I wasn’t a huge fan of this one. There were a lot of characters and they all blended together where you could hardly tell them apart. In addition, I felt they were all a little too calm for everything that was happening in this book. Overall, not a big fan.

This could 100% be turned into one of those cheesy slasher thriller movies and become like a cult classic.

10 influencers are invited to an island where they are completely unplugged for a reality TV show. One ends up 💀 and the drama begins!!

The characters all fit into a different type of stereotypical style social media influencer, and they all have something to hide that could get them cancelled. If they don’t do what the sponsor says, their secret is released on social and they’re next 💀.

I was NOT expecting who the villain was, or what their motive was, so I read this in one day so I could know 😂.

Aside from who the villain was, the plot felt very expected, like it’s the usual formula for these type of books/movies, and I felt like the end got a little preachy on the impact of social media influencers. But aside from that, this was a fun quick read.

Thank you @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

As a social media professional this one stuck out to me! I felt it was interesting but a bit long. It was just alright!

This book is a charming tale of unexpected love. The setting is vibrant and enchanting, making it easy to get lost in the story. The protagonists start off as unlikely pairings, but their journey together is filled with sweet moments and growth. It’s a lovely reminder that love can blossom in the most surprising situations!

This book was fine. I thought it was going to read like a ya almost new adult thriller but it read more like a straight ya. It’s on me Endor requesting this book knowing it was ya and that I may find it too young. Even though I did, I still found the story to be somewhat enjoyable.

A YA thriller that is a modern day spin on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. While I do enjoy many YA books, this one did not resonate with me as much as otherwise. The characters are teen influencers, of the “privelaged” type and I don’t tend to follow influencers of this type. That being said, I think this book would be great for someone who does enjoy that world or engages with it in some manner. It’s well written, has multiple POVs, snd is a good book for what it is and for those who enjoy that ! Truly I am just not the right demographic for this books, I recommend this book for the right audience including young readers

An enjoyable read. This was my first novel read by this author and I am looking forward to reading more titles by this author.

People to Follow by Olivia Worley is a gripping young adult thriller that takes readers on a suspenseful journey with ten teen influencers who are invited to a remote island to star in a reality show called "In Real Life." The premise is simple yet intriguing: the influencers are supposed to unplug from their devices and focus on the show. However, things take a dark turn when the production crew fails to show up, and one of the influencers is found dead. Stranded on the island with no way to contact the outside world, the influencers must uncover the identity of the murderer among them while grappling with their secrets and past actions.

People to Follow is a thrilling and thought-provoking read that offers a fresh take on the classic "locked-room" mystery trope. Its strengths lie in its compelling plot, well-developed characters, and timely themes related to social media culture. However, some readers might find the constant focus on the influencers' privileged lifestyles and their petty conflicts somewhat off-putting. Nonetheless, the novel's ability to maintain suspense and its insightful commentary on the impact of social media makes it a worthwhile read for fans of young adult thrillers.

Overall, People to Follow is an impressive debut by Olivia Worley that combines mystery, drama, and social commentary in a captivating package. It is a must-read for those interested in the complexities of modern influencer culture and the darker side of fame.

Im not going to lie, I didn’t think that people were ACTUALLY going to die in this one. Boy was I wrong. Hahaha

It took a minute to get into, trying to learn all of the influencers and what they “did” or how they were connected to each other.

I didn’t see the twist coming, so I really enjoyed it. I just wish the ending was a little more fleshed out!

i was not particularly impressed by any part of this book. it was somewhat compelling, but mostly cliche and overdone. and if you're going to do an and then there were none retelling, you have to commit to it, lol.

This story intrigued me from the synopsis-- ten influencers on a remote island with no cell phones, believing they are starring in a reality TV show. As their fellow guests start getting 'cancelled' one by one, it's a race against the clock to figure out if there is a murderer amongst them, digging through deep dark secrets and lies to get there.

This was a quick, fun read that kept my interest from beginning to end. The writing was definitely very YA-ish, and I felt that some things were over explained in parts. I also didn't feel any connection to any of the characters-- they felt very superficial and lacked depth. I didn't suspect the ending, so the author did a good job at maintaining the mystery for me.

3.5 🌟

What a wild ride!

