It's an easy read and the mystery had me guessing until near the end. It had many ingredients for a good book, but some of them went bad and got a little of the fun it had the potential to deliver.

2.5 rounded up.

It starts with a bunch of influencers invited to a new reality show on a private island. But soon, it's revealed the plan of whoever is sponsoring this show goes much beyond just putting them together with the people they hate the most. This is a bit of a thriller, of the kind that everyone has a bad thing to hide, and one of those things is that they may be a killer, or maybe someone else they can't see is. That also gets the story closer to horror, especially because someone is definitely a psycho, whether they're among them or hiding somewhere. But truths are coming up and those voted by the group end up dead.

The story is told by four different characters in different stages of their lives as content creators. My first problem with the book was exactly this. I had no way to differentiate who was narrating. Their voices, even though they were characters with different personalities, were all the same. So while the author managed to get me to know each of the participants of the show, I was always going back on the pages to remind me again who was narrating the chapter.

Of course the story has also been done in multiple ways. A lot of it reminded me of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, though we don't know if we're really dealing with a closed-room mystery or if someone did manage to hide themselves somewhere. But at a point I was about to look for the poem to check.

And here we reach the other issue. I'm not sure the planning was thorough. Of course you can't just make it up as you go in a story like this, but I started losing trust in it being able to amaze me way too soon because the happenings felt more that they were there to give you a little scare than to move the plot. Which made it predictable. The moment the story was about to drag, someone would die. And you even knew who that someone was. Of course we get some sort of explanation in the end of why this happened, but I read it read more like the writer recognizing it than the character.

Since I'm mentioning the ending... no spoilers, don't worry. But I'm not a fan of getting a long letter at the end of mystery books explaining what the story should have already. I'm grateful they didn't let those points become loose ends, but just because now I know what happened. Because the feeling is the same.

It's still a good story. It's not super predictable even if the trope has been overused. You'll probably enjoy it despite all the flaws.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

This was such a fun quick read! I read it in about a day a couple of months ago (sorry for the late review!) and just loved it!

Ten influencers set out to compete in a reality show. “In Real Life” is set on a remote island where there have to unplug for three weeks. THREE weeks without their phones, what’s an influencer to do?! Complicating their situation is the fact that one of them ends up up dead.

I think this was a fantastic debut! The tension amongst the characters was definitely palpable as they tried to navigate life without their phones. But as a Young Adult book, I definitely am not the target audience lol. I think those who enjoy Young Adult novels, especially Young Adult thrillers, would love this one!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for the ARC! “People to Follow” releases October 31, 2023!

Take a bunch of twenty-something social media influencers and drop them on a deserted island to film a reality series and what could go wrong? Plenty, of course. Many in the group already know each other and have lots of bad feelings and secrets festering. When the production crew suddenly has to leave the island, the influencers realize they are alone. Before they got on boats to go to the island, their phones were confiscated, so there is no way for them to contact anyone. They soon realize how much trouble they're in when they need to call for help and have no way to do so. Although there are cameras supposedly filming their every move, no one comes to their assistance. Each cast member is given a fitness watch and soon they begin receiving ominous messages from "the producer" who makes them engage in votes to decide who gets "cancelled." This seems to involve releasing damaging information about them to the public, but then soon appears to have a more sinister meaning.

There is a slight nod to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" with the dwindling group looking among themselves for a killer . . . or has someone been with them the entire time? I liked the suspense in the story and the way various chapters were told from different points of view so secrets were revealed slowly. It kept me guessing until the end!

People to Follow is a twisty YA mystery set on a remote Caribbean island. It reads like a younger version of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie--a bunch of guilty people stranded on an island and getting picked off one by one--but with social media influencers (and different twists).

I was impressed by this debut novel. It follows quite a few different character perspectives, but I didn't find it difficult to keep them straight. The twists in this book were well-executed, with an ending that I didn't see coming. Was it always believable? Well, not entirely, but it was still an enjoyable ride with excellent pacing, and it was difficult to put it down.

This book is intended for a teen audience, and it shows in the teen lingo, which I think fits well in the story but seems to bother some older readers. I think the novel does a good job of relating to where teens are at today and the issues they face, while examining the potential harm of a social-media-crazed culture. It deals with some heavy topics so may not be a great fit for younger teens. It could be a good starting point for discussion about current technology issues such as catfishing, intellectual property theft, privacy, and the nature of social media as a façade rather than a reality.

I think Olivia Worley is an author to watch. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the DRC.

Teen influencers are sent to and island one ends up dead and others are out for revenge. This book is told in a multiple points of view and it was hard to keep track of what was going on. While I enjoyed this book it was for young adults which I don’t read and found kind lacking at times while someone who is a lot younger would adore this book much more.

I received an advanced copy of this book for my honest review, however I am sorry I did due to it being much to young for me.

