A very fresh and insightful story in the world of blogging. Amazing characters and whole insider look to the works of social media was interesting. Enjoyed.

DNF at 50 percent

The Kindle version wasn't good and it made the reading difficult in the first place.

The storyline was kinda cliche?! Two sisters - one in love with being the center of attention and the silent one with no interest in being a center of attention?! And the storyline following the silent one?! Like how many times people?

The relationship between the characters were not real at all. It felt like Claire was a transfer student living with them?

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this E-ARC for reviewing.

It's not that this book was utterly bad, it just wasn't made for me. This felt a lot like reading about an alternative Kardashian family with a mother who's been running a blog for years and embarking her two daughters with her. The relationship between the characters, especially between Poppy and Claire felt weird and unnatural. Claire needs to stop complaining, girl, please. I know you don't have the life you'd like to have but please STOP . The idea behind this book's concept had a lot of potential. We see the ugly side of being internet-famous despite yourself andwanting to go back to anonymity. However, the family dynamics was not right at all. The mother doesn't care about what Claire wants, Claire is angry all the time and Poppy wants everything that can make her happy. Even the relationship between Claire and Rafael did not feel genuine.

The writing wasn't that great either in my opinion, also even though this was an ARC, the amount of grammatical errors and typos in this book was overwhelming. I usually really don't care if it's one or two but there was at least one in every chapter.

Just For Clicks by Kara McDowell|Book Review
fictiveescapes Book Reviews May 21, 2019 2 Minutes
This novel focuses on the impact high volume blogging can have on one’s life and those around the blogger. I feel drawn to these types of stories because they highlight the consequences of over sharing- something that I think many people are willing to ignore as long as the chance of earning money is in the picture.

McDowell’s novel follows twins Claire and Poppy and the affects that social media (and their Mother’s MOMMY blog) have on their lives; among other things such as awkward relationships, sucky friends, and creepy internet stalkers YAY



https://amzn.to/2ExBaTt

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The thing that I enjoyed the most is how McDowell’s narrative really makes the reader think about how much time we spend on technology… unlike other authors she doesn’t shy away from representing how many texts her characters send or how long it takes to draft a post or video script. It was fun watching Claire actively trying to interact with the boy she likes without a cellphone. SHE SHOWS UP AT HIS HOUSE UNANNOUNCED TO ASK IF HE WANTS TO GO ON A WALK… it was glorious and something that I didn’t even realize I was missing.

One thing that I didn’t like was how (of course😑) the twin characters are polar opposites of each other. At this point it seems so stereotypical that its downright sad. Though, i did enjoy how Claire is into computing and coding; thus, highlighting the technological side of blogging as well as the selfie flower crown aesthetic. McDowell also didn’t shy away from just how much free stuff bloggers and Youtubers get thrown at them through sponsored deals. This is mostly represented by all of the free clothes that the girls get given to them.

Poppy is the audience favorite but Claire is the one that does most of the website management for all 3 of the family’s blogs. That is an insane amount of content especially when they are uploading everyday… that makes my 3 day a week schedule look like nothing. I think all of this pressure and responsibility is what makes her love-hate relationship with technology so compelling.

I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a YA summer romance where the teen protagonists try their hardest to figure out what works best for them in a world where everyone is watching their every move. THANK YOU NetGalley for this eArc it was very enjoyable.

At points it felt like the characters were whining but it never got to the point that I wanted to abandon the book.

Just for Clicks by Kara McDowell is about twins who grew up on the internet. Their mom is a blogger and through the blog Claire and Poppy have turned into social media stars. Claire hates it, with all of the photo shoots, events, and the internet trolls. Then Claire finds her mom's old journals that reveal a secret that may just be the answer to Claire's problems.
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I liked it. It was a really quick read. There's teen drama and a blooming romance. I liked that the romance grew and that they weren't together right away. There are two/three twists and I didn't see any of them coming (but recently I haven't seen many things coming lol I don't know what's happening, I need to get my head back in the game) although I wasn't really surprised either.
I also liked that in between chapters there were emails and texts.
Thank you Netgalley for the free copy.

Just For Clicks is my favorite kind of contemporary: something set in the modern world of celebrity and fame, but with a heartfelt core surrounding family and all of its complicated aspect.

