This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
Jessa White's Liked introduces Jersey Mau, a clever yet depressed seventeen-year-old Beverly Hills teen who has never felt chosen. It is a story about mental illness and internet fame. Jersey’s mother abandons the family for a new life in China. Sherman, her father, runs the powerful influencer agency called SETA. Steve is a grieving, aging agent who is subtly pushed out of the company, notices Jersey's raw charisma, and convinces her to post honest videos about loneliness and depression on TikTok. Her videos go viral overnight as she quickly projects herself as the “anti-influencer,” the opposite of the polished superstar Veronica Meyers from SETA. But fame also attracts a relentless troll, who leaves cruel comments that escalate as Jersey's followers increase. As fame grows and friendships become complicated, a school counselor’s slip reveals disturbing truths about Jersey's mom. Can she live with it?
Jessa White's novel is satirical and resonant, brimming with wit, humor, and relatable characters. I felt like I was reading about many young people I meet and watch every day as they interact with social media. The suspense builds through different points of view. Each voice is unique, and I marveled at how well the author explores the psyche of each character and how social media affects us. Each character is broken in a way, either suffering from grief, loneliness, depression, or struggling to reconcile the performer identity with the authentic self. Liked thrusts readers into a whole ecosystem of manufactured authenticity, brilliantly capturing influencer-era LA with sponsored waffles, ring lights, and Joy Holt's exploitative talk show. The humor and the elegant prose make this story a thoughtful read about mental illness. It is a sobering yet compassionate take on society.
