Such a Bad Influence

This is the second novel I've read in the past week in which a young woman is concerned that her mother is exploiting and monetizing her younger sister's online presence. In [b:Allow Me to Introduce Myself 198385439 Allow Me to Introduce Myself Onyi Nwabineli https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1702307320l/198385439.SY75.jpg 201284710], the MC wants to intervene before her 7 year old sister is irreparably damaged from constant online exposure. In Olivia Muenter's debut Such a Bad Influence, Hazel Davis is desperately trying to find her 18 year old mega-influencer sister, who has disappeared off social media and IRL. Starting with a viral video of Evie, age 5, their mother has cleverly built herself and her daughter into a financially lucrative brand. When Hazel expresses her worries shortly before Evie vanishes, the teenager with millions of followers reassures her that she's never been more happy. So did Evie have a nervous breakdown? Is her disappearance a publicity stunt? What if something more sinister is going on? I won't reveal more of the plot except to say that it takes a completely unexpected, jaw-dropping turn, and the ending is rather disturbing. The key characterizations of Hazel, Evie, and their mother lack the nuance that makes Allow Me to Introduce Myself so compelling. Both books explore the impact of constantly being online, although Bad Influence digs more into the subculture of podcasts and reddit threads, where people feel free to analyze and judge every social media post. I suspect we'll see more stories like these as the first generation of Instagram kids become adults with strong feelings about the childhood images that they never consented to share, living forever online.