Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of <i>Number One Fan</i> in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

<h4 style="margin-top: 84px;">The Gist</h4>

<i>Number One Fan</i> by Meg Elison, while ambitious in its themes and intent, ultimately falls short in execution, leaving readers with a sense of unfulfilled potential. The novel's premise—a successful author kidnapped by an obsessed fan—promises a thrilling exploration of the dark side of fandom, but the delivery is marred by several critical flaws.

<h4>The Details</h4>

Firstly, the characters lack depth and nuance. Eli Grey, the protagonist, is depicted as a strong and resourceful author, yet her development throughout the novel feels superficial. Despite her traumatic ordeal, her inner journey and transformation are not convincingly portrayed. Similarly, the antagonist, comes across as a one-dimensional figure whose motivations and psychological complexities are inadequately explored. This lack of character depth makes it difficult for readers to fully invest in their fates.

The pacing of the novel is another significant issue. While thrillers typically benefit from a steady build-up of tension, <i>Number One Fan</i> oscillates between sluggish and rushed sequences. The initial abduction scene, which should be gripping, lacks the urgency and intensity needed to hook the reader. Conversely, key plot developments often feel hurried, with insufficient time spent on building suspense or delving into the psychological cat-and-mouse game between Eli and Alex.

The setting could have been utilized to create a claustrophobic and tense atmosphere. However, the descriptive writing falls flat, failing to evoke the fear and desperation one would expect in such a scenario. The setting, rather than being a character in itself, merely serves as a bland backdrop to the unfolding events.

Additionally, the interspersed flashbacks and excerpts from Eli’s writing, intended to provide deeper insight into her character, end up feeling disjointed and distracting. These sections do not integrate smoothly with the main narrative and instead interrupt the pacing, further diminishing the novel's impact.

In terms of writing style, Elison's prose is competent but lacks the polish and finesse needed to elevate the story. The dialogue is often stilted and unnatural, failing to capture the emotional intensity of the characters' interactions. The book's climactic moments, which should be edge-of-the-seat thrilling, are undermined by clunky writing and a lack of vivid imagery.

<h4>The Verdict</h4>

Overall, <i>Number One Fan</i> by Meg Elison had the potential to be a gripping psychological thriller with insightful commentary on modern fan culture. Unfortunately, it fails to deliver on its promise. Readers seeking a deeply engaging and suspenseful read may find themselves disappointed with this novel.

This was a decent thriller! I enjoyed it, and for some reason I really like books within books so I didn't find that part annoying as some people have mentioned.

This is a pretty good book, not great. And I can’t figure out why. It has good intensity and pacing. I really just didn’t care much about the characters. So maybe the character development was not there. I did get it on audio from my library. It might have been better if I had physically read it!

I didn’t really care for the book within the book or the heavily detailed vagina talk. I also felt like it lagged throughout. Otherwise I thought it was pretty good. Be warned that this book is gruesome and not for the faint hearted!

Number One Fan" is a gripping and suspenseful read that kept me hooked from beginning to end. There were some parts I felt were a little lengthy but I feel like Elison was using those moments to build suspense and develop the characters in a more detailed manner. While it did slow down the pace at times, it ultimately added depth to the story and enhanced the overall reading experience. This is my first book I have read by this author and the storyline was definitely one I found intriguing. I would definitely read something else by Meg Elison. Thank you for my review copy!

There aren’t many books that make me legitimately uncomfortable, but that’s exactly what this one did. Of course, as a lesbian and an author, I related too much to Eli, which made the story even more uncomfortable.

The primary reason I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is because I couldn’t get past how much I disliked Eli’s book series. It was way too heavy-handed with fantasy for my tastes.

Number One Fan by Meg Elison was an interesting read. It’s a bit of a Misery by Stephen King type of book, where a fan kidnaps a popular author. The author’s POV was a bit much at times with all the details of what she was dealing with, and it felt a bit repetitive since she was stuck there. However, there were some other POV’s, like the detective that eventually starts looking for her, and I enjoyed that much more. Not a favorite, but I’m glad I read it.

So this book is not for the faint hearted. Number One Fan is a visceral and unflinching thriller that will keep you turning the pages until the end. If you don’t flinch by the end, you are a stronger person than me.

Creepy and Unsettling. If you love stalker vibes def read this one. This could totally take place now with all the Technology and what how much info we give out.

Number One Fan is a dark thriller full of compelling characters. Fast paced and full of action, Number One Fan will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

If you read this book, there's no doubt you'll instantly start comparing it to Misery. I think to enjoy the story, set the comparison aside and just read the novel as a captive thriller. What I liked most about Number One Fan is that the action starts off immediately, no long buildup before the abduction. I connected with Eli but I also wanted to throttle her at times. Some of her actions came off as more stupid than strong. Her captor was a creep show and I liked that the author told some of the story from his POV. I never heard of the author before, but I hope to check out more from her in the future. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Novelist Eli Grey has spent a lot of time and energy creating a world that her readers fall in love with, but what happens when a fan takes their obsession with her too far? When she accepts a drink from her ride share, so assumes everything is fine. Afterall, she's on her way to a speaking engagement and the driver is so friendly. Unfortunately, she finds herself coming back to consciousness in a stranger's basement. With no one coming to rescue her, she sets about trying to find a way to save herself. The problem is the abduction seems far from a random occurrence. She soon learns her captor thinks Eli Grey owes his everything. 

