Just finished Influencer by Adam Cesare and… wow. This one is a dark, unflinching look into the world of online fame—and it pulls no punches.

The story blends horror with razor-sharp social commentary, calling out the parasitic nature of influencer culture while keeping the tension high and the pages turning. Cesare manages to take a world obsessed with clicks, clout, and curated personas and twist it into something terrifyingly real. The pacing is tight, the horror is visceral, and the characters are just the right mix of morally gray and fascinatingly flawed.

A murder mystery I did not want to finish reading……
Half the time I spent reading I wanted to dnf the book.

There was a lot of potential here and if I was a teen I would have been so spooked and ate this up.

This was my first book written by this author. I have been recommended their works on numerous occasions and been told that it would be right up my alley.

Influencer was such a great horror book and had all the fantastic makings that left you feeling on edge.

Though, I am truthfully shocked that this is marked as young adult because of some of the content that occurred in the book so I do want to say to check out trigger warnings if you don’t usually venture into the horror genre.

I will definitely be picking up more works by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Influencer by Adam Cesare is a masterclass in blending horror, suspense, and sharp social commentary. From the first page, Cesare grips the reader with a dark and immersive narrative that doesn’t let go. The story is a fast-paced, relentless rollercoaster, with twists and turns that keep you on edge, questioning the line between reality and the chilling, twisted world of social media influence.

What truly sets Influencer apart is Cesare’s ability to tap into the modern obsession with fame, identity, and the thirst for validation, all while weaving a terrifying tale of horror. The characters are richly developed, and their motivations are complex, making them both relatable and deeply unsettling. Cesare’s writing is sharp and engaging, with a biting sense of humor that elevates the tension and adds layers of depth to the chilling events.

The way Cesare navigates the darker sides of influencer culture is both thought-provoking and terrifying. It’s a story that resonates with our current social climate, and it never shies away from exploring uncomfortable truths. The pacing is spot-on, and the tension builds to a climax that will leave you breathless.

Influencer is a perfect blend of contemporary horror and psychological thriller, and it’s the kind of book that stays with you long after the last page. A must-read for fans of horror and suspense who crave a story that’s as thought-provoking as it is spine-tingling.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Influencer by Adam Cesare

Aaron, a secret social media influencer (he wears a mask in his videos) is the new boy in town. Since he is psychotic(?) and new, he creates a fake persona and befriends a group of kids who just happen to worship his influencer personality. But his identity doesn’t stay secret for long, and he’s not happy about it.

But let’s back up a moment. Before all of that happened, the book opened with one of the most thrilling, horrific, and insane opening scenes in almost any book I’ve ever read. Then we meet Aaron. And Crystal. And the rest of the gang who are all best friends but don’t seem to be able to wait to stab each other in the back. All it took was an influencer. Told in alternating POV’s between Aaron (villain) and Crystal (victim), we witness the destruction and ease an influencer can have over people and how easy it is for people to be influenced by people they really don’t know. We get to be in the mind of a (insert correct mental illness here) teen. He’s smooth, smart, calculating, and honest. Being in the mind of Aaron as he described his feelings (or lack thereof), the things he had done, and the things he was going to do was a horrific and chilling experience. Cesare did a remarkable job here. After Aaron did his “thing” it kind of fell off for a while, but then picked back up when he did his next “thing.”

I read an e-arc of the book, but at times listened to the audiobook (which was one of the best narrated books I’ve ever listened to btw.) The narrators were wholly convincing and chilling in their storytelling.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.

Another favorite by Adam Cesare! I love a good teen slasher book/movie and this one was so fun! My teen patrons will devour this, I have already recommended this to a few.

The entire book is a fast paced, intense ride that had me hooked the entire time. To me, this book was a perfect blend of Dexter, You, and Heathers and i highly recommend Influencer to anyone looking for a good thriller. At times a little over the top but let’s face it, social media is life to some these days.

My students are always clamoring for new thrillers. This one breaks away from the predictable (if fun) traditional YA thrillers & I think they will be here for this text. I was not a fan of the gore—that’s not my thing—but the kids? Some of the kids live for that. I need to read the Clown in a Cornfield series now… well, maybe when it’s light & bright outside!

Gross and gory and very teenage. Definitely was too old for this book because I felt ancient and anxious reading about these teens behavior.

This was a fun horror story, it definitely got under my skin. It's also something that feels...horrifyingly possible in today's social media driven society,

thank you netgalley & the publisher for this advanced reader copy.

