with Evie, her mom and her dad, which are some of the best parts.

Do we find out what happened to Evie, yes. Do we get a resolution of all the questions that are brought up, not really. While I did enjoy this book, and felt like its was very compelling, there were several loose ends, and some characters and storylines that never went anywhere. While I see other reviewers mention a twist at the end, I felt like it was not a twist, but a continuation of the manipulation that we are shown is part of an influencers life. Who knows, though!

If you like a compelling mystery, with a lot of social media/influencer behind-the-scenes info, this will be an enjoyable read for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this book! I have followed Olivia on Instagram for many years and have been really looking forward to her first book. And off the bat, I will say this - the girl can write. This does not feel like a debut novel at all. Nothing about the writing feels forced or awkward, and I already am looking forward to future books from her. So she gets 5 stars from me in that category.

I have mixed feelings about the book overall though, which is too bad because I really wanted to adore it! This is equal parts a suspense/thriller and a commentary on social media, self imagine, and modern culture. And while I think she wrote both parts really well, the actual plot felt a bit off to me.

I loved the suspenseful tone of the book, but as with many thrillers, the big “what happened” reveal fell a little flat for me, including the big twist at the end (although it is a good twist I did not predict). And likely this is just a me problem; maybe I am just no longer into books where you cannot tell who is good or bad, what is real and what is a lie. I truly think others will have no problems with this.

I also thought her approach to discussing the impact of social media on society was brilliant. Olivia has been an “influencer” for years, but you can tell she has her head on straight about the whole thing (which has been obvious through her content for a long time). And because of this, she offers a really unique perspective on this culture. But at times, I felt like the discussion about this bogged down the thriller part of the plot.

Initially, the combination of these two aspects really grabbed me and I couldn’t put it down, but after I was about 50% of the way in, it started to feel a little repetitive.

Overall, this is a 3.5/5 for me, personally. However! I will say! I am overly judgmental of thrillers and think others will probably really, really enjoy this book, and I will very easily recommend it to friends who I know feel differently about the genre than I do.

This book is incredibly relevant to our everyday lives, especially considering you are reading this on Instagram right now! Such A Bad Influence executes a deep dive on social media influencers, especially those that feature their children in their posts.

Evie Davis is uber famous at the age of 18 - like 4 million followers famous. Balanced on the edge of her childhood fame and adulthood - she has never really had the chance to figure out who she is. And she may never get the chance, considering she goes MISSING during a live stream.

Evie’s sister, Hazel, is really the opposite of Evie. Almost no social media presence, and struggling in many senses of the word. After the sketchy live-stream and no one hearing from Evie for days - Hazel must piece together her sister’s past interactions to discover the truth.

Told partially in podcast transcripts and Reddit threads, this one will appeal to anyone on social media. Check this one out if you like thrillers, suspense, and unhinged endings!

**Thank you to Quirk Books for the finished copy of this title as well as the NetGalley ARC!**

I am a sucker for plots related to influencer culture, especially in thrillers. For me, this one lagged a little in the middle and was more focused on commentary about influencer culture than moving the pacing along like the typical thriller I enjoy. I think it would work well for people who maybe enjoy general fiction with some mystery elements, as compared to a die-hard thriller reader. Again, the social media commentary was insightful and interesting, I was just anticipating a faster pace.

The world of a social influencer is a foreign one to me. But not to Evie, who grew up in front of a camera. Her mother controlled and monetized every aspect of her life, and the only link Evie had to a somewhat normal life was her sister Hazel, who shunned the cameras and the limelight. When Evie turned 18, she disappeared in the middle of a social media video. And though it took a while, Hazel eventually found her. Now Evie wants nothing more than to live an authentic, real life, one that she herself controls. But will society, and her family, allow her to do just that?
I loved he twist at the end!

I love thrillers where the protagonist is an ordinary person who gets pulled into a mystery and goes down a rabbit hole trying to solve it. That was one of the things that drew me to Such a Bad Influence (in addition to the fascinating influencer angle). I was expecting a fast-paced, suspenseful read, but the narrative was focused so much on introspection — what happened in the past, what Hazel's relationship with her family is like, what it's like to be internet-famous. As a result, the plot, which should be gripping, feels almost non-existent. It's really unfortunate, because this concept had so many amazing opportunities to be creative and nuanced.

This debut novel exceeded my expectations and was an amazing read!!

Such a Bad Influence follows the case surrounding Evie Davis' disappearance, which garners global interest seeing as, upon the abrupt day of her disappearance, she was the biggest child-now-adult influencer of the current times. It was eerie reading about Evie's life, and I must admit I kept picturing a carousel line-up of real child stars who relinquished their privacy to line their family vlogging parents' pockets. This topic is very important and Muenter executes it beautifully; I can see this novel being talked about for a long time, especially when (not if!) more laws come into play to protect child vloggers. Although fictional, Such a Bad Influence harnesses layers of realism, right down to the multi-media use of narratives - my personal favourite was the podcast transcripts and blog posts.

I found the writing to be very detailed, sometimes a tiny bit too much, but overall the depth of Hazel's narrative and worldview really added to the perspective of this industry many of us will never enter. The hopelessness, the fear of the camera - a really interesting take. While I don't think this book is a character-driven one, and I didn't particularly 'like' any of the characters that much, the plot was redeeming enough to rate this 4 stars. It was engaging, unpredictable and kept me on my toes. My only complaint was parts of the unexpected plot twist at the end definitely needed more explaining, as they felt a bit rushed and hastily added in. I sat there staring at my screen for a few minutes after I finished trying to process how everything tied together.

Overall, this was an amazing debut and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone who loves influencer culture and/or a good thriller with an unpredictable ending. I'm excited to follow Muenter's upcoming releases after this debut.

Thank you for the ARC!

