I really enjoyed this book. It had creepy cult vibes that kept me guessing through the whole book. I never knew who could be trusted. It definitely surprised me several times. I have read several books by Alison Gaylin and I really enjoyed her storytelling.

This is one of those wild, what the heck did I just read kind of books - which honestly is exactly the kind of thriller I enjoy! With the original plot though, there was definitely a lack of depth here, it doesn't seem like one that will stick with me for a long time. But these kinds of books are perfect for when you need a popcorn thriller to keep you entertained. I would definitely recommend this to someone who asked for an original and fun thriller that you could get through in a weekend!

3.5 stars rounded up. This thriller started off strong for me, but my attention drifted a bit in the middle and never fully bounced back. I felt like I spent most of the book waiting for something big to happen, which was fun in a way but also really wasn't. It was suspenseful and weird in a realistic, sort of timely way though and could be creepy at times.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

I've loved a previous book by this author and I was so freaking excited to get her newest one! Unfortunately, this one didn't grip me or live up to my own hype for it. And I've learned that thriller revolving around conspiracies are maybe not for me.

Meg Russo had it all—a loving husband, a gifted daughter headed off to college, and a car ride full of hope... until everything flipped upside down. Literally. One strange encounter with an erratic car and a horrific crash later, Meg is widowed, grieving, and holding onto her daughter Lily like a life raft.

Fast-forward four months: Meg is trying to put the pieces back together by reopening her charming little bookstore. But instead of healing, she gets... doomsday cultists. Yep. Apparently, The Prophesy—a YA novel she wrote two decades ago—is now the holy text of a band of online nutcases who think it predicted a literal apocalypse. Satanic panic? Check. Social media-fueled rage? Check. Death threats and creepy messages in your bookstore? Check, check, check.

As the chaos ramps up, Meg realizes two things:

This is no ordinary fanbase.

Her husband’s “accident” might not have been so accidental.

This novel is a tense, timely ride that taps into modern fears about online extremism and how fast fiction can turn into fanaticism. The buildup is a slow burn, but once it hits its stride, buckle up. It’s fast-paced, unsettling, and weirdly realistic (which makes it all the scarier). The ending might not match the thrilling setup beat for beat, but the ride there? Totally worth it.

Meg is a heroine you root for, Lily is fierce and smart, and the danger feels all-too-real.

A twisty, relevant thriller that shows how fiction can become weaponized—and how far a mother will go to protect her daughter. Highly recommended for fans of psychological suspense, social commentary, and stories that leave you side-eyeing your Wi-Fi.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC—this one gave me chills in the best way.

Thank you to William Morrow for the digital copy to review.

This was a WILD ride, it started with a bang (or rather, a crash) right from the start and was fast paced until the very end, and as such I read this in one setting. Intense, heart pounding and heart breaking, I loved the premise, thought it was well executed, and yikes, that ending was nuts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This mystery thriller had an interesting premise, but it didn’t completely live up to my expectations. The story kept me curious for a while, but the pacing felt a bit uneven, and some of the twists didn’t have the impact I was hoping for. While I enjoyed the atmosphere and some of the character development, I wasn’t fully invested in the plot.

It was an okay read, and mystery thriller fans might find it enjoyable, but it didn’t fully captivate me.

Off the wall read with many unexpected twists and turns.
Lots of drama and suspense all based on a book written 30 years earlier.
The author showcases just how out there some people can be and how far they go off the rails.

There was a lot of hype about this one so I was really excited to finally get to it. Unfortunately, for me, it did not live up to the hype. It took me a long time to read it as it did not suck me so I put it down often .

The story of a cult that has formed slowly targeting a family is a slow burn. In today's (2025) political climate (while this book is not political at all), the conversation of cult followings resonated. It is amazing what people will believe and how far they will go to protect that belief.

Retelling any of the story is a spoiler in my opinion. I felt there were some gaps in the story but overall is was OK. I am not going to ignore it and may recommend it to a fellow reader.

