Fast paced fun light summer read. I think this is a super quick action packed dramatic read. A ton of fun overall.

Welcome to the world of momfluencing!! If you need a book to remind you of social media toxicity, this is it! 😂

Oh god. The characters in this book were so awful!!! I couldn’t stand reading about them. But at the same time, I applaud the author because she wrote all of them very effectively! I mean after the 100th thriller book you read, you rarely feel a lot of emotions anymore. So I knew right off the bat that it was going to be a great book just based off on that.

Have you guys read the Dial A for Aunties series? This is book is from the same author! Yup, she writes thrillers too!!

I have both physical and audio for this one but I find myself choosing the audiobook because of the narrators! They were so good!! Oh the drama from this one 😂

It was very bingeable too! I finished it so quickly because you just cant stop listening to it! I mean the characters made me so mad and everything but I was so invested in the story, I had to keep listening! 😂

Highly highly recommend this one if you love a bingeable thriller, friends!! It comes out next Tuesday!!

Definitely pick it up!!

Another unsettling and twisty psychological thriller from one of my fav authors, Jesse Q. Sutanto! I really enjoyed this dual POV story about two momfluencer friends who have a falling out. When one of the mother's follow count quickly outnumbers the other, jealousies, lies and revenge take a deadly turn. Equally relatable and horrifying, this book peels back the ugly curtain of influencer life and the challenges of motherhood and marriage. Great on audio too! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!! Perfect for fans of books like People like her by Ellery Lloyd.

Author Jessie Q. Sutanto takes readers on a chilling, eye-opening deep dive into the cutthroat world of social media super influencers in YOU WILL NEVER BE ME. A place where the stakes and potential for making six figure incomes are high and the odds of crashing and losing it all higher. A place where friendships are made and broken and greed, jealousy and insecurity take root and grow. A facade where revenge turns dark, ugly and deadly.
Super "Momfluencer" Meredith Lee is riding a social media high at the top of her game when she takes a struggling mother, Aspen Palmer, under her wing teaching her how to become a successful, top earning influencer on social media. In a short amount of time, the student surpasses the teacher in the number of followers, likes, sponsors and income earned on TikTok and Instagram. Suddenly, Aspen is the social media darling invited to all the right parties, meeting other super influencers and making the big bucks, and she has little time for her former mentor. After a particularly nasty argument, the former friends part ways. Aspen is basking in her new fame and lifestyle while Meredith's flame is fading fast leaving her on the outside looking in, but don't count her out just yet. She made Aspen . . . and she can break her. Meredith begins stalking her former friend and when opportunity knocks, she walks through the door. Two can play this game . . . until someone goes missing, and the accusations fly.

YOU WILL NEVER BE ME unfolds through the dual points of view of Meredith and Aspen. The pace builds slowly as the author lays the groundwork, allowing readers to get to know each of the women and their families while setting the stage for what's to come. Halfway through, the pace intensifies, and the tone takes a dire turn into an imminent danger zone with warning signs flashing on every page. From this point on, no one will be putting this book down for any reason as it shifts gears with each shocking twist. While most of the characters are shallow, arrogant and extremely self-centered, the kind you love to hate, they are exactly what one would expect to find within the context of this story. Sutanto does an expert job at character development, allowing readers to see what drives each one. Like a wreck on the highway, I couldn't look away afraid of what I might miss. I suspect the ending may be controversial, but whether you like the way the author chose to wrap this story up or not, I guarantee you won't forget it anytime soon. I know I won't, and I'll never look at social media influencers the same way ever again.

Author Jesse Q. Sutanto brilliantly renders a dark, witty, parody of the fake, cutthroat world of social media influencers in YOU WILL NEVER BE ME. Toxic friendships are fed by greed, lies and the desire to be seen as the top influencer in the niche. I'm amazed and quite frankly shocked at the idea of how far some will go and how much they're willing to sacrifice to reach the pinnacle of success in the influencer world. I'm happy to say this reader has no desire to dip a toe in those toxic waters. Highly recommended to fans of suspense thrillers and anyone curious about the world of social media influencers.

The novel explores themes of jealousy, friendship, identity, and the facade of social media. Sutanto delves into the dissonance between online and offline lives, highlighting how the pressure to maintain a perfect online image can lead to destructive behavior. The book also examines the concept of viral jealousy and the impact of toxic friendships.

