If I had even thought that the momster in Chloe Cates is Missing was fiction, I was proven wrong by The House of My Mother. Shari Franke is the eldest daughter of Ruby Franke, who was a popular youtuber until she was arrested (and then convicted) of child abuse. The House of My Mother is Shari’s personal story and frankly, it’s chilling.

That said, this isn’t really an indictment of influencers per se. Shari Frank makes it clear: Ruby wasn’t driven to child abuse by the relentless pursuit of the algorithm (though it did play a part in aggravating things) or even by the cult leader whose influence she fell under. Ruby always had an abusive and controlling streak, even before she started her youtube channel. It’s clear, though, that the disconnect between the wholesome family life on youtube and her reality grated on Shari, who was always deprived of her mother’s love.

At times, this was a hard book to read. While Shari doesn’t describe the abuse in detail, it’s heartbreaking to see how she was let down over and over again. One thing that stuck out to me was that because of her upbringing, Shari was unable to realise when she was being led into another abusive and exploitative romantic relationship – she only discovers that much later after therapy and it takes a lot for her to end it. The effects of what Ruby did to their children (and also from their father’s neglect in letting it happen) will be felt for years and my heart broke thinking about that.

While the subject matter is heartbreaking, Shari writes very honestly (though also with consideration for her siblings, whose identities she has decided she will not reveal). It’s clear that this book is not a tell-all memoir or a book out for vengeance, this is Shari telling us her side of the story, with all her opinions that she was not free to say before. If you’re looking for something juicy, this is probably not for you, but if you want to know how some people can be monstrous while acting like angels online, and what it’s like to be living with them, this is a book you’ll want to pick up.