I was ready to rant about this  spinning wheels going nowhere and how I hated the main character…but that ending changed everything for me. I wanna re-read it now. But I can also see that approach being one of those love it or hate it things.  

 

Energy: Moralizing. Pessimistic. Defensive. 

 

🐺 Growls: Interrupting conversation with tangents/backstory/reflection. Having to back-read to remind myself of someone’s question when the main character finally got around to answering it. Withholding every little thing to make cliffhangers. Annoyingly cutting off mid-podcast or transcript/chat just when something was about to be said. Hazel reacting to said things all next chapter while we were completely left out. 

 

🐕 Howls: Spoon-fed commentary sometimes. Spotify playlist was at the very end!! Felt disengaged and left out of the story for the first 40%. 

 

🐩 Tail Wags: That ending. How much I was complaining about this book until the ending made it all fall into place. Realistic mixed media and comments sections. Realistic portrayal of older gen detective dismissing younger gen just because he doesn’t ‘get it’ and that makes him insecure. Mixed media formatting on page. Having a Spotify playlist to go with the book. 

 

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in Phoenix, Arizona, parts of California and the surrounding area.

Perspective: A struggling 28-year-old who rejected growing up in their mother’s social media spotlight. Their younger sibling got caught up in it and they feel responsible when their sibling suddenly stops posting. Also get Hazel’s memories and mixed media throughout.  

Timeline: Mostly summer 2023 with flashbacks to 2010 when the family first went viral.

 

🤓 Reader Role: The outsider. Getting snippets of what is happening overshadowed by Hazel’s perspective and interpretations. 

🔥 Fuel: Deliberately keeping info out of reach to build suspense, ending chapters just before a reveal. Trainwreck intrigue and Hazel reflecting on relationship with her family. Where is Evie? Is she safe or in danger? 

📖 Cred: Hyper-realistic

 

Family photos. Beige. McMansions. Hard drives. Desert sunset. True crime podcast. Salad. Lurking in the comments. Sponsored content. Journals.

 

Content Heads-Up: Cyberbullying, trolling. Child abuse (exploitation, labour, invasion of privacy). Voyeurism. Loss of parent (as child; as teen). Narcissistic parent. Narcissism. Emotional incest. Narcissism. Car accident (fatal). Grief. Dismissive law enforcement. Body shaming (restricting food, criticizing hunger & consumption). Depression. Generational trauma. Social media addiction. Online stalking, obsession. False accusation (sexual harassment).  Cannabis use (smoking; very brief). Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (brief mention). Alcohol (self-medicating).

 

Rep: American. Pale, golden, tan, and ambiguous skin tones. Acne. Mixed ethnicity (half-Mexican). Childfree by choice. Lesbian. Heterosexual. Cisgender.

 

📚 Format: Library Digital