People Like Her: A Deliciously Dark Richard and Judy Book Club Pick

Ellery Lloyd's new psychological thriller, People Like Her, is a thrilling exploration of the world of Instagram influencers and the secrets they keep. It follows Emmy Jackson, an Instagram sensation who is loved by her fans for her honest portrayal of modern parenthood. But while Emmy might think she has her followers fooled, someone out there knows the truth and plans to make her pay.The main plotline revolves around Emmy’s attempts to keep up appearances as Mamabare. She suspects she may have a stalker after a laptop goes missing from her house in a burglary and she tries to uncover their identity. Unbeknownst to Emmy the stalker is getting closer and ready to take action. Meanwhile, Emmy makes a big mistake which leads her in the wrong direction. Her poor (though useless) husband is left to pick up the pieces leading to some incredibly tense moments in which danger lurks around every corner and nobody knows what’s going on.I’m not overly keen on the whole Instagram influencer idea so this wasn’t the quickest choice for me. I dislike the risks people take when talking about their families mostly but also the need to share so much and portray it as a brilliant lifestyle when in fact, it’s a huge amount of work, often all-consuming day and night in order to be one of the big influencers alongside what often seems like permanently advertising the freebies they have been given. Despite all that, I saw an excellent review for this book from a friend and thought I would give it a go. I was really impressed with how they described the challenges of social media and some of the worst-case scenario ideas.People Like Her features some strong characters that readers will undoubtedly become invested in. Emmy Jackson is an Instagram celebrity whose life revolves around maintaining her online persona as Mamabare. She is surrounded by colourful characters such as her husband, Dan; her best friend, Polly and fellow influencers; and the mysterious stalker who knows all about Emmy’s lies. Each character brings something unique to the story and adds another layer of intrigue.Lloyd’s writing style is both accessible and captivating. From page one you are thrown into the action with a gripping introduction that instantly draws you in and keeps you hooked until the very end. Through cleverly crafted dialogue and vivid descriptions, Lloyd paints a picture of what it’s like to live life as an Instagram influencer—the dangers but also the rewards—and shows how quickly things can change when secrets are exposed online.I did feel that the ending was slightly rushed and didn’t like what happened much, you would have thought the whole family would be put off of social media forever but apparently not!All in all, People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd is an impressive book that offers interesting insights into life as an Instagram influencer and explores both its risks and rewards in great detail. With strong characters, exciting twists, and plenty of danger lurking around every corner, this book will keep readers hooked until its surprising conclusion (even if it does feel slightly rushed). If you're looking for a gripping read with plenty of suspense, then look no further than People Like Her!

What a book! 😮Let me try again…What a SCARY book. And yet… But…I am so conflicted! My emotions are all over the place and thoughts fling back and forth in my mind. This is how I know a book is strong 😍People Like Her was an Bookstagram buy. I am guilty as charged. Eye-catching cover and a plot revolving around Instagram? Count me in!What I thought I’d read about:Regular Instagram fun people falling into a mean trapAt least one likeable main characterWhat I actually read about:An Instamum of the scariest kind. Big following, big head. I could NOT believe how Emmy handled every situation according to how it could/would serve her and her social media business. I felt the urge to slap her as many times as her posts got likes! I could not connect to her in any way, despite being an Instagram addict myself. I think the line lies in the fact I mostly do it for fun, even if it’s also part of my job. I remember thinking “I’d never use my kids like this to earn money and turn my account into Dogmamabare!!!’… Then I remembered how many pics of my dogs are online. I guess it’s about perspective and trying not to judge too harshly… Still, the authors take it to the next level with Emmy. They really do. The worst thing is: it felt real. It’s probably a realistic portrayal of the lives of some Insta people. I don’t envy them.A crazy family. For a long time, I was on the husband’s side. He seemed to have both feet on the ground, not on a virtual platform, and was feeling the natural unease that comes with sharing your personal life online for money. But at the end of the day, the only characters worth saving are the best friend and the kids!Did I mention I hated Emmy? I mean it. Hated. But she’s one of those characters you love to hate. She is the image of what I loathe and stay away from. More than once, I believed that the authors would slowly make her grow and change… I was unprepared for the unexpected changes that the different twists brought!!!Of course, we are all aware that Instagram only shows us what others want us to see, and honesty is a concept that has different meanings… This read was a good and refreshing reminder not to let the glowing squares blind us!People Like Her made me angry and sad and scared of social media. Yet, it was not as radical as you’d think. Yes, it definitely makes you want to delete your Instagram account, or at least reassess your presence there (says the woman sharing her review on Instagram and other social media platforms! 😂) but there’s light, a little ray of hope that reminds us social media also help people feel less lonely, find their tribe, share the good and not so good, discover new things… The difference is in the balance and the reasons why you created your account!