This book really did nothing for me. I wanted to love it so much, but for some reason, it fell flat. I was often confused with the story and didn't understand what the plot really was.

Ten teen influencers are invited to a remote island to film a show called IRL (In Real Life) where they must live for three weeks without any social media at all. Told from the POV of only four characters, Elody, the hot IG model; Kira, the child ballet dancer turned fitness influencer; Logan, the TikTok comedienne celeb; and Max, the YouTube documentarian. You come to know the others via their "vibe" or what they're known for on various social media platforms. Corrine is a female gamer of colour, Aaron is the former child actor, Zane is a spiritual yogi/mediator, Graham is a musician, Mckayleigh has her own clothing line, and Cole is a YouTube prankster.

When the first body is found everyone starts receiving strange messages from "The Sponsor" via the "smartwatches" that were in their welcome bags, with threats to expose their darkest secrets. Cameras are everywhere in this beach house. There's nowhere to hide from the threat of being #canceled.

I loved the pacing. The story never dragged, in my opinion, and kept me guessing throughout. The clues are there but cleverly hidden. My biggest criticism was having to go back to the first chapter a lot in the beginning to understand who was who and why they were famous. Sometimes I had to check who's POV I was in because there wasn't much differentiation in their voices...but then again, these are influencers and they all run together irl. Overall, a great read with lots of tension.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I tried getting invested in People to Follow through multiple sittings, I couldn't get into the plot or characters. There were too many points of view that kept me confused and puzzled. I may try out another book by debut author Worley in the future!

This one was okay! I think it may be for a younger audience. There was a lack of substance to the motivation and it felt senseless at times. Not a wrap up I enjoyed.

I love these new trends of novels about social media influencers being sent to islands or on games to "compete" or test out an amenity only for their secrets to be revealed and people to turn to MURDER.

People to Follow is about ten spoiled rotten teenage social influencers who take the challenge of "unplugging" and allowing their faithful followers to see who they really are, In Real Life.

We follow the stories of Elody, Kira, Max, and Logan, none of whom are pleasant or likable characters. You have to be able to handle the whining and complaining of these characters, as they are in the mindset of 'the world is owed to them endlessly' because of that privilege they are engulfed in.

I did enjoy this read, however, the whining and complaining seemed to drag on more than necessary. I would potentially read this again, just to pick up something new that I missed the first time, however, it isn't something that I would depend on as a regular reread in my bookshelf.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review. It was enjoyable, and definitely not my normal reads.

Love this debut! People to Follow follows ten teen influencers, reality tv, and a shocking death. I don't read a ton of YA, but when I do it's a good mystery thriller. This is a unique take on a thriller classic that I think a lot of people will enjoy. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

These are my favorite types of YA mysteries/thrillers... typically. I liked this one for the most part, but I did find there to be a few too many characters to keep track of. It was hard to try to remember how each of them was connected and who was hating on who. I think if the author had just taken out a few, it might have been a little easier to follow and a lot more engaging. Granted, it would have also been easier to guess the killer that way as well. I loved the idea of a secluded island and the dark stormy weather. I just got lost in the details of each of the people sometimes.

LOCKED ROOM MYSTERIES.
Locked room mysteries are usually my jam, but this one was iffy.
It's always hard to do these kind of mysteries in modern settings, and I liked the way that they used a "social media break" as a way to get rid of some of the modern conveniences, but still kept some aspects of it to add some more mystery to the story.
With the 10 influencers on the island, the story is told through the POV's of four of them, and its through their eyes that we witness the various murders and try to figure out what is actually happening on this island.
None of these characters were particularly likable, Worley did an amazing job of writing tiktok influencers that were a little too life like if you know what I mean.
The actual mystery part - I figured out who was behind everything pretty easily, the character in question didn't even try to hide certain mannerisms between their IRL self and The Sponsor.
As for the reveal? Things fell together rather quickly and easily, and everything just seemed to wrap up a little too well for my liking, but overall it was a fun and rather light hearted mystery.

People to Follow was an interesting look at influencer culture and how damaging it can be, especially for young adults. It's a fast-paced thriller that will keep you guessing until the end.

I loved how Worley took the premise of various late-teen and early-twenty influencers, told them they were heading to an isolated island to film a reality show, and instead things turn deadly. I, personally, didn't connect to any of the characters, but I sort of felt like that might have been the point. None of the characters were created to be likable.

