I thoroughly enjoyed Follow Me, a thriller clearly aimed for millennials
and focused on what happens when a girl with a seemingly perfect Instagram life attracts a follower who is determined to get to know her no matter what. It's a interesting look at what happens when we expose our entire lives for everyone to see. What does it mean to cultivate your life to make it look more appealing to others ? What does it mean when you're not even sure of who you are but yet you have to create a brand? And finally, and most terrifying of all, what happens when you attract someone who doesn't understand that the life you project is not necessarily the life you lead, and how do you stay safe when they become disappointed?

This Gen Xer thoroughly enjoyed this by turns gripping and weirdly funny (the dilemma of how to post! The pictures taken! Seems exhausting) thriller, and I definitely recommend it for someone interested in a very now/2020 focused thriller.

Social media influencer Audrey Miller moves to Washington, DC to work in content creation for the Hirshhorn Museum. Audrey misses the glamour of New York, but has an ex-boyfriend, an old college sorority sister, and her 1 million followers to keep her company. Audrey doesn’t know this yet, but she also has an obsessive fan in DC who’s getting closer - both physically and virtually.

Well this was definitely eye-opening to dangers of the internet that I’d never given much thought to! Yikes! This eerie story about stalking and obsession was multilayered. There was the obvious stalker element, but there was also obsession between friends, obsession through and with social media, and self obsession. There were enough questionable characters that I really had no idea who the stalker was until the very end. I’m glad I read this one, but didn’t completely love it. Would recommend if you want a mystery that’s a little different.

My favorite part of this was the setting! I live in DC and recognized the coffee shops, restaurants, Pilates studios, and art exhibits. It was fun to see my neighborhood play a role in this story.

Follow Me is a thriller, which is not my usual genre. I was attracted to the subject matter because I often think about how much people share online and wonder if it ever backfires in unfavorable ways. I found it difficult to engage with the characters, but I am not sure if that was due to the suspense element and the nature of our lives during the corona virus scare. If you like a suspenseful thriller, you may enjoy this book. There were nice twists and turns and the ending was intriguing.

I really enjoyed this book - I always seem to love thrillers that revolve around social media. Parts of this book were a bit predictable in places but I thoroughly loved it nonetheless. I have seen this compared to You but although there are some similarities -you can’t be expecting it to live up to You. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

After having his heart broken by his long time love, Sabrina, he discovered Audrey online. She looks so much like Sabrina too. Now, he devours everything he can find about Audrey at all the sites she frequents.

Audrey has lived in New York City for some years and loves it. However, she longs for a job in Washington. DC at a museum where she can work at what she loves. So, when she is offered the position of Social Media Manager at the Hirshorn Museum, she hates to leave New York but is thrilled about her new job. Audrey has lots and lots of followers on social media. She is also an influencer which gains her samples to try and review. Nothing is secret because she shares literally everything online, thus gaining her huge following.

Audrey’s old college friend, Cat, works at a fast paced law firm where her hours are endless. She has a lovely two-bedroom apartment and offers for Cat move in. However, Audrey has found an apartment online. But when she soon realizes it’s a basement apartment, rather run down and owned by an old lady and her creepy, leering grandson. Determined to make the best of it, she stays.

As Audrey hooks up with some old friends, she’s out a lot of nights having drinks. She soon realizes that someone is watching her apartment and leaving her strange gifts. Who is stalking her and why?

This was a compelling story that had me guessing up to the very end about who the “bad guy” could be. I do have to say that this crazy thing where people have to document and share their every minute of every day with just anyone is pathetic. But it’s what’s “today” so there we are.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

"Follow Me" by Kathleen Barber is an easy to read, well written psychological thriller. The book started off super strong and I liked how relevant the book was with the use of social media and the main character being an "influencer". Unfortunately the story starts to become similar to the one from “You” and the ending is too predictable.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Social Media is not going away - and this story is a frightening tale of why we need to make sure we all know how to protect ourselves while "out there living our best life"...

