“Fake Accounts” dives into the weird world of online personas and deception. After finding out her boyfriend runs a popular online conspiracy account, the narrator decides she’ll craft her own deceptive online image, too.
Oyler humorously captures the bizarre ways people present themselves online, mixing fake identities into real life until both become tangled.
The novel pokes at influencer culture by showing how easily reality and fiction blend in digital spaces, making readers question everything we see on the screen.
Patricia Lockwood’s “No One Is Talking About This” sees a woman suddenly famous from viral internet posts. Her world shifts from ordinary reality to the surreal sensation of online fame.
Lockwood shows the absurdity and charm inside internet culture as the narrator navigates constant scrolling, memes, and influencer-status pressure. It’s a thoughtful exploration of whether internet notoriety can overshadow personal tragedies and daily struggles.
Readers get a vivid sense of the highs and lows online attention can bring into someone’s life.
In “Followers,” Megan Angelo imagines a world dominated by influencer fame, celebrity worship, and digital surveillance. The novel alternates between two timelines.
In one, two ambitious friends desperately chase online fame; in the other, decades later, a teenager lives broadcast 24/7 to an avid audience. Angelo portrays the eerie artificiality behind curated influencer images with dark humor and genuine suspense.
The book is a thought-provoking exploration of the addictive power—and hidden cost—around the pursuit of virtual fame and popularity.
Laura Hankin’s “Happy and You Know It” follows Claire, a struggling musician hired to perform for wealthy NYC moms who document every second of their glamorous lives online.
As Claire’s music sessions become Instagrammable moments for her clients, she witnesses the pressure these mothers face to maintain influencer-worthy lifestyles.
Hankin humorously portrays the disconnection between online perfection and real-life struggles faced by women chasing online validation. It’s a breezy, entertaining glimpse into the pressures and ironies of influencer culture and motherhood.
In Jennifer Weiner’s “Big Summer,” protagonist Daphne Berg becomes an Instagram influencer after a body-positive post launches her into fame.
When an old friend invites her to a fancy wedding weekend, Daphne realizes fame can’t protect her from past hurts—and soon finds herself tangled up in unexpected drama. The novel explores how integrity, identity, and the pressures of influencer culture collide.
Weiner portrays social media as both empowering and exposing, offering readers a realistic, relatable perspective on influencer popularity.
“People Like Her” takes readers into the suspenseful world of Emmy Jackson, a famous British mom influencer with a loyal following. But behind Emmy’s posts about motherhood’s joys and struggles lies meticulous planning and calculated authenticity.
Emmy’s carefully curated life obscures darker realities: not everyone among her followers wishes her well. Lloyd crafts a gripping thriller revealing the sinister possibilities lurking under the glossy surface of fame.
The story highlights how vulnerable influencers become when personal lives go public for millions to see.
“Such a Fun Age” introduces readers to Emira Tucker, a young Black babysitter whose ordinary life is turned upside down when a confrontation caught on video goes viral.
Influencer culture emerges strongly through Alix Chamberlain, Emira’s wealthy employer and popular online personality obsessed with crafting her perfect image.
Reid expertly contrasts Emira’s everyday life with Alix’s carefully crafted brand, exploring questions about race, privilege, digital privacy, and the morality of leveraging personal crises for social media fame.
In “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing,” Hank Green imagines an ordinary woman catapulted into influencer fame overnight after she uploads a viral video of a mysterious sculpture appearing in cities worldwide.
Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, protagonist April May must navigate the pitfalls and opportunities that come with newfound online attention. Green captures the rapid emotional shifts and overwhelming pressure influencers experience when facing viral internet celebrity.
This witty tale points out how quickly ordinary people can be consumed by digital notoriety.
“The Knockoff” introduces Imogen Tate, a successful magazine editor forced to adapt when her publication shifts online. Amidst office politics, Imogen deals with influencer culture and digital obsession brought by her much younger, tech-driven assistant.
The novel humorously portrays the generational clash between traditional media and social-media-savvy newcomers who live online and seek instant fame.
Sykes and Piazza draw readers into the chaotic world of influencers, digital fashion, and professional rivalry in a rapidly changing media landscape.
Leigh Stein’s “Self Care” delves humorously into wellness influencers and their carefully curated online personas. The story focuses on two women leading an online wellness community, constantly chasing digital validation through performative self-care and authenticity.
Stein cleverly exposes the contradictions and commercialism hidden behind feel-good language and influencer brands.
The novel sharply reveals how influencer culture strategically capitalizes on personal vulnerability, empowerment trends, and social justice movements to boost fame and readership.
Jean Kyoung Frazier’s “Pizza Girl” tells the story of an unhappy, pregnant teen delivering pizzas in Los Angeles.
Although it touches influencer culture less directly, the novel explores how digital media and comparisons with polished online personas can amplify isolation and confusion.
The young protagonist contrasts her struggles and imperfect reality against the glamorous facade projected by those living idealized lives online.
Through moments of loneliness and humor, the story reminds readers of the disconnect between internet images and everyday human life.
“Made for Love” imagines a bizarre world shaped by technology, fame, and digital influence. Hazel runs from her controlling tech-billionaire husband, the CEO of an influential company who monitors every aspect of her life.
Although farcical, the novel satirizes society’s growing obsession with influencer lifestyles, technology-driven fame, and constant digital surveillance of private lives.
Nutting humorously shows how personal boundaries can vanish in a high-tech world obsessed with curated realities, digital dependency, and privileged lives regularly livestreamed for influencer-style validation.