This is such a cute book. The characters were quirky and witty, my favorite combination. I thought she handled some pretty tough topics in a great way - especially for YA. Even just the idea of fame, which teens often equate with happiness and success, was shown in such a way that readers understand that it isn't the perfect carefree life that it is often thought to be. Bravo. Can't wait for the next book by Danika Stone!

This one wasn't gripping for me. Dialogue felt stifled and plot seemed cliche. Bailed.

This was very contemporary young adult, and I realized that even though I was really excited about the premise for Internet Famous, it was a little too juvenile for me. Madi, the main character, seemed far younger to me than a high school student preparing to graduate, and I had a lot of trouble with her inner dialogue for most of the story.

A few quibbles...

• Her parents were a rough spot for me. I definitely believed how strict they were, but somewhere around the middle of Internet Famous, her dad did a complete about face. He was still worried about his image, yes, but he was far more on Madi's side than he had been. I'm glad, because he should be on his daughter's side, but he wasn't there to begin with. It was tough to believe he would transition so quickly.

• I also had a tough time understanding how both of her parents were SO okay with her deciding to forgo college, at least for the first year, to blog instead. My parents would've shredded me into 20 pieces, even if I was bringing in a ton of money!

• The way Madi and her parents talked about Sarah really grinded my gears, too. Madi mentioned once that Sarah was on the spectrum, but I hated that Madi and her parents both treated Sarah like a problem to deal with the entire book and never really came to terms with that.

• Laurent was too perfect. Not interested.

Some things I really enjoyed

• I did love the little "Snapsed" dates that went on between Madi and Laurent, and I loved how texts, blog posts and Snap pictures were shared in line in the ebook. I imagine those will take up a lot of space in a print book, so it would be almost like a picture book, but it really worked on the Kindle.

Madison Nakama is Tumblr famous, with a pop culture blog that has thousands of readers. In real life, however, she is focused on school, and caring for her special needs sister, who is becoming more difficult as their mother abandons the family to do some work abroad.

When one of her blog fans, a French exchange student named Laurent, invites her to a screening and live blog, Madi accepts. She soon finds herself falling for Laurent and wanting to have more of a life, beyond her screen and away from the commitments of caring for her sister. A troll soon starts targeting Madi, however, and she soon finds it all to much to handle, and puts a lot of her relationships (with Laurent, her father, her sister) in peril. Madi will have to come clean and figure out what it is that she really wants.

A wonderful realistic read. I found myself rooting for Madi so much.

Full review available on my blog and Goodreads (linked below) and on Amazon.co.uk.

My thoughts

I LOVED this book. So fun, so cute, so fluffy, but it also deals with some serious topics like a parent leaving, and cyberbullying. All the characters were great and pretty well-developed for such a quick book. The plotline was great and the pacing felt right for the story. The fact that online friendships was such a central aspect of the story was so nice! Online friendships aren’t taken very seriously by people who don’t have them, so I loved that there were strong relationships depicted that formed online. I loved how fandom life was portrayed too, because it does get a bad reputation from some people who like to ruin it for everyone else. This was exactly what I wanted from books like Fangirl.

Pros

Madi is such a relatable character. She’s very awkward around other people, but she’s also fun to be with once she feels comfortable. She works hard on her blog and on her schoolwork, and manages to balance everything with her personal life. She’s great to her family most of the time, and their relationships felt real and natural. I especially loved her dynamics with Sarah, Madi’s sister, who is autistic, and how they took care of each other.

I loved the style of this book – it’s fun and easy to read, and it includes snippets from Madi’s blog posts, tweets, emails, texts, memes, Tumblr posts, Snapchats (or “Snapsed”, as it’s called in the book), you name it. I also appreciated the glossary at the front of the book containing all the internet terms and abbreviations – I knew most of them, but there were a few I wasn’t sure of. It made me feel old. I also loved the inclusion of ’80s movies – it made me want to have a movie marathon of my own.

The romance. It was gooooood. It was very fast-paced but it was just so damn cute that I didn’t even care. That ending!

The cyberbullying was so well written and I was really rooting for Madi the whole time. The ending wasn’t predictable, which I’m always wary about with books like this, and it wraps up nicely but not too blandly.

Cons

This book reads a little bit young for the ages of the characters (Madi is 18), but I was fine with it because I was looking for something quick and fun.

This isn’t necessarily a con, but because I don’t have the experience to determine how good the autism rep is, I thought I would mention it here. As far as I can recall, the word “autistic” is never used for Sarah, but Madi does state that she’s “on the spectrum”. I would recommend checking out reviews from autistic readers to decide if the rep is actually good.