As the mother of a 20 year old daughter, I'm thankful she has private social media accounts and is very selective of what she posts but things can still happen. This tale of twists, turns and mentally delusional people was terrifying to read - but I just couldn't put it down.

Similar to "You", but better....

5 Creepy stalker stars!
The blurb from the publisher "a cautionary tale of oversharing in the social media age... everyone wants new followers... until they follow you home" caught my attention immediately and I couldn't wait to read this book. Actually I couldn't put this book down... I found the story to be original and captivating. So well written! Twisty and suspenseful. Characters you liked and others who were down right evil. This one had me guessing who was the stalker right up until it was revealed. This was a true thriller for me. It was disturbing and indeed a cautionary tale to those who put everything about themselves on social media.
I could definitely see this book being made into a movie. I read the kindle book and purchased the audible version, so when I couldn't read, I could listen. Great narrators! I highly recommend this book or the audible version to anyone who enjoys a suspenseful thriller.
A very special thank you to Gallery Books via NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest un-biased review.

*we received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own and do not reflect that views of the author or publisher.

Quick Take: Audrey lives her life on social media. She live streams about her new dream job, her sketchy new apartment in DC (that she describes as “cute” and “quaint”) and an old friend which circumstance has brought back into her life. But unbeknownst to Audrey, her new move to DC has brought her within dangerous proximity to someone who has followed Audrey since her first blog post, someone who is determined to show her that they are meant for each other- even if she doesn’t know he exists yet.

What I Loved: As someone who is very active on social media (thank you Bookstagram!) this book was terrifying. At the very beginning of the novel, Barber talks about the rabbit hole she went down on Reddit which inspired the novel in the first place. It definitely felt like Stephen King’s Misery in the age of technology. It also held similarities to You with some added technological flair that makes you want to cover up your webcam with a piece of tape and delete all your social media.

What I Didn’t Love: Like the previous books, there were a lot of POVs to grapple with and a lot of things that were unexplained until the last few chapters. While I know that much of this was done to build suspense I think at times the plot became muddled by my preoccupation with trying to understand who was who and how they were connected to each other. However, this did not detract too much from the story and the message of a mindful social media presence that the author was working to convey.

Wow what a creepy book. This is a quick modern cyber stalker and physical stalker book. The story grabs you right away and keeps you guessing until the end. It gives a quick insight to the dark side of the interwebs, and will make you cover webcam, and lock down all of your social media profiles.

I encourage you to follow Audrey in her move from NYC to DC. As she meets new friends, and re-aquaints herself with old friends, you will have to decide who is an actual friend and who is a foe. She's a bit naive which drove me mad, but the book has enough turns to keep my interest. Absolutely solid read at four stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for this unbiased review.

This was a fun, cautionary tale about the dangers of oversharing on social media. The book was fast paced, with plenty of people to suspect of stalking Audrey, an aspiring museum curator who spends her off hours curating her life instead. From artfully placed lighting in an otherwise disheveled basement apartment, to glimpses into her dating life, Audrey has set the perfect stage for anyone to find, stalk, and scare her out of her mind. Which is where we come to the only sticking point in the story - Audrey insists on staying at her apartment even though she has other options. Despite the need for suspension of disbelief, I really enjoyed Follow Me and it gets the full 5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery, Pocket Books for an advanced reader's copy.

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/review/R18LRN366NM0GP/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

An interesting view of the life of a social media influencer. While a good premise, the plot was a little far-fetched and none of the characters were likable.

I received an advance copy, all thoughts are my own.

