First off I want to thank @netgalley, @crookedlanebooks & @charlotteduckworth for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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This was in fact a very addictive, intriguing and fast read for me. I wanted to know what happened, but I feel it fell flat for me.
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I wasn't a whole fan of the plot, it was an interesting idea and something that our society is currently dealing with. I just felt like the plot was simple, with no deepness to it. It went one way and one way only. It was easy to see who was doing what there wasn't the effect of surprise. I really wanted to love it more and was expecting that ending to shock me, but it just ended on an okay note. It was a well written book, that actually kept my interest even if there wasn't anything spectacular happening I was still hooked to the drama. The characters were good but for me they weren't relatable. I didn't care for them truly.
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It was an enjoyable read since it kept my attention from beginning to end, but there was something missing for me to make it a hit. If you enjoy fast paced reads then you'll definitely enjoy this one.

I have no idea how long social media and the idea of influencers will last (forever? for a few more years?) but the idea of reading a thriller based on influencers was intriguing. Now, I really hated the ending of Hello Sunshine, another book based on social media stars, but I was cautiously optimistic about Unfollow Me since it was a different genre.

In Unfollow Me, a social media star named Violet disappears. Her accounts are all gone and no one knows what happened, despite the fact that she lived her life on the internet. The story follows two women, a fan named Lily and a hater named Yvonne, as they navigate life after Violet. In between chapters, we have excerpts from forums and emails – they provide an additional take on Violet and for the emails, add to the mystery.

This was pretty enjoyable. I really liked the characters involved, although I probably don’t want to be friends with them. Lily was an obsessed fan and it’s interesting to see how far she pushed the boundaries while rationalising her actions. On the other hand, Yvonne didn’t like Violet for personal reasons and it’s equally fascinating to see how the hate had a hold on her. I thought that having both of them as the duotagonists helped to show the many ways we related to influencers – they aren’t quite stars but they aren’t our friends either.

Of course, there was a twist here. I’d say that I anticipated about half of it but I got the other half totally wrong. I’m not going to spoil it but I thought the twist tied in well with the characters and the story and helped to further explore the idea of fans and their relationships with an influencer.

The only thing I wish the book spent more time on was Violet. For someone whose disappearance starts the book, she’s surprisingly absent. We hear her voice for only one chapter, and that one chapter had me wanting more. I understand why she was absent – without her voice Violet functions as an unknowable, unattainable figure for the novel – but I think it might have been interesting to have her POV as a contrast to Lily and Yvonne. A bit of appearance vs reality.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. It’s not really about the life of a social media influencer, instead, it looks at the followers of an influencer and the different relationships that they have with her. I think it explores the current age of the influencer and the issues surrounding it pretty well and I’d recommend people interested in reading it to try and get a copy soonish. After all, you never know when the social media scene will change again.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this from NetGalley, but all opinions are mine.

Unfollow me sadly didn’t grab me, it is based around a mummy you tube vlogger who spends her days telling the world how awesome her family is and how perfect her life is to her legions of fans, but when one morning everything is gone and no one knows what has happened to her the speculation starts to fly, but I found I just couldn’t engage or even care about any of the characters and even though I finished it, I’m still not sure what it was all about. Maybe I’m not the target audience as I don’t follow instagram & you tube stars, but this one wasn’t for me.

I've developed an interest in social media stalking novels lately, so I was excited to read this one.
It was okay. Not good, but not bad. The plot moved forward fast and there was some twists involving the secrets of the characters. Overall, though, I didn't feel like it was really a thriller as much as a character study.

Obsession. Desperation. Deceit.
These are the qualities possessed by all the major characters in this novel. Nobody or nothing is as it seems, which mirrors the reality of social media influencers. That being said, none of the main characters (Lily, Yvonne, Violet, and Henry) were particularly likable and were all fairly superficial, which made it hard for me to get invested in their stories. Throughout the novel there didn't appear to be any personal growth from any of the characters. By the end, they were essentially the same people, unchanged by their experiences.
Additionally, there was incompleteness to the ending that I found unsatisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So well written I got caught up from the first pages.A story with so many twists and turns I had to keep guessing as I read getting more and more involved in the story.#netgalley#crookedlanebooks,

This was a binge-worthy twister! Duckworth gives us an in depth look into the life of a social media influencer and the unhealthy obsession of her fans. I could not put this book down, needing to find out what had happened to Violet, much like her uber fans. There were so many curves and just when I thought I had it figured out? Not at all. Brilliant! I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

I loved this one. I think the story was very well written. I loved the complex storyline and the writing style. This story is very relevant in today's social media obsession. I loved Violet and Instagram stories and videos. You could actually see her entire life through there and it is quite scary if you think about it. Lily and Yvonne both obsessed with Violet and following her constantly. I was so taken and blown away by this story and read it in one sitting.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoy's a good engaging mystery.