Final thoughts

Rating: 4 stars

Recommended for: This is a really fun, fluffy read that I really recommend if you’re in need of a pick-me-up, or if you want a book to read over the summer.

This one here is such a relevant piece that I’m sure everyone on the Internet and social media can relate to even if you are not a blogger. Especially those times where you have to deal with keyboard warriors. I can totally relate to Madi in a lot of ways. The joy of having a community where you feel safe to share your ideas and opinions, the pressure of blogging and connecting with people whether it be online or in real, dealing with an internet troll which will affect your morale, and the uncertainty of having met someone special that started online. They all felt so familiar.

Madi is a pretty good blogger and she is handling her fame on the online world coolly. She is smart and she represents most people on the internet who’s into blogging as well as those who are part of fandoms. That would be one reason to like her, of course. I also admire her relationship with her sister and how she stepped up when her parents can’t be bothered with Sarah’s needs. She has her flaws, and that makes her more relatable. I get how she’s more comfortable talking to people online than in real life. But it irked me how she reacted to people who disagrees with her.Her constant dramatics can be quite tiresome. I like the format of the storytelling. Aside from Madi’s narrative, it also uses blog posts from Madi’s blog, Tumblr posts, series of text messages, and photos, that make the story more realistic. I am not surprised upon learning who the troll is since I have a pretty good guess about it early on.

I don’t buy the romance between Madi and Laurent. Things just happened too fast. I am a bit dismayed that Sarah didn’t play much of a big role to the story than what I expected and it showed a different side of her too little, too late.

Overall, I’d say it’s a cute story with a solid plot. An over-reacting main character Madi might be but relatable in some ways. People who’re into cute YA contemporary romance will definitely appreciate Internet Famous.

Once again, I’m left with very mixed feelings on this book that I have read. On one hand, I enjoyed it. I loved the idea of this being about a blogger, the online world, and a nice romance with it too. It did mention family issues, and mental health illnesses as well. And while I did enjoy all the themes and the way I flew through this book, I still felt like it was missing some depth that I was searching for.

I have to say, I wanted to read this book because I was so happy about finally having a positive light portrayed on the online world. Madi is a blogger – just like a lot of us book bloggers – except she rewatches movies and blogs about her opinion of them. Her blog is also pretty famous, which is something a lot (but not every blogger) dreams about. I loved when we got to see her blog comments come through, and her posts. Madi was so connected to the online world, and I just loved that positive light being given about the online community.

Of course, being a member of the online community means you will come across trolls and mean people who have nothing better to do with their time than just… be a nuisance. This novel stems into that, and the topic of cyberbullying. Even though the novel does a very good job of dealing with that plot line and theme, I still felt like more could have happened. We do get to see how it affects Madi and how it ruins what her blog is for her – but I still expected the ending to be a little more… dramatic?

I also really liked how we got to have the romance stemming from something that started online. I know a lot of people find this to be a bit controversial and a bit of a wary topic to discuss. But we have to face the reality of it: more and more couples and friendships begin online and that is perfectly alright. You need to be aware of the possible outcomes though, especially the bad ones, and take as many consequences against them as possible. I also really liked Laurent as a love interest, and his French accent and ways kind of made me think of Annaand the French Kiss. But, y’know, lacking a lot of the things that some people can’t stand in that novel.

Danika Stone’s writing style was easy to jump right into. She rights in the easygoing voice which represents a teenager perfectly, and there was no doubt that I felt Madi’s personality flooding me as I read through the book. In fact, I think I sat down and read for about four hours until I was done. It was simply such a breeze to read!

However, there were some aspects of the book I wanted a bit more on. There is a bit of a mention about this being a dysfunctional family. Sarah, Madi’s younger sister, has a mental illness and we see that she needs to stick to rigid schedules and have stability to be able to cope. With their mother leaving to study and research in Oxford, it turns things upside down for Sarah. Madi also has to help out a lot with her younger sister and helping her keep to that schedule. I could relate to her on that side of things because I usually help my younger sister, who has a physical disability a lot around the house. I really identified with Madi’s love she had for her sister, but then frustration as sometimes she didn’t want to help, and she wanted to think about herself for a moment and what she needed. It’s not being selfish… it’s more so frustration. It doesn’t mean she loves Sarah any less.

