When the Filter Fades Book Review
I’m starting off this post with a disclaimer that while I intend to share my reflections about Janine Jellars’ debut novel, When the Filter Fades, this review may be laced with my longstanding admiration and love for the author. Let’s just say I’m a fan girl and I’m not good at hiding my excitement about people, things and experiences that I love - so just bear with me here.
With the bustling city of Johannesburg as the backdrop of the main characters Lin, Lebo and Mbali, When the Filter Fades introduces us to three young women who are finding their way to assert their place in what Janine calls the “hierarchy” of the Joburg social scene.
Lin, a booming high-end influencer with a troubled past that seems to be following her in her newly found social and financial status. Lebo, a former child star whose desperate attempt at maintaining her A-list status from her childhood stardom has led to self-destructive behaviours. And Mbali, a journalist running a popular entertainment site known for giving people what they want with the latest celeb gossip and breaking entertainment news.
The stories of these three women intersect at different points of the novel, creating thrilling plots and unexpected turns that keeps the reader turning from one page to the next. Although this may have been implicit, the fourth and actual main character in the book is my beloved Johannesburg. Janine captures Joburg’s personality so aptly in the book that her love and study of this city shines through. She shows off Joburg’s enticing nature, allowing it to sit in the background, not saying too much, while you project all your dreams and fantasies onto it.
She affirms that Joburg is indeed the land of promises, the place where dreams come true but quickly finds a foreboding way to remind us how you can never be too big for this city - it was here first. While striving to find their place in the hustle and bustle, the author shows us how Lin, Lebo and Mbali all get a taste of this side of Joburg. The side that many refer to when sharing cautionary tales about this supposed land of milk and honey. The side that makes Joburg so alluring but so scary at the same time.
A former journalist and magazine editor, Janine was able to bring a texture to this book in a way that only an insider could. The detail, the specific references and the troves of inside information were neatly packaged into a relatable read that captured my attention from start to finish. I also appreciated how she subtly shared the makings of a celebrity, influencer or entertainment brand – peppering details of the strategy behind how our favourite personalities are curated, packaged and sold to us for consumption.
A light-hearted summer read, When the Filter Fades is more than what meets the eye.