Twins Claire and Poppy are Social Media Influencers who rose to fame against their own will from their mother's blog, where they've been documented since they can remember. While one girl leans into it, the other one wants nothing to do with the world of likes, comments, and hair tutorials. All she wants is a semi-normal life and a semi-normal crush on Rafael.

I really loved this peek into the world of Social Media and its ever changing landscape. I found both girls relatable in various ways and wanted to root for them both, even if their relationship felt weak at points and not quite realistic.

For a debut this was a really fun, quick read that'd make a great companion for a car or train ride, or a day at the beach. The author's voice was easy and flowed nicely throughout and left me smiling by the end.

I was unable to read this book due to awkward ebook formatting, but I plan on picking up a finished copy from the library. I rated it 3 stars because it requires a star rating to submit and I didn't dislike the book and hope I'll enjoy it when I can read a physical copy.

Claire has everything a girl could wish for. Internet fame, all the clothes she could dream of, a mother who's managed to turn a passion for blogging into a successful internet career, and a fantastic twin sister. But... she's not happy. She hates talking to strangers, detests everyone she sees knowing everything about her, and wishes she could just be a normal girl for once. And the endless pressure to be a perfect person is weighing heavily down on her.

When a chain of events flings her into the discovery of a massive secret, she suddenly has the power to write her own story. But what is really the right thing to do – both for her and for her family? And if she could escape it all, would she?

One of the things I especially liked about this book was the focus on appreciating family. Whilst Claire was in turmoil about her family – feeling like she didn't really belong or that they didn't treat her right, Rafael did his best to show her just how good her hand of cards was. And then, in return, Claire encouraged him to speak with his father – to try and sort out their problems and to do his best to improve their situation. There was focus on fighting for your family, the characters had to work on appreciating and fighting for family, and it was a really good part of the plot – especially in a YA book, where the main audience is often working on figuring out life and family relationships. There's also quite a bit about sibling relationships, as Claire and her sister Poppy figure out how to work as a duo, without either one's wishes overshadowing or hurting the other. Family is a really important thing – regardless of whether it's biological or not.

"I just can't help but think... the good moms are the ones who stay. The ones who keep trying day in and day out."

The premise of this book was an interesting idea – and I've not really read anything like it before. It presented a new view on the 'person with everything', showing that just because you're famous doesn't mean you're automatically happy – through the eyes of a teenager. As Claire tries to decide what to do with her life, the reader is taken along on the ride with her. It's a chance to gain understanding of what life is like when everything you do is watched, and a glimpse at how hard it is to escape attention once you've got it. Claire was sort of forced into her fame – and wanted to escape it, but throughout the book, her mother, sister, and friends also presented less-than-perfect views on their famous lifestyles. Normally, influencers present themselves in the best light possible, keeping the behind-the-scenes close to their chests and hiding the bad parts of themselves away. But this book was a refreshing look into the flip-side of that perfection – showing that everything is not always as it seems.

"You're smart and beautiful and thoughtful and stubborn and impatient..."

Overall, I'd say that this was a sweet little story, but also one with underlying depth. A few of the things the author dipped into, using the platform of her story, were phones, social media, and family issues. Firstly, phones. Pretty early on in the book, Claire's phone breaks. So, she's left on her own in the lunch hall at school, the only person without a phone. Which leads into a plot-line regarding lack of phones, and to her realising not only how much she uses her phone, but also how unnecessary that can be – and how it can stop her from making connections. It's helpful to have a reminder of that sometimes!

"There's still plenty of time for us to write our story."

The story also takes a look into the dangers of social media – specifically, how quickly things can spread online. When someone takes a video of Claire, it spreads swiftly – and before long, the entire world has seen it. People make fun of her, ad requests start to pour in... it all gets out of hand very quickly. As soon as the video is taken, there's no way of getting it back. And as soon as it's online, all control over it is lost in a flash. It's dangerous, and the clever way the internet is presented in this book shows that in a behind-the-scenes, but present in the background, sort of way. It just provides a bit of amped-up awareness, and a little reminder of the dangers of social media and the internet.

Read this book for...