I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes to thrillers because they're either predictable or so out there that there's nothing believable about the plot. I'd heard good things about <i>Such a Bad Influence</i> on social media and was pretty excited to receive an ARC of the book, especially since I follow Olivia and her podcast (Bad on Paper).

Not only is this book great for an author's first book, it's a great thriller. It never veers into being too over the top, and it was really fun guessing at the different types of influencers who may have...well influenced Muenter's character choices. Plus, the ending of this book is awesome. I cannot wait for the publication date so that I can talk to more people about it. I think this one is going to generate a lot of talk and excitement when it's released. I enjoyed it so much.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I wanted to love this but it felt a bit unmoored in its tone. I can tell it’s a debut because the voice is a bit lacking. So much potential here but it fell flat.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

A thoughtful and provocative meditation on influencers, the monetization of [the cult of] personality, and social media writ-large. A smart and fresh thriller. I thought the book could have benefitted from a stronger editing hand, there was some character development that felt repetitive or unnecessary but overall this was a well-paced, slickly plotted debut. I think Muenter is one to watch in the thriller space.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books for an ARC, in exchange for this honest review.

This was NOT FOR ME. I wouldn't call this a thriller, nor a mystery. We were too much in the FMC head the whole time.... and NOTHING WAS HAPPENING. It was suuuuper introspective and just very slow. The ending, while some are calling it "SHOCKING", seemed like it came out of left field, and not in a good way. Overall, not for me. I love BOP and am a longtime listener but unfortunately I felt this one missed the mark. Interesting commentary on social media, influencers, consumers, etc but it wasn't a thriller.

Hazel has always worried about her influencer sister, Evie, despite her success. Now that Evie has gone missing in the middle of a livestream, she is afraid she was right the whole time.

I found the family dynamics of this one fascinating. I would have loved more of a look at the actual content Erin and Evie were posting, but I loved hearing about their influencer careers. I couldn’t stand Erin’s character and I’m sure most won’t. The pacing at times was a bit slow, but it always picked up. I also really enjoyed the ending and how it was ironic in the end.

“But if you look closer what you’ll find is what has always been there. A raw, shameless need. A hunger to know everything there is to be known about a person.”

Such a Bad Influence comes out 6/4.

Middle of the road for me and not really a thriller. Hazel was pretty tedious as a narrator and the introduction of the wellness cult came too late for me. There's a big twist at the end but it didn't feel earned.

It took me a month to read 20 percent of this book. I’m fascinated by influencers and their lives and why they’re so popular but I need more from a story. We have a missing influencer but then all we venture into is influencer life and how messed up it is and blah blah blah. I needed more showing than telling and also some progression of the story by 20% in. Perhaps my expectations were off but anyone expecting a page turner will be disappointed.

3.5 stars

Hazel is 28, lost in life, and used to being known just as Evie's sister. Evie Davis is 18 and has been one of the biggest social media influencers in the world since she was 5 years old. She's also missing. Hazel has drifted away from her family and their internet-focused lifestyle, but is determined to make up for that by finding her sister. Evie was last seen on a livestream, where a man appeared in the frame just before the video cut out. Hazel is forced to confront the momager who's monetized her family's life, Evie's prankster YouTuber boyfriend, her good girl ex-best friend and fellow influencer, and deal with speculation on gossip forums, podcasts, and a from a mysterious gossip girl type newsletter. Throughout all of this, she realizes she doesn't know her sister as well as she thought she did, and that being packaged into a consumable product impacted Evie more than she'd realized.

I love a good social media skewering, and this was well-written and felt uncomfortably realistic with how it confronted some of the moral and legal issues with family vloggers and the rights (or lack of) of their children. It felt timely, too, with more states exploring giving these children legal and financial recourse to money they eared as kids once they turn 18. However, I wanted a bit more from the thriller side of this, and the resolution didn't do it for me. I texted my mom when I was 85% in and said I couldn't decide if this was going to end up being really good or just weird, and it landed more on weird for me. I do encourage you to check it out if it sounds interesting to you, though, because I think my lack of satisfaction with some storylines is more personal preference than anything. I did really enjoy the mixed media bits and wish there had been more of those, and more from Evie's pages would have been nice, too. I know that part of the point was that Evie was a lot of things and that no one really got all of her, but I think I would have enjoyed coming to that conclusion more myself than hearing about it from the other characters' experiences.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A deep dive into the dark side of social media influencer culture, this debut novel took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Thought-provoking, insightful, and disturbing all at once, the writing flowed smoothly and the pace was fast. The twists and turns kept me guessing. The ending though...well, I'm not sure how I feel about it, but it was definitely unexpected.

This was a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed the themes of child exploitation on social media, and how parents are willing to put their children in vulnerable and very public spheres to make money and to bring attention and clicks. This has been showing up more and more in public conversations thanks to the Ruby Franke/Jodi Hildebrandt case and the New York Times article about predators who lurk on child influencer channels, and I thought that Muenter did a good job on addressing these things as part of the plot. I also thought that the suspense and mystery was top notch for the first three fourths of the book, as I couldn't put the book down and was very interested to see what happened to Evie Davis and if it was foul play or not. But the downsides were that 1) I thought that the first (fake, more on that in a moment) ending was a bit of a let down on its own because of all the build up, and 2) there was another last moment twist that happened in the last pages that changes everything, and I really, really don't care for that.

If you do like big shock twists in your thrillers, SUCH A BAD INFLUENCE is probably going to be a hit for you. I'm just sick of big shock twists and that preference brought my enjoyment down.

Adults facing the consequences of taking advantage of and monetizing their kids on social media PLUS a mystery? I couldn’t have been more excited for this book, and I think it delivered. Muenter is a thoughtful writer and already adept at surprising even the most devout of mystery fans. An excellent debut.