At Tome Student Literacy Society, we have a list of language and content criteria for the books we select for our annual book award list, the It List. Upon a language search in this book, we discovered that it did not meet our specific criteria for language. Due to this, we elected not to finish this book for review purposes for our organization. We would like to thank the publisher for the opportunity to review an e-book of this title.

Kansas native Kate Williams is no stranger to the propulsive young adult novel. I last spoke with her in 2019 for the release of The Babysitters Coven, the first of a three book series.

Williams is back with Never Coming Home, a new standalone thriller for young adults that dives into some of the joys and terrors of social media. Inspired by Agatha Christie, Kate Williams’s newest release follows 10 social media influencers stranded on an island as they try to sort out their own “whodunnit” mystery.

I spoke with Kate Williams about Agatha Christie, her Kansas roots, and the appeal of writing for young audiences. Here’s our conversation.

https://www.kmuw.org/podcast/marginalia/2022-06-21/kate-williams-on-never-coming-home

There's just something about an island of influencers that just screams must-read, and after starting this book I couldn't put it down - I devoured it in pretty much a single sitting.

I love the concept of books like this, a group of people, stuck on an island with no way home forced to decide between working together or each for themselves. In NEVER COMING HOME, I felt like we got the added element of this group of people who are used to being catered to, getting what they want because of their status and follower count, all here with for a common reason unbeknownst to them prior to their arrival.

Each influencer gets to the island believing it will be a vacation full of lavish privilege, but quickly realize it's not what they expect. I loved this twist on a classic thriller, written with plenty of scenes that kept me invested in the intense story with equal parts horror and wanting to turn the pages to find out more.

This was so different than Williams' previous titles I had read, but I was here for it. I found NEVER COMING HOME a great, quick read that I was lucky to read an early copy of thanks to NetGalley + Random House Children’s / Delacorte Press.

Thoughts and Themes: I was a bit skeptical when starting this book because of the amount of characters that were involved in the beginning and because of the length of each chapter. I am glad that I stuck with it because I really enjoyed reading this book and ended up really enjoying each and every one of the characters.

As I was reading this book I loved that it reminded me of the show The Wilds just due to the setting but this book is a lot more sinister. I loved that the whole thing is murder mystery but that our characters aren’t all so innocent themselves. I liked that they all had something to hide and the circumstances as to why they were selected remains a mystery throughout this story. Something else that I really enjoyed about this book is that as I reached 50% of the book, I still had no clue why anyone would want them dead. I think that is the best part of a murder mystery, when even the readers can’t figure it out.

Characters: There are a lot of characters involved in this book and you may think it is hard to keep track of them but they each have distinct features that help you remember who is who. Here is the list of our influencers on this trip:

Emma Jane Ohana from LA
Justice Wilson from Kansas
Robby Wade from Atlanta
Xander Lee from Texas
Chelsea Quinn from LA
Margot Bryant from New York
Graham Hoffman from Minneapolis
Manny de La Cruz from Miami
Frankie Rushh from New York
Celia Young from California

I really enjoyed getting to meet each of the characters in this book and was a bit disappointed that time with a few of them was cut short. There are characters who I just didn’t care for but then there are others who you get to know their background and you feel for them. I liked the relationships that develop between the characters as they learn about what got them to this island.

Writing Style: This book is told in third person with our narrator following each of our different characters around. At first it was a bit frustrating to not be in the know about each of them but as I continued reading I found this more appealing. I liked that we slowly got to know each of the characters either from their interactions with each other or through what was going on in their heads.

Never Coming Home
Kate M. Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️

A mysterious island, 19 guest they all have 1 thing in common and all but 1 come home? This book does leaving you wondering if the one and only person left on the island is capable of commuting such crimes…. I love the hanger this one leaves because you wonder how a person is capable of such things!! Definitely a fast and awesome read, just wish there was going to be another book, or it would of left you with better clues!

I was pretty hype about this book. I love the idea and the whole premise of the book. Taking a bunch of influencers and throwing them on an island… what could go wrong right??
Y’all know I hate to give out to much about a book cause I try to go in blind so the only thing I will say is I figured out the end a little to early which always upsets me but overall, it was a great read and I highly recommend it!

For more on this tour and other upcoming TBRandBeyondTours visit https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/

Oh lord this book was intense. I really enjoyed both the regular and psychological thriller aspects.

From the midway point, I started to guess the whodunnit. I didn’t think it was straight up obvious but also I just felt like so much emphasis was put on this one character that I was like “hmmmm. I wonder.”

The end being an open ending also left me reeling. Like whaaaaaat. This book was addicting and crazy and just the perfect thriller.

