My Life as a Hashtag

From the highly acclaimed author of The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex comes this funny, heartfelt novel about rage, regret and the pitfalls of life in the digital age.

I'd been warned - in French, no less. By a tram-riding, mermaid-swaying, wolf-eaten, peace-sign flipping friend. I knew she wouldn't be happy if I stayed out here by the pool, with Jed's nail tracing the length of my neck.

But I didn't want to go inside. I didn't want another drink. I wanted to stay out here and see what would happen.

What's a girl to do when her parents have split up; her mum's trawling Tinder; and one of her best friends has decided not to invite her to the biggest party of the year, which she then has to watch unfold on everyone else's social media?

If you're a girl called MC, you get mad as hell, that's what you do.

But what begins as one girl's private, no-holds-barred rant soon snowballs in the most public way possible.

A funny, heartfelt novel for anyone who's ever wished they hadn't pressed send.

Review by Tanaya Lowden

My Life as a Hashtag is an entertaining and incredibly relatable story about the impact of social media in schools and society as a whole.

It follows MC, a 17-year-old girl from Melbourne who is dealing with her parents splitting up, as well as normal school drama, boys, and friend issues. When one of her mean Tumblr posts about the friend she’s fighting with goes viral, MC gets a shock awakening to the repercussions of social media and bullying.

This book is incredibly important for society today, with a highly relatable message at its core. I’m sure we’ve all had those moments of panic when something we’ve said about someone has come around to haunt us. Imagine that on a global scale. Social media is a wonderful tool, but it also has a hidden underside to it, one that this book explores, and that teenagers will easily be able to identify with.

The string of events that happen to MC will have you desperately hoping you’re never in her shoes, but will also have you empathising with her and hoping the outcomes will be positive. You see MC learn from her mistakes, making this a thought-provoking read and the perfect book for both the regular and casual YA reader

About the Author

Gabrielle Williams lives in Melbourne and has three kids, one husband and a dog. In the name of research, she has spent time underground with a clandestine group called the Cave Clan, conducted a series of in-depth interviews with a group of notorious art thieves, and spent some time animating strawberries and trawling Tinder. She is the author of the critically acclaimed YA novels Beatle Meets Destiny, The Reluctant Hallelujah and The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex, all of which have been shortlisted for a number of prestigious awards.