whew. makes you reconsider what you are posting on social media. good book. brought just enough angst

Follow Me promises a thrilling psychological journey, but unfortunately, it fails to deliver. The novel's predictable plot and cliched characters left me feeling underwhelmed and disappointed.
The story's premise, while intriguing on the surface, quickly becomes formulaic. The twists and turns are easily anticipated, and the resolution feels unsatisfyingly predictable. The author relies heavily on well-worn tropes, making the narrative stale and lacking originality.
Dialogue is another significant issue. The conversations between characters often feel forced and unnatural, hindering the reader's ability to connect with them. The stilted exchanges detract from the overall pacing and believability of the story.
While the psychological thriller genre often relies on suspense and tension, Follow Me fails to build these elements effectively. The lack of genuine suspense and the predictable plot development make the reading experience underwhelming.

| BOOK REVIEW |

Title: Follow Me
Author: Kathleen Barber
Format: 🎧
Rating: ✩ ✩ ✩

Interesting spin on the influencer and social media craze, where a stalker uses Audrey Miller's social media to integrate themselves in her life. At first, I wasn't sure where Audrey's friend, Cat, comes in and why she has her own POV chapters but it becomes more clear as the novel goes on.

The main mystery is Audrey's stalker's identity: there are many red herrings so I enjoyed guessing along the way. There were a number of twists at the end, but I have to be honest: I'm getting a little jaded with the contrived, multiple twists just for the purpose of having more twists. And I felt that a little bit with the end of Follow Me.


The pacing also was a little slow in the middle- it felt like Audrey was stuck in the same situation for longer than she needed to be, with no forward progress on the plot.


That being said, I did enjoy the concept and it was an easy read in general. Enjoyable, even if it fell a little short of what it could have been.

Key Points:
• Influencer lifestyle
• Multi-POV
• "You" vibes
• Unlikeable characters

Audrey posts her whole life on social media, as a lot of us do. But when strange things start to happen, she has to take a step back and decide if this is for the best. Follow me will definitely have you thinking differently about what you share with the world.

Is putting our entire lives on social media a bad idea? Well, for Audrey Miller, being an Instagram influencer with a massive following could have led to her being stalked by a super creepy fellow. This thriller is told from Audrey's perspective, as well as her best friend Cat (who has her own dark history she'd rather no one knew about), and a third POV, simply named Him. Let's just say he has some violent, stalking tendencies that Barber writes with a truly chilling effect.

I love thrillers that introduce technology into their stories - this story was made even more creepy because in the author's note at the beginning, Barber notes that she read about RAT cameras and was intrigued about how they're used - enough so that inspired her to write the whole book. Color me terrified!

I felt like the pacing of this book was great - I was interested the whole time and didn't feel any lags. There were a whole host of red herrings. I did guess Audrey's stalker before the end of the book, but it didn't really take a ton away from my enjoyment. Would have loved even more of a subtle commentary about what can happen when you put everything online, but this was a quick thriller that left me thinking through what ends up on my feed.

Kathleen Barber's Follow Me is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. This novel tells the story of Audrey Miller, a social media influencer who becomes the target of a stalker determined to ruin her life.

One of the strengths of this novel is its unique and modern premise. The story is told from the perspective of both Audrey and her stalker, creating a sense of suspense and intrigue that will keep readers guessing until the very end. Barber does an excellent job of exploring the dangers of social media and the impact it can have on our lives, particularly when it comes to privacy and security.

The characters in Follow Me are well-developed, with Audrey being a particularly compelling protagonist. She is relatable and likable, despite her flaws, and readers will find themselves rooting for her throughout the novel. The supporting cast is also strong, with each character playing an important role in the story.

One of the only drawbacks of Follow Me is its pacing. While the novel is certainly gripping, there are moments when the story seems to drag on, particularly in the middle section. However, this is a minor complaint in an otherwise engaging and well-crafted thriller.

Overall, Follow Me is a thrilling and thought-provoking novel that is well worth reading. With its strong characters, unique premise, and timely themes, it is sure to keep readers engaged from beginning to end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, the fact that time & time again this happen and why it’s cautious and to find the right balance on how much to post on social media. Social media was a HUGE theme in this book when it follows Audrey who’s a social media influencer and literally has no qualms about posting the details of her life on social media. She second guesses herself when she when realizes she has a stalker. There were a lot of red flags from the start that should've made her run and jet out of there, but alas it didn't , because of her character and to move the story ahead, but even as she learned that she learned that maybe she should be posting less; she still didn't feel the need to.

Also, they were questions that still needed to be answered and plot hole that weren’t brought up until until the end of the book so there was no time for a resolution. This book really shows the dangers & explores the dark side of social media.

This was narrated by two very different women who met in college and whose lives become entwined years later in Washington, D.C. This was wrought with suspense and the descriptions were heart pounding. Several possible suspects will leave readers guessing right up to the shocking conclusion.

udrey Miller is a woman that has it all including over a million followers on Instagram. She has a carefully curated life that she shares with all of her followers any chance she can get. To say she may be addicted to the attention is an understatement.

