GIRL (In Real Life)

I'm not the target demographic for this book however I have heard a lot about family vloggers and always wondered what would happen when these children grew up and hated that their life was on the internet? This story deals with that situation and I found it extremely interesting. The way Tamsin wrote, it reminded me of how I felt when I was in school (I won't lie, I really hated Gabi) and the struggles of navigating friendships, especially with kids you'd known for so long. I think at times the parent's were a little too naïve but overall, I liked how it was handled. I think this would be a great book for young teens to read, especially if they wished they were famous on the internet!

I was so excited to read this as I have loved Tamsin's other books, when when I started, I found it really annoying. I mean, am I too old for all this stuff, is it "really" like this?! For me I just found it all a bit too extreme... but then I don't live my live like this! However, it did not take long for me to get into it and understand the full implications that a story like this has, and is so important for today's technology driven, social media world which sucks us all in on some level.
I really loved the characters and how, even though Eva is starting to rebel about having her whole life exposed in the world of vlogging, she also cannot keep off her phone and spends her time sending likes, hearts and other emojis in reaction to her friends posts. The story shows how this has become such a normal way of communication, even among friends and peers who see each other every day. The exploration and exposure of how social media can become such a toxic environment is dealt with in a raw and much needed way that shows children that, yes, this is real, and a) not everyone wants such a high degree of exposure on social media, and b) what people choose to show and what actually happens in "real" life are often very different. The way that hacking was included in the story and the consequences of something so seemingly easy and harmless that can go so horribly wrong, was also handled well and an important part of the story. The impact of comments and tags shows how fast content travels and how scary and dangerous it can become. Eva's parents are so caught up in "The Brand" and their channel, their subscribers and sponsors, virtual life has take over as they have made so much money form it. In doing so, they are constantly "working" and everything is done for show. They don't know how to listen to their daughter and have lost their view on just living for living's sake.
The story's themes are about friendship and families and respecting people's real life voices and wishes. The main messages that I hope youngsters will take form this fantastic book are: Real life is real and to be lived. Social media has it's place, but be very very careful about what you post, what you comment on, who you tag. Learn to take a break from it.

Being a teenager can be tough at the best of times—spots, bad hair days and of course, PERIODS! But when your parents broadcast all of your most embarrassing moments to hundreds of thousands of people it’s bound to be even worse.

For Eva, her parents wilfully successful YouTube channel revolves around her and her most embarrassing milestones. It’s not enough that she’s constantly ridicule for it, but when her parents’ post about her period goes viral, Eva decides to do something drastic. Even if she has to sabotage herself.

An absolutely heartfelt coming-of-age tale that was equal parts funny and thought provoking. The premise was definitely intriguing, a great starting point for discussion on consent of minors and the psychological ramifications social media can have on young people, especially when their entire lives have been posted for the world to see.

It did sort of remind me of the teens who sued their parents for posting their childhood pictures to social media without their consent.

Also, although Tamsin Winter does tackle (and highlight) some important and complex topics, it’s definitely still fairly light in tone, which I’d say suits the younger teen audience this is geared towards.

I particularly enjoyed how well-written the characters were, I loved that although Eva’s parents are technically the antagonists, they are superbly written. They could’ve easily veered into vaudevillian caricature’s, but instead Winter gives us two flawed and complex characters that are difficult to truly hate. In fact, all of the characters are well rounded and relatable to a degree. I’d have to say Eva and Carys were my absolute favourite characters though spud was also a really entertaining support character.

I’d recommend to Coming Of Age or Contemporary YA fans though, it is at the younger end of the YA genre. Overall it was thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining—definitely worth a read.

I’d also like to thank Usborne Publishing and NetGalley for the Digital ARC.

Girl in real life was a brilliant quick read that had online fame, drama, family and friendship!

The plot followed Eva Anderson who would want anything but her online fame on her parents' YouTube channel She comes up with a plan with her friend Carys to stop her life being shared in public.

The writing was very engaging with a unique entertaining voice. The plot was reflective and showed how online fame can be damaging to kids. I was thoroughly entertained and I definitely enjoyed reading this!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the E-arc. All opinions are my own.

I was thrilled to have the chance to read and review GIRL (In Real Life) by Tamsin Winter.

GIRL is a very relatable story written for children about something they are often long for, internet fame, that will lend itself well to reading-well book collections designed to build emotional intelligence and empathy.

Eva has been in the public eye since before she was born, All About Eva is the channel and brand that her parents have grown over the years. Her first steps, first words and now, even her first.....period. It has allowed Eva to live a lavish lifestyle with free clothes, food and hair masks. At first it was everything she had wanted, everything she knew. But now, in high school, things weren't quite as they seemed online. There were two Eva's: the one her parents posted - all laughs and smiles and the real version - dealing with taunts, teasing and online trolling. Longing for some privacy or a few family moments without camera's, channels and sponsors, Eva decides enough is enough and enlists the help of a new friend, Carys.

Eva's parents just won't listen, after relentless plea's for them not to post about her on the channel, she takes matters into her own hands and with Cary's help hacks the channel. A spiral of damaging events soon unravels leaving Eva with a heavy heart, police involvement and some tough decisions to make.

Lots of children dream of making it big on YouTube, of having an adored channel, being sent products to test for free as an influencer. What they potentially don't see or understand is is the other side to it. GIRL is an eye-opener that everyone should read. Not everything is as it seems.

Eva's parents are vloggers and started recording the progress of first the pregnancy, then first milestones in Eva's life, just like many parents. Unlike most parents however, they posted theirs online on their public channels. This soon became their life and they became giddily obsessed with the number of their followers. Now Eva is a teenager she would like to stop. However not far off a magical number of followers to them, her parents are chasing their dreams.
Eva's life is now blighted with teasing at school, and when her first period is plastered across social media, inspite of Eva begging her Mum not to share, she has had enough.
Social media can be very useful for news and sharing - WITH CONSENT - useful tips on many subjects. However, there are going to be a lot of children who find themselves online because of what their parents have posted whilst they were very young. Baby pictures and videos are cute, but teenage angst is obtrusive.
In this case, when Eva's parents accounts were hacked, the passwords were known to the hackers, but posting birth dates, pet names and other personal details is simply opening up the security of your accounts.
This is social media at its worst and the parent/child dynamic is reversed.