Anuri grew up as a child social media star until hitting her teenage years and choosing to live her life away from the lens. As an adult, she had to come to terms with the impact that growing up under public scrutiny has had and continues to have. When she sees her younger sister start to be placed under the same pressures, she decides to put a stop to it once and for all.

This is a really interesting deep dive into the world of social media parental influencers. The main characters are well-drawn and complex, and the writing is engaging.

I did struggle to realize the characters of Ophelia and Noelle in my mind, and I also struggled to relate to Nkem. I didn’t think theee characters were strong enough considering their roles in the book.

With thanks to the publisher for giving me access to this ARC.

A contemporary novel dealing with the impact of objectifying (for commercial purposes) young children in social media, by their parents. The protagonist, Aṅụri is a young woman in her 20s, who struggles with anxiety and depression, resulting from being subjected to just such objectification as a young girl. The breakdown in the relationship between her and her parents, which was her way of setting herself free, continues to haunt her even now. We learn about Aṅụri's life, her friends, her love for her younger sister, and her struggles to deal with loneliness.

Above all, this is one of the most beautifully written books I read in a long time. The author has a magical talent. Some examples: "She watched helplessly as her brother broke into enough pieces to salt the earth", "love was sometimes diluted by speech", "Loki through a wolfish grin in Simi's direction, which bounced off the back of her head and rolled under Aṅụri's sofa", "Aṅụri was not a person to assign meaning to coincidence. What purpose did it serve but to give power to that which was imagined?", "running from yourself requires the kind of stamina that can only be fuelled by self-destruction", "We are less along amidst imperfection", "Arrogance is just another form of confidence and confidence is yet another form of hope, and home [...] could not be easily outstripped", "Her brother was like many men: in possession of an ego that was easily punctured, built around nothing of true value", "To love the tortured was to become tortured yourself", "To approach a thing with trepidation, expecting judgement and instead finding the sweetness of acceptance is to understand a little more how deeply you have been cut and how much longer it will take to see yourself and someone worth adoring".

I enjoyed every moment of reading it, and couldn't let go. The quality of writing was only enhanced by the vivid characters, with their biting dialogue and witty exchanges. The emotional depth and complexity of the protagonists was palpable, making the entire experience gripping and enduring, as well as memorable (though time will tell).

My main issue with this book was the plot. I just found it to be too simplistic - it wasn't bad, but, for such quality of writing, it felt dilutive. Some side plots (especially about Aṅụri and her biological family, and her chosen family - her friends) were captivating, and I could just read more of those. The central narrative, about Aṅụri's dealing with her parents' inability to comprehend the impact of social media presence on young children, felt rather shallow and incredible. Perhaps I'm not close enough to this world myself, but to me it came across as preposterous.

Either way - I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to experience extraordinary writing. Plot aside, this author has such huge potential that it's staggering. I can't wait to read her future work. My rating of 4*, by the way, is a mix of 5 (+) for the form, and 3 for the content.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

How does it feel like to be in the limelight since you were little and have no say over what is shared online about you?
Anuri asked her step mom and dad to stop, but she was ignored and, now that she has moved, they are doing it with her sister. Anuri is going to therapy, she has a good support network and also a lawyer to get all her photos removed.
Mostly she just wants a family.

A very well written book on such an important topic of child consent.

Nwabineli's writing on this particular subject has me dumbfounded. From 'Someday, Maybe' I have been a fan of her work, eagerly awaiiting her latest work. 'Allow Me To Introduce Myself' is a message to the murky waters of social media and the 'influencer' lifestyle. What I appreciate from Nwabineli is that she doesn't mince her words in her writing, and let us explore and cast our own judgement on her characters, who are beautifully written with complexities.

I highly reccomend this book and no doubt it will start conversations about the role of social media and influencing.

Honestly, I loved this. I adored Onyi Nwabinelli's debut, Someday, Maybe and this is another precisely and beautifully written book. Aṅụri wants to be known on her own terms. As the child of a blogger who sold every moment of her life for money, she has never been able to define who she is of her own volition.

With her lawyer, she will fight for her freedom and her privacy. She hopes along the way she will also be able to free her little sister of the same fate she faced.

Nwabinelli has a gift for writing books that plunge you into the depths of human existence whilst lighting the way with small lanterns of hope. I loved her found family network, the sweet man she encounters along the way and the glorious representation of a bisexual man as one of the secondary characters.

A clear 5 star read for me.

I thought this book presented an authentic, raw portrayal of the lingering impact of family blogging on children as they grow up which is especially interesting given the current discussion surrounding large family bloggers at this moment in time. Nwabineli did a great job delving into serious themes such as toxic masculinity, alcoholism, grief and queer rep and exploring these themes in a nuanced and skilful manner.

I especially enjoyed the dynamic between the main trio, it really captured the depth of real-life relationships.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

A fascinating take on the impact of family blogging on children as they grow up and how it can follow them through life. I'm against these family social media accounts for the exact reasons we see in the book and I think the way the subject is treated comes across as very realistic and raw, and very believable.

The relationships in this book had to be my favourite part. The friendship of the trio specifically and how much they love and care for each other shows how much friends can mean to each other, how much a strong friendship can help you and how it can become a second family. It's such a beautiful and tender love that I really enjoyed reading about. I also loved the budding romance we got a peek at and found it brought a lightness and hope to the book.

This was a slow read for me but not in a bad way whatsoever. I really enjoyed every page, every twist or development in the story and every moment with the characters, even the dark ones.

Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli is a stunning story of our times. Anuri's stepmother used Anuri throughout her childhood for online fame, a "mumfluencer". However, now 25, Anuri wants to live her life her way and break free from the facade created of her

A stunning portrayal of a life lived on social media and the truth behind the lens, told with an intimate understanding of human nature and soceity deceived by a perception put before them. A fantastic read

Thank you to Netgalley, Oneworld Publications | Magpie Books and Onyi Nwabineli for this wonderful ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

i really liked Onyi Nwabineli's debut so i was really excited to read this...but compared to her previous novel this one is just messy. clumsy on a sentence level, and not particularly convincing in terms of characterisation.

A great book highlighting important themes. Onyi Nwabineli has done it again and written another great book that everyone needs to read!!

Growing up with a stepmother who has a huge following and continuously posts carefully crafted updates for maximum impact, 25 year old Anuri has paid a high price for the dubious pleasure and intense pressure of living in a goldfish bowl.

However screwed up she herself is by Ophelia's social media obsession though, Anuri has been disinclined to deal with the issue head on despite her resentment. That is, until she sees that history is likely to repeat itself with her younger sister, which finally spurs her into taking action...

This darkly humorous novel focuses on the cost - on so many levels - of the global preoccupation with, and utter narcissism of, our social media addiction. However unreal virtual life may be, its consequences are very real indeed.

This book was an interesting read overall, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. It could have been so much better, with a little less drama and a bit more nuance. Nevertheless, it is entertaining, and it does also have something quite important to say.

I really enjoyed Onyi's first book and was excited to dive into this one. Unfortunately it just didn't hit for me.

There was a lot going on: multiple characters POVs, timelines present and past, characters with questionable depth and a protagonist who was also largely her own antagonist.

I do admire that Onyi strived to tackle a difficult topic and one that's largely very much a grey area. I would have loved to have seen this book tidied up a bit more, with the characters chopped down a bit, more strong POVs from Anuri, Ophelia and Nkem at a regular cadence & a bit more of a grounded approach to Anuri's decisions.

Not a bad book, I just don't think it was for me this time.

A book that is so relevant for the times we live live well written with dark humour a feast of interesting characters will keep you interest. Enjoyed it