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jillwedemeier's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ten influencers. Ten secrets. One dead body.
Read if you like:
📱Locked-room mysteries
🌴Remote island thrillers
📱Social media influencers
🌴Reality TV
📱Multiple POVs
Olivia Worley's debut YA novel, People to Follow, is the story of ten teen influencers who come to a remote island in the Caribbean to star in a reality show, In Real Life. This hot new reality show will force social media's rising stars to unplug for three weeks as their every move is filmed without filters. For these influencers, IRL will be the opportunity of a lifetime. But when the production crew fails to show up and a dead body is found, their dream of superstardom turns into a nightmare. Then, they begin receiving messages from a mysterious sponsor who threatens to expose their darkest secrets. They realize that they've been lured into a deadly game, and one of them may be a killer. With the body count rising and cameras watching them, these influencers must figure out who is trying to get them canceled.
Ok, so I realize I am totally not the target audience for this YA novel, but it was such a fun read! This locked-room mystery is told from the perspectives of four of the influencers: Kira, a child star turned fitness influencer; Elody, an Instagram model; Max, a Youtuber; and Logan, a TikToker. With ten influencers as main characters, it was hard at first to remember who was who, but it became easier as the story progressed. This was a twisty, fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. It was a fun spin on a classic Agatha Christie novel, perfect for the TikTok generation. What an amazing debut from Olivia Worley! I can't wait to see what she does next.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
CW: death, murder, sexual assault/harassment, alcohol use, cursing
Read if you like:
📱Locked-room mysteries
🌴Remote island thrillers
📱Social media influencers
🌴Reality TV
📱Multiple POVs
Olivia Worley's debut YA novel, People to Follow, is the story of ten teen influencers who come to a remote island in the Caribbean to star in a reality show, In Real Life. This hot new reality show will force social media's rising stars to unplug for three weeks as their every move is filmed without filters. For these influencers, IRL will be the opportunity of a lifetime. But when the production crew fails to show up and a dead body is found, their dream of superstardom turns into a nightmare. Then, they begin receiving messages from a mysterious sponsor who threatens to expose their darkest secrets. They realize that they've been lured into a deadly game, and one of them may be a killer. With the body count rising and cameras watching them, these influencers must figure out who is trying to get them canceled.
Ok, so I realize I am totally not the target audience for this YA novel, but it was such a fun read! This locked-room mystery is told from the perspectives of four of the influencers: Kira, a child star turned fitness influencer; Elody, an Instagram model; Max, a Youtuber; and Logan, a TikToker. With ten influencers as main characters, it was hard at first to remember who was who, but it became easier as the story progressed. This was a twisty, fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. It was a fun spin on a classic Agatha Christie novel, perfect for the TikTok generation. What an amazing debut from Olivia Worley! I can't wait to see what she does next.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
CW: death, murder, sexual assault/harassment, alcohol use, cursing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual assault, Murder, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
jasmineslibraryy's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
this book was pure chaos. messy teenagers, dead bodies piling up, and a ton of alcohol. what couldn’t go wrong?
the characters are awful, but i couldn’t stop reading about them. few of them were awful but in likeable ways. the plot was easy to follow, but it all unravels pretty fast in the end. the POV always switched at the perfect time.
if you read influence by sara shepherd & lilia buckingham and/or the new girl by jesse q sutanto and liked it/them, this book is definitely for you. the vibes are there!
thank you wednesday books & goodreads for the ARC :)
the characters are awful, but i couldn’t stop reading about them. few of them were awful but in likeable ways. the plot was easy to follow, but it all unravels pretty fast in the end. the POV always switched at the perfect time.
if you read influence by sara shepherd & lilia buckingham and/or the new girl by jesse q sutanto and liked it/them, this book is definitely for you. the vibes are there!
thank you wednesday books & goodreads for the ARC :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Vomit, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
it speaks a lot about how young girls are treated online and in the entertainment industry. be advised