People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd

Followed by millions. Hunted by one.

THE INFLUENCER

I need to be liked. It’s my job

My personal brand is built on honesty.

Family, friendship, cheering other mothers on when things get tough.

Doing it together - telling it like it really is – that’s what @the_Mamabare is all about.

THE HUSBAND

I just want a quiet life

Her adoring followers feel like they understand my wife.

My wife certainly understands them.

I know she is beautiful, smart, ambitious, charming.

But she’s also a liar.

THE FOLLOWER

I want revenge

The filter's about to drop.

I’ve been watching you and your family very closely.

You've ruined my life.

Now I'm going to ruin yours.

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WARNING: There is a small amount of body horror right near the end of this novel, and miscarriage is discussed between characters.

Social media really is a two edged sword, hmm?

(Yes, I'm aware I'm posting this online for other people to see. I am large, I contain multitudes.)

This plays out almost like a romcom to start with; I can picture this movie, where the mother, probably Jennifer Garner or Katherine Heigl, realises that she's missing out on real life by spending so much time online, and the parents happily reunite and take the kids to a playground or something. That's a great movie, and it would have been a great book. But there's that pesky third pov character in the background, laying plans and scheming plots...

To be clear, I really enjoyed this, and I knew from the blurb what kind of story it was. Ellery does a great job at ramping up the suspense, building on small, unnoticed moments to create almost unbearable tension. Emmy is a character you love to hate, blithely lying to everyone while telling herself it's fine because everyone does it - but she does put a tremendous amount of work into her career. Still, I can't really forgive her for what she does to Polly.

I'm a little worried that every novel (that I've read) about Instagram Influencers always shows them lying and cheating and pretending to be something that they're not. Are there actual honest influencers out there? If not, why does anyone follow them? I write this as someone who doesn't spend much time on socials, so maybe I'm missing something obvious.

I really enjoyed this. I had suspicions about characters, one of which was slightly right and one which was way off, and I love being surprised in a book. It's rare enough, so I really enjoyed it here. This is a great read if you're interested in the behind the scenes of InstaMums, or enjoy a slow burn thriller.

People Like Her publishes today, 21st January, 2021 in both the USA and the UK.