Influenced

What happens when friendship goes too far?

Tenth grade isn't going according to plan for Lainey. Her twin brother moved across the country to live with their dad and stepmom, leaving Lainey -- and her anxiety -- behind. And Lainey's starting to realize that maybe most of her friends were really her brother's friends. Thank god for Bliss.

Bliss is navigating her own tough sophomore year, determined to find her place. But no matter what's going on in her life, Bliss is really good about being there for Lainey. She's confident and fearless, all that Lainey wishes she could be. It seems like Bliss is getting everything she's ever wanted, including a new boyfriend and becoming the first wheelchair user to land a lead role in the school production.

What no one knows is that Bliss is struggling. At school it feels like everyone is always watching her, and at home, she's overwhelmed by her parents' expectations. When things get worse for Bliss, Lainey stops hearing from her completely. Panicked that something awful has happened, Lainey rushes to find out what's going on. But when Lainey arrives at Bliss's apartment, nothing is what it seems, and everything Lainey thought she knew about her friend is a lie...

Author: Sarah Darer Littman,Cindy L. Otis
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: 08/19/2025
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.02lbs
Size: 8.48h x 5.89w x 1.11d
ISBN: 9781339038261
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 07/01/2025 pg. 77
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2025
School Library Journal 08/29/2025 pg. 1

About the Author
Sarah Darer Littman is the Sydney Taylor Honor author of Some Kind of Hate; Deepfake, Backlash; Want to Go Private?; Anything But Okay; In Case You Missed It; Life, After; and Purge. Together with Cindy L. Otis, she has written Influenced. Sarah is also an award-winning news columnist and teaches writing at Western Connecticut State University and with the Yale Writers' Workshop. She lives in Connecticut with her family in a house that never seems to have enough bookshelves. You can visit her online at sarahdarerlittman.com.

Cindy L. Otis is the author of At the Speed of Lies and the nonfiction book for young readers True or False: A CIA Analyst's Guide to Spotting Fake News. Together with Sarah Darer Littman, she has written Influenced. She is a former CIA officer, a national security expert, and a frequent media commentator and writes regularly about national security issues, often cited by The Washington Post, The New York Times, the BBC, NPR, and CNN. As a wheelchair user and passionate advocate of disability rights, she has also worked as a consultant to major disability rights organizations. You can visit her online at cindyotis.com.