Description
Fifteen-year-old Becca has been the face of @BeccaBakes since she was old enough to hold a wooden spoon. Her online success has kept Becca, her mum and manager aunt comfortable. Lately, though, Becca's followers have been pointing out she is no longer a cute flour-covered toddler, something Becca becomes more aware of with each pimple she sprouts.
Add no real friends or social life and Becca wonders if the influencer life is for her. Her only outlet - her poetry. When she forms an unexpected friendship Becca is faced with a choice. Does she continue to live the 'online' life she no longer wants and risk losing her first true friend? Or face her aunt and mum and finally brave a taste of the 'real' life she so desperately craves?
Review
This is a terrific book written by Australian author, Kat Ost, and published in the Rhiza Shorts series, which are easy to read novels covering subjects that directly affect today’s teens, in this instance the growing online influencer business.
At fifteen, Becca wants more out of life than being an online influencer, a life that was foisted upon her when she was little and cute. Now it has become a chore, and she hates being in front of the camera all of the time. Her Aunt Jane is her manager, and she will do anything, even lie, to ensure that Becca continues - all so they can maintain the lifestyle that the money from Becca’s videos brings them. But with 1.3 million viewers and dropping, Aunt Jane wants to shake things up, including collaborating with other influencers, something Becca just doesn’t want to do.
So when her English teacher sees some of Becca’s poetry and encourages Becca to join an online poetry group called Poet’s Portal, Becca finally has something that she wants to do and that she can connect with. Together with an online friend, they enter a competition and are surprised when they win. The prize is a few days attending a workshop and tutorial where they can pursue their poetry. But when this clashes with Aunt Jane’s plans, Becca pulls out. Will she ever be able to face her Mum and Aunt and tell them what her dreams really are? She doesn’t want to let down her family.
This novel looks the world of online influencing and the perils of a never-ending quest to get more likes and subscribers. It is well written and being a Rhiza Short it is an accessible and easy read. I love the concept of this series, and this book adds beautifully to the others already published. It has no content that mean that younger readers could not pick it up, but I feel that it is most suitable for those aged between 12 and 15 years.
Teacher notes prepared by the publisher are available on our website for this title.
