"This compelling, thought-provoking novella unpacks the complexities of digital “sharenting” and family dynamics in an eminently accessible style."
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 - September 2026 Book of the Month
Pitched for 13+-year-old readers with a reading age of eight, Sally Nicholls’ Dangerous Influence dissects the dangers of digital “sharenting” with insight, empathy and an accessible lightness of touch.
As a result of their mum being a major parent influencer (her vlog and social media channels boast millions of followers), Anna, thirteen, and her sister Josie, fifteen, have lived almost their whole lives online. But, while their mum’s success as a “sharenter” has gifted the sisters beautiful bedrooms and expensive holidays, it’s also come at a cost.
Feeling like she lives in her sister’s shadow, Anna has always hated appearing in her mum’s videos: “Can’t people see that someone who films their kids and puts them on the internet has to be a terrible mum?” Mocked by her peers for the personal things her mum shares online, it doesn’t take much encouragement from a cool new girl at school for Anna to refuse to appear in any more content. At the same time, Josie admits she’s being stalked by a male follower on her own channel, which brings matters to a complex head.
Raising important ethical questions around the agency of children and young people, and showing the pivotal moment teenagers realise “parents are just humans and they make mistakes like everyone else”, Dangerous Influence is also notable for the way it presents the mum’s personal context: “People who think I’m nothing because I’m a single mum. Because I used to be on benefits. Because I’m a woman. Because I dare to say out loud that parenting’s hard”.
With a beautifully unexpected ending that reveals how it’s possible to find new paths and fix fractured relationships, it really is extraordinary how much Nicholls weaves into such a fast- paced, perfectly-plotted, accessible story. As such, Dangerous Influence comes highly recommended for all teenagers and, given its nuanced exploration of a remarkable range of discussion-sparking topics, it’s also a great book for the classroom.
Acclaimed author Sally Nicholls delivers a gripping and thought-provoking portrayal of the complex dynamics of influencer culture and the dangers of 'sharenting'.
Acclaimed author Sally Nicholls delivers a gripping and thought-provoking portrayal of the complex dynamics of influencer culture and the dangers of 'sharenting'. Ever since she was little, Anna and her sister Josie have been the main feature of her mum's vlogs and social media posts, which have documented every moment of their lives, from family dinners to temper tantrums.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Dangerous Influence and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-14 years old
Dangerous Influence features in the following genres: Featured Books for 11+ readers, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Stories about Family and Friends, Computers and the Digital World, Science, PSHE: Family Issues, PSHE: Self-Awareness, Self-Esteem and Wellbeing, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Dyslexia Friendly Books for Teens, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s / Teenage fiction: General, modern and contemporary fiction, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Emotions, moods, feelings and behaviours, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s / Teenage: General interest
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. Pre-order. 24th September 2026.
Dangerous Influence was written by Sally Nicholls and published by Barrington Stoke an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Dangerous Influence has 120 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. Pre-order. 24th September 2026.
