Random Things Tours: Clickbait by L.C.North

´Living with the Lancasters has something for everyone. You´re going to love us, and if you don´t, then you´re going to love hating us´.

Since the cover reveal for Clickbait, I couldn´t wait to have the chance to read and review this book. If you are following my reviews, you may notice that I am fascinated about stories that relate to social media episodes, either through the characters interactions or as a main setting or both.

The Lancasters aim at being the British Kardashians. Every Sunday, at 7 pm, there is a new episode on YouTube, revealing daily episodes from their glamorous life: parties, launch of new product lines, daily interactions. But there are cracks in Paradise and once a disappeared teenager appears in one of their videos from 20 years ago, the family is overexposed for all the wrong reasons and there is a tragic chain put into motion.

The story is created through various reports of social media interactions which gives you the impression of being part of a reality show as well. It made me think a lot about way too many glamorous families and couples on screen, struggling in fact against the odds of very miserable private lives. It is sad, indeed, and teaches us to never try to compare our lives with the projections of happiness we see on screen. Comparing in general is toxic, but pushing ourselves under pressure to replicate empty lives is very dangerous for our mental health as well and the reality shows - reality, indeed, but still shows - do deliver us an attractive reality.

The story enfolds like a puzzle game during which the reader should stay alert for not missing any single detail of the story. As you advance from one episode of the story to another, there is a growing feeling that there is something more serious and dramatic about to happen and this expectations are largely met. As for the end, it is very unexpected - at least for me - one last twist after many surprising turnes of the story.

I really enjoyed Clickbait for its engaging plot and the psychological insights into a world we are all writing off, one social media or YouTube like or comment at a time. A fully relatable story of our busy times.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own