Twinship
Life lessons
A new perspective
Focus on the importance of family
Texts and forum posts in-between chapters

Usually, the influencer is presented as someone who has their life perfectly together – and is as happy as can be. This book steps behind the veil, presenting the opposite view – what it's like when the whole world is watching and documenting your every step. It's a sweet read, with a pleasing ending and plenty of lessons taught along the way – weaving truth and honesty with fiction.

*e-arc kindly provided by NetGalley - all opinions are entirely my own*

I bought this book for myself and also have promote this book on my instagram. I currently havent read this book but am looking forward to it. as soon as I do the review will either be put up on Goodreads or my Blog

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

I received a copy of this book from NetGallery and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The story starts with a girl talking about wanting to get out of the house before her mum gets up and demands her to do work for the family blog. But she gets caught getting something to eat. There are two sisters called Claire and poppy and they are bloggers on the internet’s and everyone knows about their life. Accept one day at lunch a new boy comes to talk to Claire and she likes the idea of him not knowing anything about her life. Will it last?

The story takes an unexpected twist and is it makes the book so much better and emphasis secrets aren’t good for a family and everything should be talked about and to open up about feelings.

This book is aimed at 13 - 18 years old and this shows the other side of the internet and how some people don’t like the idea of someone knowing there whole entire life. But this is what it is like for these girls even if they don’t want it.

This can be a very good talking point in schools to bring up the internet and being aware of the dangers that what you post online is their for all to see and you need to protect themselves from being pinpointed where they are when they post something.

I very much enjoyed this story it was such a light story and so easy to read like all the characters. After reading a few reviews I was skeptical about the book but to my surprise I really enjoyed it and at some points I just wanted to read and see what more the story had to offer. I would recommend this book and would definitely read another book from this author when she brings one out!

A humorous but honest look at today's 'look at me' mentality through social media. The author does well in immersing us into the famous from the internet reality, with all the expected pros and cons and quite a few you haven't realized. The hyperbole of it all is often hilarious, but also dangerous and sad.

Including instantly likeable characters, this story was sweet but also quite truth revealing. You can't help but fall in love with Claire or Rafael and smile at their banter. I also really liked the e-mails, messages etc usually between chapters.

It's about finding your identity and feeling trapped, when you're in a situation not of your choosing. You can identify with Claire's need to be her own person. Her desire to really be seen, not 'internet' seen.

When that bombshell of a secret that ultimately changes Claire's life view drops, the book gets even more interesting. If you were gobbling down the book already (like me), you will not want to put it down at all after the reveal. And if you think you know where this book is going with that new development, you are dead wrong.

A wonderful passionate story about our place in the world and what we do with it.

I got this ARC from Netgalley. It took me awhile to read because I couldn’t get into the story and then the ending was rushed to me. The most important thing I got from this book was cyber bullying and too much internet exposure is a problem. Everything else was just meh.

Claire and Poppy are twins who were raised in the spotlight by everyone who read their mother's blog. And with every Twin Tuesday post her mom made and everytime she was forced into a photoshoot for a sponsor, Claire wanted more privacy and personal space. And I can't say I blame her.

Claire came off as entitled for most of the book, but ended up growing and becoming more of an adult by the end. The ending did feel a little rushed, and I wish it had been written out a little bit more. I liked her relationship with her sister, Poppy, and wish we had gotten to see more of that throughout the book.

Set in Gilbert, Arizona, Just For Clicks follows high school senior Claire as she determines her post high school future, struggles with family drama, and befriends new student Rafael. Claire is one half of the Dixon twins; social media icons, fashion bloggers and influencers. Claire has been contemplating ending her involvement with the family blogging business though is struck with guilt and feelings of obligation to continue to please her sister Poppy and mother who has been mommy blogging since before the girls were born.

Having broken her phone in the parking lot when arriving to school one day, Claire is left to reading a book the old fashioned way at lunch which brings new student, Rafael, into her life. He approaches Claire in the cafeteria because she’s the only person in the room not ogling a screen.

Rafael quickly captures Claire’s interest. They spend time together in and outside of school and Claire even confides in him when she discovers a life-altering secret hidden in one of her mother’s journals. With Rafael’s help, Claire confronts someone from her past, stands up for her future and finds the peace she has always yearned for.

