catreader18's review against another edition
3.0
This story is about a social influencer who gets too wrapped up in her social media. She decides to unplug and actually throws her phone off a mountain.
The story is also about a woman who flags inappropriate things on social media and missed her sisters cry for help on the social influencer’s account. She goes to help her sister and takes over the social influencer’s account at the same time.
I felt this was two books out into one. The books crossed but I think they could have been two separate books. I enjoyed the social influencer’s story much more than the other story. The other story has several triggers for mental illness.
The story is also about a woman who flags inappropriate things on social media and missed her sisters cry for help on the social influencer’s account. She goes to help her sister and takes over the social influencer’s account at the same time.
I felt this was two books out into one. The books crossed but I think they could have been two separate books. I enjoyed the social influencer’s story much more than the other story. The other story has several triggers for mental illness.
theincredidad's review against another edition
5.0
It’s more than just romcom fluff
I was looking for something light and upbeat to keep me company as I open the hardware store every morning. It fit that bill but there was also a very positive and hopeful message underneath. Well written and well read!
I was looking for something light and upbeat to keep me company as I open the hardware store every morning. It fit that bill but there was also a very positive and hopeful message underneath. Well written and well read!
lpredolich22's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bargainsleuth's review
4.0
For this and other book reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com
It turns out I did read The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms. I thought I hadn’t; that’s how big of an impression the book made on me. I rated it three stars. It’s not my favorite genre to read. But loads of other people liked it, so what does my opinion matter in the end. The Bright Side of Going Dark had a much more compelling story: disconnecting from social media and living your life to the fullest. It was also only $1.99 on Kindle and a few bucks more for the audiobook, so I pulled the trigger.
From the bestselling author of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler comes a fresh, funny, and thoughtful story about going off the grid in order to truly live.
I had a really hard time connecting with Mia, the social media influencer, because her world is entirely about how her life looks to others. She’s so busy staging her life in pictures that she doesn’t actually seem to live a good life. In general, I don’t follow social media influencers because I know it’s all one big ad for their sponsors. I’m consumer savvy enough to not believe the majority of what a product company wants us to believe. I rely on consumer reviews, advice from friends and family, and first-hand experience with products to know if they’re worth it or not. I also don’t follow the latest trends on social media and in general tune them out. So Mia’s world is not part of my world. Yet when she decides to unplug and reevaluate her life after being jilted at the alter, I found some empathy for her. She soon begins to blossom in a world where clicks and likes don’t rule her world.
Paige works for the social media platform Pictey, the one Mia uses, in the standards department. She’s one of many in charge of evaluating flagged pictures to see if they break platform standards. At first glance, Paige isn’t the sort of person who should have the job she has with her history of depression. But Pictey’s managers are constantly checking on their employees’ physical and mental health because of the nature of Paige’s job.
It’s Paige who notices when Mia’s account goes dark. And that means less traffic on Pictey’s account. Paige realizes this could be a huge problem and decides to solve it herself by hacking into Mia’s account and begins impersonating her. Soon enough she realizes what hard work it is to be an influencer with hundreds of thousands of fans.
Meanwhile, she’s also reconnecting with a much younger sister who tried to kill herself and is in the hospital. Paige is alerted to this because her sister posted a suicide message on Mia’s account but missed it; someone else in the company flagged the post and called the authorities. Paige is wracked with guilt because she missed this post, but decides to rectify it by helping her sister. Paige wants to tell her that she did the same thing at her age, and that their mother is like an albatross who just sticks her head in the sand. Paige has to come out of her comfort zone to be more like a mother to her sister.
The whole time I listened to this book, I thought of my oldest teenage daughter, who seems to live on Snapchat and Instagram and needs frequent reminders to walk away from social media for a while each day. This seems like a light-hearted book, but really, there are some serious issues presented in a palatable format. There’s mental illness, self-doubt, panic attacks, cyber bullying, phone obsession, comparing one’s self to others, thinking you’re not enough, all through the lens of social media. It’s all the stuff we’re supposed to navigate through middle and high school and college, yet in today’s world, many adults haven’t figured out. It’s worth a read if you struggle with a social media/life balance.
