I wanted to love this so much more than I did. I loved the mystery paired with the illusive influencers whose lives don't match up to their social media. I found myself not at all invested in our murder victim, nothing really pulling me to want this huge mystery solved. I thought the dialogue fell flat and honestly when the twists came about I didn't find myself invested enough to really care.

This was an interesting take on the influence and momfluencer trends that we've been forced to live with for the past two-ish decades. It's definitely a pointed look at certain celebrity families without naming them, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading despite that.

Thank you NetGalley, for this uncorrected ebook ARC of 'The Influencers' by Anna-Marie McLemore, in exchange for an honest review - expected release date 04/15/2025

This book sounded interesting - kinda Kardashian-esque, but it was extremely slow paced, and the characters were flat and boring. I also hated all their names, so much. I don't like to DNF my books but I didn't want to waste any more time on this one. I made it 25% in, and all it did was continuously explain why the killer couldn't be any of the Iversons. Move on, geez. Something about the writing really bothered me too, the sentences seemed choppy - they didn't flow well. Not my cup of tea...

May Iverson, known as Mother May I, has built an empire as a mother and family influencer. However, when her house burns down and her husband is found dead, her daughters—who helped make her famous—become the primary suspects. Beyond uncovering the culprit, the story delves into the darker side of family influencers, highlighting the dangers of exploiting children for content creation.

I thought the premise of this book was excellent. It effectively captured the complexities of parasocial relationships between fans and influencers, as well as the consequences of exploiting children for views. While the opening chapters were engaging, the pacing slowed considerably as the story progressed. Although it is positioned as a murder mystery, I felt that the central mystery became somewhat overshadowed by the exploration of other themes. That said, the story has significant potential, and with less filler, it could be a truly compelling read.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

In as many days as the murder investigation lasted, I tried to like this book. I gave up about 3 weeks in (both for the investigation and my actual reading time) and decided not to finish. I couldn't find a likeable character - well maybe for the missing March Iverson girl. I didn't care what happened to any of the characters and it really made me sad because I loved the premise of this book! The execution...not so much.

Actually closer to 3.5 Stars*

This book explores fame, social media, reality stars' lives, and the harm it can do to the children involved. I felt like there were clear parallels to the Kardashians, the LaBrant Fam, and other family vloggers, the story dives into the impact of living under the public eye and the toll it takes on personal identity.

I thought the book had such an amazing premise and was so excited about where it could go! However, I found myself less drawn to the central mystery. The plot, while engaging at times, felt secondary to the exploration of the characters' relationships with fame, making it hard to fully invest in the unraveling mystery itself.

What I did appreciate was McLemore's choice to narrate the story from the perspective of the followers – fans who are both fascinated by and critical of their idols. How fans can both crave drama and also turn their cheek as soon as their "fav" does something they don't agree with. This format added a layer of complexity, offering a fresh take on the way a story can be told.

Overall, "The Influencers" delivers a needed message about the dangers of having children grow up as influencers on social media, but the mystery didn’t quite grab me like I thought it would.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This storyline had an intriguing concept, however it fell short of keeping my interest. There were many characters that seemed hard to follow, the mystery took a long tome to get to, and it lost my interest.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

I really wanted to like this book! I tried rereading this book multiple times and just couldn’t get into it. I found that there were too many characters which made the story line hard to follow. The storyline seemed scattered and a bit all over the place. I did enjoy the ending, but it took way too long to get through this book. I give the book 2 out of 5 stars. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced read.

How can a story of murder and two-faced influencer life be boring? Somehow this was a slog.

It took too long for the month sisters to separate into different people. The sections from the perspective of the viewers really felt like having a friend tell me all the details and fan theories about a show I didn't watch, I felt like I was nodding politely and skimming. There were heavy hints for ages about Luke, to where I didn't care for any more WHO COULD HE BE?!?!?! dramatics. Cool concept, but ultimately this wasn't for me.

The naming convention of the main characters was so distracting I could barely finish the book. Also, are we not growing tired of hearing about Influencers and their phony behavior. It is terrible, Next subject, please!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book had such a fun and fresh concept that it immediately caught my eye! Who wouldn’t love a whodunnit starring a seemingly picture-perfect influencer family? Unfortunately, the story itself fell short of expectations and felt more like a flaunt of wealth-related knowledge than a true murder mystery.

My rating: 3.75 ⭐️

The Blurb:
'What do you really know about the people you’ve made famous?

“Mother May I” Iverson has spent the past twenty-five years building a massively successful influencer empire with endearing videos featuring her five mixed-race daughters. But the girls are all grown up now, and the ramifications of having their entire childhoods commodified start to spill over into public view, especially in light of the pivotal question: Who killed May’s newlywed husband and then torched her mansion to cover it up?

April is a businesswoman feuding with her mother over intellectual property; twins June and July are influencers themselves, threatening to overtake May’s spotlight; January is a theater tech who steers clear of her mother and the limelight; and the youngest . . . well, March has somehow completely disappeared. As the days pass post-murder, everyone has an opinion—the sisters, May, a mysterious “friend of the family,” and the collective voice of the online audience watching the family’s every move—with suspicion flying every direction.

A campy and escapist exploration of race, gender, sexuality, and class, The Influencers is an evisceration of influencer culture and how alienating traditional expectations can be, ripe for the current moment when the first generation of children made famous by their parents are, now, all grown up—and looking for retribution.'

This book was fascinating. I enjoyed how it was written, learning more about each character as we went, and the investigation. I will say that I quickly guessed one thing within the book (which felt pretty predictable in my opinion), however, once I got about 70% through the book I couldn't put the book down.