"You Will Never Be Me" is a riveting suspense novel that offers a deep dive into the dark side of social media influence. Jesse Q. Sutanto's sharp writing and keen observations make this book a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and social commentaries.

this was a fun take on a ‘mommy drama’ domestic thriller - i liked the ‘momfluencer’ thing, and Sutanto knows it’s a fun and silly premise (i feel like lately ‘fun’ books end up taking things too seriously). nothing too memorable but an interesting and bingeable story about obsession

Thank you so much @Netgalley for finished copy! I am obsessed with anything @jesseqsutanto writes and this may just be my favorite yet, but I honestly cant choose. I binged this so hard. It held me in a chokehold and that major twist …. Mind blown! I had to go back and reread because I was shocked. If you like a peek into the ugly side of influencing, toxic friendships, jealousy and greed-run! Also, I may be biased but, an LA setting always gets me! This was freaking SO good.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Jesse Q. Sutanto, and Berkley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

JUICY!!!! This is the second thriller this year that I've read about the world of influencers (and specifically, momfluencers or family vloggers), and I am HOOKED!! The world of influencing is still so new, especially on platforms like TikTok, and with the rise of people using their family and children for views, it's only time something tragic happens. I think that's what made this such a compelling read because there's several layers regarding the dark side of influencing. This was only my second read by Sutanto, but I will definitely check out her other books. Although this wasn't the best book I've ever read, I was hooked from page 1 and surprised by a few of the many twists and turns. Sutanto knows how to write a compelling hook and a great mystery/thriller, and I definitely recommend if you are intrigued about the dangers of social media.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a change in genre for this author and also enjoyable like her other books. It kept my attention from start to finish, which is rough to do!

his addictive read exposes the cutthroat, ugly side of social media and toxic relationships. Two L.A. influencers see their friendship destroyed by jealousy, stalking, and sabotage. Nothing in their lives is as picture-perfect as it seems.

I could not put this down! The story is dark, twisty, and, at times, shocking. Sutanto does a great job of making some pretty unlikable characters compelling. This story contains layers of toxicity in the characters' relationships and their relentless pursuit of creating content that will push them to the next level of internet fame. Cleverly plotted and fast-paced, I thought this was going in one direction when suddenly everything changed. My jaw dropped. The drama could not be contained from there as the carefully curated facades crumbled.

Sutanto is such a versatile and talented writer. Her books are so much fun to read, from her hilarious cozy mysteries to her juicy thrillers. I cannot wait to see what she writes next! If you enjoy domestic thrillers, don't miss this one. It's fast-paced, super entertaining, and a wild ride!


Thank you Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for the gifted ARC

I could not put this one down! Momfluencers and frenemies?? Yes, give me more! It's just toxic fun and I was here for it! Follower count envy, social media worthy content and backstabbing friends are talked about in this book. It was fast paced and towards the end, it became a propulsive read and I just kept turning pages to the end. Another great read from Sutanto! Less cozy but just as compelling as her other books/series! Great in print and audio for this one, can recommend both.

This book sounded so simplistic and basic when I first read the premise. It gives off a lot of "bitch I'm gonna steal your life" vibes but oooh this turned out to be so much more than that.

In this book we are following two influencers, Meredith and Aspen, and the toxic relationship they have with one another. We learn pretty quickly that Meredith and Aspen have had a major falling out and that these two "momfluencers" are now arch enemies. We get perspectives from both women and it is clear that the situation between these two is more murky than anyone could have guessed.

There is a twist reveal at the halfway point in this book that literally had my jaw dropped. It wasn't the most original twist but given the way that the story had been set up and told up until that point really allowed the reveal to have some hefty weight to it. On the flip side, this book is pretty slow moving both before and after this major reveal and it did drag in some areas, especially in the latter half. I really enjoyed going back and forth between Meredith and Aspen and then in the second half of the book we became focused on one of the women's perspectives only and that dragged a bit for me. I was a little disappointed by the ending of the book and "twist" that we get but it wasn't terrible. It just felt very reminiscent of some other thrillers that I have read and I wish that we could have kept up the same steam and impact that the first reveal at 50% had.

