Young adult influencers struggling to make and keep a name for themselves are invited to a remote island in the middle of nowhere for a relaxing weekend. The invites were kept hush-hush so no one knows who is supposed to be there. Once everyone starts showing up, the fireworks start.

Even though this story is about pettiness and delusions of grandeur, it somehow keeps you guessing and doubting everyone and everything. Well written and recommended.

Three stars - I have very mixed feelings about "People to Follow". Overall, I liked it, but don't think it's groundbreaking to the genre.

On one hand, the story was very compelling and I was truly on the edge of my seat wondering who the killer was!! It took a while to remember which character was which - tbh they were all incredibly unlikeable (I know that's the point) but in the first five chapters or so, there was really not much to distinguish between characters, except for Kira who read as more of the main character to me. I enjoyed the multiple POV's but had some issues with that too, more on that later. Aside from that, Olivia Worley did a great job slowly peeling back the layers of each character and I truly did not know who the killer was for most of the book. I also loved the killers letter at the end and thought it was a great way to wrap up the story. I will definitely be on the lookout for her future works, she is immensely talented.

On the other hand, this also missed the mark for me in a lot of ways. First, I had to check multiple times to make sure this wasn't already published and I hadn't already read it because it was so similar to "Never Coming Home" with the same premise (also based of "And Then There Were None") with similar characters, also influencers, trapped on an island with one killer taking each of them down one by one. Thankfully, I did enjoy this book better than the former. Second, I know Elody calling people "babe" was a huge part of her character, but it was SO annoying to me. There were some moments where I thought there was no way someone would choose to say "babe" here, lol. Third, can we PLEASE stop grouping all men together in the category of toxic masculinity? Look, I'm sorry for whoever hurt you, but there are some really incredible men out there who are intelligent, loving, and kind and we don't need to tear them down just to make ourselves feel better. It's so easy to write beautiful, compelling characters without making comments like, "The bar for men is truly underground". It's just unnecessary and in poor taste. Maybe this is just very triggering to me because the last 3 or 4 books I've read have made many comments about how men are useless and that's just not cool to me. This is not equality, people, misandry is not the solution to misogyny.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but thought it could use some extra editing.

**Spoiler ahead**

I was also slightly disappointed that more than half the island inhabitants lived other than just the killer, but that's just me, lol.

People to Follow by Olivia Worley has an And Then There Were None type plot which is always one of my favorite tropes. I've read more than one book about teens abandoned on a desert island while one by one they're dispatched. Despite a couple of twists towards the end, I felt like I've already read this story before which was disappointing.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this digital ARC.

A cautionary tale about social media, what goes out on the web can come back to kill you.
Ten influencers are invited to a tropical island, ostensibly to be part of a reality show. But when the body of one of the participants is found, the secrets that these influencers have been hiding start coming out and anyone could be the killer and the next victim.
Very much in the vein of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie but updated for the Gen Z demographic.
Some of the characters were likable despite their secrets, others were really hateful. I was especially shocked at the reveal of one of the characters that I had found likable. By the end it was really hard to like anyone, although I understood where some of them were coming from.
Kept me guessing until the end.
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Olivia Worley for the ARC. The review is voluntarily given.

Ten influencers are stuck on a deserted island under the guise of being filmed for a reality TV show about "unplugging." Meanwhile, someone has a sinister plan for revenge, and when an influencer is found dead, everyone is worried that they have become trapped on the island with a murderer.

The story is told from the point of view of Max, Kira, Elody, and Logan, even though there are six other influencers in the house, plus Tilly, a personal assistant who sets everything up. I was relieved there weren't chapters for every character; it was hard enough to keep up with all the dialogue, and it became overwhelming. I ended up swiping back to check whose chapter I was reading. At this point, my mind started to wander, and I found it challenging to focus; swiping through the pages was not a good sign. I struggled with my choice to keep reading or DNF. It seemed every character had the same personality with no real depth or background, which made the different perspectives very confusing. The characters felt to be one-dimensional. I couldn't connect with any particular character's personality because they lacked real human emotions. They were selfish, self-intitled and whiney. Then again, there were spoiled, rich teenagers.

I'm not in the age demographic for this type of story—so please take the previous sentence with a grain of salt. I think it comes down to a personal choice. I didn't realize it was a YA book. I made a mistake and should not have requested the book. I think the demographic for this book is on the earlier cusp of YA because it reads younger than most YA books. Would I pick this up again? No. Would I recommend it to young readers? Yes! I realize that influencer-based books are not my cup of tea.

I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own

Decent and quick read. I appreciated the social media angle as it's a trope I enjoy in my mysteries. I also enjoyed the semi nod to Agatha Christie, though this is in no way Christie. Maybe too many characters to follow. I would read this author again. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for making this available.

Cute beach read, but was definitely a lot more YA-geared than I expected. Characters were all pretty annoying, which ironically worked concept-wise.

This story definitely shows you the danger of social media. This was so good and I think people who enjoy reality tv will like this book.

Ten people trapped on a secluded island. Bodies start piling up. Paranoia and secrets abound. No, this isn’t Christie’s And Then There Were None, it’s People to Follow by Olivia Worley. In this young adult novel, the classic mystery has a modern twist with the ten characters all being influencers. When they agree to film a reality show, they had no idea they could get cancelled forever.

