Kara McDowell’s debut novel invites you into the midst of twin sisters Claire and Poppy, whose lives have been chronicled online since the day there were born. Their mother is an internationally known mommy blogger who managed to build a brand by telling the world about her family. Now, as teens, Claire and Poppy have taken up the torch and have become famous vloggers. The only problem? Claire doesn’t want to be in the spotlight anymore. She craves a normal life away from the cameras, away from the prying eyes. But along with getting rid of those nuisances, what else might she lose?
Claire was such a fascinating protagonist – constantly thwarted by her sister and her mother whenever she expressed the wish to stay off camera. We got a good glimpse of why Claire doesn’t want her entire life laid out for everyone to see, and I kept finding myself rooting for her to get her wish and live a normal life away from people who pretend they know her just because they’ve read her mother’s blog. I really enjoyed the way she was portrayed; especially her social anxiety issues felt very authentic and relatable – it is tough to realise that sometimes we see celebrities as these untouchable people standing on a pedestal and we forget that they are still humans, just like us, and deserve their privacy. McDowell dealt amazingly with the issue of modern fame in a world where everyone is always watching.
My favourite character by far was Rafael, a pure soul who doesn’t own a phone and sees Claire for who she is instead of who she presents online. There were some definite inconvenient misunderstandings that kept this slow-burn romance stretched out longer than it needed to be, but Rafael made up for it by delivering lines that made him extra swoon-worthy.
However, there are also a few things that didn’t quite work in this narrative. The secondary characters weren’t fleshed out; most of them were mentioned only in passing, without any features or traits to distinguish them. Olivia, who ultimately plays a fundamental role in the story, veers somewhere between honorary ‘mean girl’ and ‘girl next door’ without actually speaking more than ten sentences in the entirety of the novel – and she’s the most dynamic of the secondary characters.
Sadly, the same can be said about Claire and Poppy’s relationship. It is hard to believe these two are twins, seeing as it takes them almost up until the end to actually spend time together and talk about their problems. Poppy herself felt very one-dimensional as well – the only thing we ever get to hear from her is her wanting to gain more influence, and though her motive for that is quite altruistic, it still left something to be desired so the reader could relate to her.
There were also quite some inconsistencies during the course of the novel – some relating to a plot twist and that shall thus remain a secret. But there is a clear divide in the book, and Claire’s voice suddenly sounds quite different from the beginning. Especially towards the rushed ending, a tangible sentimentality creeps into the story that is at odds with every thought and interaction Claire has had thus far. The resolution, while satisfactory, felt a bit too easy and out of character for everyone involved.
Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading Just for Clicks. From the friends-to-lovers trope to addressing social anxiety and approaching a modern topic like vloggers and fame in the age of social media, this novel had a lot to offer. I think it had a lot more potential, but all in all, Just for Clicks is an enjoyable debut novel for fans of slow-burn romances.
Just For Clicks is available after February 19th 2019 from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Will you be reading Just For Clicks? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Mommy blogs are great . . . unless the blog happens to belong to your mom.
Twin sisters Claire & Poppy are accidental social media stars thanks to Mom going viral when they were babies. Now, as teens, they’re expected to contribute by building their own brand. Attending a NY fashion week and receiving fan mail is a blast. Fending off internet trolls and would-be kidnappers? Not so much. Poppy embraces it. Claire hates it. Will anybody accept her as “just Claire”? And what should Claire do about Mom’s old journals? The handwritten entries definitely don’t sound like Mom’s perfect blog persona. Worse, one of them divulges a secret that leaves Claire wondering what else in her life might be nothing but a sham . . .
