Having been a fan of Marie’s bookstagram for years now, I was so excited for Us Against the Likes. This YA book is full of heart, sister stories, and the journey back to ourselves. If you love YA Contemporary stories, this is a must read. Keep reading this book review of Us Against the Likes for my full thoughts.
Summary
Against her mother’s wishes, Abby Martins drops out of university to follow her dream: share her travel stories with the world.
With over 90 000 followers and her sister’s help, a talented photographer and her forever best friend, Abby’s thriving on this new path. She’s managing her anxiety (for the most part) and she’s (almost) making a living out of her passion.
Winning a prestigious travel influencer award might just be the thing to push her off that ledge.
Desperate to prove herself, Abby steps out of her comfort zone. From Scotland to Italy, from unexpected influencer trips to thrilling collaborations, Abby stretches herself and her own mental health thin for the likes.
But what, and most importantly, who, will she risk to lose on her way?
Review
Us Against the Likes is a story about sisters, social media and ‘reality’, and mental health. It’s a reminder that algorithms don’t care about us. In a world where it seems like productivity equals worth, it’s a reminder that we aren’t defined by numbers, awards, or prestige. This debut is multi-layered as a story about diverging dreams, complex relationships with our parents, and the intoxicating pull of social media. So much of what we see online is curated and it’s hard to fight that pull.
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As someone with experience in the influencer spaces, Us Against the Like resonated even more so. It can be so hard to not fall into the idea that if we just worked harder, posted more, we’d have more opportunities, more success. As someone who finds it really easy to fall into that hamster wheel, I loved Us Against the Likes. It’s a reminder that what draws people to us, influencer or not should be the person we are, not the facade we create. It’s one thing to want to challenge ourselves, to grow into new spaces, but when we feel like it’s just for external motivation or to fit expectations, we need to listen to that voice.
There are costs to the spiral of ambition. And we can feel that who we are isn’t good enough, not until the next achievement. If anything I’ve said resonates with you, then you have to read Us Against the Likes. Find Us Against the Likes on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.