"This Trauma is Sponsored" is a story of what it would be like to live life in a spotlight you didn't choose. It's family, young love and choosing your own path. It is immersive and beautiful, a read in one sitting kind of book. Perfect for young teens, no influencer experience necessary.

Rosalie's family is a family of mum, dad Rosalie and her younger sister, altogether, a part of a family vlogger channel, a very well know one too.

The novel shows the impact sadly probably in many vlogging families keeping up the facade of all being happy on camera just for monetisation and makes you reflect on the impact of modern social media culture being told in a verse format hits all the more deeper as it explores the impact on the family dynamic, their relationships, mental and physical side effects in trying to achieve a so called standard of perfection and the danger of strangers watching and knowing every detail of your lives, which can lead to dangerous encounters.

I was also happily surprised in the novel of a friend Rosalie makes, Stella, who raised awareness of the impact of fibromyalgia all the more relatable to a reader like me who also have the condition, yet, I've never read a novel with it mentioned. The novel also explored young people feeling stifled in revealing their sexuality too for fear of judgement a very relatable situation for many people still I imagine too.

It was a powerful novel about the highs and lows of internet fame and what you gain and lose.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Anna Lindwasser for the opportunity to read This Trauma is Sponsored in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is a HiLo written in a poetic verse style following Rosalie, whose family gets their money through VidTube sponsorships. Their entire family life is posted online for all to see, but especially fifteen-year-old Rosalie and her five-year-old sister. With over one million followers, it must be a fanciful life! But the catch is, it's all acting! The parents are utilizing their own children to live out the acting dreams they were never able to accomplish, and they use sponsorships and scripts for their daughters to gain views. God forbid they would ever have to take on real full-time jobs to support their families, or that their daughters might have to attend public school. 🙄

Eventually, fake-dating, lying on camera about likes or dislikes, and being homeschooled just so the parents don't miss out on filming opportunities gets to be a bit too much for Rosalie and her sister, even dangerous with how much of their information is posted online. Not to mention the negative impact such attentions and the amount of tasks being asked of them taking its toll on their mental health.

When Rosalie meets Stella, a girl with fibromyalgia who joins her same homeschool program, she realizes there is so much more to care about beyond the acting and VidTube world of followers.

This novel explores the obsessiveness that gaining followers and posting content can take over families. It shows how fun it can be, but also explores the dangers of stalkers, as well as the mental health ramifications that such a lifestyle may offer for teens and children. While the novel explores family dynamics in a social-media controlled world, it also explores real and fake friendships, sibling relationships and roles, and what it means to be oneself and love someone. The LGBTQ aspect is a nice touch, though seemed a bit fast, but what else can you do in such a short novel with so many important ideas going on?

This is a great and easy novel for teen readers that explores some serious issues about one's online entity and the physical and mental dangers therein. A great novel with lessons about social media, family, friendship, and romance.

I read this book in one sitting! It was hard to read (content-wise!) but also SO GOOD!! It really shows the toxicity of family channels and how blinded some people become to the dangers of social media when you're not careful! (Like sharing too much info online!) As a parent it was hard to read because I know some people are like Rosalie's parents IRL and it scares me! But as a reader, I couldn't put this book down!

This book painted the picture of what it could be like to be in a family that are full time vloggers, we are seeing things through the eyes of Rosalie one of the main characters, how she adapts to her life as it is exposed online for everyone to see. I read this one in one sitting as I could not seem to look away, it is honest, real and keeps you rooting for the main character while also sympathizing with the parents.
This novel explores LGBTQ+ storylines while also dealing with parents who see you more as a prop than a child, this novel truly shows you the ups and downs of influencing especially in today's culture where everyone wants to post everything online and the dangers that come with it. This is an easy but deeply reflective read for YA readers, and will make you think twice about what you post online and how you feel about those who expose their families online as well.

3.75 stars

This Trauma Is Sponsored follows Rosalie as she navigates life as a member of a vlogging family. Her story serves as a warning of the impact social media can have on young people in today's society, especially those in situations like Rosalie's where their parents push them to share every part of their lives online. The novel is written in verse and is very fast-paced and easy to read, however with it being so short we don't really get a deep insight into any of the characters and the romance between Rosalie and Stella is quite surface level, but as it's not the main point of the story it's not that much of an issue. I still think this would be an enjoyable read for many teens.

