One of my favorite micro-genres is influencers behaving badly so I knew I needed to read this book the minute I heard about it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. May Iverson became a mommy influencer and skyrocketed to fame using her daughters, March, April, June, July and January (yes, really), as adorable content. Every part of their childhood has been documenting online for the world to see - first bras, first periods, all the awkwardness and sibling rivalry. The daughters are all adults now and each has her own relationship with social media. The public is still enamored with the family and then tragedy strikes. May's new husband is dead in an apparent murder. The internet sleuths have a field day with theories and speculation. Who could have done this? Why? I loved the inside look at a family who became internet famous. Be careful what you wish for - you may just get it.

With "The Influencers" taking on a very topical subject, I couldn't help but get sucked into this comfortable read. It was both comfortably suspenseful and irritating as if I was complaining about any influencer family on the couch next to my best friend who consumes this type of media with fervor.

McLemore's timing with a book that picks apart the world of fame on the shoulders of children is not only apropos for our time, but it does so in a hauntingly creepy way that lurks upon the pages like a sticky coating. It's a fun read, nothing too psychological but just frustrating enough that you hate all the right characters and want to take a step back and evaluate all the family vloggers in the world.

Rating this advanced copy at a comfortable three because, while not the most profound read, it is a fun read that is relevant and plays around with the topic in an engaging way.

4 Stars – The Influencers is a beautifully written, thought-provoking story that blends social media, identity in a beautiful way. While the pacing lags in places, the novel’s emotional depth and unique storytelling make it a worthwhile read.

I thought I would like this book more than I did. Unfortunately I found it hard to get into and the writing style didn’t really work for me. Have to confess I skimmed most of it to see how it ended - an unusual approach to reading a book for me and concluded that I was glad I didn’t invest too much time into this very slow burn. I’m sure others will appreciate this more! Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC .

The world of Mother May I and her family vlogging channel comes crumbling down after the murder of her second husband. May Iverson and her adult children have always faced public scrutiny, but never like this, and they are NOT handling it well as their secrets come out and lies get exposed.

This was so well done! I loved the varying POV’s and unique POV’s as well. Even with all the siblings, it was easy to tell whose POV was whose and they all had distinct voices. I loved seeing May’s world come crashing down, especially as you see how much she deserves it as the book goes on. I do wish that one particular aspect of family vlogging was talked about more than just a single chapter, but I won’t mention it due to spoilers.

I’ve had mixed results from this author’s previous works, but I thoroughly enjoyed their adult debut.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC of The Influencers in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately, it wasn't a fit for me. Many of the characters are named after months of the year and I didn't realize how much this would distract me from the narrative. When I read a story I like to sink into it and it wasn't possible for this one. If you can overlook that aspect, you might find it to be an enjoyable read.

An interesting format for telling the story of a momfluencer and her children. It was a slow burn, but sometimes a bit too slow for me.

I enjoyed the backstory of the family and would have probably been more interested in that piece, not necessarily needing the murder mystery of it all. That being said, I overall enjoyed this story of Mother May I and the whodunnit of who murdered her husband.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy!

August Ingraham, the second (and much younger) husband of May Iverson, is murdered and their house is set on fire, but who is responsible? May Iverson is a famous family vlogger, known as ‘Mother May I’, who has shared the lives of herself and her 5 children - April, June, July, January and March. The story centers around the ethics of family vloggers and the children who are forced to grow up in front of the camera. Much of the story is told through flashbacks via anonymous accounts releasing unedited footage taken from stolen cameras. While the concept of the book intrigues me, I wish the author was more subtle. I felt a lot of the twists were predictable. Additionally, for how long the book is, not a lot happened plot wise. Overall, the concept was interesting, but the ‘mystery’ wasn’t as gripping as I’d hoped.

3/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely brilliant! It was definitely more of a literary slow burn mystery than an action packed thriller, but it was gripping all the same. I was hooked by the characters: the siblings. Each one was so compelling with their complicated relationships with each their mother and childhood. I admired April and how strong she was when forced into motherhood at such a young age by her mother. June and July were an interesting pair, but even more interesting when they started to split apart. January was so confident in herself, pursuing a career her mother could never have approved of. I won’t reveal my favorite, but I am sure you will guess. And of course each sibling had their own secrets that were slowly, carefully revealed over the course of the story. I liked that we got each of their perspectives, and also outsider perspectives. I did struggle a bit with how many perspectives there were and how often it changed. But the ending made everything worth it and was so amazing. Overall this was a fantastic book and I highly recommend it!

this was a DNF for me- this just wasn't for me. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the eARC!