I did like how the story unfolded, and ultimately how each of the characters' careers as influencers played a role. I've always been a fan of the locked room, or in this case, isolated island trope, and thought it was well done.

A good read and I can see a lot of people interested in YA enjoying this book.

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

I realky wanted to enjoy this book more. The premise was intriguing but I felt like the writing lacked in some parts. Overall, I’d recommend this story!

This was a really fun YA read. A bit murder mystery, a little bit cautionary tale about the power of social media, and wild drama amongst “friends”. I love an isolated island setting as well as the multiple POVs. I thought this was eerie and enjoyable!

This is a 'whodunit' book involving a handful of influencers. I felt like I read something similar before. This one wasn't for me.

People to Follow takes us on a journey of ten teen influencers about to take part in their very own reality tv show on a secluded island.
As they arrive, there is no film crew there yet, and the host needs to leave. Left to their own devices, with zero communication with the outside world, and cameras installed throughout the house and property, things become heated. The “show” takes on an all new element as one by one, they are being picked off.

Definitely a YA book, I honestly despised most of these characters. But it was interesting to follow along and see who and what got figured out, and who remained at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub date: 31 Oct 2023

Interesting story about doing a show on various influencers on a secluded island without their phones/technology. But something strange starts happening where the influencers are dying one by one. Is it natural causes or is someone killing them?

A YA And Then There Were None retelling featuring social media influencers. I want to start off by saying I would recommend this book to the age group it was written for. I was excited to read this book because And Then There Were None is one of my favorite books. I love nothing more then taking a group of people, stranding them and picking them off one by one while wondering who is responsible. While I enjoyed that aspect of the book, I didn't connect with the characters. I blame this on my age and read a review that indicated I was not alone in that feeling. I think had this book involved adult social media influencers I would have really enjoyed it so I am just the wrong audience for the story. My fault because I knew it was YA when I started it.

If you enjoy an “And there were none trope” this book may be right for you. In People to Follow, you are taken along for the ride to a desolate island where ten teen influencers have been invited to shoot a reality show. All vying to strengthen their following they all seem to be excited for the opportunity… Until they find out who else is as invited also and that excitement is dampened a bit. Emotions flare and suddenly bad things start happening. Beginning with murder…

Overall, this wasn’t my favorite. I felt it took a long time to get hooked. All of the characters were terrible people and I could have cared less what happened to them, but maybe that’s part of the interest?

A thriller that hits the mark on social commentary surrounding influencers. The premise is what interested me the most, and I'm glad that it lived up to it. Influencers stuck on an island? Yes, please!

Give me a group of people isolated from the outside world and I am a happy girl. Throw in the fact that the ten people are teen influencers and that's just the cherry on top.

Teenagers are kind of ridiculous, am I right? I mean, I once was a ridiculous teenager. They think they know everything, they think they're invincible, and they think that they're all excellent liars.

I'm super grateful that when I was a teenager there wasn't social media. Sure, there was email and chatrooms and one time I event sent a boy I liked (who I had never met) a picture of me. Oddly, I was 14 and we're still friends (but have never met) to this day.

I digress.

These teenagers are definitely not the same as I used to be. They're savvy. They're beautiful. And one of them is killing the others. One by one.

I'll admit that this wasn't the Great American Novel. Teens (and young adults) can be so full of themselves, and it can be hard to read about them. But I loved that each person in this book was so different from the next, and it was fun to slowly figure out who was lying about what and who the next to die would be.

The ending absolutely threw me for a loop and I absolutely felt satisfied when I was done.

If you're into the trope of a bunch of people being stranded somewhere, this might be a great ready for you.

Thank you St Marin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own!

This is the story about a bunch of social media influencers who get invited to a TV show. They are told that the TV show will show them working together. However, when one of the influencers dies everything changes. With everyone keeping secrets from the public and each other. Will they be able to figure out what is happening? Or will they all be next?

I thought this one was just okay. I kind of got lost in regards to the small details of each person. However, I did like the idea as a thriller. I just wish it was executed a bit differently. I also did not feel like there was a twist. There was an assumption that one of the main characters was the killer so it did not come as a surprise when the person was revealed. I did really like the concept and plot was well timed.

Content: Mentions of s*x and n*des, swearing-f words etc, murder, gaslighting, lies, underage drinking and partying mentioned

Read if you enjoy:
Social Media
Thrillers
Social media meet ups
Multiple POV