The Vlogger Diaries

October 1, 2017

Gr 5-8-Like many teenagers, Olivia believes the key to social success is through social media-so when her family moves to a new town, she decides to start a vlog (a video blog). After one practice run, though, Olivia realizes that she is not a natural performer: "I just wasn't very photogenic. Or microphone-genic. Or anything-genic." Her workaround is to pay Emma, one of the most popular girls at school, to be the face of "The Destiny Channel." Things go smoothly at first, and Olivia is thrilled about the almost-overnight response to her vlog. She becomes obsessed with the comments about "Destiny's" beauty routine and relationship troubles and begins inventing drama to attract more viewers. Olivia's plans unravel when Sebastian, a boy at school who has his own vlog, discovers their secret. When "Destiny" is invited to be on a local television talk show, Olivia's game comes crashing down in dramatic fashion. Like many notebook-style novels, this is designed to be a fast read. Various fonts, lots of white space, and amusing line drawings will appeal to reluctant readers. Olivia gradually discovers that being oneself is the best way to make friends. Side stories about Olivia's mom starting her own vlog and a star turn for Olivia's cat, Loki, add lighthearted humor to the story. VERDICT An additional purchase for collections where the "Dork Diaries" are popular.-Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2017
How can a girl make friends at her new school? If young British teen Olivia can go on the class trip to New York, her social life can finally get started. The white girl's No. 1 obstacle: lack of money. She starts a vlog to bring in the funds; surely, the ad revenue will pay for her airfare. Unfortunately, her initial attempts fail miserably. The solution: enlist shiny-haired aspiring actress Emma to be "Destiny," fashionable vlogger extraordinaire, the girl every girl wants to be friends with. Bring on the fandom and the profits! It's not long before the Destiny Channel goes viral, but how long before someone discovers it's all fake? It's not surprising when a classmate outs her, but considering Destiny's immense fame, it's puzzling that none of their schoolmates see the vlog and recognize popular, white Emma sooner. Guilt over dubious product placements adds an ethical dilemma to the silly story, as Olivia struggles to balance her need for cash with her morals. Is the trip worth endangering her viewers' health? Olivia narrates the story through diary entries and vlog transcripts, complete with British colloquialisms. The book's highlights are the vlog's guffaw-inducing trolls. There's the sarcastic "Evil Liam 13" and several members of the grammar police: "Pedantic Penguin," "Ant the Pedant," and "Grammar Leopard." Whiteness is assumed throughout. Laughs galore mitigate a thin storyline. (Fiction. 12-14)

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