For anyone who has ever cosplayed and received the creepy messages and discussions from those who think they don't owe you consent, to those who have received unhinged messages on their social media from strangers who think they have a far closer relationship than they have, Number One Fan is absolutely terrifying. As someone who has received rape and death threats in life just existing as a woman on the internet, this book definitely feels uncomfortably plausible. Author Meg Elison does an incredible job of capturing that tenuous thread between the creator and the consumer. 

 Number One Fan is available now.

Ever since I read Misery by Stephen King, I have a thing for books about authors being abducted by their fans. There is simply something so creepy about. This story will give people goosebumps and will be hard to put down. It will definitely make you question how much of this is considered too farfetched to be real. So much can happen in today's world that you just never know. This is definitely a book I will recommend and read over and over again.

Elizabeth “Eli” Grey, is a best selling author of a hit book series shes leaves a speaking engagement when she gets into what she thinks is her Uber. . The driver offers her a Gatorade after she finishes drinking it she passes out. She comes to and she realizes she’s in a secluded room and she’s chained to a bed, and has been abducted by a mysterious man , and it appears he’s obsessed with her book series. She feels like she knows her kidnapper but can’t put her finger on from where. He constantly drugs her and begins to play mind games until she agrees to abide by his house rules. Behind the scenes he pretends to be her in emails and text messages and even on Twitter. Soon we have a battle of wills, Eli determined to stand up for herself and not bend to her captor , and her kidnapper whose in and out of his reality and believing she owes him. We watch the story unfold from past and present until the shocking ending. Please be aware there is swearing, assault and demeaning parts that made my stomach turn.

Dark, twisted and disturbing, prepare to be chilled to the bone by Meg Elison’s latest thriller, Number One Fan.

Eli Grey is a best-selling author who is on her way to a speaking engagement. Other than a couple of questions about her work in progress, Eli is not too worried about the evening ahead. When she gets into a cab and accepts a drink from the driver, she thinks nothing of it – until she wakes up chained in a stranger’s basement! Eli thinks that she has stumbled straight onto the set of a horror movie – only this nightmare is all too real and terrifying. With no close friends or family to miss her, Eli is totally on her own. Nobody is going to come and rescue her and if she wants to get out of this ordeal alive, then she is going to have to save herself. But will she manage to escape her abductor? Or is her fate already sealed?

With Eli convinced that she has met her kidnapper once before, it soon becomes blatantly clear that this was no random abduction, but something planned and far more sinister. She needs to figure out what he wants from her and although his identity is still shrouded in mystery, her kidnapper is very familiar with her work and deeply invested in her fictional creations. Eli needs to keep her nerve, stay cool and use every weapon in her arsenal to fight for her freedom. But her abductor is convinced that he owes him everything – and he is not willing to surrender quite so easily.

Meg Elison’s Number One Fan is a ripped from the headlines thriller that explores fandom, obsession and the blurring of lines between fact and fiction. In a world where boundaries are being constantly obfuscated, Number One Fan is even more scary and terrifying and Meg Elison succeeds in hitting every beat by penning a compulsively readable page-turner that will have readers checking whether they’ve locked their doors and windows.

A gripping thriller that is definitely not for the faint-hearted, Meg Elison’s Number One Fan is a Misery for the twenty-first century that is not to be missed.

📚Book Review👹
Number One Fan
By: Meg Elison
⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

I "read" this book through audio which I believe took away some of the interest for me. It felt like it was taking forever to complete! The transitioning between the story and the emails was difficult for me to differentiate when listening vs reading.

When leaving a speaking engagement, bestselling author, Eli Gray, is abducted by her driver. Leonard is not only obsessed with Eli's stories but with becoming Eli himself. This man convinces himself that Eli is actually the main character in her novels and that he wrote those novels himself. He even goes so far as to dress in her clothing and shoes which is truly chilling.

I've read multiple reviews that compare this plot to, "Misery," by Stephen King. I can definitely see the similarities! Not a favorite but it's wasn't terrible.

Thank you @netgalley and @harlequintrade for this ARC for my honest review 🙂

So insanely creepy. Also using this as a place to show my support for the Harper Collins union. Thank you to Harper for the gifted ARC my honest review.

I liked this book, and it reminded me a lot of Stephen King's Misery. The pacing was a little off for me, so it took me a while to get into but it was, overall, an enjoyable book. 3.5/5 but rounded up to 4 for the purpose of this review.

A tense, thrilling, exciting book with shades of Stephen King's "Misery," but delving deeper in to the world of writing and fandom. I loved the character of Eli and seeing her internal struggles throughout the book as she fought for her life, and I thought the backstory was woven in super well throughout the book so it could start RIGHT with the action. I wish there were a bit more on Eli's relationships with her brother and friends, but overall, I read this in one day and was enthralled!

Featuring ~ multiple 3rd person POV, drugged, abduction, stalker, body shaming, starving, torture, attempted rape, assault

Eli is a bestselling author who made the mistake of getting in the wrong car after her flight. I have never been in a ride share and don't ever want to, but would you really accept a drink from the driver? odd.

We have the POV of Eli during her imprisonment, Leonard the captor, Joe her personal assistance as he gets the police involved to investigate Eli's disappearance, and flashbacks of email correspondents.

There's plenty of action to keep you engaged, but it was still somewhat slow going. There were definitely some difficult, squeamish parts. Overall, a fine psychological thriller.

I was able to listen to the final version as well, so I went back and forth reading and listening. Narrated by Vivienne Leheny for 10 hours and 54 minutes, easy to follow at 2.25-2.5x. She did a fine job.