#BookReview: Filter This by Sophie White @SophWhiteWrites @HachetteIre @ElaineEgan_ #FilterThis4/9/2019 Release date - 5th September 2019
Book length - 384 pages Publisher - Hachette Books Ireland Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Elaine from www.hachettebooksireland.ie for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK Ali Jones is hell-bent on achieving her #lifegoals: 10,000 Instagram followers and a win at the upcoming Glossie Influencer Awards. So when she inadvertently leads people to believe she is sporting a baby bump and immediately gains thousands of followers, she realises that the Mummy Influencer wave could be her ticket to Insta-success, even if off-screen it feels like her life is falling apart with what's happening to her beloved dad. But then Tinder Sam, Ali's one-night-stand, resurfaces and seems determined to take his new role as baby daddy seriously. And falling for Sam is definitely not part of Ali's plan. Meanwhile, Ireland's biggest influencer (and Ali's idol) Shelly Divine has it all ... at least on paper. But beneath the immaculately curated feed, cracks are appearing. Shelly harbours a secret from her followers and, more importantly, her husband - but who will be the first to discover what she's been hiding? As the Glossies approach, what will it take for the women realise what's truly important before they lose what matters most? MY REVIEW The book of a generation, FILTER THIS by Sophie White opens up the world of the Instagram influencer through the story of two women who are in the spotlight where their worlds are tinged with that perfect rosy glow. But is it real? Shelly Devine is the top mama of Instagram and influencer culture in Ireland with her beautiful home, gorgeous husband, and adorable little girl. She has her own range of lifestyle products and is in demand from every company in Ireland wanting a piece of the Shelly brand. But that's the problem. Everyone wants a piece of her and she is struggling to hide the cracks - her marriage is falling apart and she barely has any free time with her little girl, and then there is the fact that she just isn't sure who she really is anymore. Ali Jones is struggling with her father's illness, a fraught relationship with her mother, and a job that she feels that she has outgrown so Instagram provides an outlet for her, somewhere where her world can be perfect rather than the bleak picture that it is in reality. But when a misunderstanding finds her catapulted to the top of the most wanted influencer stakes, Ali decides that playing along isn't going to hurt anyone. That is until her one-night-stand gets involved, her real relationships start to suffer, and one lie becomes one hundred lies. Now before I go any further with this review I have to say that I enjoy Instagram immensely although you are far more likely to see me posting a #shelfie rather than a #selfie. The effort, the perfection, the filtering is all just a little bizarre to me, and after reading this book it could be downright dangerous for many. But back to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I easily connected with the characters even if I didn't always agree with their actions. Shelly is struggling with motherhood but has herself trapped in this insta-world where she is perfect and is neglecting herself and her family in the process, using Instagram as an escape. Ali is also using it as an escape - an escape from the reality that her beloved dad will die soon - and as her lies become bigger and bigger I really wanted to scream at her to stop!!!! But I also wanted to hug her because she was hurting and hiding behind a screen. This book made me laugh, cry, and everything in between and I really hope there will be more from Shelly and Ali. FILTER THIS by Sophie White is a daring look behind Social Media and what we lose every time we filter ourselves to fit the higher echelons of perfection that seems to be required to flourish in this influencer world. Making yourself anything but you to fit in, is damaging on so many levels and FILTER THIS shows how easy it is to fall under its spell of money, prestige, and adoration. An excellent novel from an excellent author. BUY IT NOW!!!!!!!!! AUTHOR BIO Sophie White grew up in Dublin and has a first class honours degree in Fine Art from the National College of Art and Design. After moving to New Zealand in her early 20s, Sophie went on to train as a chef while there and worked in the French Alps for several years before returning to Dublin in 2012. Sophie began her writing career at age 27, when she started writing a weekly column 'The Domestic' for Sunday Independent's Life magazine. After the birth of her first child, she became a full-time writer, penning reviews of books and restaurants, cultural commentary and interviews for a variety of Irish publications and her first book Recipes for a Nervous Breakdown, part-memoir/part cookery book was published in 2016. Mother of Pod, the successful podcast she hosts with Jen O'Dwyer, was launched in January 2018 and they launched a second podcast, The Creep Dive, in January 2019. Sophie lives in Dublin with her husband and two sons. Filter This is her first novel. For more information: Website - www.sophiewhite.info Twitter - www.twitter.com/SophWhiteWrites Instagram - www.instagram.com/sophwhitewrites/
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WelcomeHi fellow bookworms. My name is Linda and I'm a reviewer & blogger, wife & mother who loves all things books! Currently ReadingUPCOMING BLOG TOURS
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