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exorcismemily's review against another edition
4.0
"News flash: you can't fucking curate other people. You can't just play with us like we're fucking dolls."
3.5⭐
Follow Me was one of my most anticipated 2020 releases! I loved Kathleen Barber's last book, and I was so excited to check this one out. I feel like the first 3/4 of the book were what I was hoping for, but the last portion of the book failed to bring everything together for me.
None of the characters in this book are likeable, which works perfectly fine with the story that is being told. I guess I just expected that there was something deeper going on. This book tapped into several important topics regarding internet presence (oversharing, stalking, consent, etc), but never went anywhere with them. I was hoping for more, and that some loose threads would be tied up.
Although I enjoyed reading the book overall, the ending was not satisfying to me, and it felt silly and lackluster. I think this book had a lot of potential, but I felt disappointed in the end. It was still an entertaining book, though, and I'll be reading whatever Kathleen Barber does next.
3.5⭐
Follow Me was one of my most anticipated 2020 releases! I loved Kathleen Barber's last book, and I was so excited to check this one out. I feel like the first 3/4 of the book were what I was hoping for, but the last portion of the book failed to bring everything together for me.
None of the characters in this book are likeable, which works perfectly fine with the story that is being told. I guess I just expected that there was something deeper going on. This book tapped into several important topics regarding internet presence (oversharing, stalking, consent, etc), but never went anywhere with them. I was hoping for more, and that some loose threads would be tied up.
Although I enjoyed reading the book overall, the ending was not satisfying to me, and it felt silly and lackluster. I think this book had a lot of potential, but I felt disappointed in the end. It was still an entertaining book, though, and I'll be reading whatever Kathleen Barber does next.
readingwithbrian's review against another edition
4.25
Kathleen Barber's Follow Me is a gripping domestic thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Audrey Miller has it all: a dream job at the Smithsonian, a perfect Pilates body, and hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers. But behind the glam life lies a darker reality.
With a broken door lock, a creepy neighbor, and an obsessive follower tracking her every move online, Audrey's life in Washington, DC, spirals into a chilling nightmare. Barber brilliantly explores the dangers of social media fame, making this book a real page-turner.
Follow Me is a compelling, suspenseful read that will make you rethink your digital footprint. If you love popcorn thrillers, don’t miss this one!
jamiecakes0522's review against another edition
2.0
First,
I liked the stalker pov. It was creepy.
Also, seeing how social media oversharing can be dangerous was alarming.
But,
It was a bit too long in my opinion.
And it was predictable.
The author used too many adjectives and adverbs instead of more creative ways to tell and show.
Some of the storylines were never followed through. They felt like they were just thrown in to move the story along.
Side note: I wanted more from the neighbor guy. He was the best character and deserved more of a role in the story.
Overall - Eh.
I liked the stalker pov. It was creepy.
Also, seeing how social media oversharing can be dangerous was alarming.
But,
It was a bit too long in my opinion.
And it was predictable.
The author used too many adjectives and adverbs instead of more creative ways to tell and show.
Some of the storylines were never followed through. They felt like they were just thrown in to move the story along.
Side note: I wanted more from the neighbor guy. He was the best character and deserved more of a role in the story.
Overall - Eh.
hollidayreadswithme's review against another edition
3.0
I picked up Follow Me on Libby (because we are in quarantine so I’m not leaving my house) and listened to it after reading Truth Be Told for an online book club that I joined. 2020 is seeing a lot of books about social media and its effects on real people. The parasocial relationships between followers and influencers and the potential fallout. Followers by Megan Angelo, I Know You by Annabel Kantaria, Woman on the Edge by Samantha M Bailey, just to name a few that I’ve read on this subject this year.
Follow Me follows (pun fully intended) a young woman named Audrey and her sudden move to Washington, DC, the reality behind her instagrammable life and the fallout of her social media stardom. She is our main character but there is nothing particularly interesting about her. Her crowning achievement is that she met the right person at the right time and copied everything they said to make her life as “art” as possible. We go on a journey with her as she realizes that she isn’t safe, that every man is secretly in love with her and a slimeball, and she learned absolutely nothing. Don’t worry. I’m not spoiling anything. She is just that stupid. I don’t know if that was intentional but she didn’t have anything redeemable about her character. I didn’t care about what happened to her because she had nothing for me to root for.
Her supporting cast is far more interesting. We get two other perspectives, a mysterious HIM and her friend Kat. Her friend Kat is fascinating but we don’t get to delve into her character as much as I would like.
Perhaps this book was meant as a commentary on the parasocial relationships we have with influencers, people who let us into their carefully crafted worlds. However, the execution was lacking. As much as I laud Barber for setting a non-political psychological thriller somewhere other than New York, there is not much diversity to speak of. Washington, DC’s population is made up of 53% of people of color and the only people of color are background or not mentioned at all.
I won’t talk about the climax scene, which is so played out that I’ve literally seen it in a Lifetime Movie and read it in numerous other thrillers. It is obviously foreshadowed early on in the book which takes all the shock out of it.
All in all, it’s a good book. I will read her books in the future. I really enjoyed Truth Be Told and I look forward to discussing it in my book club next week.
Follow Me follows (pun fully intended) a young woman named Audrey and her sudden move to Washington, DC, the reality behind her instagrammable life and the fallout of her social media stardom. She is our main character but there is nothing particularly interesting about her. Her crowning achievement is that she met the right person at the right time and copied everything they said to make her life as “art” as possible. We go on a journey with her as she realizes that she isn’t safe, that every man is secretly in love with her and a slimeball, and she learned absolutely nothing. Don’t worry. I’m not spoiling anything. She is just that stupid. I don’t know if that was intentional but she didn’t have anything redeemable about her character. I didn’t care about what happened to her because she had nothing for me to root for.
