Olivia Worley's "People to Follow" is a young adult mystery that's not just for the young adult crowd. The story is set around ten teen influencers who get invited to a remote island retreat for a reality TV show, "In Real Life." The catch? They have to ditch their cell phones. Sounds like a setup for drama, right? But things take a dark turn when they start getting threatening messages from a mysterious "Sponsor," and then, one by one, they begin to meet grisly ends. With no way to call for help or even Google 'how to survive a murder island', the teens are left to figure out who among them is the killer.

The vibe of the book is like a modern-day "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie. The story flips between four main characters - Elody the Instagram model, Kira the fitness guru, Logan the TikTok star with a past, and Max, the guy sent to document the whole thing. Each character is distinct enough to stand out, though it can get a bit muddled at first. Worley's done a great job at giving them all secrets that make you suspect everyone at some point.

What really hooks you in this novel is the way it's written – it's fast-paced, full of twists, and while the premise isn't groundbreaking, it's super engaging. The ending caught me totally off guard, but in the best way possible. For a debut novel, Worley really knocks it out of the park. I'm already looking forward to whatever she writes next. If you're into suspense with a side of social media drama, this is a must-read.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC!

This one was just okay. I excepted to like it more than I did but was a cute book that might be good if you're in the right mood.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this

People to Follow had a fun, relevant story that I think most YA will love.

I do find the story a bit slow at giving details to keep me engaged. It was a bit of a trek to get to the actual story, but once there was an entertaining time.

Some of this was hard to read because of the way the characters were written, which, well done to the author. I ended up really liking this story. I saw it being marketed as Agatha Christie meets Tik Tok and that's pretty accurate! I liked the "another one bites the dust, who's next?" angle of the mystery, and the rationale behind why the influencers were all brought together was pretty eye opening.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you netgalley, Olivia Worley, and St. Martins Press for the advanced ebook!!! This book was like an island getaway for TikTok meets knives out. This had my head spinning and I loved that each chapter was from four of the main characters perspectives but the story just would keep going in their perspective. Very well written! I also couldn’t stand some of the characters which I love when that happens that’s when you know it’s for writing!!! A must read!!!

This book is about a bunch of influencers on an abandoned island for a reality show. However, they quickly learn that this is a way to expose their deepest darkest secrets. They must follow the instructions or their secret will be exposed next. On top of that, they're slowly getting killed off. Trying to work together they must figure out whose behind everything. Hopefully they can make it out alive.

Overall this was a decent read. I picked it up when I was in a reading slump. This sounded like it would help. Thankfully it did. It's one of the books I ended up reading during vacation. It was a quick read. I have to say I didn't realize it was YA at first. The characters don't give off that vibe but the writing does. It's not something that's going to stick with you for a long time. I remember overall the main plot but I can't tell you the characters names. I'm sure if this sounds interesting to you, it'll peak your interest.

*Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.*

People to Follow by Olivia Worley is an absolute gem in the realm of mystery. Worley's writing is both captivating and insightful, offering a fresh perspective on social media and reality. The characters are expertly developed, each contributing a unique and authentic voice to the narrative. The pacing is spot-on, keeping readers hooked from start to finish. People to Follow earns a well-deserved five stars for its engaging storytelling and its power to resonate with readers on a profound level.

"People to Follow" is a YA thriller that follows 10 influencers who are given the chance to star on a reality TV show centered around unplugging (I know kind of counterintuitive). Before you know it they are stranded on an island and bodies start piling up. That's one way to get canceled! Lots of shallow characters being brats and a few plot twists to keep you reading. Overall a good premise for the young adults living in a digital world driven by clicks and likes.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

Influencer culture is everywhere right now. In this new book, 10 teen influencers are invited to go to a remote island and “unplug.” No phones, no internet, no filters or airbrushing; but they will have their whole lives recorded and broadcast for the world to see on a new show called “In Real Life.”

Things get to a weird start when the crew doesn’t show up on night one. They are assured everything is fine, but they find one of their own has been killed. Now they have a dead body and no way to contact production or any of the authorities. They do however have an Apple Watch like gadget that sends messages to them, but they can’t send any. They are threatened with these messages to tell the truth or face their worst nightmare- being “cancelled.”

After each one of these truth sessions, they find another body. This dream trip and exposure for their careers is turning into the worst decision they have ever made. Who is killing their influencers? Is it one of their own?

This book was so over the top and soapy; I really enjoyed it. I could totally see this being a teen horror movie. The influencers were all just despicable people only looking out for their own careers. This debut novel was a great first book and I’m looking forward to more from @olivia.worley.

Thank you @wednesdaybooks for my gifted ebook.

Ten influencers in their late teens and early twenties are transported to an island to participate in a TV show. They wind up alone and stranded, with no way to communicate to the rest of the world, when the production crew does not arrive. Soon they start getting troubling messages from the sponsor, and one of them dies.