Violet Young is a blogger, who updates daily on her ‘perfect’ life with her fabulous husband, wonderful children and amazing house. Then, one day, she stops and disappears from social media.
The story develops with the characters involved in following Violet and all are strange, quite creepy individuals that are a cautionary tale about posting too much information online.
So begins a search for Violet and the mysterious disappearance.
Overall it’s a 3* ‘good read’ that maintains interest and is edgy in parts.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for my honest review.

We have all had those moments when you were on social media and someone posted about something totally inappropriate or cruel. When flipping through posts or following a blog, many people believe everything that is online. Unfollow Me sets exactly that story line while giving us what seems to be an inside look at a young mother's life. Everything seems fine and then suddenly it isn't. What happened? Who can you ask? There is no contact available and what would you say if there was? Charlotte Duckworth has taken a story set in today's media focus'd news and added a mystery that could very well happen. Believable characters, even the obnoxious ones, and fast paced chapters made this a great story and an excellent read.

Charlotte Duckworth is a new to me author that I think I may have discovered over on the ‘Gram. Ironic, since this is a story about an influencer. Thanks to technology, long gone are the days when you had to know how to do something in order to get a job. Nope. Nowadays anyone can get a paycheck and be internet famous if they try hard enough. Violet is living proof. Her handsome husband, beautiful home and charming children have propelled her to the top of the heap when it comes to Mommy Vloggers. Lily and Yvonne don’t know each other at all, but are both faithful followers. When Violet’s social media presence goes dark, well . . . . .

I mean, who would just leave the internet? Something terrible must have happened, right?

Okay, so I seriously dug this book – mostly due to my morbid fascination with people’s relationships to social media. I will be the first to admit I just don’t get it. I think this is one time where my age truly shows. Obviously I have some social media, since I’m posting here. I also have a Bookstagram. But I don’t have Facebook, Twatter, Snapchat, etc. and I only post about books. I don’t post every meal I eat or my workout regimen (ha! work out. that’s funny), and I certainly don’t post my children’s images on my public pages because they didn’t sign up to be a part of my account and I never want strangers trolling them like they have trolled me. I don’t feel obligated to spend “X” hours or have “X” friends/followers or any of the like. In fact, I’m pretty likely to unfollow/defriend/block people who complain about how the internet is so demanding of their time, how they should get paid in more than free books (seriously??? free books is liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiife), or how they are so speshul, but the “algorithm” is oppressing them. #barf. I will also admit I followed a handful of “Mommy” accounts on Instagram back when I originally joined because they focused on home décor and it was Christmastime which is errrrrrrrythang to me. However, I only continue to follow one because one irritated me with her constant posts of an insufferable child who was not cute whatsoever (I’ll take my Mother of the Year Award whenever it’s ready) when I signed up to see what bargains she could find at Target, Hobby Lobby, etc., another posted all day every day about herself while her youngest child begged for her attention and she ignored him (she’ll take one of those awards too), and I’m getting ready to kick the remaining account to the curb due to general lack of content in lieu of what I would consider “home movie” footage (obviously that account is probably the most like Violet and feels she has to post constantly or risk losing her fanbase/paycheck). All that being said, while I don’t understand the obsession people get with strangers, I totally see it all the time so the premise of this book didn’t seem like too much of a stretch for me. Now, the big reveal was pretty farfetched, but C’MON - that’s exactly what it was supposed to be. Like the best sort of Lifetime Murders and Mysteries I could have asked for.

The only complaint???? The actual ending was great. I wish authors would quit while they’re ahead and stop with these unnecessary epilogues.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

I enjoyed this twisty book. I needed to know what happened to Violet and to Yvonne and Lily so there was no way I was DNFing this book! But it did take me longer than usual cause sometimes it was a little repetitive and to be honest a little confusing sometimes but it got there in the end and I was glad I read it.

I found the story of a missing blogger, her husband, and two of her viewers who may or may not be connected to her disappearance absolutely enthralling, but felt as though the end was rushed and not all loose ends were tied up. Very fun read though, would absolutely recommend!