A group of influencers are summoned to an island for a reality show, and in reality, their world comes crashing down around them quickly as more and more of the influencers start turning up dead. Is it just a coincidence? Is someone out to get them? Every influencer has a secret or two, which is likely why they ended up on the island, but as more and more secrets are revealed, so are more and more dead bodies... What length will these influencers go to in order to protect their secrets, their online personas, and most importantly, their lives?

I loved this book from the beginning. There were so many twists and turns and secrets and I was here for it! Every time I thought I had it figured out, I didn't. I actually liked the ending of this book and it caught me off guard. I can't wait to read more from this author! 5 stars!

DNF-the plot and writing were not for me unfortunately. I think you will enjoy this if you want to start reading thrillers and dip your toes into the genre

I reeeeeally wanted to like this one, but it fell short for me. I couldn’t get over the entitled influencers problems and the slow pace of it all. I DNF halfway through. I did enjoy the multiple POV, but not enough to keep me entertained.

I would be willing to try this author out again in the future if the plot pulls me in.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think this review has taken me so long to write because even though it was an enjoyable book while reading it, it isn’t very memorable and I find myself not really even remembering what the book was about. If I hadn’t taken notes while reading it, I’m not sure I would be able to write a review on it. I did enjoy the locked room/island mystery of the book and enjoyed how the author had the premise centered around influencers. However, some of the characters really annoyed me at times because they had such attitudes of privilege. Overall, I would give it 3/5 stars, as like I mentioned it was enjoyable while reading it, but just frustrating and not very memorable.

This one was okay. But it was very hard to like almost everyone. The influencers and their problems are hard to take.

I did like the multiple POVs though. I liked the idea of the book. It was just too out of touch lives for me. A small percent of the world has to deal with.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

"People to Follow" by Olivia Worley is a pulse-pounding rollercoaster that plunges readers into the treacherous world of social media fame. When a group of influencers is marooned on a mysterious island for a high-stakes social experiment, secrets are unveiled, alliances crumble, and the façade of perfection shatters dramatically.

Worley masterfully crafts a tale of suspense and betrayal, where each chapter peels back layers of deceit and ambition. The island setting is as haunting as it is beautiful, serving as a stark backdrop to the unraveling psyches of its inhabitants. The characters, driven by vanity and desperation, reveal the dark underbelly of influencer culture, making this a gripping and thought-provoking read.

Prepare to be enthralled and unnerved as "People to Follow" takes you on an emotional and dramatic journey through the perilous pursuit of virtual validation.

This book started off so strong for me. It wasn't terribly amazing, but I was having a brilliant time with it. I do have to say that I do have a weak spot for reality tv based fiction. I don't know why. I just think it's a great frame work for a novel. So of course, this book would also speak to me. That being said the reality tv show setting was probably my least favourite part of this book. I just think the author kind of forgot it was a thing at times. I can't believe a group of ten influencers would forget they are on camera 24/7 so many times throughout this book as they did. It was super odd. Especially the side plot where the documentary guy has his own camera, and is trying to expose some of these characters in his next documentary. It makes 0 sense, as any scoop he could get during this would be precendented by the reality show airing the same thing but from different angles. I don't know. It was so stupid, and it's not like his camera actually pushed the narrative forward in any way.
This was an extremely fun read though. I had such a fun time reading this book. It was an extremely compelling read, and I did not want to put this book down. I just think the combo of the mystery who is killing people, and the different mysteries around everyone's secrets was just really well done. I also think reveals were done all over the book really well to want you to keep reading. It was just such a blast.
However, when it came to the end, I just didn't like it that much. I feel like a lot of these secrets were actually really terrible stuff that they did, and (I'm trying to talk about this without spoilers) made me truly dislike most of these people. I have to say, that I didn't even feel bad about some of them dying, or was even rooting for some of them to die (obviously I'd never root for any real people to die, but it's fiction people). It was only made worse by that fact that these characters refuse to take any accountability as "at least I'm not killing people". Truly putting a murderer in the mix, made some of these characters feel like their actions weren't bad at all because at least they didn't kill anyone. It just gave me such a massive ick. It made the end quite frustrating to read, which truly is a shame because I do think most of these reveals were incredible though.

Will you recommend this title through Readers’ Advisory, book clubs, events, etc?
Yes
Do you nominate this title for the LibraryReads List? By pressing YES, you also consent to your email address being shared with LibraryReads.
Yes
Is your library likely to purchase this title?
yes

This was a DNF book for me. There was too much happening at the beginning, and I found it hard to follow. I was not invested enough in the characters.