Her supporting cast is far more interesting. We get two other perspectives, a mysterious HIM and her friend Kat. Her friend Kat is fascinating but we don’t get to delve into her character as much as I would like.
Perhaps this book was meant as a commentary on the parasocial relationships we have with influencers, people who let us into their carefully crafted worlds. However, the execution was lacking. As much as I laud Barber for setting a non-political psychological thriller somewhere other than New York, there is not much diversity to speak of. Washington, DC’s population is made up of 53% of people of color and the only people of color are background or not mentioned at all.
I won’t talk about the climax scene, which is so played out that I’ve literally seen it in a Lifetime Movie and read it in numerous other thrillers. It is obviously foreshadowed early on in the book which takes all the shock out of it.
All in all, it’s a good book. I will read her books in the future. I really enjoyed Truth Be Told and I look forward to discussing it in my book club next week.
briannajlittle's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
snoopydoo77's review against another edition
4.0
***I received a free copy from the publisher and chose to leave a voluntary review. Thank you!***
This is my second book by this author and so far I enjoyed what I read. I love that books are so easy and fast to read and yet have a certain depth to it.
This was not different with this book, I loved that we get multiple POV again, I made it so much better to enjoy, it was not confusing and each voice was great in their own way.
It was easy to relate to them good or the bad …. Which made it even better, It was suspenseful and made kept me super engaged in the book.
One thing was for sure, this book makes you really think…. About not only about how much we spend online but really how much we share and how it can be used against you/
It sure has left me a bit more paranoid, that is for sure lol .
I rate it 4 ★
justinkhchen's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
A timely topic with a lukewarm execution, Follow Me definitely highlights the vulnerability of (over)sharing one's life on social media, as well as the risk of technological invasion, but plot-wise it falls short of actually bringing anything new to the stalker thriller sub genre—a serviceable quick read, but with limited lasting impression.
One strength I enjoy about Follow Me is the depiction of its protagonist; particularly at the constant juxtaposition between the 'living the perfect life' online persona, against what's really happening in real life. It also does a decent job at throwing shades at multiple suspects throughout a good portion of the novel. Unfortunately, not only do I find the final reveal to be very cliché and underwhelming (not to mention leaving all the suspicious activities done by the non-villain unresolved/explained), it also fails to integrate social media/technology in any meaningful way. In the novel's introduction, author Kathleen Barber mentioned she was initially inspired to write this book after hearing about RAT (remote access Trojan)—where victims mistakenly downloaded an programmed file onto their computer for hackers to access webcam/files remotely—but this element only shows up briefly in a couple paragraphs, and is irrelevant in the grand scheme.
Follow Me serves its intent, if nothing more. Its premise is ripe for a twisted, tech-savvy stalker story with a side serving of social commentary, but instead it comes across as if someone just read an essay on influencer culture, calling that research, and wraps an old-fashioned, trite narrative about jealousy and obsession within a superficial overlay of hashtags, sponsored posts, and dark web forum. A decent library loan book, and read it soon because it's already feeling dated with its heavy emphasis on Instagram, and no mentioning of TikTok.
A timely topic with a lukewarm execution, Follow Me definitely highlights the vulnerability of (over)sharing one's life on social media, as well as the risk of technological invasion, but plot-wise it falls short of actually bringing anything new to the stalker thriller sub genre—a serviceable quick read, but with limited lasting impression.
One strength I enjoy about Follow Me is the depiction of its protagonist; particularly at the constant juxtaposition between the 'living the perfect life' online persona, against what's really happening in real life. It also does a decent job at throwing shades at multiple suspects throughout a good portion of the novel. Unfortunately, not only do I find the final reveal to be very cliché and underwhelming (not to mention leaving all the suspicious activities done by the non-villain unresolved/explained), it also fails to integrate social media/technology in any meaningful way. In the novel's introduction, author Kathleen Barber mentioned she was initially inspired to write this book after hearing about RAT (remote access Trojan)—where victims mistakenly downloaded an programmed file onto their computer for hackers to access webcam/files remotely—but this element only shows up briefly in a couple paragraphs, and is irrelevant in the grand scheme.
Follow Me serves its intent, if nothing more. Its premise is ripe for a twisted, tech-savvy stalker story with a side serving of social commentary, but instead it comes across as if someone just read an essay on influencer culture, calling that research, and wraps an old-fashioned, trite narrative about jealousy and obsession within a superficial overlay of hashtags, sponsored posts, and dark web forum. A decent library loan book, and read it soon because it's already feeling dated with its heavy emphasis on Instagram, and no mentioning of TikTok.
kris_82's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
tokki_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
namitakhanna's review against another edition
4.0
Audrey has over a million followers on Instagram where her life is like an open book .which also invites a stalker in her life. When she gets a job opportunity of a lifetime she's ready to make a move from New York City to Washington DC but there is no way that the stalker will let this little move stop him .
Told by three Pov’s Audrey , her friend Cat, and the stalker ‘Him’ Follow Me is an interesting dark creepy thriller with a few nice twists and turns
I would like to thank Gallery, Pocket Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Told by three Pov’s Audrey , her friend Cat, and the stalker ‘Him’ Follow Me is an interesting dark creepy thriller with a few nice twists and turns
I would like to thank Gallery, Pocket Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/