This book was a bit bizarre and im in the state where i can't decide if i enjoyed it or not.

The idea of this book was something that initially pulled me in but i just dont think it was executed well. I think due to it being a short book too much was crammed into the few pages so the flow was just not right.

If there was another 100 pages i feel like this book would of been much better

Rounded up from 3.5.

This was a dark, spine-tingling look at today’s influencer society. What does it mean to be famous – and what would you do to get there. Influencer Island introduced us to a variety of characters looking to make a name for themselves, and one wily podcaster determined to find out just what was going on. I liked all the characters in this book. Or, at least, I found them all interesting. There was a good variety and I was eager to learn their final outcome.

I also really liked the layout of this book. It was written in a podcast transcript style. While it was a little confusing to keep track of who’s who at the beginning, I really appreciated the flow by the end; it kept things moving along swiftly.

By no means is Influencer Island a book for the faint hearted. Some scenes are particularly violent and won’t be for everyone. Boy, were these characters bloodthirsty.

What let me down was the ending. The rest of the book was so exciting, but the conclusion was a bit flat and overall disappointing. It didn’t fit well with the rest of the story and wasn’t as thrilling as I expected. Still, Influencer Island was a pretty good read.

As I started reading this book, I was reminded of an earlier book and I had to flick through my reviews to remind me as the cover with the gold blindfold and then one of the early characters named Kelly Trozzo sounded very familiar. As I scrolled through, I came across the book I had been thinking about "She Died Famous" and noticed there was a connection. Influencer Island is set in the same universe as She Died Famous and is set after the book. In this book, we meet Cal - a podcaster and a journalist who is obsessed with a famous painter who rivals Banksy - Wyatt James. However, this painter takes his painting to the extreme as everyone he paints is dead. This book starts with a crazy competition that entices Influencers with a chance to become famous on an exclusive island. The thing though that what these influencers don't realise is that if they fail at a challenge, then death is the punishment for both them and their mentor. Callie is one of the people who have gone to the island, for her it's about finding out what happened to her brother Tuck. For Cal, it's about discovering the truth about his father and Wyatt - the guy whom he blames for his Dad's death. Influencer Island is a past/present timeline book set from quite a few different POVS. This book shows a side of social media that most of us want, but really when it comes down to the crunch - are you ready to handle what is thrown at you to get your fifteen minutes of fame? Would you kill to be famous? Influencer Island is in one sentence Hunger Games meets Celebrity Treasure Island.
I am now looking forward to giving the prequel a read which is called TikTok Gone.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it was written as if it was a doc on Netflix, having private interviews with people as well as going back into emails ect. The premise was interesting and it was an extreme version or perhaps almost real version of our own society and our obsession with influencers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions are my own.

From the synopsis, I was really excited about this book! To me, it sounded like a bunch of influencers were going to be stuck on a secluded island and they would be fighting for their lives. Boy, was I wrong!

This book set itself up for automatic failure by being written as a podcast script. Not only did this make it difficult to read, but the reader misses out on key things, such as a proper timeline and character backstories. Everything is simply just told, which gets boring real quick. It makes it impossible to care about any of the characters. I was bored the entire time. Luckily this was short, or I would have stopped reading. I wish I had, to be honest!

A perfect read for spooky season, and I loved the premise so much - it did it justice and I would highly recommend!

Not everything is at is seems on Influencer Island. Pitched as the place to be for influencers, the mysterious Wyatt James' art installation quickly turns into something much more sinister as secrets are revealed, horrors are broadcasted to the world, and social media stars are picked off one by one*.

*Sort of. Sometimes more than one by one.

The premise for this book is interesting, and I appreciated the podcast format - it was a great way to quickly dive into a story with a lot of parts. However, I felt as though there were some important beats that were missed that could have really made an impact. This book moved too quickly for me to be invested in all of the plots - there wasn't breathing room between each reveal and resolution. In particular, I wish that there had been more development of the romance (or no inclusion of it) and more time spent with the competition itself. Also, I know it can be difficult to do via transcript, but I wish we'd seen a little more character differentiation and development.

This was a quick read for me, but I don't know that I'd pick it up again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Greater Path LLC for the e-ARC.

A fast paced story, which at times, was difficult to keep up with.
The plot was gripping and dark, full of twists and suspense, but personally, I didn't enjoy the podcast format of story telling. At times it left me confused about what was happening and which character was being referred to.

Gripping narrative that uncovers layers of chilling secrets. Finished it in a day and didn’t stop for breath!

"Influencer Island" by Kyle Rutkin is a chilling and suspenseful novel that blends horror and mystery in a gripping narrative. Rutkin's storytelling prowess shines as he crafts a tale of intrigue, danger, and the dark side of social media fame. The book's atmospheric setting and well-developed characters create an immersive reading experience that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Rutkin skillfully builds tension and suspense, leading readers through a twisted journey of unexpected twists and turns. "Influencer Island" is a haunting read that delves into the dangers of seeking validation online, making it a must-read for fans of horror and mystery genres. As the mysteries unravel, readers are left with a sense of unease and anticipation for the sinister revelations that lie ahead.

"Fyre Festival meets Hunger Games" is a lot to live up to and unfortunately this book didn't deliver.

i could barely differentiate between the influencers. each one of the contestants was given a one-line introduction and we never really got to know them beyond that.

the plot itself was also difficult to keep track of. there would be 3 sentences about what cal is trying to figure out about wyatt james in the present, and then it would switch back to carrie and the other influencers recounting what happened on the island. neither of these plots were engaging on their own, and because there were too many flashbacks and timeskips, it was almost impossible to stay invested in the mystery.

I could barely finish this. I was intrigued by the plot, but had to put the book down after a few pages because the writing was so juvenile it made it hard to read.

I recieved this title from NetGalley and was so excited I got chosen to read and review it. Unfortunately i wasnt veey well for a ling time and didnt get round to reading it until just recently.

Influencer Island was a very interesting read. Not the usual style I read, for me personally it was a bit confusing at times.

I was expecting much more of a hunger games style story, only with influencer battling for survival. It sounded promising from the blurb, but the actual book didn't deliver unfortunately. I'm sorry to say, that I wouldn't recommend this book.

I´d give this novel that it is catchy. Because it is also silly to the point of absurdity, written by a person who has obviously very little info about the lives of both artistic and influencer people - I mean the real, everyday life, not the "dreamy", illogical take. This is like a fever dream, where you can believe almost any absurdity because you are conditioned by the feverish state of mind to believe it. But in the real life there is the money trail, the tax office, the police and even the secret services (much more capable and resourceful than one would think). There is also critical thinking. But, yes - I enjoyed this feverish dream read to a point. Catchy it is.

This was a quick, crazy thriller that I couldn’t stop reading!! I’ve read this book described as Hinger Games meets Fyre and Instagram on steroids and I agree. It really makes you think about how twisted people will get when it comes to social media and competing for the ultimate influencer title.

Listen, I really wanted to like this more than I did. The premise sounds right up my alley, but unfortunately this one just fell flat for me. Seems like the author tried to do a bit too much without really doing much of anything at all if that makes sense.

Good premise but I found flaws with the execution! Will be interested in what this author does next!

I really enjoyed this, it was such a unique idea for a ya horror story. I am glad that I was chosen to give this one a read. I will be checking out anything else by this author

Intriguing book with a reality TV sensibility. The idea is unique, but I had a hard time with the format which is basically a podcast. I think a regular plot would have worked better for me; although, I did enjoy the mystery.

I think the author presented an interesting premise but I found a lot of the mystery aspects lacking.