Thank you to Rosen Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley.

In a world where social media is everywhere and there’s an online platform for everything and being famous is just a video away, how do we expect young people to navigate this when often it’s the adults in their life influencing the social media fame. Told in verse this is a story of a social media kid. Every moment of her life has been documented and edited in someway. From the latest trend to faking a relationship our main character has to navigate a lot when her parents don’t understand because her life is the next video leading happen. The importance of the story cannot be understated as what happens behind the scenes and off camera is often not thought about and not talked about. But the real effects of living an influencer life is oh so real, and sometimes very tragic on the mental and emotional well-being of a person. I think it’s even more so when that is still a child or a teenager. This book gave me chills and encourages us to ask the questions of if the viral video and payout are worth it. I’ll be recommending to all my students and really anyone because social media touches all of us.

THIS IS GREAT!!

Modern times have made us believe it's totally normal to see the life of others under the tag and title of "vlog" or "family vlogs" but not truly and really understanding how dangerous is to expose your private life and children's lives to the eyes of everyone. This book approached this topic in a fantastic way, it's fast paced and easy to read but it's so deep. We definitely need more books like this.


thank you for the arc

I received an ARC of from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I've never read a HiLo before (in fact I had to google what it was) but it was so relaxing to read a book in this format, it truly makes a nice change to huge pages of text and I love that it makes reading more accessible for more people. Just like how this book really spotlights an important issue.

Rose is our narrator and MC, and she is strong as hell. This girl is living through actual hell with a YouTube style family vlog channel that has drained her and is doing the same to her 5 year old sister. I was first interested in this book as I have written university assignments on the topic, and Lindwasser handled the topic beautifully with care and consideration.

This Trauma is Sponsored covers a range of topics from family vlogging channels, the perrils of teenage life (with the added pressure of constant internet access), and more, including TW stalking. This book truly is a mirror to our society, the way obsession is encouraged online and just how easily accessible everything and everyone can become - too accessible to the wrong people more often than not.

It's really a thought provoking read and in light of autobiographies from former child stars of vlogging channels, its really reflective of the culture and the movement trying to push back against it. There are so many important well discussed ideas in this book that I could annotate the whole thing twice and still have more to say.

Read it, it's thought provoking, it's enlightening and as someone whose grown up with the internet - it really reflects the importance of going offline. There are so many lessons, and great for all audiences not just teens.

I loved how this story was written in verse. It was a clever way to capture the characterisation and to move the narrative along succinctly, whilst honing in on the specific moments that create the trauma. An interesting and unusual approach to exploring trauma, childhood, parental dynamics, and the digital age. Thought-provoking, clever, and very much of our time.

Highlights: diverse characters and topics, fast-paced, and darkly hopeful.

Content warnings: child abuse, emotional abuse, sexual harassment

Thank you so much to West 44 Books/ Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Rosalie has been used for her parent’s content since she was five. Nothing in her life is private and everything is scripted to how they want it. Now at fifteen she’s seeing the toll it’s taking on her little sister Gennie who’s filmed around the clock. When her privacy is breached and a crazed fan finds them, she knows she must do something to get out of the life she’s been forced into.

What an intense book, I honestly felt like I was holding my breath the whole time reading this. Like my goodness she had it so rough, the life her parents forced on her was scary, it was way too imposing, personal and intense and very invasive. The fact that her whole life would have been planned out directed to how they wanted it to be was super scary honestly, she had no self identity, no freedom and no choice.

I loved and adored Rosalie and Stella they were a literal cutest couple ever, it was so sweet how you could tell both liked each other in an instant, but that it took a long time and all their feeling to develop deeper before they even said or did anything. They were there for each other constantly and I was so happy that Rosalie found her. One bright and happy spark in her terrible and very miserable life.

This was such a dark look at what some social media families go through, not all are as intense or directed as this story depicted but a high percentage are. I think in an era where children are posting everything online as a normal thing, books like this can highlight that it’s not normal, that it’s dangerous, that it’s invasive. I’m really glad that this exists, it’s highly important that they can be aware how damaging and scary it really is to reveal everything on the internet.

