A review by fearnerd
Influencer Island by Kyle Rutkin

3.0

A bunch of influencers get thrown together on an island thinking they're going to party down, but instead, they're forced to fight to the death. It's an intriguing enough premise that caught my attention. The book has a format resembling a podcast with interviews and snippets taken from the island event. I thought Kyle Rutkin executed its podcast structure quite well with moments that built to a shocking reveal. If it was a podcast, you'd be anticipating the next episode, which is how the chapters are arranged. It pulls you along nicely as you want to learn more about the mysterious Wyatt James, the mastermind behind the island contest. Also, I enjoyed the mysteries around our two leads: Carrie and Cal.

There's plenty of brutality on display once our story makes it to the island. But even before the island, there are moments that shock like hearing about Cal's dead father on display in an art exhibit that was pretty gruesome (and entirely unbelievable). Yes, you'll need to suspend your disbelief quite often. It's a fast, fun read but also a little disposable. I'm not sure how much it will resonate with me in a few months, but it's good in the moment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5. Fear Nerd says, "Check it out!"

Thanks to Net Galley for the advance copy!