PEOPLE TO FOLLOW by Olivia Worley is a crazy step into the TikTok generation that I certainly don’t want to take!
When a group of competitive TikTokkers are invited to a private island to compete in a reality show, their content will be earning them a lot more than hearts and likes.
Part of the contract says that they need to leave their lives behind and cease all communication with the outside world. No phone, no internet, but the ever-present cameras throughout the house and a sponsor no one has ever met. On their very first night, things begin to go horribly wrong when their only contact, the production assistant needs to return to the mainland for problems getting the crew to the island. Needless to say, she never returns as things keep happening and contestants keep ‘dropping out’ as it were. Eventually, those remaining contestants need to decide if they want to work together to get off the island or fend for themselves.
Although the story is more than fantastical (I mean, what are the chances), it was somewhat entertaining. Ms. Worley writes in a clear, concise hand and I could hear the wind howling and the rain pelting my face as I waited through another storm with the contestants.
Personally, I’m too old for the TikTok craze, I mean, who cares whether you ‘like’ what I’m eating or where I am. With that in mind, it may be clouding my rating somewhat. If this story is how it all ends up in the end, you can keep it!

This book just wasn’t for me. I felt like it was a story that I’d read before but with the twist of influencers.
While I finished it, it wasn’t an easy smooth flowing read.

I had a hard time getting used to the language/writing style. As it was for YA there was definitely a differentiation between the slang and such. I suppose I'm getting old. However, the beginning was a tad confusing and it took me awhile to get a handle on the novel.
I enjoyed it for the most part, but it also wasn't my favourite concept.

What's not to love? Paradise gone wrong AND social media commentary. What a fun book!

10 teenage social media influencers are invited to put their phones away and spend a week on an island filming a new show called "In Real Life." Not long after they arrive, a death occurs and all hell literally breaks loose.

Who is after the influencers, what are their secrets and who can they trust? If you social media stories, vacations-gone-wrong and of course love a thriller, People to Follow is for you!
#stmartins #PeopletoFollow #OliviaWorley

A group of teen influencers go to an island for a reality show. They are deserted there and start being killed off. They all have dark hidden secrets that are being revealed. This was an exciting read and I’d like to thank NetGalley and St.Martins for this ARC that will be released October 31,2023!

I hate read this whole book. Almost didn’t bother to finish it. The character’s personalities were annoying, especially Elody. The one and only twist came 88% into the book and it just felt like I was reading jumbled together words and thoughts after that.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC!

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC!

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE/BODIES BODIES BODIES MASHUP!!!!

3.5 rounded up to a 4! I’m shocked by how much I enjoyed this—it’s something that I think could have very easily veered into taking itself too seriously so I’m glad the author went full campy with it! I think it results in a great time.

I can definitely see why some readers (especially those of older generations) might be put off by the slang and internet speak but I’m surrounded by teens on the daily so it’s nothing unusual to me; on top of that, it read as a satire of that style of dialect more than anything!

I love books that incorporate online life/influencing as a topic and found this super fun overall!

I did not like 95% of this book. The characters were annoying and bratty. I couldnt have cared if they lived or died.

Loved this book! Kept me interested from the beginning. Loved that it was about influencers ! The story definitely kept me guessing and wanting to figure it all out !

Gives Agatha Christie vibes! A great and phenomenal read that I highly enjoyed. It really kept me on the edge of my seat. I would recommend to teens and adult mystery readers alike!

I absolutely loved the premise of this book, and it did not disappoint. Influencers--friend and foe--on an island. Drama freaking central. It was juicy and immediately snagged my interest. If you like reality TV, watching awful rich people, and enjoy shocking plot twists then you'll love this.

Influencers on an island filming a new reality TV show... what could go wrong? This book kept me engaged and turning pages late into the night. The twists and turns weren't very predictable, which I loved! I thought that this was a great book - some of the characters were a little annoying but I thought it reflected influencer culture well. Thanks so much for the advanced copy!

This is such a 2023 book as it's a thriller about influencers. This book was a fun breezy read and was definitely a beach read thriller. I finished it in about two sittings because it was fast paced and I wanted to know who did it. For those who love trashy reality TV, this book is perfect for you. It's told from 3 POV's which I always appreciate when we get multiple POVs.