This is also a book that heavily deals with social media and "momfluencers" in particular. It has a lot to say about that culture of putting your family online (most of the time without their explicit consent) and the idea of using your children as a source of income and content. The author also talks a lot about the repercussions of curating a perfect life on social media and the impacts that has both on yourself, as the content creator, and on those who are consuming the content that you put out especially in the "mom world". This notion that there are "perfect" moms out there who handmake lunches everyday and have perfect households with perfect families who color coordinate and have grand adventures is just a complete facade that people put out to make money. It was interesting to see how the author explored the idea of where to draw the line in content creation and social media: we all need to make money and support our families but should our families be the cost of that? Also, we explore the idea of capitalizing off of tragedy and the fall of others and I think that was a really interesting topic to connect to social media.

I guess my biggest issues with this was that the characters had a lot of unchecked shitty things about them particularly when talking about the bodies of other people and that started to grate on me. I understand that these are two inherently unlikable characters but it still felt like it should have been called out more in the story. Perhaps that was the author trying to showcase the vanity and cruelty of the behind the scenes of influencers but it wasn't my favorite aspect of this book. It also felt like a bit of a letdown the way that things wrapped up so easily for one of our main characters. I wanted more stakes and more retribution.

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Rating: 4.5 stars
Pub date: 8/20

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for my advanced copy!

I am a huge fan of Jesse Q Sutanto! Her writing is fun and engaging, and her thrillers always keep me on the edge of my seat.

This one is a wild ride through the world of social media influencers. The story follows Meredith Lee, a beauty influencer whose best friend, Aspen, skyrockets to fame as a top momfluencer. Meredith helped create Aspen’s brand, and she’s not too happy when her friend chooses her fame over her friendship with Meredith. Fueled by jealousy, Meredith starts messing with Aspen's life, setting off a chain reaction that neither of them sees coming.

Sutanto does a fantastic job of showing how messy and fake the influencer world can be. The characters are a hot mess, and you’ll love to hate them. They're driven by jealousy and desperation, and their antics make the book impossible to put down. There’s a twist in the middle that totally changes the game, and after that, you won’t be able to stop reading.

This book is a must-read for anyone who’s into psychological thrillers. It’s a super fun, twisty look at the dark side of social media fame.

Loved loved loved this one! The synopsis of You Will Never Be Me grabbed my attention. It sounded right up my alley! And then one of my book besties loved it and said I would too. She was right! I loved the influencer aspect and reading about friendships in thrillers (especially those not so perfect ones) is a fave trope of mine. I ate this one up! 4 stars.

Meredith and Aspen were best friends, with Meredith taking Aspen under her wing and teaching her how to succeed as an influencer. And succeed Aspen did – now she’s one of the biggest stars in the Momfluencer world, while Meredith’s own following is lagging behind. After a big fight, the two women are no longer speaking – which doesn’t mean Meredith doesn’t know what her former bestie is up to, because she’s stalking her. Just a little. Enough that she knew when Aspen was not home and snuck in to steal her kid’s tablet. And with access to all of Aspen’s secrets, as well as her personal schedule, Meredith can’t help but feel like her career is about to improve...

Like Sutanto’s last thriller, I’m Not Done With You Yet, this novel features two unlikeable characters embroiled in a toxic friendship steeped in jealousy. I don’t make this comparison unfavorably to point out their similarity, but to highlight that it’s remarkable she could write two such compelling stories that explore similar themes but are so different. One other thing this book has in common with the last novel: this one has some absolutely killer twists. It’s fast-paced and I had a hard time putting it down. I actually liked this one better than Sutanto’s previous thriller, though like with that one, I’ll warn that if you can't stand books with unlikeable narrators, this is probably not the book for you. Four and a half stars, rounded up to five.

CW: toxic friendship, stalking, domestic abuse

Ok this is a tough one for me. Ultimately the best way I can describe my feelings about this book is: confused.

I'm a huge fan of Vera Wong so when I saw that Sutanto had a new book coming out, I had to jump on it. While the writing was still good, I feel like this lacked the same humor and lightheartedness and heart that I found in Vera.

While I found the influencer theme interesting given that is the era we currently find ourselves, I really found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit throughout the whole book. I understood that she was making subtle nods at how easy it is to believe that influencers lives are just so easy and not carefully curated highlight reels, but it just came off as unbelievable.

