August Ingraham, the second (and much younger) husband of May Iverson, is murdered and their house is set on fire, but who is responsible? May Iverson is a famous family vlogger, known as ‘Mother May I’, who has shared the lives of herself and her 5 children - April, June, July, January and March. The story centers around the ethics of family vloggers and the children who are forced to grow up in front of the camera. Much of the story is told through flashbacks via anonymous accounts releasing unedited footage taken from stolen cameras. While the concept of the book intrigues me, I wish the author was more subtle. I felt a lot of the twists were predictable. Additionally, for how long the book is, not a lot happened plot wise. Overall, the concept was interesting, but the ‘mystery’ wasn’t as gripping as I’d hoped.

3/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely brilliant! It was definitely more of a literary slow burn mystery than an action packed thriller, but it was gripping all the same. I was hooked by the characters: the siblings. Each one was so compelling with their complicated relationships with each their mother and childhood. I admired April and how strong she was when forced into motherhood at such a young age by her mother. June and July were an interesting pair, but even more interesting when they started to split apart. January was so confident in herself, pursuing a career her mother could never have approved of. I won’t reveal my favorite, but I am sure you will guess. And of course each sibling had their own secrets that were slowly, carefully revealed over the course of the story. I liked that we got each of their perspectives, and also outsider perspectives. I did struggle a bit with how many perspectives there were and how often it changed. But the ending made everything worth it and was so amazing. Overall this was a fantastic book and I highly recommend it!

this was a DNF for me- this just wasn't for me. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the eARC!

I enjoyed this book so much! The chapters are super short, which made it feel like I was flying through this book - and I loved the layout. There were chapters from different characters' points of view, and then interspersed were chapters from the perspective of people who viewed their lives/posts, and chapters with a specific true crime woman doing posts about the crime/mystery.

I did have a little trouble keeping the characters separate in my mind at first, but then they are laid out in birth order, and that helped it make a lot more sense. The only twist I was able to guess was where March ended up hiding.
But I loved how this laid out the different paths that influencer children might take and how they might feel. It was a really great exploration of influencers in general. I will definitely read this again to see what I can pick up the second time that I didn't notice the first time.

I heard about the Influencers on Fabled Bookshop’s winter preview and immediately requested it on NetGalley because I hate waiting for things. I am surprised to see such low ratings because I found it absolutely unputdownable. Every time I could, I was reading until I got through the last line, but maybe that’s because I am endlessly fasciated by people and their motivations for doing things. In The Influencers, we watch the downfall of a social media kingdom of Mother May I. Should it have been called Mommie Dearest?


California recently enacted a law that children who are used in their parents’ social media to make money must have money set aside for them, and I think this is even more fascinating set against that back drop. I loved the way the story unfolded from multiple points of view, the red herrings that were thrown in, and the ways the sisters were differentiated from each other. I think the resolution of the mystery could have been a little more satisfying, but this was a strong 4.5 stars for me.

When a member of a family of influencers (think the Kardashians) dies, we get chapters from all of the family members' perspectives while trying to figure out who caused the death, which was under suspicious circumstances. Each member of the family is named for the month in which they were born (usually), which is a unique twist. This book is relevant to current exposés about influencer culture and how much of one's family to share with the world. LGBTQ+ representation, complex family issues, divorce, rich people behaving badly, and child exploitation.

This book was so disappointing.

I requested this from NetGalley based on the premise because I thought it would be an interesting and well put together mystery.

This story turned out to me so dramatically underwhelming. I literally had to force myself to finish it.

Again; reading is subjective so if you want to read this by all means enjoy but for me I really don’t like a lot of nagging, dramatic stories with family drama. This felt like a reality show in the worst way.

Once I realized it was a YA Novel it clicked. I am not a heavy YA reader so I think that could have added to the disappointment as well.

1/5 stars: This is McLemore's stand-alone which is a BIPOC Literary Mystery that follows the aftermath of a massively successful influencer's husband's murder and the fire that destroyed her mansion. The main suspects, the woman's children whose childhood she put online and profited off of. But they're are all grown up now and the ramifications of having their entire childhoods commodified start to spill over into public view. This has a mystery at the center but it's not the main plot point, it's about the lives of the five children, now adults, and how they're dealing with the way they grew up and those ramifications. Told in multiple POVs, McLemore's writing and character work are nicely done. McLemore touches on some very sensitive topics; so take care and CWs. Unfortunately, this just wasn't a book for me; leading me to DNF it at 16%.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book was a bit confusing intially as it was told from multiple perspectives with similar in nature names. I did enjoy this family drama and thought it reminded me of the TV show Filthy Rich, wildly entertaining while sharp and suspenseful.

I’m so grateful to have been given the chance to read this arc! My first one!