This plot has been done to death. The plotting and writing have to be extraordinary to make books like this stand out. Unfortunately, this book is just adequate. Maybe you need to be 15 years old to find any of this original. The characters aren’t interesting. It’s disappointing to think that these vapid and feckless people are actually successful influencers.The sole person of color is more or less ignored until the end of the book. On the positive side, I could not identity the culprit until their motivation was explained to me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

"People to Follow" is a YA thriller that follows 10 influencers who are given the vacation of the lifetime to star on a reality TV show centered around unplugging. With unforeseen circumstances causing the production crew to leave them stranded, a devious plot unfolds where body after body begins to pile up, leaving all to wonder who will get "canceled" next and who among them is a killer.

The premise of this book is incredibly promising and incredibly attractive to the YA crowd. For those who are past the TikTok craze and influencer obsession would find this more obnoxious than they would care to admit. The character themselves are incredibly shallow. But, what else are you expecting with an island of young influencers looking to make more of a name for themselves?

I will say the plot twist towards the end was intriguing and the pacing was good. Changing point of view was incredibly helpful too, keeping us guessing until the very end as to who was behind this nefarious plan. However, it didn't stand out for me, especially since I read another novel similar to this just a year ago.

I think this book is great for what it is: a young adult thriller that speaks directly to that crowd. If you try and look at this book beyond surface level, you might end up grasping for just a little bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a fun reminder of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Locked room (or island) thriller that has you asked who's killer and why? It's pretty far fetched but a good one for when you need a book to binge on vacation or over the weekend.

Ten influencers sign up for a reality show on a remote island. What they do not count on is someone ending up dead. This story is told from alternating perspectives, and you don't know who to trust. It definitely was influenced by And Then There Were None (which is one of my favorite books!). I thought this was a fun read, but I didn't find many of the characters particularly likable, although Kira and Max were probably my favorites. This was a light, fun read, and I would definitely recommend it for those who like YA mysteries.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I was very interested in this book, as it sounded much like a YA modern version of Then There Were None.

The idea behind it was interesting, but I found the story slow and the character development lacking. 10 influencers are sent to a private island for a reality TV show where they are separated from technology and most means of communication.

While there is immediate "drama" between characters (which really made most of the characters unlikable to me) and the first person is killed off pretty quickly, it just wasn't enough for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Ten influencers sign on to a reality show taking place on an island. No phones, no outside connection, everything IRL - until things start going wrong and someone is dead. I found myself picturing this like a Summer House locked room Murder mystery. That all sounds great to me. Unfortunately the execution didn’t work for me and I found myself bored. This could definitely be a case of wrong reader so please try for yourself, ymmv. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

This mystery is a non-stop ride! The fast-pace, and constant reveals and twists made it incredibly difficult to put down, but sadly the ultimate reveal, and the motivation, was disappointing to me. As part of GenX, I've definitely met characters with personalities, egos, and insecurities that rival those of the influencers in the story, so seeing them portrayed in an almost satirically over-the-top manner was almost cathartic. All in all, a solid debut, and I look forward to what Olivia Worley publishes in the future! (3.5/5 stars)
Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

People to Follow was intriguing. It's really about this "other" world of influencers, but it turns wild pretty quickly. This is a detective book about who did it, who is involved, who knew about it, who, who, who. The twists and turns in the book are unexpected, mostly. She did a great job to keep my interest.

10 teen influencers are treated to a stay on a deserted island. The catch is they can't have any devices except a smart watch will be provided for communication with the sponsor of the trip. The communication is ominous with requests from the group. Devastating secrets are revealed about these very public influencers. As a result, they start dying off. This is a catty group and soon it appears to be someone is out for vengeance.

I liked the idea of influencers on an island and how narcissistic they are. The tale wound up nicely and surprisingly. A fun, indulgent, and a pleasure to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

3.5*

This was an entertaining whodunit that kept me engaged until the end. And kept me guessing until the end.
I liked the way the story was told in multiple points of view, but I did get confused a couple of times with the female characters and whose chapter I was reading. Elody was the easiest one to get back on track with, as soon as I read the word babe, I knew it was her.

The mystery played out well, although now that I'm a week or so removed from finishing it I almost can't remember how it ended exactly! I know I did enjoy the story, and was surprised with how it all came together. While I wasn't broken up about the deaths in this book as I have been in others, I did feel empathy for a couple of the ones who ended up dead, but not the others.
Some of these characters had no redeeming qualities, and it's easy to image some actual real life "influencers" are just like them, sadly.

I think this book is relevant for the times, but I don't know how well it will age.

While I enjoyed reading this book, I feel like the story is a bit forced in the way it portrays the influencers and their problems. It’s an interesting read anyway, with influencers meeting to participate in a reality show but then things take an interesting turn.