Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for an advance ecopy for an honest review. This was a solid 3.5 stars for me.

Ten influencers go on a reality tv show on a remote island wherein they are to be social media free for 3 weeks. They all seem to have their own secrets that they don’t want shared. As the secrets come out, so does the true personalities.

This was a young YA book. It was fun but I don’t think I was the target demographic

This book deserves a standing ovation and I am SO here for it.

People to Follow

I cant even tell you what I thought I was going to read compared to what I actually did read but I can tell you, this book is one that I will never be able to stop talking about and it deserves every bit of the hype it is about to get..

Here we go...

People to Follow, had me addicted to each turn of the page. I was squealing in delight as each secret was revealed . I was completely consumed and transported straight into the book. The characters came alive before my eyes and I felt every emotion they felt. The narration was executed with perfection and the plot twist was not only incredible but believable too! When everything came together I was left in sheer disbelief with my jaw on the floor.

How the heck is this a debut?

5 stars 5 stars 5 stars!

Teaser :

A reality show on a remote Caribbean island. Ten teen influencers. One dead body.

Welcome to “In Real Life,” the hot new reality show that forces social media’s reigning kings and queens to unplug for three weeks and “go live” without any filters. IRL is supposed to be the opportunity of a lifetime, watched closely by legions of loyal followers. But for these rising stars--including Elody, an Instagram model with an impulsive streak; Kira, a child star turned fitness influencer; Logan, a disgraced TikTok celeb with a secret; and Max, a YouTuber famous for exposés on his fellow creators--it’s about to turn into a nightmare.

When the production crew fails to show up and one of their own meets a violent end, these social media moguls find themselves stranded with a dead body and no way to reach the outside world. When they start receiving messages from a mysterious Sponsor threatening to expose their darkest secrets, they realize that they’ve been lured into a deadly game…and one of them might be pulling the strings.

With the body count rising and cameras tracking their every move, the creators must figure out who is trying to get them canceled--like, literally--before their #1 follower strikes again.

And Then There Were None meets Lord of the Flies and influencer culture.
I loved this book so much, it kept me guessing at every turn while interjecting relevant critiques about the culture of influencers.
I didn’t see the end coming and was anxious and guessing every step of the way, I loved it

Honestly, at first, I was pretty apprehensive about People to Follow because I've already read a book with the EXACT same concept (10 influencers, private island, multiple POVs, murderer, etc). While I did find many parallels between the two books (I mean, with the concept being so similar you can only do so much), People to Follow was a thrilling mystery from a promising new author.

The pacing of this book was quick, the spooky mystery vibes were so intense I didn't want to read this at night, and there was plenty of plot twists I never saw coming! The mystery was well crafted and by the end, I felt like I had been thrown around a dozen times. Worley's twists never ended and I never successfully guessed any of the twists - which to me is always a sign of a great mystery!

My other complaints about this book are all minor but worth mentioning. The "gen z" language used felt cringey at times. I *hated* the use of the word "yeet" in this book. Also, one of the character says "babe" after the end of every sentence. Also, with there being 10 characters in the beginning it was overwhelming and confusing to differentiate them (especially because the voices in the different POVs all sounds the same).

This was a great debut book I couldn’t put it down and read it in one night, it was full of twists and I think fans of YA mysteries will love it.

People to Follow
By Olivia Worley

The concept of this book can be described like when reality tv meets and then there was none.
I flew thru the first sections of this book! The concept was so cool. Yet I expected so much more. I didn’t realize this was YA, which to be fair isn’t my cup of tea. The characters were unlikable, shallow, and interchangeable. The dialogue I found to be rough. Especially the girl calling everyone babe. What lost stars for me was the characters didn’t really try to escape. And finally…people are dead but they play spin the bottle?

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review

A fun, modern update on “And Then There Were None,” People To Follow kept me on my toes and second guessing who I thought was the bad guy. Well written, well thought out. Worley’s debut is a page turner that can’t be missed.

What if all your favorite influencers were on an island together for a reality show, and things started to go wrong? That's what happens in People to Follow. After the first influencer is found dead, the crew begins to suspect a murderer at large on this remote island. And time is running out until they are all cancelled.

This was a great thriller that pulled me in almost immediately and had me until the end. I've read some books with similar themes and felt this book did it justice. The characters were flawed in the best way, and the twist and turns kept coming. There were some predictable moments, but enough suspense to keep me reading. Definitely recommend for aynone looking for a great thriller!

I am so thankful to SMP, as always!

However, I didn't seem to be the audience for this. I have tried to stay interested for months and it just wasn't happening.

I love the setting and the concept of this story--a reality tv show? teen influencers trapped together on an island? murder mystery? yes please! I enjoyed learning about all of the characters' careers, motivations, and pasts, and I think the author did an amazing job writing from so many different POVs. All of the characters sounded and felt distinct, and it was fun to see what they each knew that the others didn't. Some of the twists, I was able to guess, and I was right about which characters the Sponsor was not, but who the Sponsor really was shocked me. It was impressive how the author was even able to deceive the readers, while still leaving clues. The only issue I had was that I would have liked to know more about the aftermath from the thoughts of the other survivors, not just the Sponsor, because we had the thoughts of the other characters the entire time.