I wanted to give this book 5 stars but the ending was so disappointing!!! I read this book anticipating the turn of every page only to be completely disappointed that I wasted my time reading this for a lame ending!!!

I really enjoyed this book and the plot kept getting stronger with each page I read.
The book shows the dark side of societies reliance on social media and the negative impact it can have on families.
It’s a fresh, modern plot with some fantastic writing. I’ll definitely be looking out for more of this authors books in future.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for the ARC.

Another novel that hit on today's dependence on Social Media! Violet Young is a vlogger and shares a lot of her life, then suddenly she goes dark. She has fans but with fame come haters, so when she suddenly goes dark, rumors automatically start. Was it a crazy fan or was it her husband.

Lily is Violet's number one fan. She lost her husband and has a toddler. She is obessed with Violet as she feels that Violet is the only one who "gets" her.

Then we have Yvonne who has a younger husband who suffers from male infertility. Yvonne enjoys Violet's vlog "Violent is Blue" and she also frequents other websites. But she also seems a little crazy as well. I really liked how the book was written from Lily, Yvonne and Violets sleezy husband. The book is a super quick read as you keep wanting more!

It's the age of social media influencers and instagramming everything from what you had to breakfast to how blue the sky is or whatever...For Violet, videoblogging her life as a young mom of three has become a way of life. She has thousands and thousands of followers. Some love her, some hate her, but one person has it out for her....When one day, Violet disappears from the public eye and deletes all her social media accounts, it is clear that something major has happened...

I love reading books with a social media twist, and this book gets major points on that score. You may think the trolls you meet on Facebook and Twitter are harmless, but you don't actually know them while they know all about you. Super scary!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

3.5 ⭐️

I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and also highly enjoyed reading the parts of Henry and Yvonne. I do wish that the story followed more on the two of them and less on Lily though.
I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been reading so many thrillers lately, but this one just didn’t completely do it for me. I think that because this was categorized as a “thriller” that was what I was expecting.
It did have a very intriguing premise though, I’m a huge fan of YouTube. I do also watch some “mommy vloggers” which could have been one of the major reasons as to why a story like this enticed me.
I do however think that someone new to mysteries may enjoy this a lot.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy for an exchange of an honest review.
This title is set to be released on March 10,2020.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* This book looks at the rise of the social media 'influencer' and the false world they can create. The novel focusses on Yummy Mummy vlogger, Violet Young who shares the lives of her perfect family with the whole world. She is followed by many fans online who cannot get enough of her. So what happens when she suddenly stops posting? How do her multitude of fans cope with being cut off cold turkey from their Violet fix? The book is told from a number of perspectives and makes for a compelling and timely read. If we don't post it on social media, did it really happen?

Publisher’s description: You can't stop watching her.

Violet Young is a hugely popular journalist-turned-mummy-influencer, with three children, a successful husband and a million subscribers on YouTube who tune in daily to watch her everyday life unfold.

Until the day she's no longer there.

But one day she disappears from the online world - her entire social media presence deleted overnight, with no explanation. Has she simply decided that baring her life to all online is no longer a good idea, or has something more sinister happened to Violet?

But do you really know who Violet is?

Her fans are obsessed with finding out the truth, but their search quickly reveals a web of lies, betrayal, and shocking consequences...

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“Unfollow Me” by Charlotte Duckworth is a great thriller that preys heavily on the current obsession with social media, Internet influencers and their trolls, and YouTube celebrity.

Violet is a “mommy vlogger” with a huge following for her YouTube channel born out of her own battle with postpartum depression. Her videos document her life as well as those of her husband Henry and their three daughters.

I enjoyed the pace of this book, told primarily from the perspectives of Lily and Yvonne, two of Violet’s most diehard (obsessed) fans. There are a handful of chapters thrown in from Henry’s POV as well as a couple from Violet herself. It was a little confusing in some parts, and none of the characters are likable, but in this situation, that works.

Not wanting to give anything away (there is a lot to uncover here), I knocked it down a star because I expected Violet’s disappearance from social media to have a more sinister reason behind it, and I think the other character story lines wrapped up a little too neatly. All in all, though, a great read worth picking up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This title will be available on March 10, 2020.

Absolutely brilliant. A fresh take on the internet, stalking and obsession. I think everyone will recognise something in this.
Seriously so pleased I’ve bought copies for my mum and daughter and ordered other books.
Love it when I find a great new author!
5/5 on goodreads