A review by girldetectives
Influencer Island by Kyle Rutkin

dark fast-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? Yes

2.0

Not everything is at is seems on Influencer Island. Pitched as the place to be for influencers, the mysterious Wyatt James' art installation quickly turns into something much more sinister as secrets are revealed, horrors are broadcasted to the world, and social media stars are picked off one by one*.

*Sort of. Sometimes more than one by one.

The premise for this book is interesting, and I appreciated the podcast format - it was a great way to quickly dive into a story with a lot of parts. However, I felt as though there were some important beats that were missed that could have really made an impact. This book moved too quickly for me to be invested in all of the plots - there wasn't breathing room between each reveal and resolution. In particular, I wish that there had been more development of the romance (or no inclusion of it) and more time spent with the competition itself. Also, I know it can be difficult to do via transcript, but I wish we'd seen a little more character differentiation and development.

This was a quick read for me, but I don't know that I'd pick it up again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Greater Path LLC for the e-ARC.
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