3.75
Ok so this book, I was so bored abt 25% in and I started reading reviews of it and almost all the reviews I saw gave the book 4 to 5 stars and I was so confused and kinda mad coz the book was SO boring and confusing!!! But then continued it anyway and when I hit the 52% mark I was considering dnfing it but since I was halfway done decided to power through and then when I hit the 68% a major twist was revealed and I was MIND BLOWN! Like Im not even kidding, I should have figured it out with the clues throughout the book. All the confusions and questions I had throughout most of the book was solved and answered and after that it was so gripping. I am still thinking abt that twist coz it was so SHOCKING and, wow I have seen this twist being done before in other books but not as good as this.

I feel like I have learnt so much from the book..

Only reason I didn't give it a 5 star was coz of the parts before the twist. If it weren't for that I would have def given this a 5 star!! Cant wait to read more from the author:))

This was a fast paced read. Although the premise was intriguing, the execution lacked. At times it felt as if I were reading excerpts of a story story as sometimes the flow of the storytelling seemed choppy and like it was lacking. There are some I stances that are still unclear. Like the journal and what all it contained, the true nature of the mother's death, the father's death. I kind of figured one of the plot twists very early on.

I love twin stories, and of course I love psychological thrillers, but I was disappointed by this book in a few ways. It was a decent story, but I’ll explain my problems with it towards the end…

Alexa and Beth are identical twins who lost their mother, so they are doted on by their overprotective father. Losing their mom caused some emotional problems, so they were both committed to the Weinstein Center (one voluntarily, one not so much). When Alexa is released, she decides to move to NYC and make a new life for herself without her dramatic and troubled twin around.

It doesn’t take long before Beth is released as well, and finds her sister. Alexa has just started a new job, she has a new love interest, and she isn’t pleased about Beth showing up to live on her couch. It’s her sister though - she’s not going to throw her out. She’s going to continue this life she has started, even with Beth around. She just has to keep the crazy at bay.

Next comes the part I didn’t like: about halfway through, it turns into a book I just read a few months ago. I won’t mention the title of the other book in case you’ve read it, because it would spoil the twist in this one, but I was left totally bummed that it was so similar to a book I’d already read (and liked more, to be honest).

To be fair, these are both 2022 books, and the first one I read doesn’t come out until April, so it’s not a copycat book … it’s just coincidence that these books have the same twin twist. Unfortunately though, it left me wishing for something different. It’s a short book, but the beginning definitely dragged. Then once I started to get into it, I got to the similar twist, so from then out I was pretty uninvested.

Even if you haven’t read a similar book, this wasn’t a mind-blower. I will say, the last chapter was a fun ending that I didn’t see coming at all but, this book just wasn’t it for me. 2.5 stars, rounded up for being a debut novel with good writing. It was decent but underwhelming.

(Thank you to the Greenleaf Book Group, J.C. Bidonde, and NetGalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for my review.)

I am not going to lie to anyone and say the major twist of Do You Follow? by J.C. Bidonde really shocked me, but it was sure entertaining!! Alexa and Beth are the two viewpoints in the book, and I really enjoyed the way it alternates between the two of them. This is an incredibly quick read and I somehow managed to finish the audiobook in just a couple of hours. The pacing is quite fast, and I was immediately pulled in by Bidonde's writing and the story. I was told not to reread the synopsis before starting, and I am rather glad I didn't. It doesn't give anything away per se, but I didn't need all of the detail either. If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers and books about twins then you should pick it up, and that is basically all you need to know about the story.

I had the audiobook on NetGalley but to be honest I completely skipped it because of the quality of their app and went straight to Libro.fm for a copy. I am really glad I did this as it is the perfect book to listen to at a faster speed which is probably part of the reason I finished it so quickly. The narrator is Marnye Young who I haven't listened to before, but I loved her for Do You Follow?. Even though this has a trope I have read before, I really enjoyed the execution and the very end actually did leave me pretty surprised while also making me think there is a small plot hole. Either that or I missed something, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment and this was a very solid debut! I will definitely be reading whatever Bidonde writes next.

Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and digital copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Yikes! Holy plot twist!

For someone who is addicted to social media (I spend wayyyy too much time on instagram/bookstagram) this is an eye opener when it comes to exposing the dark side of social media. This book is one hell of a ride and keeps you flipping the page, feeding your addiction one chapter at a time.

This was a super easy read that flowed very nicely, the chapters progressed and got straight to the point. The character were all well described and multi dimensional.

I will say this book can be frightening when it comes to the realism but that is definitely what made it so enjoyable! This was an easy 5 star read!

I loved every minute of this twisty debut novel by J.C. Bidonde. I was hooked from the beginning until the end. I had to know what was going on. Told from alternating twin POVs, this story dives into the minds of these characters while spotlighting their complicated family relationships, traumas, and secrets.

The book is well written and the twins, while flawed, are believable and realistic in how their mental illness is portrayed. The supporting characters are equally as interesting and I found myself trying to figure out the huge plot twist. While I was on the right track, I did not see the final twist coming!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good psychological thriller!

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was a fast-paced story that I thought I would love but just didn’t. While the idea was great, I feel that the execution was locking. I didn’t like some of the ways the plot twists were handled, and I guessed part of one within the first couple of chapters. I found the dialogue to be awkward in spots and the mentions of Covid seemed kind of plopped in as an afterthought and didn’t add to the setting in any way.

