I kid you not when I tell you I've been waiting for Kathleen Barber to write a new book since the moment I finished Are You Sleeping as an ARC in 2017 - and if you know me at all, I'm not exactly the most patient person :)

Well, I am extremely happy to report that 5 stars are absolutely in order for Follow Me. Creepy, suspenseful, real and full of intrigue, Barber poses readers with the question - how much about yourself do you really put out there to the public on the internet? Audrey is a successful influencer toting 1m followers, going about her life instagramming every moment - but someone out there is watching, maybe a bit too closely!

In the vein of Caroline Kepnes "You" - we get perspectives from Audrey, her bff Cat and a mysterious "Him" - the man obsessed with Audrey. The chapters added from Him are incredibly chilling and add an extra layer of intrigue to an already suspenseful story. Now, all I can say is, I just can't wait two more years for more Kathleen Barber goodness!

This book is a bit of a mess. It was hard to follow what exactly was going on becuase all of the characters blended together. The idea was interesting but I didn't care abou the stalker, the influencer or the friend. They all seemed like messes.

Has She Endangered Herself By Being Too Well Known On The Internet?

Audrey Miller enjoys being a star to the million or so followers she has on social media. Sometimes neglecting her own life, she goes out of her way to visit places that her vast audience will find post-worthy and exciting. And if she makes up some of the excitement, what’s the harm? She just moved to Washington, DC, landing her dream job doing what she loves. Two of her old friends live in the city, providing her encouragement and support, but unknown to her there is another person thrilled with her move to the city. He has been a fan of hers forever and now he plans to make her his own.

Sight unseen, she rented a small apartment in DC. It’s in a good location and not too bad, if you don’t mind that the door lock doesn’t always work, the windows don’t let in any light, and the landlord has a creepy son that likes to pop in unexpectedly. She can handle all that, but then there is the stalker and the strange “gifts” left for her.

Wonderfully written with an insightful combination of credibility and fear, Kathleen Barber has captured the risks of being obsessed with sharing your whole life with the world. I highly recommend Follow Me to anyone who enjoys a good mystery/thriller and is not planning to be alone in the dark.

Thank you, Gallery, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of Follow Me for my honest review.

I read this mainly because I am fascinated by people who live their lives on the internet. This is a cautionary tale about how dangerous that can be.

Audrey documents her life on line. This has garnered her over 1 million instagram followers, and directly led to her dream job in Washington DC. Once there, she reconnects with her college friend, her college boyfriend, and finds herself in the same city where an obsessive fan lives. The book becomes a question of who is the one stalking her.

All of the characters here are flawed. The stalker could be anyone. It could be one of her old friends, one of her new coworkers, or the new man in her life. The reader can't rule anyone out because no one is totally trustworthy. I liked trying to guess the stalker's identity, but found myself unsure until the end. This book kept the tension high and kept me invested in the story. I enjoyed reading it.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Audrey Miller is a social-media star. She shares nearly everything with her 1 million followers: nights out, coffee runs, the coolest workout classes, even her home decor choices. Her followers feel like they truly know her... maybe a little too well. When a job opportunity moves her to D.C., she unknowingly moves right into the radius of one of her biggest, most obsessive fans. As Audrey navigates life in a new city, dalliances with an ex-boyfriend, and a friendship with an old sorority sister with a mysterious past, her number one fan becomes increasingly bold in the ways he shows his affection. Most would call it stalking, but he calls it love.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is the scariest book I have read so far this year. Follow Me is an A+ thriller... solid writing, good character development, and not predictable! Barber utilized red herrings well, and I was surprised by the ending. I love a book that makes me audibly gasp over plot twists! We ALL follow influencers who are over-exposed, and this book made me genuinely concerned over how much we share online. Follow Me will be released on February 25, 2020. Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for my advanced readers copy!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. I only docked it a half star because the ending seemed a little clunky to me. But Oh F***! This book freaked me out with the idea that anyone could be stalker thanks to social media. I didn’t trust any character in this book and it makes me want to delete my social media ASAP.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Gallery Books for letting me read and review “Follow Me” by Kathleen Barber. This book was excellent! In today’s day and age of social media and people posting EVERYTHING they do, it really makes you stop and think. Audrey is an Instagram influencer and, being quite narcissistic, loves to post everything about her life. Her more practical friend Cat thinks this is too much and Audrey soon finds out she has a stalker. But there are also some secrets from the past and a twist that I did NOT see coming. Highly recommend this book and couldn’t put it down.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