I enjoyed this book so much! The chapters are super short, which made it feel like I was flying through this book - and I loved the layout. There were chapters from different characters' points of view, and then interspersed were chapters from the perspective of people who viewed their lives/posts, and chapters with a specific true crime woman doing posts about the crime/mystery.

I did have a little trouble keeping the characters separate in my mind at first, but then they are laid out in birth order, and that helped it make a lot more sense. The only twist I was able to guess was where March ended up hiding.
But I loved how this laid out the different paths that influencer children might take and how they might feel. It was a really great exploration of influencers in general. I will definitely read this again to see what I can pick up the second time that I didn't notice the first time.

I heard about the Influencers on Fabled Bookshop’s winter preview and immediately requested it on NetGalley because I hate waiting for things. I am surprised to see such low ratings because I found it absolutely unputdownable. Every time I could, I was reading until I got through the last line, but maybe that’s because I am endlessly fasciated by people and their motivations for doing things. In The Influencers, we watch the downfall of a social media kingdom of Mother May I. Should it have been called Mommie Dearest?


California recently enacted a law that children who are used in their parents’ social media to make money must have money set aside for them, and I think this is even more fascinating set against that back drop. I loved the way the story unfolded from multiple points of view, the red herrings that were thrown in, and the ways the sisters were differentiated from each other. I think the resolution of the mystery could have been a little more satisfying, but this was a strong 4.5 stars for me.

When a member of a family of influencers (think the Kardashians) dies, we get chapters from all of the family members' perspectives while trying to figure out who caused the death, which was under suspicious circumstances. Each member of the family is named for the month in which they were born (usually), which is a unique twist. This book is relevant to current exposés about influencer culture and how much of one's family to share with the world. LGBTQ+ representation, complex family issues, divorce, rich people behaving badly, and child exploitation.

This book was so disappointing.

I requested this from NetGalley based on the premise because I thought it would be an interesting and well put together mystery.

This story turned out to me so dramatically underwhelming. I literally had to force myself to finish it.

Again; reading is subjective so if you want to read this by all means enjoy but for me I really don’t like a lot of nagging, dramatic stories with family drama. This felt like a reality show in the worst way.

Once I realized it was a YA Novel it clicked. I am not a heavy YA reader so I think that could have added to the disappointment as well.

1/5 stars: This is McLemore's stand-alone which is a BIPOC Literary Mystery that follows the aftermath of a massively successful influencer's husband's murder and the fire that destroyed her mansion. The main suspects, the woman's children whose childhood she put online and profited off of. But they're are all grown up now and the ramifications of having their entire childhoods commodified start to spill over into public view. This has a mystery at the center but it's not the main plot point, it's about the lives of the five children, now adults, and how they're dealing with the way they grew up and those ramifications. Told in multiple POVs, McLemore's writing and character work are nicely done. McLemore touches on some very sensitive topics; so take care and CWs. Unfortunately, this just wasn't a book for me; leading me to DNF it at 16%.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book was a bit confusing intially as it was told from multiple perspectives with similar in nature names. I did enjoy this family drama and thought it reminded me of the TV show Filthy Rich, wildly entertaining while sharp and suspenseful.

I’m so grateful to have been given the chance to read this arc! My first one!

I loved the premise of this book, and the different POVs in this story are unlike anything I have encountered before. The group POVs especially held my curiosity.

That being said I did find it a little difficult to maintain the timeline and follow each characters train of thought. This book slowed down a lot for me in the middle but that twist!! Toward the end!! I did not see it coming and I was kicking myself because I definitely should have.

The conclusion of this was a little lackluster for me but dang this was a great case study in what influencers are bringing about for their kids if they include them in content, and I appreciated this book bringing up that conversation.

The plot intrigued me and I figured I'd eat this up, but it fell flat for me. I liked the suspense leading up to trying to figure out how August died, and all of the different POVs with all of the siblings. It had me going for just one more chapter 10x a night! But it was definitely way too long. I figured I was at 50% and when I checked I was only at 17%! Then, with all of the build-up to the ending, it just wasn't surprising and exciting like I had hoped it would be. Great concept, but didn't love the execution.

This one wasn't my favorite. The writing style was certainly unique, but it didn't hit with me. I didn't like the characters, the plot was just okay, and the book was WAY too long, in my opinion. I'm sure many will love this one but it just wasn't for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is well timed with so many family you tubers and social media influences coming under scandal and scrutiny lately. This doesn’t story doesn’t seem so far fetched.

This was an enjoyable debut from various POV’s. There were twists and turns and I did not see that coming. I enjoyed it. It wasn’t the best book I’ve read this year but the right audience will love it. I would recommend it to those who love true crime and influencer fall from grace.