Internet Famous
Danika Stone
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: June 6th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Can an online romance survive in real life?
Internet sensation Madison Nakama has it all! Her pop-culture rewatch site has a massive following, and fans across the world wait on her every post and tweet. Even Madi’s dismal romantic life seems ready to take off as Laurent, a fellow geek (and unfairly HOT French exchange student!) starts flirting with her in the comments section of her blog. But Laurent’s not the only one watching for Madi’s replies.
Internet fame has a price, and their online romance sparks the unwanted attention of a troll. When Madi’s “real life” hits a rough patch, she feels her whole world crumbling. With Laurent’s support, can Madi rally her friends across the globe to beat the troll, or will he succeed in driving her away from everything―and everyone―she loves?
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Author Bio:
Danika Stone is an author, artist, and educator who discovered a passion for writing fiction while in the throes of her Masters thesis. A self-declared bibliophile, Danika now writes novels for both adults (The Intaglio Series and Ctrl Z) and teens (Icarus and All the Feels). When not writing, Danika can be found hiking in the Rockies, planning grand adventures, and spending far too much time online. She lives with her husband, three sons, and a houseful of imaginary characters in a windy corner of Alberta, Canada.
The first book in Danika’s upcoming Tathagata series (Edge of Wild) was selected as a quarter-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel of the Year Award (2013). Edge of Wild (Stonehouse CA) will be released March 2016. Danika’s YA novel, All the Feels (Macmillan US), will be released June 2016.
Ms. Stone is represented by Morty Mint of Mint Literary Agency.
Review:
As the Internet becomes more and more of a pervasive presence in the lives of people the world over, it’s not hard to imagine how one can easily get caught up the chase for one inkling of internet fame. In Danika Stone’s latest novel, Internet Famous, readers are treated to a story that serves as both a look behind the rise of internet culture, but also a cautionary tale of the dangers that lie beneath the surface.
Following noted fandom blogger Madison Nakama, Internet Famous tells the tale of a teenager caught in the throes of ever-mounting Internet popularity while juggling the stresses of Real Life. Once her blog starts growing exponentially, Madison is faced with unknown terrain that might have some terrifying consequences. Being a protective older sister, maintaining her blog, facing a vicious Internet troll — what will be her breaking point?
Overall, I enjoyed the dedication Stone showed toward shining the spotlight on a multitude of diverse characters. Within the main characters, readers are treated to not only really great representation of an Asian family — Madison’s family is Japanese — but we also have a wonderful Autistic character in Sarah, Madison’s younger sister. Laurent, Madison’s love interest, is also a person of color. Granted, the majority of the other characters are all white — or, at least, coded white — but I’m glad that we’re able to have some representation for minorities that aren’t generally found in YA.
With regard to the rest of the book, Internet Famous was a quick, lively read that was a delight to finish. There were some points in the plot that were pretty predictable — I saw the twist at the end coming from a mile away — yet the way it was presented, I didn’t find myself irritated by the reveal like I would have been with other books. Stone’s writing style is casual, easy, effortless — a difficult feat to pull off in between blog posts in character as Madison. I imagined reading this book and feeling like cringing all over the place (because sometimes translating Internet culture into the written word can be cringy), but I was ultimately quite impressed.
Amazing Pug Scale:
GIVEAWAY!
Only True Magic 
I really enjoyed this book, too. I liked how it gave us insight into how bloggers or even authors might feel when meeting their fans. It’s not always as easy as it looks!
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