As the world increasingly becomes addicted to social media, a lot of contemporary fiction is reflecting this. How To Be Perfect, the new novel from Holly Wainwright is a lighthearted take on this. It is fun to read but also portrays the pressurising power social media can have over us if we allow it.
How To Be Perfect is the story of two bloggers that hate each other and also share an ex husband. Elle appears to have the perfect new life with a perfect new man and new baby. Abi is just about to get married to Grace, the love of her life. However their relationship is suffering from the chaotic emotional fall out Elle’s actions have caused.
Then there is Frances, a new mother who believes that if she can just be more like Elle, all her problems will be solved. And the perfect place to begin is by going on Elle’s exclusive wellness retreat. The only problem is it’s $5,000 – money Frances and her husband just don’t have.
I’ve got to be honest with you – I initially struggled with how naive and impressionable Frances is. However as I read on and discovered more of her backstory I realised why she was so emotionally vulnerable. She is using her addiction to Elle and social media as a coping mechanism; and in today’s modern world, I think many people do that. Her backstory is one of the most dark and unsettling aspects of this book and my heart went out to her.
I enjoyed How To Be Perfect, finding it pretty easy to read. I didn’t realise however that it’s the sequel to The Mummy Bloggers, which I haven’t actually read. Hence I think I would have possibly enjoyed it more if I had read the prequel beforehand as I found How To Be Perfect a tad confusing at times.
I also found the ending slightly rushed. But I still enjoyed it and I think Holly Wainwright may be setting us up for another book in the series. So let’s watch this space.
Thank you Legend Press for inviting me to be part of the blog tour to help publicise How To Be Perfect. To also read the reviews of my fellow bloggers also on this blog tour, please see below.
How To Be Perfect was published in the UK by Legend Press on 1st November 2019, so if you fancy a good easy read, it’s available now.
Happy reading everyone! 😊
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