So anyone who is a fan of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None will recognize the parallels between its plot and Never Coming Home by Kate M. Williams. Given that this was a book described as YA, it is only fitting that the 10 characters are all social media influencers under the age of 21.

Ten influencers of varying degrees of success are lured to an exotic island known as Unknown Island. No one knows who owns the island or the resort, only that it only allows people under 21 and as a soft launch, these ten influencers won the privilege of an all-expense-paid vacation at the resort. When they arrive, they soon realize how little they know about their circumstance and each other. It turns out this vacation is not going to be the luxury one they anticipated and will instead cause them to face their biggest challenges ever. Will anyone leave the island and live to tell the tale?

There were characters that were villains right out of the gate and characters that I grew to really like and even empathize with as the book went on. As someone who loves Agatha Christie and locked room mysteries, I adored the setup. In fact, maybe the only thing I didn't love has to do with my age and stage. I am a mom, not a real Young Adult. Therefore, when I read books where the characters are kids and their behaviors reflect some of the scarier aspects of Lord of the Flies, it freaks me out for my own kids. So I think if I had read this book when I was still a teenager, I would probably have given it 5 stars. But since my reviews are a reflection of who I am now as I am sure there are many other moms who might relate, I will stick with 4 stars. But seriously, I wish all YA books grabbed and held my attention as much as Never Coming Home!! Highly recommend.

Kate M. Williams delivers an updated version of the classic murder mystery “And Then There Were None”. In her novel “Never Coming Home” 10 young stereotypical influencers agree to go to the brand new luxury resort as a way to gain publicity and increase their number of followers. As soon as they arrive, they quickly realize that things are not how they thought they should be: no staff, limited food, unfinished rooms, and no way to escape. Each character receives a letter that reveals a secret from their pasts. Then people start dying!

Although there is not a main character per say, Williams tends to develop the pop star, the DJ, and the gamer. At times the other characters seem superfluous and quickly forgotten. I had to look back at the character list several times to keep track of who was who. Williams creates a good twist right at the very end, but I would like to have seen more clues. The ending seems more like an epilogue written in a different style and tone.

I would definitely recommend this to my high school students to read. It would be a great pairing with Agatha Christie’s novel as well other takes on the theme/plot. Young adults would connect to the social media references.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for granting access to the Advanced Proof.

NEVER COMING HOME by Kate Williams is modern take on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None with the locked-door element of a remote tropical island. After a viral marketing campaign makes Unknown Island the "it" destination, ten young influencers are chosen as the first guests. What they think it going to be a glamorous, high-profile vacation turns out to be a deadly game of revenge.

This was fast-paced read with an intriguing premise and a diverse cast of characters, though I was disappointed with some aspects of the representation (see spoiler below). Since the narrative jumps between all ten characters, it was sometimes difficult to find anything distinct about each character's voice.

SPOILER: I was very disappointed that the first person murdered was a trans woman and the real-world implications of being in such a vulnerable group weren't touched upon.

10 social media influencers are invited to Unknown Island for an exclusive, free trip that is buzzing all over social media. When they get there there’s no internet, no staff, and the luxurious suites are just a shack. They realize they are all stranded and soon learn that all have some sort of secrets in common. Soon they all begin to die one by one.

Honestly this sounded cool and I picked it up because it reminded me of Fyre Fest but it just wasn’t memorable. It ended up being a generic mystery story. There’s way too many characters just to be there and I couldn’t keep track of them. Plus the chapters were too long. There’s also no creepy atmosphere and I just didn’t care.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Let's just say, if this were a TV show, I'd be binge watching it! The premise is fascinating, especially considering the culture of influencing today. A unique take on a cool idea.

I am a sucker for a secluded setting where people start getting murdered, so I knew this was one I wanted to read!

A seemingly random group of social influencers are invited to a pre-opening event at a secluded island getaway…(think Fyre Festival). When they get to the island, they find themselves alone and without any of the amenities they thought they would have. The rooms are a mess, the food is…limited…and then people start dying.

I really enjoyed the storyline for this one. I didn’t really “like” any of the characters, but with a plot like this, I definitely don’t need to! I liked the way the murders played out and how the entire situation’s ulterior motive was revealed.

This one has some surprise moments, some great reveals, and a quick pace. I really enjoyed it, and I would recommend it for YA thriller readers who enjoyed locked-in settings!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Now this is a summer YA thriller I needed. It was engaging, fast paced, sinister, and deadly. Bring on the 10 different characters that you can actually tell apart, and be rooting for them all to stay alive.. till they don't.

Remote island.
Mysterious
Deadly
Fast Paced.

Perfect for a beach read, unless you're on a remote one.

Thank you to Penguin Random House audio for my ALC, all opinions are my own.

