February 15, 2025
A Korean American microinfluencer must choose between profit and personal values. Sixteen-year-old Charlotte Goh entered the world of online influencing as a way to relieve her family's financial strain. Wanting to spare her younger sister, Jojo, from the money-related arguments between her appa and umma that she grew up with, Charlotte turned to social media, hoping to leverage an audience for sponsorships. At a fashion preview in New York, she confronts some white girls over their racist comments about Audrey Sena, a popular Asian American influencer, and makes them apologize. When Audrey credits Charlotte with defending her in an Instagram post about the incident, Charlotte's follower count immediately explodes. Charlotte's new friendship with Audrey has other perks too, including joining Audrey's social circle and going on dates with a handsome actor. A generous sponsorship opportunity soon lands in Charlotte's lap, but there's a catch: Other influencers are boycotting the company for stealing the work of Asian designers. This fast-moving story examines themes of authenticity and representation as Charlotte navigates the contradiction between an influencer's curated social media presence and their audience's expectations of honesty and genuine connection. Charlotte's home life as an eldest child shouldering her parents' emotional and financial burdens is vividly drawn and contrasts sharply with the carefree, trendy lifestyles of her more affluent influencer friends. An absorbing, empathetic story that explores personal ethics and peeks behind the curtains of online perfectionism.(Fiction. 13-18)
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