And while the novel did deal with that and discuss it a bit, I felt myself wanting it to be more fleshed out. I felt like the dynamics between the two sisters should’ve been more central to the novel, especially as it became relevant for the conclusion of the novel. I liked that the mental illness wasn’t the center of the whole book. Although included, it doesn’t always have to be. This isn’t Sarah’s story. On the other hand, I think it needed just a bit more focus than it received.

Also, it may be because I’m in the throes of reading new adult novel after new adult novel back to back (it’s Santino Hassell’s fault), I found the story to be a little bit juvenile at times? At least when it came to some issues with the romance. Side note: That could be because of my reading preference at the moment, and not an actual reflection on the novel itself. In that case, I would recommend you head over to Goodreads to check out more reviews and here what others have tosay.

It was great to read this first novel by Danika Stone, and I would be curious to read more of her books in the future and see how I like them.

This review and others can be found on Olivia's Catastrophe.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip through the land of blogs, fandom, friendship and trolls. Interesting, well developed characters against a timely backdrop of online bullying and being able to recognize what is real and what isn't. I especially loved the 80s movie references!

Maybe it's me, but I'm pretty sure I've read this before. That's not to say that the teens reading it will have, just that the plot repeats what's been done before. For those that haven't, it's a decent read about what happens when your online life intrudes into your real life, and how people (some people, not all!) can take power and pride in being mean. The bigger problem is that in this case, it all turns out ok. How many teens being trolled will have such a resolution?

Internet Famous is the story of Madi, a blogger, and her romance with Laurent, who is an ardent follower of her blog. Yes, dream story right there, ladies and gentlemen! I mean, all of us here who blog can relate to so many things in this story. The pressure of posting, the need for good content and the trolls. All of it. Which is what I loved about this. I identified with a lot of stuff that was happening in Madi's life. But, I'm nowhere near as famous as she is (she is Internet Famous, after all. She has like, 60000 followers and innumerable hits on all her posts.)

I like how Madi, despite her internet fame, is a shy, reserved girl who doesn't boast of her follower count to anyone who will listen. With huge following she has and all the fan merch she sells, it would be easy to slip and become condescending, but she isn't like that. In fact, she is so baffled that people follow her blog. I really like that about her. And I love how she takes care of her sister, Sarah. Sarah plays a huge role in the book. She has special needs and gets thrown off when her schedule changes even by a minute. Her life is meticulously planned and Madi is a huge part of this meticulous life. So, she's always there for her sister and I adore how much effort she puts into her relationship with Sarah.

And, then, there's Laurent! He's such an adorkable little cinnamon roll. I adore him so much. He's always there when Madi needs him. He's a great boyfriend and an even better friend. He's supportive and a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, whenever Madi has issues. He's just... He's amazing. I adore him. I love how he goes out of his way to make sure that Madi is okay and how he's always reassuring her with all the drama going on in her life. He just makes it so easy to love him. 

I love how family centric this is. Sarah is always mention atleast once every two pages and her parents are always there in the background. She has a conversation with her father every so often and he takes an active interest in the life of both his daughters. I don't particularly like Madi's mom. She assumes too much and comes off as really selfish in majority of the book. It feels as though she believes that Sarah is a responsibility and not a kid. I felt that she just pawned off all her responsibility on Madi and her husband so that she could go follow her dreams. Yes, following your dreams is important, but she had responsibilities and it felt as though she just shunned them. She always runs away from conflict, so it feels as though she can't stand up for anyone.

All in all, Internet Famous is an enjoyable read and I definitely recommend it to others!

Danika Stone has created a fandom filled world with all the best elements. This doesn't mean she's ignored the parts of the internet that cause us grief or disappointment. Maxi is well rounded with real world issues outside of her virtual 'life'. It's these issues that drive her just as much as her love of fandom culture. We first meet Madi dealing with the parts of her life she can't control, her mother leaving to work in Oxford for 6 weeks. This eventually leads her to agreeing to meet some of her fans IRL. Madi shows that despite being sacred she has something to contribute in the real world. This opportunity also allows her the chance to make an online friendship work. Stone's ability to make Madi a real girl and give her a happy ending was a joy to read.

4/5 Stars

Last year I discovered the wonderful talent that is Danika Stone through the Sunday Street Team and I couldn't pass up the chance to read and review her newest release, Internet Famous. Madi is a big time blogger but has to keep her real life separate. When both crash together, things begin to unravel and a troll lurking in the shadows comes out of hiding. 

Madi is an absolutely endearing character. She's witty, smart, and totally passionate. She takes on so much and has a hard time connecting IRL. Laurent, my utterly charming French boy who's good with a camera, stole so many scenes. And the two of them together was such a joy to read. I also really liked Madi's sister, Sarah, and the familial bond between them.