Thanks @gallerybooks for my gifted copy!⁣ ⁣⁣⁣
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Okay, seriously! Give me all the stalker stories right now! I am obsessed with this book almost as much as “Him” is obsessed with Audrey!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣
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Audrey Miller is an Instagram influencer with over 1 million followers and she loves for them to see the intimate details of her life. What she doesn’t realize is there is some creepy guy that is literally obsessed with her in Washington D.C. and she is about to make the move from NYC to his city. Let the creepiness commence! ⁣⁣
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We are introduced to Audrey, her best friend Cat, and “Him” in rotating chapters. The chapters narrated by “Him” were so incredibly disturbing. It continues to amaze me that I can feel so uncomfortable and disturbed just by reading words on a page. There were multiple moments that I got goosebumps from this guy! He made my skin crawl throughout the whole book!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣
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Some parts reminded me a little bit of a horror movie where the main character does everything wrong and inside you are screaming at them like WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!!? Audrey wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box and as weird things were happening to her she probably should have taken more action, but then the book probably wouldn’t have been as entertaining. It’s one of those things you have to accept when reading a thriller right? Not everything is going to make 100% sense all the time but I embrace it because it is fiction after all. ⁣ ⁣⁣⁣
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I LOVE SHORT CHAPTERS. It really sets the pace of the story for me and helps me keep the momentum going. Kathleen Barber tells an engrossing, creepy, addictive story that I couldn’t put down. In a social media-obsessed world, it’s a bit frightening to think how easy it is for people to infiltrate our lives if they really wanted to. I know I have a sticker covering the camera on my laptop, because hey, ya never know what gross creeper out in cyberland might be watching your every move.⁣⁣⁣
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Fun, unpredictable twists. Suspenseful, entertaining plot. Look no further, have no fear! Get your stalker fix here!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

Having not read this author before this was a nice discovery. Audrey drew my curiosity out when I came across this one. It is so true that some can get us to see what is up in there posts. This has you following it too the story as it unravels with how it came about. When things begin to change in temp as you read this you are slowly in the web also. You become anxious as the character does. Oh that job so interesting too. She is not the only in this though with two others who will vie for the readers attention. This is one that will keep you until the answers come to light.

Sinister And Exciting!

Audrey Miller yearns to be an it girl on social media. She has hundreds of thousands followers and the numbers keep growing to her satisfaction. Audrey documents almost every waking moment on the internet naively unaware that she could be attracting some nefarious followers. As she continues her popularity in social media, Audrey makes a major move to Washington D.C. From New York for the job of her dreams where she reconnects with her old friend and college roommate (now an attorney) Cat, and her ex-boyfriend Nick who she still has unresolved feelings for. Unfortunately for Audrey, she chose her new apartment sight unseen off the internet so she is not too happy finding herself with a basement apartment not in the best of neighborhoods. "Too late, Audrey, you have already signed the contract! Sigh!" Unbeknownst to Audrey, someone has been following (stalking) her for a long time on all her blogs and they now think it is fate that she has moved to their fair city and meant to finally be together and they will do anything and everything to make sure Audrey understands the true meaning of LOVE!I

Kathleen Barber has really captured the nuance and allure of social media for anyone to understand if they weren't too saavy about how it works for certain people to gain popularity with followers. This book is truly a story that is fun and current while keeping a sinister tone throughout. The writing is tantalizing and fluid so it is easy to keep on tract with all the characters as their history. I found this story deliciously seductive and now want to read more books that are similar to this storyline.

The character of Audrey Miller is a driven and charming, self-centered beauty, outwardly egotistical but with many insecurities in her real self but she can be whoever she wants to be under the disguise of her social media persona and the writer brings the reader on a wild and dangerous adventure following Audrey's exciting and very scary way of living step by step into a an unfathomable and unforgettable finale!

Don't Miss Reading This Book!

I want to thank the author "Kathleen Barber", the publisher "Gallery, Pocket Books" and Netgalley for providing the opportunity to read "Follow Me" and all opinions expressed are unbiased and my own in this review.

I highly, highly recommend this book and have given a rating of 5 Sinister 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

Audrey Miller lives her life on social media. She is an influencer who plays out even the most mundane tasks on her instagram account. Sound familiar? It is more common in today’s media-driven world than ever before. With the constant online presence comes the danger of attracting the wrong type of fan. Enter HIM, who is obsessed with every move Audrey makes. He is clearly someone who has access to her, but who? My thoughts on the identity of Audrey’s stalker changed so often that I had no idea how it would end. Relevant to today’s culture, this is a truly creepy (in a good way) must-read!

