Read with Fern

University was meant to be Crystal’s way out. Growing up, there was nothing in her life that couldn’t be turned into content for her mother’s popular (and profitable) family vlog channel, At Home with the Shaws—including the tragic death of her older sister when they were kids. When she arrives on campus, her mother demands she keep filming her every experience for her subscribers—but Crystal has just one story in mind, one that will blow them all away.
At Home with the Shaws is Crystal’s prison, but it is Alyssa’s escape. An aspiring journalist from a deeply troubled family, she jumps at the chance to help Crystal with an exciting project. When she realizes her new friend’s goal is to expose her family and put an end to the channel, Alyssa becomes desperate to find a way to stop the Shaws’ carefully curated image from shattering.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I have a lot of really specific interests, but two of them are thrillers set at a college & the morality of family vloggers. So when I found a book that weaves the two together into one fast-paced exploration of obsession and entitlement, I was thrilled.

The book follows Crystal, an 18-year-old just starting her first year of university. Crystal’s mom has been filming and posting Crystal and the rest of their family for over a decade as At Home with the Shaws, and this is Crystal’s chance to finally break free. As she starts her first year and begins to connect with her classmates, Crystal realizes just how much control her parents still expect to have over her, even from hundreds of miles away. Her one respite from At Home with the Shaws is the journalism department, and her new friends. They’ve all gone out of their way to welcome Crystal, and a girl named Alyssa has gone above and beyond to make her feel comfortable.

I really liked that this book was told in dual first-person narration. Obviously we get Crystal’s point of view, but we also get Alyssa’s point of view as a juxtaposition. Each girl had a distinct voice and equally compelling storylines, keeping me fully invested in uncovering the plot’s twists and turns. I also really appreciated the level of description that went into each environment. From Crystal’s luxury student housing to Alyssa’s local news internship to the Shaws’s affluent home, each setting felt unique and fully fleshed out.

Overall, this was a gripping book that focuses on two 18-year-old girls and the decisions they make in intense situations. If you’re interested in fictional books about influencers, family vloggers, or a unique college experience, you should definitely read this book! I really enjoyed the audiobook version, and would recommend that specifically if you’re looking for an immersive audio experience!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review!