Equal parts psychological thriller and chilling social commentary, We Are Watching dives headfirst into the madness of conspiracy culture. After a tragic accident that shatters her family, Meg Russo just wants to grieve in peace—but the internet has other plans. What follows is a heart-pounding unraveling of paranoia, loss, and the dark side of viral belief.

Gaylin nails the terror of being hunted not just physically, but digitally. A story about grief, guilt, and the dangerous power of fiction, this one will have you checking over your shoulder.

Let’s be real. If a book involves a cult, I’ll likely be reading it (along with half the population). But what if that cult was set around the destruction of you and your family? I loved the premise of this book, because it really showed how cultish behavior can lead to real harm on innocent people. This book was incredibly creepy and made me want to keep reading.

4.5 stars rounded up.

A legitimately terrifying story! Three generations of a family are targeted by a doomsday cult, who are convinced that a book Meg wrote as a teenager, and an album her father recorded, contain clues and demonic spells that will lead to the end of the world. The tension and suspense build to a terrifying crescendo as Meg, her daughter Lily, and her father find members of the cult everywhere in the days leading up to the date the cult believes will be the end of the world. Can they trust anyone? Can they survive that day? I loved the writing, which was scary and suspenseful, and the many twists and turns as you suspect anyone and everyone in the book of being of members of the cult. A great payoff at the end. Alison Gaylin never disappoints, and this one is a doozy!

I love a good cult book and this one did not disappoint! The characters were easy to like and it broke my heart for the ending. Loved it.

This book was great! A different take on the doomsday stuff that I found well done. And scary to think there are people who think like that. Well done! 4.5 stars

The best books push buttons and this one made me uncomfortable, so it gets a gold star! Conspiracies and family tragedy combine to make one of the most unputdownable books I’ve read so far this year!

Meg Russo and her family become the target of crazed conspiracy theorists. First, her husband Justin dies in a car accident triggered by a car that swerves beside theirs and honks repeatedly.Meg reopens a local bookstore, but odd happenings and online threats continue. Seems that thirty years before, Meg had written a YA novel entitled The Prophesy, that a spreading social media cult has come to believe is linked to Satanism.

They're after both Meg and her reclusive father, a famed musician, accused by the same kooks of being an evil warlock.Meg's daughter Lily, also a talented musician, is targeted and manipulated as well, but in a different way. Both question who they can trust as events - and violence - escalates.

An innocent trip to drop off her daughter at college ends up with a tragic car wreck and the death of Meg Russo’s husband. Meg attempts to pull her life together but things begin to get weird. She receives threatening Facebook notices and it seems there’s a massive online conspiracy against Meg, her father and her daughter threatening to turn deadly. Without giving too much away, I found this fast-moving suspense novel quite intricate with lots of twists and turns. Hitchcock, if still alive, would make this novel into a great movie with Meg’s paranoia taking centerstage.

Big thanks to both NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced reader's copy of this quite wild and strange read.

I really wanted to get into this more, but I found it so hard. I kept putting this down and did not find myself reaching for it again. The story started out with a decent enough attentiong grab, but then I just felt myself drifting away and having a hard time staying engaged.

I think there was just too much going on everywhere that I found myself getting confused and having trouble keeping up.

However, there are lots of rave reviews out there for this read so definitely check it out for yourself!!

You know how sometimes you choose a book because you think it's one thing but then it's a totally different thing?

That's this book.

I really loved the premise of this book and I was even down for the type of crazy that I could tell this book would turn into. And maybe it's because I've never really heard of anything like this happening, but I just like it was all a little bit too much.

I loved to read books about cults, and that's what I felt this one was about, but the idea that an entire town can be out to get a family seemed a smidge far-fetched to me. I put up with it because I loved the main characters and the differing points of view, but by the climax I found myself ready for it to be all over.

The ending was convoluted, in my opinion, and it just didn't stick for me. While I thoroughly enjoyed the middle of this book, the beginning was slow and the end was just a little too ridiculous for my liking.

This was creepy and strange - but enjoyable to read. Stormed through it. Thanks to the publisher for the early read!