I’m all about my contemporary slow burn romances. The anticipation, the build-up, the friends-to-more trope. I live for this. We live in a generation where everything is right now. Same day shipping and hook ups that are only a swipe away. There’s no more courting; the enjoyable process of just getting to know one another.

One thing that majorly appealed to me was Rafael’s distance from technology. We keep in touch via social media rather than snail mail, phone calls or in person interaction. He says early on that he has moved around a lot due to his father working for Doctors Without Borders and a lot of places they have stayed have bad or no reception so a cell phone was useless. This spoke to my desire to leave technology behind but it feels impossible in 2019.

I definitely feel as though Just For Clicks has an accurate representation for today’s social media climate. The desperation for views, likes, friends, comments is real especially with the growing profession of influencers. I could identify with the characters a lot not just in terms of blogging but also the validation we seek in general as a person.

Lastly, this book went much deeper than I initially thought it would. I was positively surprised and appreciated the real life family challenges that were involved rather than the typical YA friends and love interest only drama that I typically read.

I highly recommend adding Kara McDowell’s debut to your TBR!

Wow! This was a surprisingly refreshing YA read, and exactly what I needed. This story about social media fame has more to it than meets the eye - there are some pretty profound themes surrounding social media and consent, family, and identity. Also? The romance is SWOON-worthy. This story just checked all the right boxes for me: fun, deeper than you'd expect, and heartwarming. I will definitely be picking up whatever else Kara McDowell writes in the future! 4.5/5 stars.

**Thanks to NetGalley for providing with a copy of JUST FOR CLICKS by Kara McDowell in exchange for my honest review.***





Going into the book I thought it would be  cute, fun blog or vlog experience. In parts it was, but it went deeper.



Claire and Poppy are media sensations and I liked how Claire was not all full of herself and even resented the spotlight. That's refreshing in this day and age. Their mom started a blog when they were babies and it grew so popular that it continued on through their high school days..



I enjoy reading about twins and sisters, I enjoyed the family relationship.



I liked Rafe too. He was a bit different in the beginning but he grew on me. The romance was cute and not rushed which was a good thing.



I liked how the book showed the downside of fame along with some of the perks. The book reminded me of Sarah Dessen's books.

The only not so good part was the ending felt a bit rushed and just  a bit unrealistic. I mean if I wanted something for a long time I won't just decide out of the blue that I no longer want it. 

I read it in a day and a half and I liked the deeper stuff as well as the fluff. I liked the blog posts at the end of each chapter too even though they were SO SMALL......



I am impressed because this is the author's  first book.





from the back cover----

Mommy blogs are great . . . unless the blog happens to belong to your mom.

Twin sisters Claire & Poppy are accidental social media stars thanks to Mom going viral when they were babies. Now, as teens, they're expected to contribute by building their own brand. Attending a NY fashion week and receiving fan mail is a blast. Fending off internet trolls and would-be kidnappers? Not so much. Poppy embraces it. Claire hates it. Will anybody accept her as "just Claire"? And what should Claire do about Mom's old journals? The handwritten entries definitely don't sound like Mom's perfect blog persona. Worse, one of them divulges a secret that leaves Claire wondering what else in her life might be nothing but a sham . .

I was pretty invested in this, but at the same time, there wasn't really anything special that made me enjoy it. I really liked that it explored social media fame, though, and I'd love to see more books that do that!

I don't even know where to start with this review. I absolutely loved this book. I saw it a few times while browsing NetGalley and wasn't sure if I would be interested, but once I finally read the synopsis I knew I had to have this book! I was so excited to be approved to review it.

So we follow twin sisters Claire and Poppy. They pretty much grew up on the internet. Their mother, Ashely Dixon, started a fashion blog before they were born, so once the twins were born they were featured on the blog every Tuesday. The twins became internet famous before they could even walk. So once they got older, of course, they would start their own social media fame. They decided to start their own fashion vlog. At first, Claire loved the vlog and getting more fame, but slowly she got tired of it. She wants to go to college and have her own life away from the spotlight. The problem is, Poppy still loves what she does, and it will make it a lot harder for her to go on her own without Claire since everyone eats up their #twingoals.