But over all, I read this so quickly and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I think this is a really masterful exploration of the pressures of fame and life in the public eye, especially on kids/teenagers, as well as how social media can dehumanize and alienate us when used wrongly. And I do love a good thriller! I highly recommend and can't wait to see what else this author does!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

A YA thriller that asks the question: how would you behave if you thought everyone was watching? Would you ask the same way of you thought no one was watching?

Ten teenage influencers sign up to have their entire lives recorded on an isolated island as part of a reality series. But when the TV production crew fails to show up, the teens are thrown in to a world more uncertain and unpredictable than they bargained.

First things first: this cover is GORGEOUS.
I definitely feel like People To Follow works best as a binge read. I started slowly at first and I was so confused by all the characters and POVs (and, tbh, the lingo since I’m old and not hip with all the social media influencer jargon). But once I got everything straightened out and had time to read read read, I really enjoyed this book.
It reminded me of I Know What You Did Last Summer - for all the millennials thinking of picking up this YA thriller.
The secrets were pretty wild and I was on the edge of my seat. And it’s an excellent cautionary tale to take everything you see on social media with a grain of salt.
It’s very youthful, but I feel like anyone remotely savvy can get into this one.
The One star removed for the POV confusion and the fact that this one might not age super well, but it will definitely be a current hit.

This was kind of all over the place and I still don’t really know what I think. It was not what I was expecting though. Not in a good way either.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book!

I have scheduled promotional posts around release day for this book and I will provide a full review on my Instagram once I am able to get to this read.

Rating 5 stars on Netgalley as a placeholder for me to update later once the review is complete.

Will also complete a review on Goodreads once read.

Thanks again!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 31, 2023
“People to Follow” is the debut novel by author Olivia Worley. Labeled as a young adult mystery novel, mostly for its millennial social media content, it was one of those novels that I (definitely not a “young adult” in any way) was able to fly through in one day.
Ten teen influencers are invited to a remote island retreat with only one caveat- they must leave their cell phones at home. There are cameras in every room of course, belonging to the television show “In Real Life”, designed to observe the teens’ every dramatic move. But first, the production crew doesn’t show up (apparently as the result of an incoming storm), and then, the teens begin receiving messages from someone known only as their “Sponsor”, who threatens to “cancel” them if they don’t do what they’re instructed. But “canceling” has a whole different meaning when, one by one, the influencers start turning up dead. With no phones, no Internet and no access to the mainland the remaining teens are forced to accept that the murderer might be one of their own.
“People to Follow” has similar vibes to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”, with a modern twist. Four of the ten characters alternate narration; Elody, the Instagram model, Kira, the fitness influencer, Logan, the disgraced TikTok star and Max, the documentarian sent to film it all. All of the characters have just enough personality differences to be able to separate them from the other teenage influencers, although it’s a bit confusing at the beginning. Worley ensures that all her protagonists have a deep secret, making each and every one a possible suspect.
The novel flows well and the twists and turns are abundant. “Follow” is not creative or unique in its premise, but it is engaging and suspenseful, and I couldn’t stop reading! The ending was entirely unpredictable yet deliciously satisfying and conclusive. To think that this is a debut novel? Give Worley all the credit she deserves and know that I will be first in line to read her next piece of work.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This kept me on the edge of my seat! It was thrilling and exciting and something I really enjoyed reading. I loved the plot and the idea and I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this so I can shout about it on socials! Definitely recommend giving this one a read!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes going in to this book, but it just wasn't for me. I struggled to keep track of all the different characters because of the numerous POVs. I would have preferred having one or two POVs but I understand why it was done this way.

The mystery was really well done, i didn't see the ending coming at all which is a plus for me! Wanting to know the ending kept me reading this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers, and avid fans of reality TV!

Thank you netgalley for the arc. I loved this. I think this would make a great movie. Didnt see the twists coming.

This is a fantastic YA mystery read! I was hooked and read the entire thing in an evening. I was skeptical about a book based on influencers at first, but it wasn’t cheesy at all!

The story follows a group of influencers as they join a reality TV show on an island where they are forced to disconnect from all things tech. What starts as an opportunity for them to boost their fame, quickly shifts to a life threatening situation as secrets are exposed and a person is murdered.

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the gifted ebook of People to Follow! All opinions in this review are my own.

A group of influencers sign up to be a part of a reality show where they unplug from their social media accounts for a few weeks. After their phones are taken, the influencers spend their first night on the island partying. When they wake up in the morning, one of them is dead. Was it an accident or intentional? Can they trust each other or should they watch their backs?

If you want a modernized version And Then There Were None, then you have to read People To Follow! In typical thriller fashion, I couldn't put this book down!