Tuesday 4 February 2020

Book Review - Filter This by Sophie White - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Amazon UK
Title: Filter This
Author: Sophie White
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Hachette Books Ireland
Publication Date: 6th February 2020
Rating: 4 Stars

Ali Jones is hell-bent on achieving her #lifegoals: 10,000+ Instagram followers and a win at the upcoming Glossie Awards. So when she inadvertently leads people to believe she's pregnant and immediately gains thousands of followers, she realises that riding the 'Mummy Influencer' wave could be her ticket to Insta-success. But then Tinder Sam, Ali's one-night-stand, resurfaces, determined to take his new role as baby daddy seriously.

Elsewhere on Insta, Ireland's biggest influencer (and Ali's idol) Shelly Devine has it all -- at least on screen. But beneath the immaculately curated feed, Shelly harbours a secret from her followers -- and her husband --- but who will be the first to discover what she's been hiding?

As Ali's lies spiral out of control, and Shelly starts to take a hard look at her life choices, what will it take for them to realise what's truly important before they lose what matters most?

I do love a book that features social media influencers and the assorted tricks they use to make their lives looks perfect. 

And Shelley and Ali are just two such influencers, both who seem to live on Instagram a lot more than in real life and thus have lost all track of reality. 

Especially Ali who capitalises on some misunderstandings that suddenly give her a big boost in followers. I was amused to see just how this comedy of errors for her would pan out,

While at the same time she is also regularly visiting her father who unfortunately no longer recognises his daughter, and all the associated feelings that go with that. In fact if it wasn't for all the light hearted hi-jinx in the rest of the book, this could have been quite a different tone of book. 

Meanwhile Shelley not only has her own Insta, but she manages her husbands, who is reluctant to do anything but likes the payoff, and also her 3 year old daughter, who seems almost like an accessory than a daughter initially. 

This is a contemporary really up to date story that had me smiling, laughing, gasping at some of the goings on, and generally feeling good about myself. 

I did at one point while reading wonder if I should start taking 100s of photos to find the perfect one with perfect lighting, before using filters and editing software to improve it further before posting to my own Insta... but then I remembered life is far too short, so I'll stick with the followers I have!

An incredibly entertaining debut novel and I'm delighted to see at the end of it that there will be a sequel, and it means I don't have to say goodbye to Shelley and Ali just yet, as I need to see what they get up to next. 

Thank you to Hachette Books Ireland and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

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