Thank you to Gallery Books for a copy of Noelle Crook’s debut novel, Under the Influence.

Harper is a recent graduate who is struggling to make ends meet in New York City. She is approached with an almost too-good-to-be-true job offer working for social media superstar, Charlotte Green. The job involves moving to Nashville, a huge change that will take Harper away from her best-friend, Poppy, with whom she has been sharing an apartment. However, in Nashville, Harper will be housed in a company apartment and for the first time, she can see herself able to save money and plan for the future. Poppy is supportive.

Harper is not given much time to decide if she’d like to take the job, as things move fast in Charlotte’s world. Upon accepting the offer, Harper is thrust into the intensity of Charlotte’s company and office space, which is called the Greenhouse. Employees are expected to give everything to help Charlotte succeed and to constantly stroke her fragile ego. She pits coworkers against each other and constantly has them fighting for her favor.

Although Harper recognizes the toxicity of the work culture, she can’t help but be charmed by Charlotte and is soon, drinking the proverbial company kool-aid. What will it take for Harper to realize that both her career and mental health are on a collision course?

I really enjoyed Under the Influence. I think it speaks to much of the current work culture, where employees are expected to give so much with gaining little in return. Such as the way perks are used in place of more important things, such as salary. Company Swag is not salary! Mandatory company retreats or parties are not salary!

The story plays with the perception of power and what power influencers really yield. Charlotte has built a company on branding herself and as it has grown quite large, she is now in a cycle of needing to keep up appearances. Everything in her life is curated and even her young children play along with their mom’s demands. Her husband is tired of the charade and also tired of his wife being in the spotlight, which is doing irreparable damage to their relationship. However, Charlotte cannot stop to try to fix her marriage as she is constantly on a treadmill to keep her company and herself relevant. She has to work overtime to keep her employees convinced of her relevance. If there is a problem within her organization, she always spins it to make herself look good. She cannot have genuine relationships with people or honest conversations. She cannot see how this behavior is harming her image.

Through Harper, we can see how easy it is to be swept away by a popular influencer. I think many readers will find this relatable, as many of us, whether or not we want to admit it, are interested in what celebrities think or the products they pitch. There is a reason why influencers are so popular. Harper has a journey that’s relatable. even if many of us have not been in her exact position.

Harper is a plucky, likable protagonist. You will root for her to make the right choices. The pacing is quick and Crooks’ infuses her story with both humor and heart. In particular, I liked Harper’s relationship with her aging parents who are also at a crossroads in their life.

Under the Influence is a fantastic debut and I can’t to read Crooks’ next book.