Ten teen influencers come to a remote island to star in a reality show, but when one of them wind. up dead, they realize that this time, the price of being "cancelled" could be their lives.

Before reading: this book synopsis reads like a mix of pretty little liars with saw thrown in. A for sure odd combination that will I for sure have an interest in.
After reading the book these are my thoughts:
Overall this book was pretty solid who dun it thriller. It did get kind of tedious to the point where I was wanting it to get to the point of who the killer was. I was on the right track but didn’t guess the correct killer. Which is a good thing cause when you can guess the killer, the author didn’t do a good job with hiding them.
The influencer culture aspect for sure got on my nerves at some point cause the way they talked for sure reminds me of real life influences that I refuse to watch.
Overall 3.5 star read.

Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for a copy of this book. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.

Unfortunately, I have had to stop reading Hollywood-related stories and anything related to famous characters that are not non-fiction books. I find them ridiculous and unbearable to read.

I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

As I started this one, I wasn't sure how I was going to like it. With the story line switching between 4 different characters, I thought it was going to be hard to navigate who was who and who did what, but the author made it really easy to decipher who was talking with the unique voices that she used for each character.

Ten "influencers" are brought together to be on a reality TV show, In Real Life, on a private island 15 miles from civilization. We get to see 4 different points of view through 4 different influencers. What they thought they were getting into turns out to be much more than they bargained for. They are left stranded when the production crew never shows up and things take a turn when they realize that one of the influencers is dead. Who killed him? As the body count starts to jump, the influencers start questioning which of them is the murderer.

I found myself hooked from the beginning and staying up late just so I could keep finding out what was going to happen next! I loved the set up of this one and would definitely recommend this!!

- If you are looking for a juicy, escapist read, put PEOPLE TO FOLLOW on your list. I couldn't read it fast enough: every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, keeping you turning the pages and trying to guess what was coming next.
- This book both sympathizes with and expertly skewers the phenomenon of young influencers. The author seems to understand how lonely and unreal the life of a full time influencer can be, while also hitting on everything that makes the industry absurd.

In a society where social media influencers have much power, this suspenseful thriller begs the question, "Do you actual know the people you follow?" These people with supposedly perfect lives? I loved everything about this story. The way not everything is as it seems. The twists and turns. Such a fun read.

Interesting premise, meh execution. This was a clue or knives out style mystery except it was centered on influencers. The actual mystery/thriller bit felt lazily executed. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

Ten influencers are invited to be part of a reality television show on a remote island. And because they're all about that exposure, they all say yes. Once they arrive, things start going wrong - Secrets, lies, dead bodies, etc. They're trying to figure out what's really going on, why they're there, and also making sure they don't get "cancelled" which has a variety of meanings in the game/life. This was one that did keep me reading, but I wish it would've had more about the game/show they were invited to. I recognize that's not the point of the story that was being told, but that appeals more to me. However, the secrets kept me guessing and reading, especially as the connections between characters were revealed. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this recent release.

I enjoyed reading this book for the most part. It’s contemporary (social media creators all gathered on an island to make some quality reality TV), it’s suspenseful (someone dies… and then one by one they all start to follow), and it involves secrets and lies (what are these creators hiding?).

I liked the idea of, “being canceled” and the whole game show aspect, but that quickly fizzled out and that’s when it got kind of boring.

There were way too many characters to really understand what was going on, and why. Until the end, I couldn’t have told you the difference between Makayleigh and Corinne or between Aaron and Max. They were all the same to me for a very long time.

The whole thing just seemed pretty unoriginal to me. I’ve seen this revenge plot a million times before. And, to be honest, it wasn’t even a big enough deal to want revenge for most of it.

If you are younger and really into social media, maybe this will be more suited to you!

I don’t think I’m the right age demographic for this book. With that being said I think that’s why I personally did not enjoy it. I didn’t realize this book was YA. This was challenging in a few ways for me. It was hard to keep track of the characters. It felt like they all had the same personality (spoiled annd whiney) and without any development no one was memorable. The dialogue between them was also super cringey to me. Again, I think being in my 30’s this was just the wrong choice for me. I don’t think this was a bad book. I would recommend this to someone 14-18 years old.

I really enjoyed the first 20% but as the story progressed it became increasingly harder to know who was speaking. There was also a Black character who did not feel Black and I completely forgot about her race until it was mentioned again. I appreciate what the author was trying to do and I appreciate the messages about social media but the plot twist felt very cartoonish.

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.