The online community can be a magical place. Connecting with people who are passionate about the same things, sharing this joy far and wide, and making lasting impressions on those you've never met. All this can be seen first hand through Madi's eyes. Unfortunately with the good comes the bad and online harassment has gotten worse and worse. Stone shows the extremes from persistent attacks to actual doxxing. 

I did have a few issues with this story, mostly in regards to the family aspects. First of all, what mother screws up the schedule of her autistic child, for her own selfish goals. Not to mention leaving most of her care to her other underage daughter. Plus the father was completely non existent when it came to parenting. Madi had to handle everything on her own and that really grated on me.

Overall Internet Famous by Danika Stone was an adorable and clever story that highlighted both the good and the bad of the online community. Madi and Laurent were ridiculously sweet and I totally connected with the two of them. Plenty of swoons were had but I did have a few minor issues along the way. If you're looking for a cute romance with a dose of reality, this one is definitely for you.

Internet Famous manages to tackle issues of online vs real life and you vs your parent expectations. It has a good story and writing and amazing siblings relationship. Despite that, the second half felt lacklustre and aim for different mark than the first half. But overall, it’s fun to read and a good reading experience!

**Live on 6/15**

That was such a fun light read, which was apparently what I needed and I didn’t even know it. I enjoyed reading about another blogger, even if she was like the super blogger of the universe. Blogger goals, I guess. Anyway, MadLibs looked like a fun place to hang out and that half of the story was the true highlight of Internet Famous.

I really loved reading about MadLibs. I thought the effort she put into it and how friendly she was with her followers was awesome. It was inspiring. I also thought the story of the troll was a great antagonism for Madi and her online world. I loved the turn into cyber bullying and cruel online behavior. I thought Madi’s reaction, her panic, was true to how an attack like that would feel. When it came to Madi’s bully, I never once faulted her reactions, and I didn’t think anyone should have.

Unfortunately I did have some problems with the story. First, there was a lot of emphasis on Madi’s family being conservative which was fine. I just didn’t think their political views added to the story. Other than explaining why Madi was private, it didn’t really affect anything else. It was overkill. I also thought the relationship Madi had with her sister Sarah wasn’t as detailed and enhanced as it should have been. There was more there, more about why taking care of Sarah was so trying. I would have loved more to them and less of the romance between Madi and Laurent.

And finally, I thought Laurent himself (and their relationship) was far too perfect. It was so over the top charming that I kept waiting for the shoe to drop. Something about perfect Laurent felt creepy, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. It reminded me a bit of Hans from Frozen. I don’t think the romance was up to par.

Would I recommend this read? Yeah, I would. I don’t think everyone will have the same problems I had, and in the end I did enjoy the story. It was sweet, light and fluffy, and a great escape from my everyday existence.

Internet Famous is Danika Stone’s second book with the Swoon Reads line. I haven’t actually read her first novel with them, All the Feels, yet, but I still was excited to get a hold of a copy of Internet Famous!

Madi is Internet Famous thanks to her Madlibs blog, which has massive following. She loves the escape her online world provides from the problems in her real life, such as dealing with the fallout of her absent mother and helping out her sister. However, her blog has attracted a troll who just won’t leave her alone. At first his comments just seem to be cruel, but things get serious when he starts hacking her website, reporting her to her school for plagiarism, and doxing her.

One bright side to all of this drama is Laurent, who has been a calming force for Madi. Laurent is right there for Madi as she tries to get everything under control. An exchange student from France, Laurent is such a sweetheart. He is a geek just like Madi, and they really are perfect together.

Each chapter includes text message bubbles, tumblr posts, or snapchat photos. These were such a fun and fitting additions, and I loved whenever I would come across the next set of messages.

Overall, Internet Famous is a fun read while still tackling more serious subjects such as online bullying and doxing. I recommend this for younger teens looking for a cute contemporary read, especially if they love online fandoms.

Rating: 4/5 Penguins

Quick Reasons: some heavy, mature topics handled with sensitivity and poise; a deep glimpse into internet "fame"--and the ways it touches everyone; endearing, well-rounded characters; just a bit of "love at first sight", but I'm willing to overlook it; really loved that the "bully" wasn't at all who I thought it would be

Huge thanks to Danika Stone, Swoon Reads, Xpresso Book Tours, and Netgalley for sending a free digital galley of this title my way in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.


---"Just short legs."

"Your legs are perfectly sized."

"That should be a compliment," she said, "but it's not. Short is short."