I seriously loved this family. They have their problems, but I loved reading about them. Claire was such a fun MC to follow. I really enjoyed her wit, and her character development was great. I also really liked Poppy. She might have been a tad selfish, but her love for her twin was super sweet. Same thing with their mom, Ashley. There were so many times that she frustrated me, but for the most part, you could tell that she really loved her girls. I loved loved loved that this book took place in Gilbert, AZ. My family and I moved to Prescott Valley AZ almost a year ago, and I am in love with this place. So reading a book that takes place in AZ is icing on the cake for me. I haven't been to Gilbert yet, but I plan on it soon, and I can't wait to go to the downtown area!

So this book isn't just about blogs, vlogs, and AZ. There is so much heart in this book. That is one of the reasons I fell in love with it. This book shows, that even though this family looks perfect to the whole world, they all have real struggles and problems they deal with. And some of them are a lot scarier than others. There is also a bit of drama and a fun love interest as well. I wasn't able to put this baby down! I'm so glad that NetGalley approved me for this book! I recommend it to everyone!

3.5.

I'm really torn if I should bump my rating up to 4 stars or down to 3, because the last 1/4 of the book was my favorite part. I think I'll stick with three stars, as the story all-around was fresh and thought-provoking, but this isn't going to sit on a favorites list for me personally. A truly wonderful debut, and a different sort of book to pick up that I definitely recommend!

JUST FOR CLICKS follows Claire, the twin sister of Poppy and one third of the internet's favorite family. When all you've know since conception is how to pose in front of a camera and do cute things for a mommy blog, it can feel like your life is fake and processed simply for the benefit of others. This book follows Claire as she discovers what each member of her family do the internet lifestyle for, and if it's really for her. It also goes in-depth on how to establish relationships with others when everything about you is out in the open for anyone to see. JUST FOR CLICKS really GOES THERE, and I was invested the entire time.

TW: PTSD, attempted kidnapping

Something I LOVED about this book--especially when comparing it to other similar contemporaries--was how on-page the unique plot points were. We actually SEE Claire do coding and explain how it works. Ashley teaches Raphael how sponsorships work. The different hobbies weren't just mentioned in passing or used for convenience. As readers, we are able to see the details of it. The same goes with the setting. I've actually been to Gilbert, Arizona and the surrounding areas, and the descriptions and intricate details of what it's like to live there are accurate and full of the heart that actually exists. The details of the mountains and towns are all real and actually are places! I love fictional towns in the likes of Sarah Dessen, but I also love when books have a firm grounding in reality as well.

While I do wish at times we got Poppy's perspective, I loved the focus on twins from Claire's sole POV. I'm somewhat of a twin myself and our relationship is just like any biological twins' would be. JUST FOR CLICKS dives deep into what makes you a sibling, a relative, DNA match or not. It's so sweet and wholesome and I loved Poppy and Claire. Both got my nerves, but both have my heart. If you watch any sort of family channel or follow a family blog, then you'll be able to see what it's like to be in their shoes (to a degree). While reading this I thought of the McKnight family (of CuteGirlsHairstyles and Brooklyn and Bailey fame), and the Bucket List Family. Their kids have all been impacted in this same way. it really makes you want to go back in time and stop all your past judgments of internet personas.

While I did really enjoy this book, I had a few issues. Mostly they revolved around the romance. I was so bored by it and felt like it was forced by the author. Raphael is a POC which was neat, but he didn't seem like a proper fit for Claire. And while she did forgive him for stalking up on her life and pretending to not know anything about it, I would not have. That crosses a line, even if your life is extremely public. Besides Claire, Poppy, and Ashley, I felt like most of the characters were pretty one-dimensional. We saw glimpses of quite a few, especially since BITES introduced internet friends into the mix (in a really clever and fun way), but I honestly didn't care about any and therefore didn't feel betrayed by Olivia or Nora's behavior.

The writing was pretty slow, but just when I felt like I was going to be bored something really exciting would happen and I was hooked again. In all honesty, the acknowledgements were one of my favorite parts. I really felt like the author's true personality shone through and I wanted that style to appear more in her book. (Yes, I'm the person that reads the acknowledgements. Don't judge). The crawling pace and uninteresting romance were really the only flaws I saw in this fresh and reflective debut. This is a story that will stick with you after you finish reading, and I'm so glad I chose to pick this one up.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an arc of this to review. All opinions are my own.