Cover Image: Do You Follow?

Do You Follow?

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Member Reviews

I absolutely hate to write a negative review because I loved a lot of parts of this book, but it really didn't hit the mark for me. I loved the clever premise. The writing was straightforward and easy to follow, with little bits of gorgeous prose sewn in as a nice surprise. But a lot of it felt forced. There is a secret plot point alluded to for 2/3 of the book — so often it felt obvious and a little on the nose. I know I figured it out before the big reveal, and when it happened, all the fun was sucked out of it because of how often the author danced around it. It just didn't feel satisfying. I had some other qualms with the book, major plot points that didn't make sense to me, like with the criminal justice system and the father. It was just disappointing. But JC Bidonde clearly has a great career as a thriller author ahead of her. Bright ideas I would love to see better edited together.

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A fantastic novel that will have you guessing right to the end. Superb! The bond between these two sisters is unbreakable.

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A very modern day story with a huge focus on social media and the issues that it can cause on the rise to the top!
Alexa has been through a lot but is determined to make the most of her young adulthood on her own! With a new marketing job and apartment in NYC, what could be more exciting. She is really acclimating well into her new job and has even started dating! All seems great until her twin sister Beth shows up out of the blue after her latest stint at psychiatric facility! Beth is very suspicious of the new boyfriend Kurt and definitely thinks there is more to him. Kurt is willing to do anything to make it big as a youtuber influencer. The sisters have a dark secret that will change everything and flip everyone’s world upside down!
With so much emphasis on social media and what is going on today, it really was a book for
the modern times! It also wasn’t overflowing with a ton of characters which made it easier to follow the story!
Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

the

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This book had me page turning from the start. The Alexa and Beth duo were scary. The author did a great job of concealing the plot throughout the first 70%. The mental defects are plentiful. The backstory is distributed in both alternating chapters of Alexa/Beth. Their father only wants to help and support his daughter/s. The girls lost their mother to an apparent suicide when they were young, I think like 9 so that is another scar left to heal. Dr Greer is the same, only wanting to help through treatments at his office and a facility. While reading his parts, it seems like there is nothing groundbreaking going on in treatment until... I can't say more, but it was good.

Basically the twins are one good-Alexa and one bad-Beth. Pretty good concept.

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Alexa and Beth are twins who share a secret. Both Alexa and Beth have spent time in mental hospitals , but Alexa is trying to move on with her life. Alexa just received an internship at her dream job and is ready to move into the city and live on her own. Alexa’s dad is concerned with her moving, but wants to trust that she is mentally ready. On her first day in the city, Alexa opens her door to find Beth on her doorstep. Frustrated, but with a feeling of obligation Alexa allows Beth to move in to her apartment. Alexa meets Curt a client at her company. Curt quickly shows interest in Alexa and they develop a relationship, to Beth’s disdain. As Curt and Alexa grow closer, Beth begins to worry that Curt will learn their secret. Beth is determined to do whatever it takes to make sure the twins secret is not exposed, even if it means someone gets hurt.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this thriller! I loved the impact social media had on it. I could not figure out who was bad. I didn't want to put it down! Definitely recommend for thriller lovers.

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I wanted to really enjoy this book. I tried a few times to get into the story but it just didn’t work. I guessed what was going to happen before it happened. I couldn’t connect with the characters.

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A quick and enjoyable read. While you can figure some things out as the book unfolds, I was surprised by the “incident” and the ending. A psychological thriller with twists and turns that touches on the real need for better management of those with mental health issues.

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3.5 stars - Can't quite go to a 4 with this one. While I enjoyed it, and I was taken by surprise with a few of the reveals, it was clear what was going on from the beginning to me. I think that takes some of the fun out, because you can see yourself being led to a particular conclusion. I also think some of the things that were going on needed to be more fully hashed out. I don't often say a book should have been longer, but I think this may have benefitted from having a bit more detail. I felt like I was just kind of dumped in a situation without understanding the backstory.

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Thank you to the publisher for the copy of this book. I won't lie, I found this book to be very disappointing. I would have DNFed if it weren't for the fact that it was an ARC. I guessed all major twists in the same scene where related characters were introduced--there was nothing to be surprised about. In addition, I found the "reveal" being a mental illness to be trite and not done well at all. Usually, I love both psychological thrillers and unreliable narrators but this one was not for me.

I will say this: the writing was very atmospheric which I appreciated.

