Getting Social!
This week we were supposed to talk about authors we follow on social media, but to be honest, I don't really follow too many. Since I still wanted to sort of stick with the topic, I decided to feature some YA books in which social media plays a role. The YA target audience has always known life online, and because it is such an integral part of their lives, it should be a topic featured in YA books. Many of these focus on the community and online friendship, but also show the pros and cons of life online. As always, these are books I have read and enjoyed.
- How to Disappear by Sharon Huss Roat - features Instagram
- Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith - features online gaming
- Tweet Cute by Emma Lord - features Twitter
- One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus - features a gossip app
- Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia - features webcomic and fandom
- Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger - features Twitter
- Warcross by Marie Lu - features online gaming
- The Lost & Found by Katrina Leno - features online therapy group
- The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby - features Instagram
- Love and Other Alien Experiences by Kerry Winfrey - features message board
Have you read any books featuring social media?
Let us know in the comments!
Let us know in the comments!
You're right, the audience lives online, and I am loving that YA is taking on social media and the way they navigate it so well. I recently read another review of Don't read the comments and it's one that sticks in my mind the most.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the way Smith brought us into that online world in his book. It showed the pros and cons, while still validating online friendships
DeleteI love your take on the topic and you picked some great picks! Eliza and Her Monsters is one of my all-time favorite reads!
ReplyDeleteIt was a wonderful book! And, the spotlight on online fandoms is very relevant for today
DeleteI loved How to Disappear and The Other Side of Lost!
ReplyDeleteHow to Disappear is a favorite of mine, and I liked that Kirby took on the curating of image in The Other Side of Lost
DeleteI love the topic you choose and all of these books are ones I've either read and loved or want to read. Great topic choice!!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to stay sort of on topic, and social media is becoming more and more prevalent in books
DeleteI love your twist on this!!! I loved FOLLOW ME BACK!! It was addicting and I read it in one night.
ReplyDeleteI like the blend of romance and suspense in Follow Me Back
DeleteI like your version of the topic this week. I'm hardly on social media as I have little time to spend on things like Twitter. I've just skipped the topic. One of Us Is Lying and Warcross are already on my TBR.
ReplyDeleteI spend a bit of time on Twitter, but that's about it. I was happy to be able to sort of find a way to incorporate the topic this week. I hope you get to OoUiL and Warcross. Both were great
Deletegreat topic twist. i follow authors but i don't really interact much
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
I follow very few authors, but I do interact on a basic level with a few of them. I think I spend a lot more time interacting with other bloggers
DeleteI like your twist on the topic! I skipped this week because I don’t follow many authors, and I rarely read the posts of the ones I do follow. :)
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Same. I was going to do something totally random, when this idea hit me.
DeleteI don't follow authors too much on social media, but I follow them on Amazon, that way I will be notified when they release a new book. I loved Tweet Cute, and have heard a lot of praise over One of Us. is Lying. They have it at my library, so I plan on checking it out.
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
I used to get a million newsletters, but Amazon has become a good way to stay up to date. I troll Edelweiss too, looking through catalogs, and blogger keep me informed. I think you would enjoy One of Us is Lying. McManus' books are a great blend of friendship, normal teen drama, and mystery. I'm a fan
DeleteOne of Us Is Lying is a great book for your list. I love your twist on the topic today.
ReplyDeleteIt's a favorite of mine, and shows the dark side of social media.
DeleteI don't follow many authors either so I love how you did this TTT Sam!. I see two books I LOVED here! One of us is Lying and Follow me Back. Next I want to read Eliza and Her Monsters! I've trying to get to that book for ages! If you like the social media topic I'd recommend the Escape room. :)
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing a lot of review for Escape Room (by Goldin?) I am not a huge suspense/thriller reader, but all the reviews I saw were favorable.
DeleteI like your take on this topic, and great book choices! It's funny because in the book I'm drafting my characters text each other, and my writing group often comments on it, usually saying it's clever, and I'm like "this is standard... I see texting like this in books all the time."
