Influence by Sara Shepard and Lilia Buckingham | Audiobook Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Get ready to delve into the world of teen influencers like you've never done before--from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of PRETTY LITTLE LIARS Sara Shepard and sixteen-year-old actress and social media personality Lilia Buckingham comes a twisty mystery that takes place in the fiercely competitive world of Internet stars.
After a video she makes goes viral, everyone knows Delilah Rollins. And now that she's in LA, Delilah's standing on the edge of something incredible. Everything is going to change. She has no idea how much.
Jasmine Walters-Diaz grew up in the spotlight. A child star turned media darling, the posts of her in her classic Lulu C. rainbow skirt practically break the Internet. But if the world knew who Jasmine really was, her perfect life? Canceled.
Fiona Jacobs is so funny--the kind of girl for whom a crowd parts--no wonder she's always smiling But on the inside? The girl's a hot mess. And when someone comes out of the shadows with a secret from her past, it's one that won't just embarrass Fiona: it will ruin her.
Who wouldn't want to be Scarlet Leigh? Just look at her Instagram. Scarlet isn't just styled to perfection: she is perfection. Scarlet has a gorgeous, famous boyfriend named Jack and there's a whole fanbase about their ship. To everyone watching online, their lives seem perfect . . . but are they really? The sun is hot in California . . . and someone's going to get burned.

Why Did I Listen To Influence by Sara Shepard and Lilia Buckingham?

Influence by Sara Shepard and Lilia Buckingham was sitting on my TBR cart, yet, I also happened to have the audiobook version. Also? This book seemed like it would be a good palate cleanser, as it was different from the other books I had picked up. Additionally, I love stories about messy people — especially messy famous people. So, all these factors in hand, I decided now was a good time to give it a go.

What’s The Story Here?

Influence follows three main point of view characters and one character who is pivotal to the story but not a point of view character. There is Delilah who has just moved to LA after a video of her rescuing a puppy went viral. She’s hoping to capitalize on her newfound internet fame. There is Fiona who is poised to be on a new TV show. She is a sparkling internet personality. Only, she has some secrets from her past that could ruin her.

Additionally, there is Jasmine who was famous for wearing a rainbow skirt as a little kid and now she has to maintain that squeaky clean image for her brand. The only issue is that Jasmine is gay but she can’t come out because of her image. Finally Scarlet Leigh is the one who is pivotal to the story. She’s a blonde haired it girl who is at the top of the influencing game. Things will turn deadly for one of these characters and someone is responsible for the murder, but who?

How Did I Like Influence?

Influence is gossipy and juicy. I liked that each of the main characters was flawed. It was interesting to get the dark side of being famous on the internet. I am not sure how accurate it all is because my portion of the internet is relatively small. The mystery and the twists and turns of the plot kept me reading on. I would say I didn’t take Influence super seriously, but I did have a good time reading it. It is a good in between reads sort of book. Plus, it is a standalone.

How’s The Narration?

The audiobook of Influence is narrated by the co-author Lilia Buckingham. It is 7 hours and 23 minutes long. I listened to this at 1.5x speed. Buckingham is an okay narrator — definitely better sped up. The characters do all sound kind of similar as well. Also — apparently Buckingham is a famous influencer? But I am an old, so I had no idea who she was before listening to this book. It actually made me think of the I Am Wearing Pantaloons meme. Anyways, this isn’t a bad audiobook, so if you are so inclined, give it a shot.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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