Also the literal first half of this book felt like a completely different book than the second half. I found myself being more interested in the first half and seeing where this rift in friendship over follower counts was going to go but when blammo - one of them murders the other it was like the biggest eye roll of all time. It just didn't seem plausible or believe-able at all. We didn't get any sort of deeper understanding about why Aspen would need to MURDER her former best friend b/c she was sabotaging her? It just seemed so out of left field and the rest of the book took on a "how am I going to get away with this" vibe that also just felt "off".

Ultimately I am still confused about what the point of this story was. I don't understand the characters or what the author was trying to convey. If influencers were going around murdering other influencers maybe it would feel more plausible, but this story just didn't make sense to me even in a suspended reality sort of way.
Still giving it a 3 as it was an easy, quick read that did move along but can't really rush to recommend b/c I just found it too all over the place. Would for sure make an interesting book club book, lots to discuss. LOL

Thank you, Berkley and NetGalley, for my free copy for review.

This entertaining thriller serves as a clever parody of influencer life. In "You Will Never Be Me," we meet two friends, Aspen and Mer, whose bond forms during their early journeys to becoming influencers. Mer, the more popular of the two at their first meeting, takes shy, YouTube aspiring singer Aspen under her wing. They remain inseparable until Aspen finds love, starts a family, and carves out her niche as a mom influencer, causing their once-close friendship to fray.

The book immerses readers in the day-to-day life of an influencer, primarily from Aspen’s perspective. The lengths she goes to are incredulous, yet that’s exactly the point of her character. On the flip side, Mer is a single mom struggling to navigate her daily challenges until she makes a choice she shouldn’t have. Her jealousy drives her ambition to join the ranks of the million-follower club, leading to a rivalry that makes both characters come off as somewhat petty; it’s hard to tell who is worse.

Beyond the parody, this novel thoughtfully critiques the superficial aspects of social media, revealing the complexities and absurdities behind the glamorous facade.

I had high hopes for this book because I love this author's writing. But honestly it just really didn't hit me. The Characters were not likeable and I had a hard time staying engaged.

I’m obsessed with every part of JESSE Q. SUTANTO’S newest thriller YOU WILL NEVER BE ME.

This is so square in my dark and messed up happy place. I was living for all the bad behavior and also cheering on the characters. The snark, the deception, the lies, the relentless drive for likes and followers. And one of the best mic drop moments I’ve read in a long time. Bravo!

While a totally bingeable thriller, the book also raised so many questions about the supposed authenticity of online life. Can we blame them for getting addicted to the attention? Did ambition drive their choices? Or are these two women who are desperate to do whatever is necessary to rise to the top because they rely on it to survive?

I’m continually fascinated by stories about toxic female friendships and by influencer life, so it’s no surprise I devoured this book. SUTANTO tears back the curtain on living your life online and this book read like an insider’s view. I gobbled up every betrayal and vicious word and absolutely loved these characters.

SUTANTO has such a gift for creating intriguing, complicated characters. There were so many moments where I was smiling along, despite being at times horrified. And there were plenty of laugh out loud moments. I feel like words don’t do justice for how much I loved this book.

My advice is to go into this knowing just a smidge:

Meredith Lee pays it forward by helping Aspen Palmer navigate that influencer life. Aspen only has 5,000 subscribers when they meet so Mer happily teachers her all her tricks on how to grow online. The two became the fastest and closest of friends. But online life is competitive and a series of events starts to drive a wedge between them.

Now Meredith is spends her days doing some low-key stalking of Aspen fixated on exacting a little revenge on her former best friend. But Aspen’s rise wasn’t just dumb luck. She’s built a life for herself that she will do anything to protect.

Massive thanks again to @berkleypub and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is about the dark side of social media. It is shocking and very entertaining. Two mommy influencer friends, Meredith and Aspen. Aspen took off on social media and forgot her friend, Meredith. Meredith begins stalking Aspen and soon Meredith goes missing. The setting of the book is Los Angeles and it is told in dual POV.

If you like a good thriller and want it to center around the whole social media stuff, this one is for you!

Domestic Thriller, Unexpected Twists, and an Edge of your Seat Book ! 3.5 Stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy! This book will be released 8/20/24.