Lucas was the least likeable narrator. He was so full of himself and while there were moments where I pitied him, his lack of love and respect for Michelle was so abhorrent. Read this book with a grain of salt because the pay off takes forever.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC for an honest review. Really enjoyed this one and I know the setting, characters, and plot will be popular amongst my high school mystery readers.

I liked Never Coming Home way more than I expected. I wasn't sure about the setup and I expected the influencers to be two dimensional characters with no depth. I'm happy to be so wrong. I felt the story and the large cast of characters was authentic. I could completely picture a murder mystery happening at a Fyre Festival like setting. Never Coming Home had its scary moments and kept me guessing. I didn't love the ending, otherwise would've been five stars for me.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Almost too many characters to start with. Good thing that doesn't last long.

Date made up. I feel behind on reviews.

This was my first “influencers go to an island for some sort of preview, end up in some real hot water” YA horror novel. To be honest, I stan! There are similar books like this one available or upcoming that you may want to check out if you enjoyed this one.

Told through revolving POVs, Never Coming Home follows a group of influencers invited to an island paradise that turns out to be anything but. The rooms they have are sorely lacking the advertised amenities. Buildings are far from finished. There are zero staff staying for the weekend, meaning they must rely on themselves for everything. At one point, one of our influencers sees a very deadly sea snake in the pool.

Right away after breakfast one of our influencers ends up dead in a way that was clearly deliberately targeted toward that person. The group can’t figure out at first if it this is just a fluke or maybe revenge for something that person may have done, but they soon find out that it is because all of them have secrets. Everyone has done something cause the death of another person in some way, whether deliberate or not.

Soon, the members of the group begin dying in a myriad of very specific ways and there is no way to contact anyone outside. It doesn’t help that the locals avoid that island like the plague.

Will they be able to uncover the killer before they all die at their hands? Or will the unfinished hotel buildings in this false paradise become their tomb?

The ending of this book is very surprising. I had my suspicions throughout, but there are some twists and turns that would make a rollercoaster junkie a little nauseous. If you’re up for some darkness in paradise, I highly recommend adding this to your TBR.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random house for the advanced ebook in exchange for this review.

Never Coming Home is a fun, twisty YA retelling of And Then There Were None. I had a good time listening to this audiobook. I did have trouble telling the characters apart. This could be partially a me problem and partially a listening problem. I didn't really know who each character was but I didn't really care.

Are you a fan of games, social media, and murder? This one is for you. A mysterious island resort, but you cannot make a reservation here. All the guests are picked, because of their social media influencer presence. Quickly, the guests realize not all is what it seems. This face paced read will have you on the edge of your seat.

I started this book back in May and was hooked in the beginning (see my IG post) put it down because it was getting really far fetched. I picked it back up again several times and finally was able to finish it in December. Let me see if I can explain why.

An unidentified entity/person is contacting social media influencers to come to an all expense paid unknown island of luxury. Great! But what parent in their right mind would send their teenager across the world to parts unknown without knowing any details. Nope! Not going to happen! So right away kind of unbelievable. The hype across social media about this is so extensive with so many followers, how can one youngster do this without their parents knowing or permission? Again, not going to happen. Anyway -- then we get to the island and it is not plush or luxurious at all, in fact, it is not even completed! And almost immediately they start getting picked off one by one and are watching the social media posts on a central screen, since they have no cell service, about each person who had just died.

I did enjoy the thrill of it all, how you didn't know who was doing it and/or why. And you know I love me a good thriller. But overall it just didn't get there for me. Really really out there and unbelievable. However, you may not agree with me and I do encourage you to give it a whirl and see for yourself. If you do read it, please let me know what you think!

3.5 stars

This is an interesting YA take on And Then There Were None.

Unknown Island has positioned itself to be the next big thing. A splashy resort in a remote location, completely free--but accessible by invitation only to select people under the age of 21. No one knows who is behind the resort, but everyone who is anyone wants to be included. For the soft opening, Unknown Island has invited ten young people with significant social media followings. As they arrive on the island, nothing is as it seemed before they arrived. It's not well stocked, there's no staff, and conditions are very rustic, they have no phone service or internet. We discover why these specific people are there. Then one person dies. Then another. Cryptic photos are posted online via the only connection to the outside world. Can they get off the island alive?

I liked the journey, although as is usually my quibble with this type of book, there are just too many characters for me to get invested in them to care about whether they live or die. I was curious as to who was behind everything, and we do get adequate closure in the end. However it feels like a rush to pick off the characters, which sometimes felt like a checklist rather than a plot point because we didn't really get to know them very well.