It turns out I did read The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms. I thought I hadn’t; that’s how big of an impression the book made on me. I rated it three stars. It’s not my favorite genre to read. But loads of other people liked it, so what does my opinion matter in the end. The Bright Side of Going Dark had a much more compelling story: disconnecting from social media and living your life to the fullest. It was also only $1.99 on Kindle and a few bucks more for the audiobook, so I pulled the trigger.
From the bestselling author of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler comes a fresh, funny, and thoughtful story about going off the grid in order to truly live.
I had a really hard time connecting with Mia, the social media influencer, because her world is entirely about how her life looks to others. She’s so busy staging her life in pictures that she doesn’t actually seem to live a good life. In general, I don’t follow social media influencers because I know it’s all one big ad for their sponsors. I’m consumer savvy enough to not believe the majority of what a product company wants us to believe. I rely on consumer reviews, advice from friends and family, and first-hand experience with products to know if they’re worth it or not. I also don’t follow the latest trends on social media and in general tune them out. So Mia’s world is not part of my world. Yet when she decides to unplug and reevaluate her life after being jilted at the alter, I found some empathy for her. She soon begins to blossom in a world where clicks and likes don’t rule her world.
Paige works for the social media platform Pictey, the one Mia uses, in the standards department. She’s one of many in charge of evaluating flagged pictures to see if they break platform standards. At first glance, Paige isn’t the sort of person who should have the job she has with her history of depression. But Pictey’s managers are constantly checking on their employees’ physical and mental health because of the nature of Paige’s job.
It’s Paige who notices when Mia’s account goes dark. And that means less traffic on Pictey’s account. Paige realizes this could be a huge problem and decides to solve it herself by hacking into Mia’s account and begins impersonating her. Soon enough she realizes what hard work it is to be an influencer with hundreds of thousands of fans.
Meanwhile, she’s also reconnecting with a much younger sister who tried to kill herself and is in the hospital. Paige is alerted to this because her sister posted a suicide message on Mia’s account but missed it; someone else in the company flagged the post and called the authorities. Paige is wracked with guilt because she missed this post, but decides to rectify it by helping her sister. Paige wants to tell her that she did the same thing at her age, and that their mother is like an albatross who just sticks her head in the sand. Paige has to come out of her comfort zone to be more like a mother to her sister.
The whole time I listened to this book, I thought of my oldest teenage daughter, who seems to live on Snapchat and Instagram and needs frequent reminders to walk away from social media for a while each day. This seems like a light-hearted book, but really, there are some serious issues presented in a palatable format. There’s mental illness, self-doubt, panic attacks, cyber bullying, phone obsession, comparing one’s self to others, thinking you’re not enough, all through the lens of social media. It’s all the stuff we’re supposed to navigate through middle and high school and college, yet in today’s world, many adults haven’t figured out. It’s worth a read if you struggle with a social media/life balance.
efabri123's review
5.0
It's rare for me to finish reading a book and think, "Wow!" This was one of those rare occurrences. I found it really hard to put down. The story switched back and forth between two different characters' points of view. I found both of them relatable, but was also infuriated by some of their decisions/life choices. Harms has created an amazing story that is a fantastic reflection of the power of social media - both negative and positive. I'm so glad I read this. Highly recommended!
cebaute's review against another edition
5.0
The depth of this book shocked me. I was not expecting to read such a strong depiction of the importance of mental health and how social media affects it. The Bright Side of Going Dark does a remarkable job at shining a light on social media influencers and how their lives are filtered depictions of what they want you to see. Mia is a popular social media influencer who decides to step awake from her fake world and live in the real world. Paige is someone who avoids interactions outside of her normal day; when Mia walks away from her social media life, Paige takes over. She realizes how nice it is to have such an influence over so many people. This book has so much heart and made me cry a few times.
I received this book from Netgalley to read and review. For more thoughts, check out the Instagram account @BestsLoveBooks.
I received this book from Netgalley to read and review. For more thoughts, check out the Instagram account @BestsLoveBooks.
emilynye's review against another edition
3.0
A nice book, even if I didn’t care for either protagonist in the beginning.
egdavis's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
caffeinatedgen's review
4.0
This book should be a reading material in schools - it will help a lot of people