Boy was the book something! I’m a big fan of Cesare’s other books and I was really looking forward to this!
The violence definitely still help in this one and im honestly shocked that this is consider young adult. There are some horrifying things that happen in this book that I personally wouldn’t want my young adult children to read but reading it as an adult provided a lot of entertainment!

Be warned going into this there’s definitely some triggering content, some that I personally had to skip over.

There’s a lot of entertaining things in this book, but I don’t think it’s going to be for everyone. I think there’s definitely flaws with this one but overall fun!

Such a good horror per usual by Adam Cesare. The way he writes is so detailed and engaging. It truly creates a picture in your mind. The way he weaves deeper meanings, such as social media, is so good.

Expertly written, compelling, and creepy. Some of the animal cruelty--while accurate--might be a little too much for some of my kiddos who are contemplating this kind of activity.

A YA slasher? Yes, please, sign me up. I was not disappointed at all in this fun, tense, unhinged thriller/slasher. Can't wait to read more from Cesare!

Thank you NetGalley, Union Square & Co., and Adam Cesare for the early access copy of Influencer.

Influencer is a dual point-of-view horror novel that follows a teen psychopath with cult leader qualities that uses his charisma and the popularity of social media to influence his classmates. The other point of view is a teen who sees through the antagonist's charismatic facade and is at risk because of it.

The prologue of the book sets the tone for the gruesome nature that will follow. The story will hook horror fans with interest in gruesome descriptions and psychopathic mindsets. This was an eerie read that is geared for an older YA audience. The novel contains trigger warnings with graphic scenes, animal death, and violence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. As will most young adult novels, a bit of suspension of belief is required to fully immerse yourself in the story and I would say this one is no different. It can seem far fetched at times but to me that is part of the fun. I took this one camping with me and it was the perfect read isolated from society and away from social media. The kids in the novel feel like kids, flaws and all, which is hard to do but something Cesare does flawlessly. Aaron had a bit of a Joe Goldberg feel to him being both downright despicable and yet charming and funny at times. I think every teen girl who went to high school had a bit of Crystal’s insecurity in them and her character was a fantastic counterbalance to Aaron. The plot had a bit of mystery to it which I appreciated and kept an intense pace from the very beginning. The prologue hooked me in and I enjoyed the firecracker bang of an ending. This one has trigger warnings in the front but it is a young adult novel and I do think it is appropriate for younger teens looking for a disturbing thriller.

If you thought Clown in a Cornfield was wild ride, then Influencer is going to rock your world in every way possible.

First, as I haven't seen many reviews of Influencer that have content warnings, I want to give people a heads-up about sexual violence and animal deaths. If you're sensitive to either of those subjects, then you may want to skip this one.

Synopsis: Influencer centers an endlessly charismatic teen boy named Aaron, who moves to a small town with his parents in the middle of his senior year of high school. Aaron has all the trappings of a "cool kid" that everyone wants to be friends with, but Crystal isn't buying what Aaron is selling. She can tell that something is off, and tries - and fails - to warn her friends.

And that's where the mayhem begins. Crystal's intuition about who Aaron really is spot-on, and Aaron can't allow her warning to her friends to go unpunished.


Review: This one was a rough read, and I am someone who enjoys splatterpunk and extreme horror. Maybe it's because Aaron isn't the typical spook you find in horror novels. He's much worse than any ghost, monster, or demon, because he's human.

Also, the prose left a little to be desire. There was too much exposition, and a rush to get to the next point in the story. There wasn't any of the "finesse" that was in Clown in a Cornfield.

Overall, it's not a bad read, and if a dizzying horror story about deliciously psychotic teenager is up your alley, then you'll enjoy this one.

This book was so good. I always love Adam Cesare reads since his debut with Clown on the Cornfield. This book made me love the killer of the book so much. Plus the cover is pretty. I liked how it was written and the crazy storyline. Looking forward to more of Adam work.

Based on the audiobook original story, this is an expanded version of that fact-paced YA psychological thriller that plays on the overwhelming popularity of social media in teens lives tied up with a murderous psychopath. My first by this author, I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. A great spooky season horror thriller! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This one was so fun! I've been wanting to read one of Cesare's books for a while so I was happy to get this digital review copy.

This book definitely does not read like a young adult story. I felt myself cringing so many times (that's a compliment).

I love books about the scary side of social media and Cesare did not disappoint. I liked the references to some known true crime legends thrown in as well. It definitely helped paint the picture of just how unhinged some of these characters actually were. There was also a huge amount of sincere teen feelings and demonstrations of the things that kids may do for their friends but also for their reputation.