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

"People to Follow" by Olivia Worley is a fast-paced and easy read that revolves around a reality show set on a remote Caribbean island. Ten teen influencers are brought together to unplug and go live without any filters for three weeks, but things quickly take a dark turn when the production crew fails to show up and one of the influencers is found dead.

The premise of the book is intriguing and the cover is eye-catching, making it an appealing read for those interested in today's social media trends. However, the execution of the plot leaves something to be desired. The beginning of the book is confusing and it can be difficult to keep track of whose point of view we are reading from. Additionally, the dialogue can be cringy at times and the plot feels mostly surface-level.

Although there are hints at each influencer's darker past, the book doesn't dive deep enough into their past "crimes" to fully understand the weight of their actions. This makes it hard to connect with any of the characters on a deeper level.

Furthermore, the ending of the book was anticlimactic and left much to be desired. The resolution of the mystery felt rushed and left some questions unanswered.

Overall, "People to Follow" is an entertaining read for those looking for a quick, easy thriller that centers around social media and influencers. However, it may not satisfy readers who are looking for more depth in their mystery novels.

Wow! This was a really good who done it book. It kept me guessing until the end. It had several POV so it made it hard to put down.

thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book for my honest opinion

I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I was enjoying this until I got past the ~25% mark. A bit after that, I just stopped caring about (most of) the characters because of some things that were revealed. I continued reading, though, since I really thought the final twist would make everything better again, but I was disappointed by that, too.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting this to be a groundbreaking YA thriller, but I did hope to be a bit more shocked.

People To Follow is a taste of Pretty Little Liars meets Gossip Girl but with influencers at stake. This juicy novel keeps you on your toes and invested in each page. The writing flows naturally through multiple point of views and shocks you til the very end. Olivia Worley is definitely an author to watch. I loved it!

3.5 round up
"Ten teen influencers come to a remote island to star in a reality show, but when one of them winds up dead, they realize that this time, the price of being “cancelled” could be their lives."

What could go wrong? Well, when a storm finds its way to the island the influencers are stranded alone with nobody but themselves. They shortly discover that this reality tv show is more sinister then any of them could have imagined. Quickly things get heated, a fight breaks out on the first night, and they shortly realize that cancelled has a different definition on the island.

The influencers all know each other in some way, either from following each other online, or from complicated pasts. You get many POV's that lets you determine who you do or do not like in the cast. Everyone is highly flawed and there are a lot of deeper TW involved then what I expected. However, it did deliver everything I expected out of a stranded island YA lock room thriller-esque book.

This book is written to portray pure chaos and it you can feel the fear that the characters are suffering with. Nobody thinks they are safe and that high anxiety follows you throughout the book. The POV's allow you to dissect each character and it keeps you guessing as to what is really going on.

Overall, a great YA thriller that makes you think more about the impact that influencers have and if they are truly that good of role models. Although not the point of the book it is intriguing to think more deeply about how the fame can change a person and blur their reality.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance e copy of this book.

First of all -- the cover is AMAZING.

I was hooked before even reading the actual book because the synopsis had me hooked. Influencers and social media is such a large part of the world now and to combine that with a twisty thriller made for a fun ride.

This book gave me some Agatha Christie/Clue vibes throughout reading it because it was about a group of influencers secluded on a large island (and the house there) and one by one, half of them are killed and Olivia Worley has you guessing right up until the very end. She has you guessing not only who is doing it but why.

The book dives deeper into the social media/influencer world and raises some heavy questions along with giving us a backstage pass to the world of influencers and just how far they might go to succeed.

The only negatives I have are that four POVs were a little much in the beginning. It took me a while to remember who was telling their story as a lot of the characters were very similar. The last thing is that I felt Elody's use of the word "babe" was wildly overused.

Overall, this book was a fun read at a solid 4/5 stars.

This book reminded me so much of that real life, infamous island fiasco. I enjoyed how real everything felt, it made it a very entertaining read. It had me guessing from beginning to end!