I feel like there were a lot of things in here that were supposed to make me feel things, but I wasn’t connected enough with the characters or the story to really feel those things. It all seemed quite surface level to me.

I did like Dr. Greer’s perspective, but that was such a small part of the story that I don’t feel like it could really redeem this book to me. These are just my personal opinions. This book wasn’t for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s not for others.

I can’t really give away much information without spoilers, so I would just recommend you give it a go if you like fast-paced thrillers with a focus on mental health.

I'm a big fan of psychological thrillers and twin stories so this was right up my alley.

I haven't read anything by J. C. Bidonde before, but I will likely pick up another book by this author in future. I will say that I figured out what was going on fairly early which made this book drag a bit. I so wanted to like the twins, but I didn't really feel drawn to any of the characters - I think had they been a little more robustly done they'd have felt much more real.

All that said, this is a solid read and one that I'd recommend. Not everyone reads lots of these like I do, so maybe not everyone would figure it out quite as early as I did. Still, it was enjoyable and I will look for this author's other books so I'm giving this a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and author for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

I really don't know how to describe this book. It is interesting but it is also full of holes in my opinion. Somehow it didn't come together in a
realistic way. I know there are readers who will enjoy this but it is just not for me.

This was an interesting book about twin sisters that are victims of a childhood tragedy. Alexa spent time in a Psychiatric facility and is released into the world, securing a marketing job. While working at her job she becomes involved with one of her clients. As her life is beginning to get back to normal, her twin sister Beth shows up.

This book is filled with suspense and many twists. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

This story is about a woman named Alexa who has a mental health problem. She strikes out on her own and is doing well until her estranged twin sister shows up. I really liked this story and it kept me wanting to find out what would happen.

This book was okay. I'm still trying to figure out why this title? I am afraid to say too much as I want to be careful not to spill any beans. I think it was a decent plot. I do however think there were some things that were unexplained at the end of the story that were mentioned throughout the book. I would read other titles by this author.

Two sisters must come to terms with secrets from the their past when one moves to NYC to start a new job in this psychological thriller. I liked the frenetic pace of this and the plot enveloped me immediately. Unfortunately, I figured out what was going on pretty much right away so there were few surprises. That in combination with this being a plot that’s been done many times before in this genre made this just mediocre for me. With that said, fans of psychological thrillers should definitely give this a shot.

Do You Follow? starts out with great promise. A young woman with an identical twin comes home to find her boyfriend shot dead in her living rom. She’s arrested but tries desperately to explain she’s not the killer- her twin is. But then the story falters. One of the aspects I could buy but the rest? Meh.

Meh. The blurb on the back gives away some of the "psychological thrill" of this book. Once I could get past trying to find every clue, relax, and read the book, I started to find a good pace. And then things started happening. Fast. Too fast. Like, forgot to write some of the book fast. The short paragraphs, short chapters, and easy prose were a quick read treat until it came at the detriment of the story. There's definitely room to build out the story more in the second half, and it's unfortunate that the reader doesn't have the option to see that unfold. It would have been great to have the same care given to the action rather than the lead up (which had already been revealed through the back flap blurb.

I received a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

a short and strange thriller. brief synopsis: Alexa and Beth are identical twins. Alexa’s boyfriend Kurt is dead, and Beth did it but is nowhere to be found. Alexa is on trial for Kurt’s murder. I chose to read DO YOU FOLLOW because of its marketing as a social media thriller. But it’s really not. it’s more of THE GOOD SISTER except less character development and more psycho-thriller.

This was an amazing debut!
This novel is told by Alexa and Beth, sisters with a complicated relationship.
This first half of this book included a lot of character development. However, the second half became very twisted, but also predictable!
However, I truly enjoyed this book and will read Bidonde's future work!
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I recommend this book for those of you who like fast-paces thrillers involving sibling!
Thank you to Greenleaf Book Group Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a thriller! I didn’t see the twist coming at all! The legal stuff was a very iffy unfortunately and required a lot of suspension of belief but still I was so intrigued the whole read.

Twin sisters and their parents and the things that can happen when our brains don't quite work right. Alexa and Beth seem to be at odds with each other and Beth does not get along with her parents, or rather, they want nothing to do with her, but why?
Alexa is about to go off to her first job in NY City and her dad is rather protective. Sure, she's been seeing a therapist for years since her mom died, but she feels ready to go out on her own and is so excited. Then, her first day at her new apartment, her sister Beth shows up and moves in with her. Alexa doesn't seem to be able to fight off anything that Beth wants to do and Beth always gets her way.
Along comes Curt, her first work assignment and love soon follows, but Beth is none too happy about this and seeks to show Alexa how his past could come to harm her.
Ok, I never saw the twist coming and thought that was good! It made an ok story into a good story. No more from me as I don't want to give it away, but it is worth reading.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

This is a fascinating look into a young woman’s frightening past. Having lost her mother at a very young age, and being sent away for her mental health, Alexa has no one to rely on except her twin sister. However, that relationship is not all it seems to be. The conflict between the siblings is both endearing and divisive.

As Alexa tries to make a life for herself by finding a job in New York City, living alone for the first time, and moving on from her childhood trauma, she is beset with ominous circumstances. Ms. Bidonde brings us along as Alexa attempts to find her way in her new life and carries us deeper and deeper into Alexa’s darker side.

I loved this book, its pace, its voice and the tone as we become more and more invested in Alexa and her twin sister, Beth. If you love mysteries, especially ones with twists and turns, you will love Do You Follow. Settle in for a fascinating look into the mysteries of the mind.