3.5 ⭐️

A locked room - or in this case deserted island - mystery - definitely my favourite mystery trope .
Unfortunately, I found this book to be just ok and struggled a bit keeping the various POVs straight 🤷🏼‍♀️ . This is a debut novel and I’d definitely give this author’s next book a try.

People To Follows is a fun, fast-paced, locked room/island thriller that takes a look at the darker side behind being a social media wannabe. This was also the perfect book to read lounging by the pool (slash pretending I was on an island, but not a killer-y one) - it gives great vacation vibes. Read if you like:
- Multiple POV
- Secrets & Lies
- Murder Mystery Whodunit
- Influencer Culture
- Quick Chapters

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I am not a fan of books that focus on fictional influencers. I find that authors write these characters to be over-the-top ignorant and annoying. Unfortunately, People To Follow falls into this category. Ten teen influencers are brought to a deserted island on false pretenses. They quickly realize that they are in danger after people start to die (a la And Then There Were None). I did not enjoy this title and would not recommend it to others.

i really liked this book. i could keep up with the characters for the most part. the only thing i didn’t like was the modern day references like “TikTok” etc. the writing style was nice and easy to follow. i really like the concept of the book as well.

I’m a huge fan of shifting POVs and loved that in this book! I had never read anything by this author, and I’m so glad I did! I would definitely read her again! I loved the plot of this story with influencers going to a remote island for a reality show…and someone ends up dead. I’m a reality show junkie so the plot sounded great and it did not disappoint. Great story, unlikeable characters mixed in just like with influencers/reality show contestants, and great twists!

I didn’t know what to expect when jumping into this book and enjoyed the plot as it unfolded. I felt a little lost a couple times with all of the switching viewpoints, but I also liked how the changing perspectives offered us as the reader more insight into the characters.

Several suspenseful moments with questions of what’s coming next! Loved the variety of characters and how they were all connected.

Recommend for an interesting and thrilling experience. Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first read by the author. I plan on reading more! I enjoyed this alot. I love thrillers involving influencers!

Ten influencers flock to a remote Caribbean island for a new reality show, switching off their phones for a whole three weeks of sun and relaxation. Within hours, they start dying. Someone knows all their dirty secrets and thinks they deserve to be canceled in the most final sense. It’s difficult to tell all the beautiful young people apart until enough of them get murdered to thin the herd. Mostly just fast-paced, trashy fun, but it makes some valid points about celebrity culture, toxic positivity, body image, the patriarchy, and more.

This book was such a fun and wild ride! I was initially drawn to this book because I loved the idea of a thriller involving a bunch of influencers going on a reality TV show. I didn't realize when picking this book up that it was technically YA (which I don't read a ton of), but I ended up LOVING this book.

In my opinion, this book delivered on exactly what was promised in the description. If you are a fan of reality TV, thrillers, and influencer scandals, you will absolutely enjoy this book! I also loved that every chapter felt like it ended on a cliffhanger--I couldn't put this book down. Additionally, I appreciated the structure and style of this book in which each chapter was from a different perspective of one of the influencers. This made for great character building and kept me very engaged in the story the entire time.

Although this is Olivia Worley's debut novel, I will absolutely be checking out any of her future releases! If you are looking for the perfect summer thriller-look no further. This is it.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly, this was a DNF for me. I really was hooked by the plot and description of this one, but as I got about 100 pages in, I just found myself really unattached and uninterested in the characters. I think the multiple POVs was a lot for this one because there are so many and they change so rapidly, that it was hard to really flesh out any of the characters.

I can still see how this would be enjoyable for many, especially young adults who love their social media and are up on all the lingo and trends this author includes!

Glad to see that so many people still enjoyed this one, just was not for me!!

This one just really wasn’t for me. There wasn’t a single character I was able to root for, nothing likable about any of them, imo.
I was definitely hoping for more down-to-earth influencers, at least one person who had thief head on straight.
Kind of wish that the description had been a bit more accurate. If it had been, I wouldn’t have requested this ARC, and it could have gone to someone who would have enjoyed it more.
Even so, thanks to the author and Net Galley for the opportunity to review People To Follow. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Didn't like any of the characters personally. Good story and fun quick read. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Thank you @NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

I give this book a 4 star. This book is YA thriller/Murder Mystery.

It was a fun read the ending had me shocked. I liked the character POV’s but at the beginning they were confusing because there was so many characters. The story is about social media influencers who get invited to an island to get away from the online world. Basically to unplug from society.

But things take a wild turn and everyone starts questioning everyone. And what secrets they are hiding.

There were parts that were slightly repetitive. But over all I was on the edge of my seat guessing how it would all play out.

The plot of this book is so unique! These teen influencers are stranded on an island for a reality show for three weeks. There is nothing worse than not being able to connect with your fans, right? Wrong! Dead bodies popping up everywhere is definitely worse.

Although this is a YA book, I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, character development, and story line. Worth a read for sure!