Other than that, I did like the wrap up and the explanation for why things happened, both in their manner and the motives behind them. It made sense to me, and in a horror novel, this is a great feat. And make no mistake, this is definitely a horror novel. The manner in which each person dies are varied and quite gruesome. The reason why they were invited is revealed slowly, and we understand that most of these people are not so nice.

Overall, this is an intriguing deserted island YA horror novel that will keep you guessing until the end and should change the way you think about social media and what you post.

I am so obsessed with this teen influencer take on and then there were none. Just so fun cool and creative.

Great book and enjoyed the characters . loved the slight romance and the how well the group worked together. Overall a great book . I would read this author again.

Ten social media influencers find themselves on a remote desert island, lured by false promises of a dream vacation. When the influencers start dying one at a time, they realize that someone is out for murder. Author Kate M. Williams gives a modern twist to Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None but doesn’t offer compelling characters or much of a plot in the dismal book Never Coming Home.

Everyone in the world has heard about the amazing offer. An anonymous person or maybe an organization has set up Unknown Island, a remote destination in the middle of the ocean, for luxury vacations. To launch the resort and all of its fabulous amenities, ten invitations have gone out to social media influencers. Not all of them are well-known, but they’re all rising stars and all under the age of 21.

They also fit in separate, distinct niches: a beauty blogger; a young prodigy chef; a rising political star; an environmentalist; and more. All of the participants have two things in common: social media made them who they are, and they’re all responsible, in some way, for someone’s death. They don’t discover the last fact until they’ve all arrived on the island, however.

When the last of the ten gets to the resort, they’re dismayed to find out that the slick videos of happy people playing in the sand with a backdrop of the most luxurious amenities is nothing but a huge lie. The accommodations are barely more than shacks, there’s some food but a bizarre mix of it, and there are no employees or staff to take care of anyone. What kind of place is this?

The visitors start to find out as they receive letters detailing the fact that they’re all connected to murder in some way. Then the first one of them dies, and their annoyance at their secrets being revealed turns into fear. When the second influencer dies, that fear turns into downright terror.

As the visitors start dropping one after another, the remaining influencers try to work out who is targeting them. Other than their social media presence and their dark secrets, they have absolutely nothing in common. Who wants them dead and why?

Author Kate M. Williams tries to take the premise behind And Then There Were None and give it a 21st-century upgrade, but the translation doesn’t work. With ten influencers to keep track of and everyone getting time and space on the page to share their thoughts and feelings, readers will soon stop trying to figure out or remember who is who and what they each did wrong. This lack of connection with any one visitor to the island—and absolutely no insight into who the murderer is—might make readers impatient to get to the end just to find out who is killing everyone.

The book opens just before the first influencer reaches the island, so without much buildup or emotional attachment readers may find themselves only mildly interested in why each person is dying. The deaths of the island visitors are gruesome and come fast and furious. By the end of their first day of on the island, nearly half of the group is dead.

Readers may wonder what the point of it all is. A “twist” at the end reveals the killer’s identity, but not much is shared about the motivation. Instead of an “aha” moment, readers might experience more of a “huh?” at the end.

Those wanting something fast and easy to read that doesn’t require much reader involvement might want to check this out. Otherwise, I recommend skipping it.

A free, invite only trip to a never before seen, exclusive tropical island resort is too good to pass up for ten young influencers. Following an extensive marketing campaign, the resort has a soft opening for its first ten guests. They represent a variety of backgrounds: the gamer, the beauty blogger, the rich girl, the superstar, the junior politician, the environmentalist, the DJ, the CEO, the chef, and the athlete. But pictures can be deceiving, and Unknown Island isn’t all it was promised to be. Cut off from the rest of the world the guests come to realize the island resort is a trap instead of a treat; then things turn deadly. Each influencer keeps their secrets close, beginning to question who else is on the island with them – or if one of them is the person behind the terror. Who will suffer horribly, and who (if anyone) will make it off alive to tell the tale?

THOUGHTS: Recommended for high school libraries, hand this fast-paced thriller to fans of Gretchen McNeil, Karen McManus, and April Henry.

There were moments when this book was just okay, BUT THE ENDING. When I audibly gasped, I know it had to be better than just good. Seriously, surprised I haven't seen more hype! I guess it's technically ya? But feels a little more new adult to me which I liked. My only big critique is too many main characters, but I guess I do understand why. All in all so glad I read it! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I have been locked out of my netgalley account for a few months and was not able to see which books I had on my list, in order to properly read and review. I do apologize and am doing a 3 for neutral. Will update once I’m able to obtain a copy and read!