This was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time- on the tip with You and Gone Girl. Will definitely be a phenom. Can’t wait to read the next one

This novel takes place in the present, where "brand ambassadors" and "social media influencers" rule the day. It concerns a group of 20-somethings who live in DC and try to live their lives online, posting frequently about their loves, their meals, their moments. It isn't so far-fetched and the collisions among them gets intense as the postings fly across the Internet. "A girl has to protect her brand," one character remarks during one scene -- something that I have heard in real life with some regularity. She goes on to say, "Like every other basic white girl on the planet, I'd started a blog in the late 2000s with a free WordPress template and very little to say "
The plot concerns obsession between the characters: not just about dating and relationships, but the need to document their lives, rather than make actual choices about them based on what one's desires and motivations outside of being in the public eye. It is a very believable and sadly, cautionary tale for the modern era. Even if you aren't all that familiar with social media, this is a worthy read for you.

This is the new modern day, technology over share, HORROR story. This book was highly enjoyable, fast paced, and will have you overthinking every social media post you have ever made in your life! Well done!

Really good psych/thriller about social media. Today, seems everyone who is anyone is on all forms of social media. Some to be the attention people, others, to follow & like
The chapters in this book are named by the character POV at that time in the book. Main characters being Audrey, Cat &.....Him. We finally find out who Him is ( somewhat easy, having figured it out, which I rarely do) but so much more happens after that & all in the span of about 3 chapters
Great plot set up. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but glad it didn’t turn out the way it was headed ;)
I’d highly recommend this book when it comes out next year
I received a digital copy by Net Galley & in return it was easy to leave this review because these are my types of stories/books! Thank you to Gallery publishers, partner of Simon & Schuster for allowing nearly this digital copy #KathleenBarber #NetGalley #GalleryPublishers #PsychThriller #SocialMediaStory

Really enjoyed this book. The book is told from the point of view of three different people, which confused me in the beginning, but was soon sorted out. The ending was more than just a twist, and it was unexpected. Not only was this book set near me, it mentioned one of my favorite spots - Gravelly Point- and captured the excitement of the planes landing over your head at Reagan National. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope to read more by this author!

What a wild ride! This novel grabbed me from page one and did not let go. I enjoyed the multiple POV perspectives and felt they added dimension to the story, which is a step above the traditional, expected stalker narrative. The plot moves at a nice pace and,as the story progresses, the characters become more intriguing - and in some ways, strange. But the characters, even as they descend into strange behavior, are still relatable, which is important to keep the reader's interest. Although I haven't read anything else by Kathleen Barber, she's certainly an author to watch, particularly if you enjoy smart, edgy thrillers.

Audrey and Cat were acquainted in college. Cat has since become a workaholic Attorney in DC and Audrey has just accepted a new position as a Social Media Manager for an art museum there. Audrey has also built up a huge Instagram following and spends most of her free time showing the world the public side of her life. In actuality she is staying in a nondescript basement apartment with hardly any furniture and many unpacked boxes. Audrey uses Cat to create a social life for herself and her ex boyfriend, Nick, as a partner when she wants one. She meets Max, a man Cat knew when she was going to summer camp as a teen and he shortly becomes her new boyfriend. Audrey is also being stalked and gas-lighted by her stalker. Each chapter is written from either Audrey’s, Cat’s or the stalker’s viewpoint. None of these people are particularly likable, however their story is fascinating and very readable particularly if the reader likes psycho dramas. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC for an honest review.