I don’t read much YA fiction, but I was drawn to this one to see how Worley used Christie’s inspiration. While it’s a 4-star book for new adults, it’s probably a bit too basic for most seasoned mystery readers. Still, I enjoyed it and it reminded me of Pretty Little Liars.

I really enjoyed this book for what it was. A popcorn thriller with a creepy subplot of social media being as toxic as I have always felt it was. Overall, I think this book was entertaining and the characters were all very distinct and easy to discern in the multi-POV chapters. And I will say the ending with the twist was really great. There were a few things that I couldn't vibe with and that's why I had to give this a 3.5 out of 5. Otherwise great debut novel.

I already knew I might want to read this one because it's a thriller, but as soon as I saw that it was about influencers on a reality tv show with a little bit of murder sprinkled in, I couldn't download it fast enough. And boy, did it deliver! There's drama between the characters from the very beginning, which is juicy enough on its own, knowing said characters are about to be stuck together in the middle of nowhere for three weeks. But then the bodies start dropping, and the plot twists and turns until the very end. It's one of those books where I didn't see the ending coming, but when I think about it, all of the clues were there all along. And, as an added bonus, each of the four POV character has such a distinct voice, I never once felt like they all ran together. This book would be a great fit for fans of Karen McManus.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing a copy for review.

This YA mystery is a modern day And Then There Were None! Great premise with a slight feel of Pretty Little Liars if they were influencers that is written through several POVs.
Fast and easy read!

This is one of those teen, reality tv type things come to life - but with a thriller aspect.

Although his book was not for me, it was extremely entertaining. I did figure out who the sponsor was, as it does follow a bunch of TEEN influencers. That didn't take away from it for me, I just enjoy figuring things out. It gave me time to really work my brain while reading.

Thank you for the ARC!

I think I’m too old for this one but it was definitely entertaining. In the style of Knives Out or Agatha Christie, a who done it on a remote island with influencers? It’s fun but messy. Too many characters (some very annoying), not much substance, some predictable twist but a pretty satisfying finale. Perfect quick vacation read!

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this one!

Great thriller, but to be honest, it was sounding a lot like a book I have read. I enjoyed the book, but the concept of teenagers on an island and deaths occurring is not original. The twist of the teens being "influencers" is original, so kudos to that concept.

I went into this book not knowing it was a YA thriller. But I loved Ace of Spades so I went with it. At first I was like wait is this supposed to be tongue in cheek because the characters are laughably cliche as instagram influencers. I think the author meant to lean in here and once I got it…I got it. The characters are annoying, yes, especially Elody and McKwhatever but as I thought it did a nice job of capturing the personalities. If you like Lucy Foley books like The Guest List check this one out.

4⭐️

Ten influencers have been invited to participate in a reality show located on a secluded island called In Real Life. While they all have their different style of influencing (fitness vs twitch streamer vs just popular), they all know each other one way or another. Specifically the four from the TikTok house.

While they had to leave their phones behind, each person is asked to wear a smartwatch. Soon they are contacted by someone on the watch stating that they must tell the worst lie they’d ever told or be canceled. They soon learn that canceled might not just mean online when one of them is found dead.

This was a wild ride. I think the story did a good job at showing not only the stereotype of an influencer but also what goes on behind the scenes. A lot of these characters come across as privileged brats who can get away with anything, but the story also showed that some have series issues going on in their life. This also tackled the dangers of grooming that can happen when young girls try to find an in from a man with a higher standing.

There were some aspects of this that seemed far fetched. The world of influencers, at least in the book, seems to be a very small world and I find it hard to believe that someone could be so unidentifiable when they had met before. I also found Aaron as a whole a questionable character as he was in his 20s when the rest were teens. But I guess that’s also pretty realistic.

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC to me!

Finally, a YA thriller about influencers done right! People to Follow was fast paced, snarky, and incredibly entertaining.

Ten influencers are invited to a private island to star in what appears to be a reality show. They leave their devices behind and move in to a house on the beach filled with cameras that will be constantly watching. Several of the influencers have history and prior connections, leading to tension in the house. After a night of partying, one influencer is dead, and the remaining nine are desperate to get off the island.

This book was so so entertaining and fun to read. It felt like a proper teen slasher movie in book form. The ten influencers were perfectly written, from the annoying prankster to the TikTok house group to the fitness guru. A little bit of something for everyone! The story is told in multiple POVs, and each character had a distinct voice.

The pacing was fantastic, with things constantly happening that kept you wondering what was going on in this house and what secrets would be revealed next. Of course the secrets were terrible, with plenty of shocks along the way. I was unable to predict the ending this time, which always makes for a fun read!

The beach setting makes this one such a great sun drenched summer thriller that I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press / Wednesday books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was exactly what I expected when I picked it up, a fun quick read with the feel of a guilty pleasure. I thoroughly enjoyed the set up and character interaction, and the plot kept me turning pages. It was a good time.

Shipping influencers to a Remote island what could go wrong? Boom murder mystery who would have guessed. If you love suspense and mystery this is the book for you