I loved the premise of this book, and the different POVs in this story are unlike anything I have encountered before. The group POVs especially held my curiosity.

That being said I did find it a little difficult to maintain the timeline and follow each characters train of thought. This book slowed down a lot for me in the middle but that twist!! Toward the end!! I did not see it coming and I was kicking myself because I definitely should have.

The conclusion of this was a little lackluster for me but dang this was a great case study in what influencers are bringing about for their kids if they include them in content, and I appreciated this book bringing up that conversation.

The plot intrigued me and I figured I'd eat this up, but it fell flat for me. I liked the suspense leading up to trying to figure out how August died, and all of the different POVs with all of the siblings. It had me going for just one more chapter 10x a night! But it was definitely way too long. I figured I was at 50% and when I checked I was only at 17%! Then, with all of the build-up to the ending, it just wasn't surprising and exciting like I had hoped it would be. Great concept, but didn't love the execution.

This one wasn't my favorite. The writing style was certainly unique, but it didn't hit with me. I didn't like the characters, the plot was just okay, and the book was WAY too long, in my opinion. I'm sure many will love this one but it just wasn't for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is well timed with so many family you tubers and social media influences coming under scandal and scrutiny lately. This doesn’t story doesn’t seem so far fetched.

This was an enjoyable debut from various POV’s. There were twists and turns and I did not see that coming. I enjoyed it. It wasn’t the best book I’ve read this year but the right audience will love it. I would recommend it to those who love true crime and influencer fall from grace.

Oof. This had a lot of potential but didn’t quite make the mark. The characters lacked, the plot lacked, everything just lacked… While the plot is timely with the uprising of family vloggers/influencers, the story itself fell flat.

Five sisters with obnoxiously annoying names, and their mother's social media empire, also annoyingly named, are at the center of this mystery that left me annoyed. So much so that I ended up DNF-ing this at about the 30 percent mark. I really tried my best, but I just think this wasn't the right one for me. Social media is already insufferable, but this took the cake. So grateful for NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC, but sadly this one didn't work for me.

Ever wonder what happens when a social media empire burns to the ground? In The Influencers, five sisters are accused of torching their mother's carefully curated kingdom. And honestly, you might end up rooting for them.

McLemore's adult debut follows the family behind Mother May I, a social media phenomenon who turned her daughters – April, June, July, January, and the vanished March – into unwitting stars. But beneath the Valencia filters and perfectly staged moments lies a powder keg of resentment just waiting for a match.

The story unfolds through the sisters' eyes, each voice distinct and crackling with tension. April fights her mother for control of her own image. The twins, June and July, threaten to outshine their creator. And at the center of it all, a mother who never learned when to put down the camera.

What makes this book sing isn't just its delicious mystery – it's how McLemore dissects our obsession with influence. They show us the bruises beneath the highlight reel, the way parents can turn children into content, and the brutal cost of living life through a lens.

Sure, the story sometimes gets tangled in its own web of perspectives, and thriller purists might grumble about the pacing. But that's missing the point. This isn't just a whodunit – it's a sharp-toothed commentary on what happens when your childhood becomes someone else's brand.

The Influencers isn't perfect, but it's perfectly timed. In an era where kids become content before they can walk, McLemore asks: at what point does influence become abuse? And when your whole life is content, what wouldn't you do to take back control?

3.5 stars. This is a good choice if you like family drama with social commentary and a dash of arson.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honesr review.


I had to DNF this book. Unfortunately I dont think I was the target audience and was pretty bored while reading. I liked the premise and felt it had great potential but just fell flat for me.

DNF @ 20%

I'm so sad that this didn't work for me :( I loved Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore, so I was hopeful going into this one. I started reading this in December and didn't pick it up again until mid-February as a last ditch effort. I loved the idea, and the family dynamics were fascinating. I was honestly more invested in where March (one of the Iverson sisters) was than who murdered May Iverson's husband, August. There are so many mixed reviews on this book that I think you just need to pick it up and see for yourself; you might end up vibing with it! To me it just feels waaaay too long.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book!

Some people will like this book, and it’s well written. There was some interesting turns and twists. Overall, this book is a summary of a lot of online conversations in a novel. The takes and metaphors in it are really obvious to me, and it doesn’t really have a fresh perspective. It’s like she’s hammering you over the head with the point. I don’t mind this book at all and I’m sure it’ll sell, but it wasn’t a revelation.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novel early in exchange for a review.

I probably wasn't the right audience for this book.

The blurbs describe it as "a campy and escapist exploration of race, gender, sexuality, and class" -- and to me it was not that at all. Race, gender, and sexuality were used as simple plot devices to score points as much with readers of the book as any influencer would do in trying to sell a product.

I realize that's more or less the point of publishing a novel, but it's not one that worked well for me.