I couldn't make up my mind whether to give this book a three- rating or four. After thinking about it, I swung up to a four. As the book wore on and on, the characters became more and more strange. But as I thought about it, that is what the author wanted. I couldn't put up with such whiners as these characters, but than that was the point of the story, I guess. It was not the sort of stalker story I expected. I am not sure if I would read another one by Kathleen Barber.

Stalking is a popular theme in thrillers, but this is a sort of stalking thriller that wouldn’t have existed a decade or two ago. This is stalking in the age of social media aka stalking made easy. There’s probably never been an easier time to stalk someone, the amount of information available online is just insane. And most of it is provided by the people themselves. Social media might have intended to foster personal connections, but it ended up being essentially driving a lethal stake through the concept of privacy. And few make it all the more glaringly obvious than the newest dumbest form of celebrities, the social media darlings, people with nothing to offer the world but a window (albeit heavily curated one) into their lives. This is the thing that made Kylie Jenner the youngest billionaire. For me it’s a bizarrely foreign and off putting concept. But it’s certainly popular enough and anyone with a talent to sell themselves properly can do it. After all, there is a reason Emily May (the Kylie Jenner of Goodreads) is so popular, despite the fact that yours truly have read and reviewed about 50% more books that she did last year alone. Used to be people sold goods, now Amazon sells good and people sell themselves. And that’s something this book’s protagonist excels at. Essentially a nobody, but gifted with a sparkling personality, she has managed to turn it into a business with over a million followers. Surprise, surprise, one of them is an obsessive stalker. But which one…she is, after all, surrounded by men and most of them (especially as perceived with the heightened MeToo awareness and for a single young woman living alone) are variously creepy. We just don’t know which creep is the main creep, the creep Him section of the book is narrated by. And it takes an entire book to figure it out, although you might guess somewhere around 75%. To her credit, the author made it fairly obscure. So yeah, a fairly standard social media thriller enhanced by the traditional multiple narrative, because it’s handled right, showcasing the effects same situations have on different people by offering something new to add to the overall plot. The author has even tried to give the main character some dimensionality…no easy task, given the innate superficiality of her appeal. The other main female character is probably closer to the author in that they are both Washington D.C. lawyers (albeit one’s practicing and one isn’t). She’s pretty much the proverbial foil here, the one who has to be serious and responsible if only to showcase the selfishness, cluelessness and vapidity of her best friend. And if nothing in this book works for you, it’ll at least raise your awareness of the remote stalking tools and make you cover up your built in computer camera. For me…mostly it just made me think about all the ugliness of the online world. In fact, while reading this book I paused to check my email and saw that someone left a really nasty comment on one of my reviews. Now, GR is the only social media I do and even so it’s as depersonalized as it can be and my main motivation in using it is to maintain my reading records and post reviews. If someone gets something out of my reviews (maybe it entertains them or saves them time on a dud), I’m glad. Sometimes I read reviews of others to help me decide on a book. And I may occasionally interact with a friend on here or an author and that’s usually also very nice (albeit not with all authors, sadly). I may even post a comment on a friend’s review. But…in all the years I’ve used GR never has it ever occurred to me to go and post a nasty comment on someone’s review. It seems like such a vile useless (since I just delete it straight away) thing. But it does serve as a bitter reminder that no matter how minimal one’s online presence may be, it does open one up to a certain level of ugliness. And to live an entire life online like the book’s character…well, that’s just like throwing the gate open to every lunatic out there. I can’t fathom that. But many probably can, social media being the pervasive evil that it is. Netgalley alone is currently offering books titled Follow Me and Unfollow Me. Very relatable, very hip subject matter, might be responsible for all the terrific reviews this fairly mediocre (albeit very readable) book has received. Ok, time to wrap this up. Limited exposure and all that. Overall this was an entertaining read for social media generation. Thanks Nertgalley.

