If the mini miss contests and the children of stars have almost always existed, the explosion of social networks has given birth to new little starlets with hundreds of thousands of followers for the better… and often for the worse. In three popular novels, Olivier Bourdeaut , Delphine de Vigan and Eliette Abécassis examine the drifts of digital notoriety among children.
Florida by Olivier Bourdeaut
For who ? Little Miss Sunshine fans.
The pitch. At the age of seven, to the pride of her mother, Elizabeth won a mini miss contest . The start of a descent into hell for this little girl who wishes to be something other than her mother's doll, obsessed with her physique. Tired of being styled, dressed, perfumed, made up, self-tanned to try to get on the first step of the podium, Elizabeth decides to transform her body to gain freedom. By growing visibly, by deforming her body excessively with push-ups, push-ups and abs, Elizabeth is sure: she will no longer be anyone's princess.
The moral of the story. In an often hilarious novel, uncompromising and brilliantly fierce with the mini miss competitions, Olivier Bourdeaut tackles the problem of the objectization and hypersexualization of little girls.
Through the journal of revenge with raw or even trashy writing, the author sends us right in the head of the disastrous consequences of the cult of the body and of beauty. To the best of my mind ...
Florida by Olivier Bourdeaut at Finitude (€ 19)
© Serge Corrieras Opale Leemage
Children are kings by Delphine de Vigan
For who ? The followers of reality TV .
The pitch. When Clara takes over the investigation of the disappearance of little Kimmy, the young policewoman discovers a sprawling world that she ignores: that of Instagram and Youtube reality TV which features toddlers. Because the mother of the missing child, Mélanie, is followed by millions of subscribers on her Happy Récré account sponsored by children's brands. The goal of this mother? Make a living by filming all the everyday moments of his offspring Sammy and Kimmy. From shopping to meals and going to bed, Internet users are invited to interact and give their opinion on the stories and publications of the Happy Récré account. Who can blame this seemingly perfect family and this mother who wishes only the best for her children?
The moral of the story. Returning, at the start of her thriller-novel, to Loana sur les Champs' famous walkabout when she left the Loft in 2001, the star author of Nothing is opposed to the night sets the tone for us. Because without spoiling you, we give it to you in a thousand: the children of Mélanie, this influential mother, will not grow up to be teenagers or balanced adults (see Loana that we knew in better shape). Because there is still a legal vacuum on the rights of children in the media from an early age, Delphine de Vigan invites us to redouble our vigilance on the race for notoriety created by social networks.
Children are kings by Delphine de Vigan at Gallimard (20 €)
© Francesca Mantovani, Gallimard Editions
Instagrammable by Eliette Abécassis
For who ? Those who were waiting for Dangerous Liaisons 2.0 or a Parisian version of Gossip Girls.
The pitch. Born in the early 2000s, Sacha is about to commit the irreparable after the publication of a mysterious Instagram post. Fascinated by the Kardashian family or Chiara Ferragni with 17 million subscribers, the world of this young Parisian from the beautiful neighborhoods resides in her phone which she never leaves. How can Sacha console her friend Lou when images of her having sex are posted on Snapchat? How to hope to go out with Jules, the ex of Jade, the famous influencer with 750,000 subscribers? Why is this famous Jade suddenly interested in her?
The moral of the story
Speaking of one of her heroines with many followers, Eliette Abécassis sums up the absurdity of the spiral of notoriety created by social networks: “ She greets her community like a presenter, her audience, a journalist her spectators, or a supermodel. at the end of a parade, because she is all of these at the same time, and yet she is nothing . ”
After investigating the issue for several years, the author and teenage mother raises a dizzying question that justice has hardly yet addressed: How could the generation that grew up with social media not be overwhelmed by the violence and dependence it induces? An effective punch novel to warn parents about this disturbing universe still too little known to over thirty years.
Instagrammable by Eliette Abécassis at Grasset (17 €)
Also discover malcom & Marie the masterpiece with zendaya and 4 things to know about teenage idol Billie Eilish .
© Sam Taylor/Netflix