Follow me is a perfect story for the current digital age that we live in. It involves stalking and admiration about those that we follow on social media. It is more than creepy, its scary because this is a real life issue that could happen. I always find books/stories that are realistic even more scary because they can and do happen. You never know who is looking at your social media and as I was reading this, that thought kept running through my mind. Even as unsettling as that is, you realize that social media is its own vice, its very hard to stay away from even when it is dangerous. As we read about in this story. Its very hard to write too much without spoiling anything from the story. Overall I really enjoyed this and will definitely look for more stories by this author.

I started this book and found that it was not for me. I didn't want to rate a book that I wasn't able to finish.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* yikes, super creepy! ive wanted to read this book for forever and im so happy i finally read it, well worth the read!

Follow Me by Kathleen Barber has a very distinct You feeling, and while not quite as fantastic as that book (one of my favorite thrillers of all time), it still instills a feeling of disquiet and distinct creepiness. I really enjoyed the switches between the characters, and the "him" chapters are just a part of where Barber brings the creep factor. While the stalker is known in You, it isn't here, and it may come as quite a surprise to some people. As the book went on, I could partially see where it was going so it wasn't a complete surprise to me, but it was definitely quite the ride to get there. It also made me want to tape over the camera on my computer/never be an influencer and reminds readers that the internet isn't a very safe place. I also loved the fact that the author tells us where her idea came from right at the beginning of the book. This whole novel reminded me of watching a Criminal Minds episode and I really enjoyed Barber's engaging writing style.

The audiobook of Follow Me was enjoyable as well and narrated by Corey Brill, Erin Moon & Emily Tremaine. There is nothing I love more than a narrator for each character, and these voice actors really brought it. It can be on the slow side, so I was glad I listened to it and was able to hear the narrators bring it to life for me. There wasn't anything weird about the audio which was a plus (I'm picky, leave me alone), and it was just a really nice experience doing it that way. There are parts of the ending that completely shocked me, and more than one thing that I didn't see coming. I am always really intrigued by any book that mentions influencers and the internet, and this story is like a thriller and a warning all rolled into one. I have a copy of Are You Sleeping and now I am quite excited to get to it!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An extremely creepy thriller about an instagram and blog influencer who is being stalked. This one makes you want to get off social media all together and put cameras around everywhere. The creep factor and suspense is off the charts. Well written and downright scary. Loved this and look forward to devouring everything Barber writes. Highly recommend.

There is so much to think about with this one! For starters, I loved it. The perspective switched between multiple characters and really kept me guessing.

The main character is an influencer with over a million followers who seems to attract all the wrong people. So many of the things that happen to her are what worries me about the internet..

This one was super entertaining, and j would definitely suggest this to others!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I was first introduced to Kathleen Barbers writing with her book Truth Be Told, and I’m currently watching the series on Apple TV. The story was fresh with an intriguing plot. Follow Me is the same. I enjoy Kathleen’s writing as she has a way of growing the characters throughout the book. I was hooked from the first chapter. Follow Me touches on the often-grim side of social media. Audrey Miller is a social medial “influencer” of sorts. She puts her life out there for the world to see and wonders why she is suddenly the victim of a stalker. The book keeps a steady pace throughout and makes you think twice about how much we share with total strangers. There have been comparisons to YOU by Caroline Kepnes since both books involve a stalker and unsuspecting victim. YOU is much creepier and the protagonist Joe is someone that no one could replicate.

If you’ve read or watched ‘YOU’ then this book will seem very, very similar to you. The only difference - we don’t know who the bad guy is. While I loved ‘YOU’, I can’t say the same for this book. We’re introduced to several characters and once we are introduced to a certain character, it is very very obvious he is the bad guy. I was expecting more of a shock or twist but as soon as the reveal came I was like “really?”. It was underwhelming for me and the main character is kind of annoying so I didn’t really care what happened to her tbh. Maybe skip this one and read ‘YOU’ instead if you haven’t? 🤷🏽‍♀️

I love Kathleen Barber! The way the author constructs her stories is completely addictive. I love the way FOLLOW ME brings obsession to a fictional story, but in a way that seems so real.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Follow Me is a frustrating read. It's the one certain thing a book of uncertainties. The main character is uninteresting, self serving, narcissistic, and not completely likeable. The characters around her are seemingly powerless against her and left in her wake. The three main characters all have secrets. The twist is excellently writing and astounding. Overall, a good read that felt a little rushed in development.

It is a well researched, cautionary tale about social media and those who feel to chronicle their entire lives. Lives that while photographed beautifully, are actually lonely and empty.

4 out of 5 stars. Recommended reading.

I love books that address how scary social media can be and I thought that Barber did a great job. She created really compelling characters and a story that I couldn't stop reading!