ReplyDeleteI think of my daughter, who hardly uses her phone to talk to people. They message, text, online chat. It's the way they have always communicated, and it should be how they do so in books. I don't see that mode of communication disappearing any time soon.
DeleteOOh nice twist! I still need to read Follow Me Back! It sounds creepy good! And that it's told in social media like posts was part of its draw! Lol.
ReplyDeleteHere's my Tuesday Post
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
It was a solid psychological thriller. The author, I believe, was a mental health professional as well, and her knowledge of the field showed in the book
DeleteI like your twist on TTT! I follow a lot of authors, but to be honest I'm not on Twitter that much so I usually have no idea what's going on, lol. :)
ReplyDeleteTwitter one of the social media sites I actually spend time on, but I really only interact with other bloggers.
DeleteGreat take on this week's topic! I loved Warcross, Tweet Cute, Don't Read the Comments & Eliza and Her Monsters... I'll have to check out the others.
ReplyDeleteAll great books!
DeleteOoh great topic. Social media in YA books especially is just so timely, of course, and when it's handled well that's always a plus! I need to read the Jessi Kirby as I liked another of her books, and One Of Us Is Lying I'm a big fan of course. :)
ReplyDeleteThe hard part, I think, is how rapidly certain types of social media fall out of favor with the kids. I remember, when I was teaching, how everyone was on FB, and then BAM! They were done with it, and Twitter was the place, and then Instagram and Snapchat became the places to be. I think it's challenging to feature social media properly and not date the book.
DeleteI completely agree. I've seen the same thing with my kids. Twitter? That's so yesterday haha. Instagram and Snapchat still seem to be pretty big though, at least for them...
DeleteI guess they may have some staying power. I like the pictures on Instagram, but never thought there was much engagement
DeleteI love your spin on this week's topic and thanks for all of the recs too. I really enjoy books that feature social media and I've only read a couple of these so far.
ReplyDeleteIt's such a big part of everyday life. I would think it odd not to see some sign of it
DeleteLove this twist on the topic! Lots of books focus on social media these days, so it's a great way to play with the idea.
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Even when it's not the focus, it's still part of most characters' lives
DeleteWhat a fun twist for this topic. It's definitely interesting to see how authors use social media in books sometimes.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
It's relevant and would seem odd if it was missing
DeleteI’ve had Eliza and Her Monsters on my TBR ever since it was first released. I really need to find time for that one.
ReplyDeleteYou should give it a go. I really enjoyed that book
DeleteLove your topic choice!
ReplyDeleteTried to keep with the theme...sort of
DeleteTweet Cute does sound pretty darn cute! I like what you did this week!
ReplyDeleteIt's on my list of most adorable books ever
DeleteI could also add The Exact Opposite of Okay to this amazing list Sam!
ReplyDeleteI have not read that one, though I have heard good things
DeleteI don't follow too many authors on social media either so I like this change in topic but still staying true to the original one given! In fact, social media in books is one of the tropes I love, but people don't do it too often because apparently it easily dates a book. I want to read Tweet Cute, Eliza and Her Monsters and Don't Read the Comments!
ReplyDeleteAgreed. When I think of the evolution of social media from AOL to MySpace to where we are today. It changes rapidly. Now we have tik tok emerging, but I am glad to see some aspects explored, because we live part of our life online.
DeleteI really want to read Tweet Cute, I heard many good things about it!
ReplyDeleteDO IT! You won't regret it. It was the cutest book of 2020 so far
DeleteTweet Cute is the only one here that I really want to read. I love the sound of it and so many people have all the good things to say about it. :)
ReplyDeleteThat book was so fun and cute. If you can get your hands on it, I highly recommend it.
DeleteWhat a great twist on the topic! I've only read a few of these, but I am so interested in a lot of the others! I particularly enjoyed Eliza and Her Monsters use of social media - it felt so authentic to me.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite book I've read this year so far is Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer which has a lot of emails, though I suppose that doesn't really count as social media, lol.
I also adored Letter to the Lost. It was my gateway Kemmerer book, and that fell in line with my love of epistolary novels.
Delete