E - AR C • RE VIEW
La Never Coming Home by @heykatewilliams
*PUB DAY: TODAY (June 21, 2022) *

Happy Pub Day!! This was such a fun read @ I mean come on ten influencers all tricked into thinking they have made it big and invited onto a famous UNKNOWN
island but that's not the real reason. You have to read this one to unravel all the twists. Definitely recommend to those who enjoy a good YA thriller

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

CWs: Murder, gore, blood, anaphylaxis, suicide, drugs

4.25/5 stars

After reading the synopsis for this one, I was really excited to dive into it. It gave me And Then There Were None vibes, and also All Your Twisted Secrets. Fans of these kinds of stories will enjoy Never Coming Home.
I liked that these people were all influencers. It was a fun way to really modernize the story especially when they’re on a deserted island with no technology. The constant talk about numbers and social media was interesting, and it helped to flesh out the characters.
There are 10 influencers, and while the book is told in 3rd-Person, we do jump into the minds of each of the influencers. I found it hard to keep them straight in the beginning, and I wished that I’d taken a picture of the list at the start of the book. Once I got more into the story I was able to tell them all apart, and I appreciated that the author tried to give them all different voices.
I found that the pacing was pretty good, and the story moved along well. It did slow down a bit in the middle, but it picked up again a bit. It also slowed down again towards the end, but picked up with the climax. I found the beginning moved really well to establish the characters, the setting, and set up the plot.
I enjoyed reading this one. It definitely felt like a modernized version of And Then There Were None which I didn’t mind. The characters were all interesting with their secrets, and the plot kept me guessing.

I was initially intrigued when I learned this all took place on an isolated island. It sounded like the perfect backdrop for a thriller. There's a large cast of characters at the beginning and it took a while to remember who they were and not mix them up. The list of influencers at the beginning of the book helped a lot, but many of the characters didn't last long. Speaking of that, I felt that you didn't have a lot of time to get to know who the characters were so it was hard to sympathize with what happened. I did enjoy that they all had their own backgrounds and histories though. Unfortunately I was able to figure out the big plot twist about halfway through the book. But I thought that the reasons why they all were invited to the island were cleverly created.

In the end, I was a little underwhelmed with this story but enjoyed the setting and overall concept.

For all ages, a fast paced thriller that will keep you guessing! I really enjoyed the twists and turns. I didn’t want to put this book down! Highly recommend!

Happy Friday y'all! And happy first day of July! I can't believe that we're already halfway done with the year! OMG! Here's to more great books in the second half of the year. Today's my stop on the Never Coming Home tour with Turn the Page Tours and OMG y'all this was such an intense and great book! I for sure loved it. Thank you so much to not only Turn the Page Tours for having me as a part of the tour, but to Delacorte Press for having this tour. Along with this tour, there's also a giveaway for this book, so make sure y'all go enter that ASAP. Never Coming Home came out on June 19, so make sure you go check it out today!
Never Coming Home 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
The beach read you have been dying for! When ten of America's hottest teenage influencers are invited to an exclusive island resort, things are sure to get wild. But murder isn't what anyone expected. Will anyone survive?
Everyone knows Unknown Island—it’s the world’s most exclusive destination. Think white sand beaches, turquoise seas, and luxury accommodations. Plus, it’s invite only, no one over twenty-one allowed, and it’s absolutely free. Who wouldn’t want to go?
After launching with a showstopping viral marketing campaign, the whole world is watching as the mysterious resort opens its doors to the First Ten, the ten elite influencers specifically chosen to be the first to experience everything Unknown Island has to offer. You know them. There’s the gamer, the beauty blogger, the rich girl, the superstar, the junior politician, the environmentalist, the DJ, the CEO, the chef, and the athlete.
What they don’t know is that they weren’t invited to Unknown Island for their following—they were invited for their secrets. Everyone is hiding a deadly one, and it looks like someone’s decided it’s payback time. Unknown Island isn’t a vacation, it’s a trap. And it’s beginning to look like the First Ten—no matter how influential—are never coming home.
Oh this book was so good. There was so much intrigue and I never knew what was going to happen next or who was going to die next. I loved the whole concept of 10 influencers having murdered people having to deal with the consequences of their actions and they way everything played out was so great! The pace of the book was super well done- no one died too quickly but there was also no lagging and the end- omg- it through me for such a loop that I'm still thinking about it. I'm definitely going to have to reread this one to see if I catch anything that makes me think what I read at the end is what I really think happened (I'm intentionally trying to be as vague as possible because y'all need to get the same kind of surprise when you read the last couple of paragraphs that I did). Overall, I really loved this book and I think everyone should read it this summer! Grab it today! Amazon | Bookshop

This book was so good! I love that we get the multiple perspectives, and the villain….completely out of left field.