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Alexa just wants to live a normal life on her own, away from her overprotective father. Excited about her new social media job, she moves to the city to experience life on her own. Before she can unpack her mentally ill sister shows up on her doorstep looking for a place to stay. Alexa doesn't want a roommate, but Beth is her sister and why does their father keep asking if Alexa is talking to Beth.
Beth has suddenly been released from the mental hospital that she's been forced to live at after the traumatic death of her and Alexa's mother. She just wants to be with Beth and be a close part of her twins life. Now Beth finally sees an opportunity to have the close relationship that she has always wanted to have with her twin; until Alexa suddenly has a boyfriend. Can Beth convince Alexa that something is off with her man or will tragedy continue to tear the sisters apart?
I really wanted to love this book. The story sounded amazing and I was really looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately it just did not work for me. I did not like the characters. The writing is split between each sisters perspective and I felt that the changes in perspective left BIG story-line holes that gave away the plot.

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WOW! Suspenseful, thrilling, engaging and more! Just when you think you have it figured out - you don't!! Interesting story dynamic of twins and mental health topics. Thank you to Greenleaf Book Group and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I received a free copy from NetGalley. Twin sisters that shouldn't be together anymore. But now one is out on her own, finally, and she's lying to everyone that she left her sister move in with her. Plus there is a new boyfriend that you are not sure you should trust. I wasn't really rooting for any of the characters and I'm worried that this doesn't really help mental help treatment that is desperately needed by so many right now.

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3.5 ~ this was a pretty good read. i was honestly shocked at the twists and they came at such a great moment in the book. things were starting to feel repetitive and like no progress was being made and then BAM. from there, the story moves and progresses a lot, which i appreciated. a lot of times authors get stuck on the wow moment and it ends up ruining the shock and awe. i enjoyed this. short, easy to read psychological thriller.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Alexa is excited to begin her new life in NYC. Though her father and therapist are concerned, she is ready to take on a new city, a new job, and most notably, a new boyfriend. there's only one wrinkle...her estranged identical twin has come back into her life and threatens to upend everything she's worked for.

While this book was a quick read, I will say I saw the twists coming from a mile away. I had it figured out in the first few pages. I won't include spoilers but I will say that I felt a little deflated by how easily I discerned what was going to happen in this book.

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This reading experience was like a roller coaster ride. I enjoyed the book, lots of twists and turns, which you want in a thriller. The two main characters are twins, Alexa and Beth, total opposite personalities. We read through their two pov’s. Alexa has a boyfriend, Curt, her sister doesn’t like him.
Mental Illness ad social media is focused on in this book. The ending is big! It was a good read, especially for the author’s first book, excited to see what she goes next.

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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Do You Follow? by J.C. Bidonde is a psychological thriller about twins who are very different from each other. The story revolves around Alexa, who is living in an apartment in New York City and working as a marketer. One day, her long-lost twin Beth shows up out of the blue. What does Beth want? Can Alexa trust her? How will the two sisters resolve their differences?

Here is a gripping excerpt from Chapter 1:

"I've always liked true crime television, but my experience today may change that. I understand they need to corral the alleged criminals, but what about those of us who are innocent? Shouldn't we get a fabric chair or something? Instead, I've been sitting in this cold, dingy interrogation room for hours. The office with the ratty blinds is starting to seem downright appealing. HIndsight and all that, I suppose.
One thing, though: This room doesn't have a two-way mirror - the kind that the lead detective always stands hidden behind, with a look of equal parts frustration and determination as he studies the tight-lipped criminal.
It's probably for the best that there is no mirror. I'm afraid of who I'd see in one."

Overall, Do You Follow? is a chilling psychological thriller that will appeal to fans of thrillers about twins, like Mirrorland or The Girl in the Mirror. One highlight of this book is that it's about twins. I think that twins are a very cool concept in books, especially in thrillers, and open up a lot of possibilities. Mirrorland is one of my all-time favorite thrillers. Unfortunately, I took off 3 stars, because I guessed the main twist coming from early on, and nothing else in the plot is really that memorable. If you're intrigued by the excerpt, you can check out this book, which is available now.

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As someone who came up during the golden era of the internet and YouTube, I’m fascinated by the novels now incorporating this in their story. I’ve stepped back from thrillers and this was a good one to dip my toes back in the genre again. Didn’t see the twist coming and overall that’s a sign of a great thriller.

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Twin sisters Beth and Alexa have a complicated past. When they end up living together in NYC and Alexa gets a boyfriend, things get even tenser between them.

The author made a lot of illusions to the pandemic, which were unnecessary and some of them that didn’t end up being true but what the author assumed would be true by the release date. I thought the plot would have been smoother without these references.

Neither main character was very likeable. I wasn’t rooting for either of them. The narrator switches between the two, but they don’t have distinct voices so it’s sometimes hard to tell who is who.

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This was an interesting read with the twin sisters, Alexa and Beth. As the book unfolds we learn the sordid life of the two sisters. Their mother is dead and their father tries as best he can to provide stability for Alexa. Beth and he are not close. Alexa gets a job away from home, an apartment and a boyfriend. Both the girls have had mental health issues. Once the groundwork is laid this book takes off in a wide range of paths and each page contains more of the unraveling and clues to the past.

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