Scan barcode
A review by savvylit
Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
2.0
I picked up Such a Bad Influence because I was in the mood for a fun, escapist thriller. In all honestly, that's definitely what I got -- at first. However, reading this eventually became a chore. I finished Such a Bad Influence feeling like the story had been drawn out and jumbled.
The fun parts: influencer snark pulled from the real world, discourse on sharing a child's life without their consent, & critical takes on parasocial relationships.
The parts that were too much: the structure. Such a Bad Influence was marketed as a thriller. Yet the mysterious & thrilling elements gradually fell into the weeds as the plot diverged into a more contemporary look at family dynamics and coming-of-age in/near the spotlight. This definitely could have worked well. Unfortunately, though, instead of blending genres cohesively, the mixing of themes seemed jarring and like a result of poor editing instead.
The fun parts: influencer snark pulled from the real world, discourse on sharing a child's life without their consent, & critical takes on parasocial relationships.
The parts that were too much: the structure. Such a Bad Influence was marketed as a thriller. Yet the mysterious & thrilling elements gradually fell into the weeds as the plot diverged into a more contemporary look at family dynamics and coming-of-age in/near the spotlight. This definitely could have worked well. Unfortunately, though, instead of blending genres cohesively, the mixing of themes seemed jarring and like a result of poor editing instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Eating disorder and Stalking