The book really grabs you from the beginning. It's told from the viewpoints of three different characters. The first is Audrey, a social media-obsessed young woman who nabs her dream job working with social media for a gallery in Washington, DC. Her friend from college, Cat, is a bit uptight and working her way up through round-the-clock work at a law firm. Then there's "HIM" -- an unnamed man who has developed an obsession with Audrey. Because he can follow her every move from her frequent online postings, he has no trouble getting close to her. Audrey realizes she has a stalker as she encounters more and more creepy behavior. Meanwhile, there are many men in her vicinity who could be the ominous "HIM."

The characters of Audrey and Cat are very intriguing. Audrey is BEYOND self-obsessed. She has no concept of how her actions impact anyone else and is very, very needy. Cat is hiding a secret from her past and feels loyal to Audrey. At the same time, Cat is so awkward and socially backward that it is hard to believe she got hired at an exclusive law firm and that she is going to stand up in court and make arguments in high-profile cases. In no way does she come across as having the self-confidence to do that!

I enjoyed the story and trying to work out which of the many creepy suspects could be HIM. The ending wasn't ideal, in my opinion, since there were several ways it could have gone, and the resolution didn't really ring true. Still, it was an interesting look at a character who lives her life in the spotlight and has to deal with the repercussions of oversharing.

I am drawn to books about people who overstate online and end up with creepy stalkers. This is an upcoming release that I could not put down.
Audrey Miller lives for the feedback and likes she gets from her Instagram followers. She never intended to make it a career though. Her dream was to work in an art gallery, she graduated with a degree in art history but kept procrastinating on going to graduate school. When she sees an ad for Social Media Manager opening at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington D.C. she applies on a whim not believing she will really get the job. When she is offered the job she is initially reluctant to leave her beloved NYC but her roommate informs her that her boyfriend lost his apartment and will be moving in and that is the push she needs.
Unknown to Audrey there is a mysterious “Him” that is is watching every post she makes and he believes that her moving to DC where he also lives is the sign he has been waiting for that they are meant to be together.
Audrey’s best friend from college also lives in DC, Cat. Cat was a shy, awkward outcast all through high school and was resigned to college being the same when a mean girl targeted her on the first day. Audrey took her under her wing and Cat has been there for her ever since, putting her own needs aside whenever Audrey called.
The author does a great job at throwing in red herrings, I was sure I knew who the stalker was and changed my mind several times. I was wrong in all my guesses.
What is a true test of good story telling is Audrey is an awful person but I loved the story.
There were a couple of minor things I would have liked to have more information about but not enough to quibble about.
The stalker was really creepy and will have you putting tape over your laptop cameras!
Thank you to #netgalley and #gslleybooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Look for this one in January 2020.

This was my first read from Kathleen Barber and I really enjoyed it. Though life inevitably gets in the way at times, I really didn't want to put this book down. Oddly enough, I hated the main character but that really didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. Maybe hate is too strong of a word, but she definitely was not my favorite.

Audrey Miller is obsessed with Social Media. She's an instagrammer with over a million followers watching her almost every move, as she posts frequently throughout her day. Though since her move from New York to Washington D.C. someone seems to be watching her a bit too closely....

Throughout the story we are presented with several possibilities as to WHO could be Audrey's stalker. If you really pay attention, it's not a shocker at all when it's revealed so if you are reading this for a huge twist at the end, it may be a bit disappointing. Aside from the lack of shock value, the events themselves unfolded very well and in a believable manner. It's creepy without being too over the top. It just might make you rethink everything you share about yourself on social media by the end. ;)

This is the first book in a little while that actually threw me off a bit. I liked reading about the two totally different characters and hearing things from both of their different points of view, as well as the stalker who is referred to as "Him". I will admit that when I found out who the stalker was I was shocked. This book kept me up reading well into the night, way past my bedtime, I literally couldn't put it down. I was kind of disappointed with the way it turned it out with the main characters, but I guess it couldn't have turned out any other way. Definitely a book that I will recommend.