Ten influencers head to a remote private island to film a new reality show. They are completely unplugged, with no communication with the outside world, when one of them is found dead. Secrets are revealed and the body count continues to increase. Who will make it out alive?

I had mixed feelings on this one. I enjoyed the fast pace, the juicy drama from the secret reveals, and some insightful social commentary. However, I felt the multiple POVs and large cast of characters made things unnecessarily confusing at times. I did like that everyone was a suspect and you were kept guessing until the end.

I saw this book described as Big Brother with murder. If this intrigues you, definitely check out People To Follow.

I think this was a great book but probably appeals more to a younger audience, 3 stars from me but younger ya audience probably would enjoy it more! My biggest issue was there were too many characters and they kind of bled into one another. Great writing style though!

Any book that follows the And Then There We’re None premise is a must read for me. This was a fast paced and suspenseful story. I had trouble keeping some of the characters straight which can happen with a cast of ten. Many of the characters were written as super cringe (see what I did there) but they seemed realistic as there are parallels to some real life influencers. Overall, a solid debut from Worley!

3.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The debut novel was entertaining but somewhat reminiscent of others I have read in this genre. Ten influencers arrive on an island for a reality show aimed at unplugging. They start getting killed off one by one, ala Agatha Christie style.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Olivia Worley for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for People to Follow coming out October 31, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I think this was a solid debut novel! I’ve read a few books with the whole And Then There Were None theme. Remote islands, people ending up dead. Some of the characters felt a little alike in the beginning. I couldn’t tell them apart until later in the story. There were actually some serious themes. I thought the writing was really good, except at times it felt a little too like Gen Z internet speak if that makes sense. The dialogue felt like what people think teens talk like at times. I’m definitely a lot older than the age demographic, but I think a lot of people would enjoy this book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys And Then There Were None type books!

A fun debut YA thriller in the vein of And Then There Were None. It took a little to get into the language used (there were a lot of influencer and social chatter, “likes,” and “babes,” which aren’t entirely out of place here and did really aid in giving each of the 10 characters more of their own tone and voice. It didn’t take long for the first body / murder and the rest of the book was nicely paced. The wicked little game really kept me guessing as to who was the overall mastermind and who was in on what. Overall, this was very enjoyable and I’m looking forward to seeing what else this author brings us in the future.

People to Follow by Olivia Worley

 YA
 Mystery/Suspense
 Wealthy
 Hidden truths/secret identity

 The ten top social media influencers (most teenagers) are chosen to go to a remote Caribbean Island for 3 weeks. They will be a part of "In Real Life" which is a reality TV show where they are watched 24/7 on cameras with no phones, no internet, and no filters. There's plenty of alcohol and no adults because the production team's flight is cancelled due to a storm. After a night of partying and "get to know you" the group finds one member dead.


The world building is well done. They stay in a beautiful house surrounded by the ocean. It has "Survivor" vibes, and everyone has a secret they don't want exposed. Their "Sponsor" sends the message for them to reveal the worst thing they've ever done, or they will release their personal files on the internet. They are blackmailed into telling the truth or their money, followers, and reputation will go away. There are multiple POVs from the main players-Elody Hart, Kira Lyons, Logan Costello, and Max Overby. Each chapter is told by one of them (first person) where they discuss their family, social media platforms, and why they are on the island. I watch YouTube all the time and I follow my favorite tv, book, and podcast channels. I never thought about all the work behind the scenes to gain followers. I know there are plenty of things they don't share for fear of being cancelled, which in the present day is impossible. The good, bad, and in between influencers can disappear with one negative post, comment, or "live." Some of this group did egregious, illegal things that they paid for being stuck on an island with a killer. I loved the mystery of it all, a classic whodunit.

The characters- My favorites are Elody, Logan, and McKayleigh. Elody is an impulsive eighteen-year-old Instagram model. She's a "rags to riches" story popular for only her looks. McKayleigh is the mean girl. She smiles in your face and puts a knife in your back. At their first meeting we know something serious went down between her and Logan that caused the end to their personal and professional relationship. I liked how that narrative was built up to a shocking conclusion.

Overall, I liked this debut novel that dealt with the wealthy with their connections/power vs. everyone else, mental health, and a willingness to do the right thing regardless of the consequences.

Rating: 4/5

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Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (Wednesday Books) for this ARC  ! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own. Publication date is 10/31/23.

Agatha Christie, but make it Gen Z

I could NOT put this book down! I love reality tv, so even the first couple of chapters drew me in, as the characters, all famous influencers, head out to a remote island to film a reality tv show. We know influencer culture is ugly, but this book takes that to the max. Each participant has a nasty secret that they protect at all costs—even when others wind up dead for the same reason.

This was a fun, quick read that absolutely sucks you in. It’s one of those that you instantly want to re-read to see if there were clues you missed throughout the book, which I always think is fun.

4 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


Social media influencers. A remote island. Murder. And a reality TV show. All the makings for the perfect mystery novel.

When 10 people are chosen to spend three weeks on a remote island, in order to ‘unplug’ from social media, it sounds almost perfect. But it’s not, After all nothing is ever what it really seems. These ten have been chosen for a reason.

Kira, the fitness influencer. MacKayleigh, the dancer. Max, the documentarian. Corrine, the gamer. Zane, the vegan. Graham, the musician. Aaron, the washed up teen star. Cole, the misogynist. Elody, the pin-up girl. Logan, the washed-up influencer.All were chosen by the iRL staff for their followings. But after they wake up the first morning on the island to find one of them dead, the mystery begins. Accidental? Murder? And then the games begin.

