Filter This By Sophie White

‘Filter This’ is the debut novel by Sophie White and it’s a fun and insightful story about the pressures and drama of social media.

Ali Jones is hell-bent on achieving her #lifegoals: 10,000+ Instagram followers and a win at the upcoming Glossie Awards. So when she inadvertently leads people to believe she’s pregnant and immediately gains thousands of followers, she realises that riding the ‘Mummy Influencer’ wave could be her ticket to Insta-success. But then Tinder Sam, Ali’s one-night-stand, resurfaces, determined to take his new role as baby daddy seriously. Elsewhere on Insta, Ireland’s biggest influencer (and Ali’s idol) Shelly Devine has it all — at least on screen. But beneath the immaculately curated feed, Shelly harbours a secret from her followers — and her husband — but who will be the first to discover what she’s been hiding? As Ali’s lies spiral out of control, and Shelly starts to take a hard look at her life choices, what will it take for them to realise what’s truly important before they lose what matters most?

The story is seen through the narrative of two women Ali Jones, an upcoming and aspiring influencer and Shelly Divine, one of Ireland’s most influential social media icons. Both women are at polar ends of the spectrum, one just starting out and the other is at the peak of her game. But both lives change dramatically and both women find themselves harbouring a secret that is detrimental to their careers.

After becoming a Wildcard at the Glossies Social Media Awards, Ali accidentally leads people to believe that she is pregnant after a cryptic post. Suddenly she’s in big demand, with brands wanting her face all over their products and the life that Ali had always dreamed off has become a reality. Meanwhile, Shelly has led her fans to believe that she has the perfect family and marriage, but it’s all quietly crumbling down around her as her husband tires of her lifestyle and there’s now another baby in the mix.

I genuinely loved this story with its bright and inviting cover, I gobbled this book up in one sitting as I joined Ali and Shelly on their social media journey.

Wittily written, the story reflects on the reality of social media, the pressure and demands to promote brands as well as to create a fake and artificial life. I really enjoyed the characters, both women are strong and are determined to make successful lives for themselves, they are also icons to their fans proving that influencers can lead successfully financially lives. I also enjoyed the location of the story. Set in the bustling city of Dublin, locations and venues stood out and I was able to make connections with them.

A keenly observed and relatable story about the world of social media and the pressures to maintain a perfect life, ‘Filter This’ is a fun and modern story that proves with filters and gradients, nothing is ever as it seems.

You can buy ‘Filter This’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.