“Follow Me” by Kathleen Barber reveals the potential dangers of social media. Everyone wants new followers… until they follow you home.
Barber tells this chilling story from alternating points of view, and chapters are identified by speaker for readers. The characters share feelings, plans, and backstories to show how they each got to where they are now in the story. People know there are liars on the internet, and readers are left to sort the truth from the lies, and observe as the magnitude of some lies threaten to alter lives or even end lives.
Audrey Miller posts her entire life on Instagram where she has a million-plus follower, and that activity enabled her to get her dream job as the Social Media Manager for Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC. Her life revolves around generating new content for her followers. Her best friend is Cat Harrell, a successful Virginia lawyer, and the two are renewing their friendship after Audrey’s move to DC. AND, readers read about “him.” He follows Audrey’s every move on social media, every single move, obsessively.
The story progresses in a casual manner with activities, social media posts, and work demands. Readers know from the start that someone is watching, and follow along as “He” carefully watches, as Audrey celebrates every detail of her new job, and as Cat recommends caution. Tension builds slowly as readers start a roller coaster ride that seems calm but wary at the start, but with every new incident, turns into a thrill ride with twists, turns, and death-defying drops.
“Follow Me” is an example of the dark side of the internet. Be careful on social media because everyone lies, although I am not lying about loving this book. I received a review copy of “Follow Me” from Kathleen Barber, Pocket Books, and Gallery Books.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Follow Me by Kathleen Barber.

Audrey is an Instagram influencer with tons of followers, and a seemingly perfect life. She works hard to make it look like she doesn't work hard, and enjoys the attention and admiration of the people who follow her. But shortly after a move for a new job, things don't seem quite right to Audrey. When she comes home she finds her things have been moved around. The lock on her door isn't secure and she's getting way too much attention from her landlady's grandson. Could this be a fatal consequence of living such a public life.

First off, I kind of love social media literature because it feels so modern and it is still relatively quite new. However, while this definitely had that angle, I felt like it could have been retitled How to Have a Dysfunctional Relationship with Every Person in Your Life Including Yourself by Setting Zero Boundaries and Being Low Key Terrible. I know that characters don't need to be likable in order for the book to be good, but where is the line?

This one was definitely interesting, especially with how social media can work and all that. I'm going to give it 3 stars, only because while I really did enjoy it, it wasn't a book that had me thinking after I'd finished it. Solid 3 stars.

3/5 Stars

As if my anxieties about social media weren't heightened enough, here comes Kathleen Barber's Follow Me to tug on my nerves even more! I'll be Amazon Prime-ing myself a webcam cover now, thank you very much.

Truth be told (and I never hold back), I wasn't expecting much of this book when I requested it for review. Social media stars and stalkers, sounds interesting but sort of played out at this point. However, this book is actually well done, with its multiple perspectives keeping you on your toes at all times. Barber is skilled at planting clues that are obvious only in hindsight. Looking back, I'm not sure how I didn't know who "Him" was, but that's the draw of this book. While a lot of mystery fiction tries to mislead you by portraying the person who did it as innocent, here the author populates the narrative with several viable suspects, trying to convince you that any one of them is the likely culprit. At each moment, you're convinced 'oh, it must be _______', but that person keeps changing. So, in the end, you'll likely find you've guessed it at some point, but you likely didn't know for sure until it's revealed.

The end, for me, was where this book lost me as it really goes over the top. Can I suspend my disbelief over the whole 'neighbor breaks and enters on the regular, but the protagonist overlooks it' plot line? That was trying, but I went along with it. But once the 'Him' is revealed, there's another 'twist' that jumped the shark. This is all the more frustrating given that it's unnecessary. The book was strong enough to stand without that last point, but it seems like the writer and editor(s) didn't quite know when to quit.

Overall, Follow Me is a strong entry in a dense space, with its timely subject matter, effective but not preachy message, and great pacing.