Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my opinion.

Really loved the concept, but the book itself was kind of a hot mess. I also kept getting tripped up by the character names - annoying!

I'm endlessly fascinated by "mommy influencers" so this was a quick "want to read" for me. The actual novel didn't quite live up to promised glimpse behind the profile-- it felt like a fairly traditional domestic mystery/thriller. It was also too long. Fine, not great.

The Influencers is a stylish, provocative whodunit—equal parts campy entertainment and social critique. Its inventive narrative voice and self-aware tone make it a standout for readers intrigued by the dark side of online fame, parasocial dynamics, and the ethics of family-as-brand. If you're into morally complex mysteries, media-savvy satire, and LGBTQ+ depth, this is a smart, timely read—just expect its pacing and tone to fluctuate. Would be perfect for fans of Yellowface, Followers, Such a Bad Influence and People Like Her.

What a fun read, I loved this one and binged so quickly. Perfect Summer read. All the things you want in a quick read

3.5 stars rounded up. This was a fun, fast-paced book in the sense that it had short chapters and an entertaining premise. I didn't particularly care about any of the characters and the mystery was pretty weak. The book as a whole held my attention though, especially since I mainly read it as a satire of the influencer trend. I'm not sure if this was definitely inspired by the Kardashians since I'm only sort of vaguely familiar with them, but I got the feeling it probably was. It was a fun book either way.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

The Influencers had such an interesting premise and blurb but I dont think it lived up to its potential. I think a lot of it had to do with the way it was broken up into so many different bouncing back and forth chapters, there was definitely less intrigue and thrill than i was expecting and the characters were not relatable with the exception of April and maybe January. I did power through and finish but ended up skimming most of the ending. On the positive side, the cover is very good.

I had high hopes for this book after reading the premise, but unfortunately, it was hard for me to stay engaged. The characters were tough to enjoy and I struggled to find the energy to finish it. I look forward to trying another book by the author in the future, but this one just didn't do it for me.

The Influencers sounded like a fun read, but for me, it never really took off. The characters were kind of irritating, which may have been the point, and the plot felt quite predictable. Not the one for me.

This was super fast paced and captivating, I really enjoyed it, but did find it a tiny bit predictable, but that doesn't make or break things for me. I had a lot of fun reading it.

I really enjoyed this. I found the pacing to be great and I enjoyed learning the layers of the mystery and the characters that were a part of it. I often find that books about influencers and the internet can be dated, but I don't think this one is. I found the that book played with the internet and the real world well to explore what had happened and who was in the story.

"The Influencers" by Anna-Marie McLemore immediately caught my eye with its incredibly timely and provocative premise: a hugely successful social media influencer's empire literally goes up in flames, and her five mixed-race daughters, who were the foundation of her fame, become the prime suspects. As an ARC reader, I was eager to dive into a story that promised to dissect influencer culture and its real-world ramifications.

The book definitely sets out to explore some weighty themes, delving into race, gender, sexuality, and class within the context of a family whose entire childhoods were commodified for public consumption. Each sister represents a different facet of this legacy, from business conflicts to vying for the spotlight, or trying to escape it entirely. The central mystery of who killed the newlywed husband and torched the mansion provides a clear narrative drive.

However, despite the compelling setup and the important themes it aims to tackle, I found the execution of "The Influencers" struggled to fully deliver. While the book is described as "campy and escapist," for me, this stylistic choice often clashed with the darker, more serious aspects of the story it was trying to tell. The tone felt inconsistent, making it difficult to fully invest in the characters or the mystery. The exploration of influencer culture, which held so much promise, ultimately felt more like a surface-level critique rather than the "evisceration" hinted at in the description. The narrative threads, particularly with the large cast of sisters and the various online commentators, often felt disjointed, making it hard to feel deeply connected to the plot or the characters' emotional journeys.

Ultimately, "The Influencers" has a powerful and relevant concept at its core, but for me, the uneven tone and scattered execution prevented it from fully realizing its potential.

★★☆☆☆

#TheInfluencers #AnnaMarieMcLemore #Mystery #BookReview #ARC #Bookstagram #InfluencerCulture #SocialMedia #FamilyDrama #Thriller #UnevenRead #Disappointing

From the title and synopsis, I thought it was definitely my type of book. But it really wasn't my cup of tea. I felt it was boring and was unable to finish it fully.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I was so excited for this book when I was announced. As someone a little fascinated by influencers and the media personalities of yesteryear, I expected this book to be right up my alley. Only it really wasn't.

I enjoy Anna-Marie McLemore's work highly and this is just not their best work. Or, more likely, their more contemporary adult work isn't for me. Not a fan, though I admire how much work must have gone into this.

Three stars.

I wanted to like this one so much from the cover blurb but the characters were underwhelming to me. They didn’t have much depth at all and it didn’t quite resonate like I would have hoped

I enjoyed this book a lot! I do not like to admit it, but when I started a YouTube channel I wanted to do a family vlog. Thankfully, my kids were not down. Neither was my husband. My channel went in a different direction and the rest is history. Yet, the complicated dynamics between family vloggers is fascinating, and this book definitely explores those complications. On top of all this, we have a who-done-it to solve too!

The Iversons, all named after months of the year, are an interesting bunch. Each has a unique and interesting personality. I also enjoyed that the twin dynamic was explored as well. I loved to hate some of the characters while others were more endearing, slightly.

I enjoyed the short chapters, as it made it easily bingeable while able to walk away from when I needed to. It was easily digestible this way. I would recommend this book to any person who likes a good murder mystery and who enjoys exploring the ways in which the internet has changed things.

The premise of this was so exciting to me, but unfortunately it just didn't pan out and I had a really tough time finishing it. I'd try another book from this author in the future, but unfortunately this one just didn't work out for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Well - I was intrigued by the subject matter, but by 20% I was just confused and disenchanted with the book.

This is one single book - trying to be 2 books at once - a murder mystery with all of the subplots and stories that go along with finding out who killed her. Then there was a woman's lit side that was more along the lines of exploring the lives of the kids that grow up into adults with their entire lives being shown online. I really find myself wishing it had just stayed with the subject of a murder mystery! I feel like that was the storyline that was more thought out and had more of a plotline to follow - the live of the daughters that were grown up now? That was very disjointed and really hard to follow. I couldn't connect with any of the girls, and didn't find that there was a voice there.

I really wanted to enjoy this one as I do think that this is an interesting subject to be diving into!

Social media stardom gives us a satirical dive into the exclusive world. In the current world of social media this books gives an interesting look into fame and family dynamics.

I liked this one! It’s part mystery, part deep dive into the world of social media influencers (specifically mommy bloggers). While I went in expecting more of a mystery, it turned out to be more of a commentary on influencer culture and its impact on both the individuals creating the content and those of us watching it unfold.

There was one plot twist I didn’t see coming at all, and honestly, that storyline ended up being my favorite part of the book. I just wish I could’ve connected more with the characters. There were a lot of them! That made it difficult to form a genuine attachment to anyone. That said, I did love June. I’m always a fan of a morally gray character with some hidden heart.

All in all, it was an interesting read that made me reflect, even if it didn’t totally blow me away.

I really wanted to like this book, but it was a little boring. Yes, there was a murder mystery plot to it, but it was a little sloppy and tried too hard to be Kardashian-esque that I couldn't get into it. I pushed myself through, but with so many dull characters to follow, it was hard to get into it.