This novel really hits home with today’s obsession with social media influencers. We all know most of it isn’t real, but there are those who definitely believe it is, and are willing to do anything to be part of it. This group of teenagers and young adults have all done something awful and are being forced to face up to it.

The novel is witty and well written. The finger gets pointed at just about everyone at one time or another, leaving you to wonder who the guilty party really is - or is there yet another person on the island? I enjoyed it.

If I'm being honest, I requested this book because I really liked the cover.

10 influencers are invited to leave behind their own social media platforms and participate in a reality show on a remote island called "In Real Life". These influencers quickly find out they are in for more than they bargained for. The producers of the show don't show up, one of the influencers turns up dead, and they have no contact with the outside world. This reality show quickly turns in to a nightmare as the influencers are asked to share their darkest secrets.

This is Olivia Worley's debut novel. I love a story about influencers and the remote island setting is perfect. I often struggle with books that have a lot of characters and I did find 10 characters and their back stories to be a lot to keep up with. I will look forward to reading Worley's next book.

A locked room mystery starring a bunch of teen influencers who have something to prove. 10 "stars" agree to be on a new reality tv show called IRL (In Real Life) where they agree to unplug from their influencing for the cameras. Filmed on a private island, the influencers will be without their phones for 3 weeks while the cameras are rolling. But things start getting really real when the first body is found and the tv crew never shows up. The body count starts rising and secrets start flying and no one is safe.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*

10 influences are left on an island to unplug and take part in a reality T.V show. The show ends up being more than they bargained for when they end up dying, one by one, after their deepest, darkest secrets are revealed. It's a race to find the killer before they all end up cancelled or dead.
I actually really liked this! This book was very relatable as it touches on social media and the lives of influencers. I liked how it had a multiple person POV but it also made somethings more predictable.
I had no idea who the killer was until the end. It seemed like everyone had a motive so it was fun trying to figure out who it really was. It also gave me anxiety because they were stuck on an island with no way to call for help.
This was definitely a good read for spooky season!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and the author for an ARC of People to Follow for an honest review.

I knew this was YA going into it but the plot still sounded very interesting so I thought I'd give it a try. I am not the typical age for this book and maybe that was why I really didn't enjoy it. There were way too many characters. Every character didn't have a POV but it was still confusing. I was confused from the start as to which chapter belonged to who and found myself having to scroll back to see who was talking. The language in the book is very YA, however I have a teenage daughter and she does not speak like this.

I read 50% and then started skimming because I was getting bored with the plot. I did skim through the chapters and read the ending.

An incredibly bingeable thriller that is Reality Tv meets Survivor. It’s thrilling, full of drama and will keep you guessing.

I really enjoyed this book! I am not the "normal" age target for this book as I am an (elder) millennial but reading about influencers was fun because my daughter talks about various influencers so I felt like I understood. There were a lot of characters and each chapter was told by a different person. I loved this approach and found it added to my confusion of who did it! I just wish I had read the physical book instead of on my kindle because I wanted to flip back a few times and it is easier for me with a physical book

There are some trigger warnings for this book but I thought that it really touched on an important topic without it being graphic. There are a lot of risks living your life publicly on social media and I thought it did a good job of not glamorizing that life style.

I very much enjoyed this look into the younger generation and loved the author's style and flow throughout the book

Is being an Influencer to die for? Here are reasons to read the YA Thriller book:

Private Island - On a private island, 10 influencers come together for a reality show
No Contact - there are no phones allowed and for 3 weeks they are just going to be living with each other with everyone watching
Deadly Game - but when one of them ends up dead and a message of a game comes up from their anonymous sponsor, it begs that question if having influence is worth it.

This book was so interesting it’s premise. It was an extremely fast read and the twists were also kind of surprising. I won’t say this is a perfect YA book, as there were some explanations that seemed a little too easy for me. But I will say that it was a solid read and quite fun for the most part!

This debut is so much fun with numerous twists and turns. It had me guessing up until the very end. I love anything about influencers and reality TV so I was sold from the beginning. I was pleasantly surprised with how well-written it was and the character development was top notch. An homage to Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, this locked room mystery was everything I'd hoped for and then some. Highly recommend!

The premise of this book sounded so fun and the cover is awesome! I love the colorful vibes and the float is spot on for the demographic. The characters were painful and not entirely developed to where I found them easily differentiated. I think the influencer/out of touch with reality plot was dragged a little too much, because there comes a point where you would think they'd take the circumstances more seriously. I need thrillers to feel realistic and this one lost me partway through. The reveal in the end was well done, and I didn't guess the plot twists, so that was nice. It was a good read but not something I'll remember much or think back on down the road.

PEOPLE TO FOLLOW has a good modern-day social media addiction premise. A dozen followers are invited to a phone-free weekend to relax and get away from the pressure of being influencers. While stuck together they start dying one by one.

This had nice Then There Were None vibes. But, the amount of characters who were too much alike became hard to keep track of.

I love a locked-room(ish) mystery and this fit the bill. However, the story fell flat with too many characters who were unlikeable. Also, the political correctness in the plot was a bit heavy-handed.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy of PEOPLE TO FOLLOW to review.

I rate PEOPLE TO FOLLOW three out of five stars.

This YA thriller will likely be well-loved by the right age group. In a world filled with influencers this is the exact kind of inside look you want. And Then There were None is one of my favorite stories, so those tropes are more favorable to me. The characters weren’t all that likable but overall the story was well executed.