"Petite. Tiny. Wee. Delicate." Laurent glanced at his phone, apparently checking the dictionary. "Aha! Miniature," he announced.

"That is not a compliment," she snorted.---


Let me start by saying: I ADOOOOORED SARAH! I felt she was so super well-written, and tactfully complex. I really, really loved seeing this character in a read like this! While she's not the main character and this isn't HER story, she's so integral to the events and the journey, I feel this might have been a different read without her in it. I am so stoked that Danika Stone wrote her, and wrote her so gorgeously--HUGE penguin flappers to her!

There are so many important and true to life messages found within this book, though the biggest remains internet bullying. I feel that Danika Stone set out with a goal in mind--and managed to reach that goal while still retaining the poise and tact surrounding sensitive subjects that I've come to expect in my favorite reads. There are a LOT of things said in this book, penguins--and the fact that the "bully" wasn't, in the end, who I was expecting--like, at all!--only helped to emphasize some of the biggest messages. I was especially impressed in how Danika Stone brought home "trolling"--and the ways it touches everybody, not just the victim.


---A hundred things ran through Madi's mind: that serial killers really should choose more productive ways to spend their time, that her sister Sarah was going to be out of control when their parents broke the news Madi had been murdered, that it was a really stupid twist of fate that Madi had found the man of her dreams only to love him, and last--

That really looks like a squirrel.---


I was, honestly, just a little disappointed in a few of the relationships. The mom, I felt, was severely lacking in several ways--while I understand that situations like this DO happen, and that even parents have the right to follow their dreams...her interactions with her family felt very fake and surface-only. I didn't feel as if she was really putting HER best foot forward with them, I suppose--even while she expected them to do just that for her. It felt a bit fake, overall, and I'm not real sure why she was even included except to 1.) complicate the family dynamic; and 2.) give a boiling point to Sarah's struggles, which then lead to Madi's struggles. I guess what I'm saying is, she was a catalyst--and while I know this happens in real life, I wasn't real impressed with it here.

In the end, though, this was a super entertaining, cutesy, snarky read--and I adored it! I really really loved the inclusion of Sarah, and the other characters (save the mom) were genuine and well-rounded. While a few of the relationships felt a bit flat and contrived, I had a ton of fun following Madi and the various characters on their journey, and cannot WAIT to see what Danika Stone will do next! I definitely recommend this to lovers of contemporary fiction, catalyst characters, and realistically dropped #truthbombs. Watch your #hashtags, Penguins-- #fandom is on the loose in this read!

Madi Nakama is still a senior in high school, but she's already Internet famous, thanks to her blog about popular culture. When family problems cause her to turn to her online friends for support, her Internet life intersects with her real life, and Madi discovers just how famous she really is. But fame comes at a price. An anonymous fan becomes a troll, harassing her first in private and then in public. As the attacks escalate, Madi begins to suspect everyone around her. Who is the troll? Will Madi's new friendships survive her increasing paranoia? Will she emerge with her online (and offline) reputation intact?

Each chapter begins with a fitting 1980s movie quote. The narrative is interwoven with emails, Tumblr posts and messages, tweets, Snaps, texts (complete with graphics and emojis), and Skype sessions. Part romance, part family drama, part mystery, part suspense/thriller, Internet Famous is modern and fresh, with a bit of nostalgia thrown in for us older readers. I especially enjoyed the 1980s movie references. The only movie I haven't seen yet is Say Anything; it's definitely one I'll have to "rewatch".

Warnings: coarse language.

I didn't want to put this book down. It is a short book, about 300 ish pages. So it was a fairly quick read. I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't perfect by any means. There were something that took off some point for me. First I will mention the love triangle. I thought Madi and Laurent were stinking adorable together. That being said it was a no brainer that they would end up together. But like any love triangle there is always a 3rd wheel that ends up loving the main character. I did really connect with the blogger aspect of the book as that is what I do as well. I enjoyed the different types of media that are thrown into the book from the photos, text messages, and emails. It is a book that has a technology aspect to it that makes it very relatable. I do however think the transitions from the scenes could have been better. I noticed this in the very beginning and it continued through out the book. It made it a little confusing some times. There were also some spots in the book where I felt like some sentences did not flow together good but it wasn't a lot so I could deal with it. I enjoyed the fact that this book talks about cyber bullying and it shows how the character over comes it by getting help. All in all I can say this is a super cute story about love, family, and friendship over coming obstacles thrown in the way. I think that anyone who is connected to social media and loves a short cute story would love this book.