I did eat it up. The first 70% of the book is a bit slow and somewhat uninteresting (in my opinion) and I didn't feel the need to pick up my book throughout the day (which explains why it took me almost half the month to read it). I would only read it before bed, but for the last 30%, I stayed up nearly 4 AM to finish it!

Thank you Netgalley and Anna-Marie McLemore for letting me read this book early and be trusted with your words. I cannot wait to read more from Anna-Marie McLemore's work.

The Influencers by Anna-Marie McLemore is a sharp, thought-provoking exploration of fame, family, and the consequences of living your life in the public eye. The novel centers on “Mother May I” Iverson, a wildly successful influencer who has built her empire around endearing videos of her five mixed-race daughters. But now that the girls are grown up, the fallout from their childhoods being commodified is starting to unravel, especially after May's husband is murdered and her mansion is set on fire in a mysterious act.

McLemore masterfully captures the tension between personal identity and public image, showing how the Iversons' lives have been shaped by their mother’s decisions. The novel is told from multiple perspectives, with each sister’s unique voice adding depth to the story. The online audience, always lurking in the background, adds another layer of intrigue as they become part of the investigation, constantly speculating and casting judgment on the family’s every action.

The Influencers is a compelling and suspenseful read that dives into the darker side of fame. It’s a nuanced examination of how growing up under the constant scrutiny of the public eye can impact relationships, self-worth, and personal agency. McLemore’s storytelling is sharp, engaging, and full of twists that keep you guessing until the very end. This is a book about family secrets, betrayal, and the high price of fame, and it will stay with you long after the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to honestly review.

I loved the storyline of a the behind the scenes of an influencer family. The twists and turns were so good and it kept me on my toes. I enjoyed getting all of the characters thoughts and feelings. But my favorite was the thoughts of the "public" as the events unfolded.

I really enjoyed this adult debut by Anna-Marie McLemore. I think they captured influencer culture and the ramifications of using your children as content perfectly.

May Iverson is rich and famous by being a relatable mom who puts every aspect of her life out there. Which means her children have every aspect of their lives put out there too. When May's husband is murdered in their mansion, everyone is a suspect. Three out of five of her children stay out of the spotlight now that they're old enough to decide for themselves. The twins however have their own very successful brand.

The story unfolds with every character's point of view touched upon. I thought each person was distinctive and realistic. There's also the points of view from the loyal followers of May and the twins. That was a clever way of providing background information.

I felt so bad for all of these kids that are adults now but still dealing with everything their mom put them through. They were never allowed to just be kids and have privacy or autonomy and agency. I feel bad for everyone who really has or is currently going through this.

I highly recommend The Influencers if you want a contemporary novel with a mystery element and social commentary. It was smart, thought-provoking and emotional.

Thank you The Dial Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

wow - surprised myself by really enjoying this! It was a fun read and i thought the ending tied up nicely. feels pertinent without being too overtly in your face. will definitely recommend to patrons.

🌟 Rating: 4/5

This book was an absolute whirlwind. Equal parts murder mystery, family drama, and sharp social commentary, The Influencers dives headfirst into the messy, high-stakes world of internet fame—and the fallout when the cameras stop rolling. It’s campy, cutting, and completely addictive.

At the center of it all is “Mother May I” Iverson, the influencer matriarch who turned her daughters into the stars of her empire. But the real heart of the story lies with the sisters themselves, each grappling with the legacy of growing up in the public eye. April, June, July, January, and March (yes, the calendar names work) are messy, flawed, and deeply human. Their relationships with each other—and their complicated feelings about their mother—are what drive the narrative, and the tension is palpable as secrets start to unravel.

The murder mystery adds another layer of intrigue, with suspicion shifting between characters and the collective voice of the internet weighing in like a Greek chorus. It’s a smart and biting commentary on how influencer culture commodifies not just individuals but entire families, and how that can ripple through race, gender, and class dynamics.

The tone walks a fine line between campy fun and serious introspection, and for the most part, it works. The story doesn’t shy away from asking hard questions about exploitation and retribution, but it also leans into the absurdity of the influencer world in a way that’s darkly funny.

My only critique is that the multiple perspectives occasionally felt chaotic—it’s a lot to juggle, and some characters didn’t get as much depth as I wanted. But even with that, the book kept me hooked right up to the explosive finale.

If you’re into sharp, fast-paced stories with a mix of family drama and cutting cultural critique, The Influencers is definitely worth a read. It’s bold, timely, and will leave you questioning everything you think you know about the people behind the screens.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reader copy.

The device of having all the main characters' first names be months in the year added a flourish to the idea of this novel--that May Iverson's social media empire gets burned to the ground and the culprit is likely one of her daughters. Unfortunately, the beginning of this novel was so frantic in its conveying of information that it was hard to keep track of which daughter was which and why some person named August was murdered (since the murder is the catalyst for the plot, it was frustrating to not even know who this person was, which made me not care about what happened to them).

While I really enjoyed the premise of this book, I found myself slightly annoyed by the characterization of June & July.

They did not seem as fully fleshed out as the other siblings and as the most chaotic character, she seemed to become a caricature.

Very interested concept for a novel in 2024! I don’t doubt that children of influencers will revolt against their parents in the same way that the Iversons did.

Only a matter of time.

Such a clever thriller! I love all things influencer, but the category is getting pretty crowded these days -- and this one definitely stands out. The sisters can be a little hard to tell apart in the beginning, but they each have a unique voice and I was impressed at the deep dive into such a niche, strange world. It's also really funny -- the perfect beach read!