Influenced
By Sarah Darer Littman and Cindy L.
Otis
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication date: August 19, 2025
Print length: 352 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1339038261
Reading age: 12 years and up
Grade level: 7 - 9
Publisher’s Blurb:
Tenth grade isn’t going according
to plan for Lainey. Her twin brother moved across the country to live with
their dad and stepmom, leaving Lainey -- and her anxiety -- behind. And
Lainey’s starting to realize that maybe most of her friends were really her
brother’s friends. Thank god for Bliss.
Bliss is navigating her own tough
sophomore year, determined to find her place. But no matter what’s going on in
her life, Bliss is really good about being there for Lainey. She’s confident
and fearless, all that Lainey wishes she could be. It seems like Bliss is
getting everything she’s ever wanted, including a new boyfriend and becoming
the first wheelchair user to land a lead role in the school production.
What no one knows is that Bliss is
struggling. At school it feels like everyone is always watching her, and at
home, she’s overwhelmed by her parents’ expectations. When things get worse for
Bliss, Lainey stops hearing from her completely. Panicked that something awful
has happened, Lainey rushes to find out what’s going on. But when Lainey
arrives at Bliss’s apartment, nothing is what it seems, and everything Lainey
thought she knew about her friend is a lie...
My thoughts:
When my daughter was in elementary
school, she came to me in tears one day. Her favorite YouTubers, Popular MMOs’
Pat and Jen were getting a divorce, and my poor child was crushed. It’s a great
example of what we call a parasocial relationship, in which we feel a
connection with public or professional figures, but the relationship is all on
our side, or only minimally on the side of the other person.
This is the case in Influenced.
Lonely Lainey has been following
Bliss on social media, entranced by her talent, uplifted by her positive
content, and heartened by Bliss’ replies to Lainey’s DMs. So when Bliss makes a
post about being “done”, Lainey rushes to Bliss’ home, urgently trying to save
her friend from some kind of self harm.
Only problem is, Bliss—actually Elizabeth—has
no clue who Lainey is. Lainey, who has sent Bliss a gift, and has been knitting
her a sweater. Lainey, who has poured out her heart to Bliss through DMs.
Elizabeth has used an accidental
viral moment to re-create herself as Bliss and become an advocate for
disability awareness. A wheelchair user, Elizabeth has cerebral palsy, which
doesn’t prevent her from dreaming of a career on Broadway.
It’s in the aftermath of Lainey’s
visit that things get really interesting, as she comes to realize the truth of
the situation. Elizabeth has her own problems, as her parents have come to
depend on her influencer status and endorsement deals for income.
This book makes a great commentary
on the power—both positive and negative—of social media and how easily we fall
into parasocial relationships. The ideas of fame and notoriety ring true.
Dialogue is natural. You can’t help but feel sorry for Lainey and her social
anxiety, but she also is stubborn and blind to her own flaws. Elizabeth finds that
her fame is not what she had expected it to be, and also has to confront her
parents and make them listen to what she really wants.
Possible objectionable material:
Parental infidelity, divorce and
remarriage. Parental manipulation. Heavy social media use. Manipulative
friendships. Lainey doesn’t tell anyone she’s going to find Bliss. Mention of a
same-gender couple. I didn’t note any swear words.
Who might like this book:
Anyone interested in the effects of
social media.
Thank you to the publisher and
NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
#NetGalley #BookReview
#Biblioquacious #SarahDarerLittman #CindyLOtis #YA #CerebralPalsy #Influenced
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