Saved. Check Saved Reviews
336 pp.
| Holiday
| February, 2022
|
Trade
ISBN 978-0-8234-4718-3
$18.99
|
Ebook
ISBN 978-0-8234-5277-4
$11.99
(
2)
YA
Talented high-school photographer Kat Sanchez is bummed that her Instagram posts consistently flop: "Every single picture is serving a vibe and a color scheme and a mood, and they look good as a whole. That is hard work!" At the same time, she's not shocked: "No one's checking for the life of a fat seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican girl who lives in Bakersfield, California...and who kinda reeks of desperation." Though her circle of smart-alecky guy-friends is supportive and her grandparents (with whom she lives, one street over from her mom and dad; it's complicated) adore her, Kat's self-confidence is at an all-time low. To boost her portfolio, she's been directing shoots of her coworker Becca, and after one fateful, drunken high-school party night, Kat makes a terrible decision: she opens a new IG under a false name, using Becca's likeness. The account takes off, giving Kat her much-craved attention--including that of a cute girl who lives nearby--but internet fame comes at a price. Kat is an effective antihero whose insecurities and validation-seeking are believably laid bare without excusing her behavior (for example, she doesn't get her happily-ever-after with the cute girl). The characters feel lived in, and their big feelings and extreme reactions will be understandable for many readers.