About the Book:
Aurora Kutti’s life seems she’s a beauty and fashion icon for her many TikTok followers.
But below the surface it’s a different story. All the freebies and product launches can’t stop her feeling empty. All the glamour is scripted, and she’s not even sure she knows who she is anymore.
When Aurora’s ‘momager’ pushes her towards yet more fame, she decides to make herself disappear. But can she find herself, or is she lost forever?
Find on Goodreads. Find on Bookshop.org UK (affiliate link).
About the Author:
Zainab Boladale is a journalist, television presenter and public speaker. She was born in Nigeria and raised in Ireland. In 2017, she made her TV debut on RTÉ’s children’s programme, news2day, as the first Afro-Irish woman on Irish TV news. On news2day, she presented stories from around the world to the young people of Ireland. Zainab now travels around the country as a presenter and reporter for Ireland’s long-running factual feature programme, Nationwide. Zainab has also written and directed her first short film, Worthy, released in 2023. Her first book, BRAIDS TAKE A DAY, was shortlisted at the Irish Book Awards and the Great Reads Awards.
Interview:
Pitch your book in 10 words!
Irish teenage star tries to break free from online persona!
Aurora is both a normal teenager and, very much because of her mum, a social media superstar. What inspired you to write about this dichotomy?
The idea came from a question I couldn’t shake: How do the pressures of social media feel for a teenager who has grown up in front of an online audience? Between 2020 to 2024, I was seeing a growth in the amount of family-focused content coming up on social media, it seemed to me that even the youngest family member had a duty to perform. So I started wondering about the long-term effects of this.
When researching, before writing this book, I watched a lot of videos from young adults whose reality this once was. Two things they all had in common were the feeling that they didn’t have autonomy with how they showed up online, and the loss of privacy. As a writer, I wanted to find a way to empathically highlight this topic so I imagined the character that is Aurora and how she would navigate these emotions. I knew immediately that I had to tell the story from her perspective. I also wanted to channel that tension that could occur in this type of family dynamic so I highlighted the underlying friction in the relationship Aurora has with her mother.
Aurora’s mum micromanages Aurora and her image, steamrolling over her objections, prompting drastic action. Do you think Tolu would have listened had Aurora been better able to articulate her emotions and sense of isolation?
I think Tolu believed she knew what was best for Aurora and she was making plans with this in mind! Tolu heard Aurora’s objections but felt that once Aurora went through with the opportunities she’d arranged for her, she would be grateful at the end of it. Overall, Tolu lacked understanding. While as a ‘momager’ she could compartmentalise her relationship with the internet, her daughter who had never been taught how to, could not! I think if she had taken the time to really be aware of that, things could have unfolded differently.
One of the activities Aurora and Daisy enjoy on their day out is a trip to the arcade. What’s your favourite way to decompress with friends?
When I was younger, I loved going to the cinema with my friends. Even more so if there was a book we had all read and then it was turned into a movie. We would spend the whole week getting excited for Saturday to roll around for our cinema date and then go get a pizza to share right after! Nowadays, it’s much simpler. I love meeting up with my friends in a café and spending hours just catching up.
A key part of the storyline centres around catfishing and the story deals with the issue of keeping yourself safe online brilliantly. Do you think there’s a responsibility for national governments or the social media companies themselves to ensure user safety?
Absolutely. I think the anonymity the internet supports creates an opportunity for danger, especially towards young and vulnerable people. I believe there is a responsibility for both governments and tech companies to implement better regulations and identity authentication. You can never be too safe … so I do think protective measures need to be globally discussed and implemented.
If you had to go anywhere to find some peace and understanding, where would you run?
A coastal town – in Ireland or abroad. I love being near a body of water, it recharges me. The atmosphere in a seaside town feels so calming. Being near the sea quiets my thoughts and gives me clarity.
You create a fascinating contrast between Aurora, her brother Dami, and Daisy. All three are teenagers but all three have a very different relationship to social media. Why was it important to you to show a range of relationships with social media?
I wanted to show how our relationship with social media can either replicate or embolden our existing personality types. With Aurora, we learn that she doesn’t actually hate social media; she just hates the lack of autonomy she has within it. In contrast, with Dami, we see how having full control over how he shows up online allows him to use it as a genuine tool for connection and confidence. Then there is Daisy, who uses social media to discuss her passions with like-minded people. She shares only the parts of her life she feels comfortable showing and while she is very aware of the dangers, she doesn’t let them stop her.
All three characters find ways to build community online, but their approaches are unique to them. I wanted to show this range because it echoes reality: regardless of age, our online experience is shaped by how we choose to engage with it.
Daisy is completely different to Aurora, cautious about meeting online friends and has a tight group of friends making her a brilliant and engaging foil to Aurora. What was your favourite bit of developing their friendship?
I really enjoyed building this friendship slowly. By giving Aurora a friend like Daisy, I could explore how this connection gave Aurora a new perspective. It also allowed me to show the contrast between an online and offline relationship as well as highlighting how two very different types of teenagers navigate their lives in this digital age. Making friends is such an incredible experience, I wanted to lean into that feeling of getting close to someone in a sort of a digital pen-pal way.
Please recommend a UKYA book you think readers will love
FROM THE TOP, SALLY FLYNN* by Méabh Collins (and you can read our interview with Méabh Collins about this book here too!)
Thank you!
*Affiliate link
#UKYASpotlight 
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