I honestly enjoyed this book but wow is this a dark story to read through! It's a great illustration on how many social media families function and it can be damaging to not just the kids involved but the entire family as a cohesive unit. What Gennie and Rosalie go through is absolutely horrible and it's absolutely shameful that the parents would do in order to keep themselves in the limelight no matter the cost. It just comes to show how dangerous the Internet and social media can truly be.

My favorite aspect of the book format itself is writing the prose in poem form! It's honestly one of my favorite ways to read books and it sets it apart from other books of its genre. I wish my writers would do that.

I want to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to check this ARC out for myself in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this so much. The story is very similar to actual things that happen in real life. I enjoyed elements of life that still need to be brought to light included. I hope to read more by this author.

A quick read that certainly isn't easy but important nonetheless to digest and understand.

We read so much about child influencers and the trauma they endure but this novel in verse tells a story of someone who has not only been through it but who is also looking after their younger sister to ensure they don't face the same things. Brilliantly written and wish I had more books like this to read!

I think this is a really important story to have during the time of influencer families. For as short as it its, this is an impactful book. I was happily surprised to find out it was a queer story, and there were plenty of times when I wanted to slap Rosalie's mom. I think this could have benefited from being a little bit longer. While the story is complete, it could have been a little more powerful with some more content.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Rosalie and her sister live their whole life online. Their family is an influencer family, with all the awfulness that entails.

As she watched her sister suffer, and falls in love with her nee friend, in spite of the fake dating plot line her parents came up with with her best friend, Rosalie has the support to fight for the change, to protect her sister, and herself.

Written in verse, this books reminds me of Ellen Hopkins work, tackling a topical issue for the digital age. Though it was a quick read, I grew to love these girls over the 200 or so pages. It was a lovely read and I'm grateful it ended the way it did.

This Trauma Is Sponsored by Anna Lindwasser is an emotionally intense and politically aware collection that explores trauma through a deeply personal and critical lens. The author does not shy away from difficult subject matter, and the writing is intentionally confrontational, demanding that the reader engage rather than observe from a distance.

Lindwasser’s voice is raw and unfiltered, often blending poetic language with direct, unpolished emotion. There are moments where the prose is striking and memorable, especially when addressing themes of survival, silence, and the social structures that shape personal pain. The perspective is unapologetic, and the author’s commitment to truth-telling is clear throughout the book.

However, while I admired the honesty and emotional courage behind the work, I found the reading experience uneven. The intensity rarely lets up, which for me made the collection feel overwhelming at times. Some entries were more effective than others, and there were moments where repetition softened the impact of what could have been sharper points. I also wished for more variation in tone or pacing to give the heavier sections room to breathe.

Overall, This Trauma Is Sponsored is a challenging and thought-provoking read that will resonate strongly with some readers, particularly those drawn to emotionally raw and politically conscious writing. While it wasn’t entirely for me, I appreciate what the book is trying to accomplish and believe it will find the audience it deserves.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I really had a great time reading this book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed about the description and concept. The characters were so well written and worked with the world that I was looking for. Anna Lindwasser has a strong writing style and was glad I read this.

Publishing date: 01.12.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to Netgalley and Rosen Publishing Group for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

This was such a heartbreaking and enraging read. I am once again grateful to have had such an offline life.

The concept of "Family vloggers" has fascinated me for years. This book really highlights the negatives and transactional aspects of such a life. How the kids become an asset more than persons. How it looks is more importain that the wellbeing of someone. As much as I was angry for them, I was also saddened that their lives looked like this.

The way this book was written was easy and quick to read, I finished it in just two days (would have been one if not for my at the time busy schedule), and I found it to be a really engaging read.

Loved the LGBTQIA+ rep here. And heavily related to the need to protect your younger siblings and ensuring they get to enjoy their childhood (as an older sister myself).

I think this is a very valuable and important read for the current times. While having an online life might seem attractive, this shows how easily it can get out of hand. Will be recommending around. Giving this 4 stars.