Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers by Angela Dominguez has its moments, but I was not the audience, and therefore, most of the moments were lost on me. However, ages 8 to (young) 13 would really enjoy it. The modern themes keep it contemporary, but with a classically familiar feeling of the coming of age story.
Gabby is 9 years old. She is an only child and precocious (it’s obvious why her parents were good with just one of her!). She is obviously a bit socially awkward, especially since she has joined an environmental group with mostly middle schoolers. Yet, she has the passion of someone twice her age. It just gets her in trouble most of the time. To impress the group, she volunteers herself to make a social media page. With a few moments of doubt from her parents, they work out a compromise. The biggest point is that Gabby must not go online without her parents. But of course, she does and sees a negative comment. Now obsessed with learning the identity of this meanie, Gabby goes down the proverbial rabbit hole and finds herself in more trouble than just disobeying her parents’ Number One Rule.
The overall illustrations are basic and while are not lacking in color or detail, they are minimalist. As the tone of the story is like journal entries, I am assuming that the author wants Gabby to tell more than show things, but still gives us a sample of what they think is needed to move the story along. Read via an online reader copy, the book is currently available. 