In Never Coming Home ten young influencers are invited to Unknown Island for a luxurious all-expense-paid vacation. They eagerly accept, hoping to increase their following and monetize their fame. However, when they arrive, all they find is a rundown hotel with few amenities, no staff and no Wi-Fi. They soon discover they were invited for reasons other than their influencer fame. Each one has caused a person's death with no consequences and someone wants revenge. As they begin dying off one by one, they struggle to decide who to trust and how to stay alive. How each influencer rose to fame and the secret they are hiding creates interest and suspense. With unexpected twists this page-turner will thrill readers until the final reveal.

I am such an Agatha Christie fan girl that when I saw this and read "and then there were none vibes" in a few reviews, I knew this would be right up my alley. Add in the addition of influencers for this new era we've found ourselves in, and you've got me hooked. I was swept away from the beginning and it was one wild ride until the end. I can definitely see this as an enjoyable spooky season read!

Ten social influencers, one remote tropical Island and one killer – will any of them survive? It all starts with an invitation from an anonymous source. What self-respecting influencer wouldn’t jump on board for an all-expenses-paid trip to Unknown Island, which is purported to be a new kind of travel. They claimed that there would be no crowds, just a few curated strangers. Unfortunately, someone else must be on the island because very bad things begin to happen soon after their arrival.

Normally all of these influencers work alone, amassing thousands and sometimes millions of followers on their social media pages. They each have a “specialty”. There is a CEO, DJ, Politician, Athlete, Chef, Rich Girl, Beauty Blogger, Environmentalist, a Superstar and lastly a Gamer. All vastly different, but each has something in common. Someone is trying to kill them.

Will they be able to band together on this sham of a vacation to survive? Each one of them has a secret. Each secret would be the end of their social media followers if found out, and someone is sending messages to the group exposing the thing that will ruin their social influencing livelihood. Can they trust each other? Is the killer a stranger or one of them?

This fast-paced whodunit is deliciously full of twists and turns. It kept me guessing to the very last pages. The characters are plucked right out of the social media scene today, making it relevant to these times of “regular” people becoming superstars with their cell phones and computers. I recommend it to anyone who loves a solid mystery with quirky characters that could be the teenager living next door.

This is the first book I have read by Kate Williams. She has written for several magazines, including Cosmopolitan and Bustle, as well as brands such as Urban Outfitters and Vans. She is the author of the Babysitters Coven series.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the Author and Netgalley and the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2022 Laura Hartman

Never Coming Home by Kate M. Williams is a great young adult horror-mystery. It will appeal to the age group well as it is centered around a group of influencers invited to an exclusive private island.

3.5 stars

Never Coming Home is another interesting new take on the social-media/influencer generation. This is not the first YA thriller I’ve read with influencer protagonists and a part of me is wondering if this is going to be the new trend in books about celebrities. We currently live in a society where hobbies basically no longer exist because there’s so much external pressure to monetize everything we enjoy doing. I think authors are trying to warn YA readers of this dangerous tendency with these types of books. I can’t even imagine what the younger teen generation is going through with how much their developmental years are constantly being recorded and put online for clicks.

The novel follows ten influencers who are invited to a remote island (called Unknown Island) for a promotional event. However, they quickly realize that something is horribly wrong when they are all accused of murder and begin dying off one-by-one. I’m a huge fan of these types of thriller novels/movies where you have to figure out who is lying and who is telling the truth. They always make me want to create my very own murder board to write down all of the clues and backstories.

While the premise and story is extremely hooking, there were a few things that I thought could have been executed a bit better. The story is told in 3rd person, but switches POVs often. Because the entire novel is only 10 chapters long, each chapter switches POVs multiple times and is fairly lengthy. I’m personally not a fan of long chapters and with how many different POVs there are crammed into each one, it made it difficult to keep track of the characters. This is probably one of those novels where I would recommend keeping a personal list of everyone introduced because it can be easily to lose track of who is who. Of course, it gets easier as more and more people die off.

Additionally, anytime the author wanted the characters to come together as one big group, she made one of the women scream really loudly to get everyone’s attention. This made sense whenever a body was found, but these characters were screaming about literally anything. A new (totally normal non-gory) Instagram photo would be posted to the Unknown Island account and someone would let out a huge scream immediately instead of just, like, calling everyone to come over and look at it.

Lastly, the ending was probably my least favorite part. For a book that did such a good job at keeping the action going throughout, the final chapter was just a huge info dump to explain what happened. It was probably the most boring chapter in the entire book despite being the point where readers are finally about to uncover who is behind everything.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves whodunit thriller/mystery novels and is okay with a lot of murder (I love murder in novels so the large body count was 100% down my alley). There were a few parts where I thought things could have been done better, but I also know a lot of readers thoroughly enjoyed every part of it. I’d honestly love to see a film adaptation of this because I think it would work really well on-screen.