This is a hard book for me to review, primarily because the subject matter was disturbing. It was well written and ultimately fast moving. It is the story of a family that has been targeted by a group of people who believe they are dangerous/satanic, and have to be destroyed by a certain date. The family is Jewish, which is something anti semites believe. It also looks at the power of social media and who is crazy and how to trust yourself

Movie, please!

Seriously, this one of those that Netflix or someone should pick up because it’s an absolutely riveting thriller.

I was rapt from page one, just munching my popcorn and not wanting to look away from the page.

I loved our characters and found the plot to be unusual and exciting!

Would read the author again in a heartbeat.

• ARC via Publisher

I’ve read thrillers by Allison Gaylin previously so I was excited to be approved for this advanced copy.

Meg and Justin are taking their daughter Lily to Ithaca College, when a car of young men force their car off the road which kills Justin. Then Meg and Lily receive threatening messages when it is discovered that Meg published a book – The Prophesy – that is misinterpreted as Satanism.

It was a slow start, but stick with it. And the tension kept me turning the pages. I could feel the despair when people form a group and misunderstand you and preach that as the truth.

Never Look Back is still my favorite by this author.

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #WeAreWatching in exchange for a honest review.

What a page-turner!

Meg's life is upturned when her husband Justin is killed on their way to taking their daughter, Lily, to college. A group of men surround their car and harass them, eventually leading to the car accident that ends Justin's life.

Nearly four months later, Meg returns to work at the bookstore she and Justin owned. Soon weird things begin happening at the store: people taking Meg's picture, odd visitors, harassing posts on their social media, and more. As Meg and Lily dig in, they learn some of the harassment may be tied to a book Meg wrote in her teens, called The Prophesy, which predicted the world would end on 12/22/2022 (a date that is rapidly approaching).

Meanwhile, Meg worries she's turning into her father, Nathan, a washed up rockstar who has spent most of Meg's life worrying about "the wolves" who are out to get him and who killed his wife (and who Meg knows died of untreated sepsis because Nathan distrusts doctors).

This story is insanely suspenseful, filled with crazy twists and turns. It's incredibly timely, delving into the world of conspiracy theories and the danger that those unyielding beliefs can bring. Told from the POV of Meg, Lily, and Nathan, it's a taut and tense story that keeps you guessing right up to its unsettling ending.

Meg Russo and her husband Justin were filled with pride as they drove their daughter Lily to her first year at Ithaca College. Suddenly a car full of rowdy young men, sideswiped the car and ran it off the road causing a crash that killed Justin. Months later Meg attempts to cope with her grief by working in her small bookstore. Lily, a promising musician, has deferred her first year of college to deal with her own feelings of loss and to support her mother. Soon their efforts to restore their lives are interrupted when Meg and Lily begin to receive strange threats and their lives are suddenly in danger.
As a young adult, Meg published a book called The Prophesy which predicted the end of the world. The threats soon turn to violence as she is accused of Satanism. Meg begins to realize that the accident that killed Justin was planned. Someone wanted to harm the entire family. When Meg finds that these threats are coming from people who have been her friends for years, she desperately must find a way to stop their dangerous misconceptions about her beliefs before she and Lily become the next victims.

This chilling and gripping book will keep you on the edge of your seat! A psychological thriller about a mother who fighting and desperate to protect her family before it is too late.

This was a crazy one - so creepy and paranoia-inducing and all about how people can form weird, weird groups online and become obsessed with an invented version of reality. There were a few minor things that annoyed me, but I’m chalking that up to people not always acting the way I think I would act in a situation (and probably I’m wrong about how I’d react to some of the crazy stuff that happened here).

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Alison Gaylin’s We Are Watching is a masterful blend of psychological suspense and contemporary social commentary, delivering a narrative that as chilling as it is thought-provoking. This novel explores the terrifying consequences of conspiracy theories and the lengths to which people will go when they believe they are fighting for a cause.

The story centers around Meg Russo, a mother grappling with the aftermath of a tragic car accident that claimed her husband’s life. As she tries to rebuild her life and protect her daughter, Lily, Meg becomes the target of a group of violent conspiracy theorists obsessed with a decades-old novel, The Prophesy. 

Gaylin excels in creating complex, relatable characters. Meg is portrayed with a raw vulnerability that makes her struggle deeply affecting. Her journey from grief and guilt to determination and courage is compelling. The antagonists, driven by their delusions, are depicted with a frightening realism that adds to the novel’s suspense. Lily, as a young music prodigy, brings a layer of innocence and hope, making the stakes even higher.

At its core, We Are Watching is a commentary on the dangers of misinformation and the power of belief. Gaylin explores how easily truth can be distorted and the devastating impact this can have on individuals and families. 

Gaylin’s writing is sharp and evocative, capturing the reader’s attention from the first page. The pacing is expertly managed, with each chapter ending on a note of suspense that compels you to keep reading. 

We Are Watching is a gripping and timely novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Alison Gaylin has crafted a story that is not only a thrilling page-turner but also a poignant exploration of contemporary issues. This book is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone interested in the darker side of human nature and the impact of societal fears.

Whether you are looking for a suspenseful escape or a thought-provoking read, We Are Watching delivers on both fronts. Highly recommended for its compelling characters, intricate plot, and insightful themes.

Wow! This one had so many twists and turns that I am left reeling. It follows a family who are being targeted by conspiracy theorists who believe they will bring on the end of the world unless they repent by 1212. The family doesn’t know who they can trust and they are left scrambling. The author uses social media conspiracy theories to bring the tension and you will be on the edge of your seat while trying to figure out who is part of the “cult” and what’s going to happen next.

A unique psychological thriller that you won’t be able to put down! It’s like nothing I have read before and definitely worth the read. Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced readers copy and the chance to leave my honest opinion.

Meg and her husband Justin are driving their teenage daughter to college when a car that’s been menacing them causes Meg to go off the road, and Justin is killed in the accident. Months later, Meg begins to receive threatening messages, her small bookstore is vandalized, and viral social media posts claim that Meg’s father, once in a popular band, is linked to Satanism, and there’s a group that’s hellbent on destroying her family. We Are Watching is a riveting thriller that fully immerses the reader in Meg’s world, and the writing so good it’ll make you feel just as frightened as Meg and her daughter. The attacks on Meg and her family ramp up as the book progresses and the unique plot unfolds as other characters add to the mix, keeping the reader firmly in place. I couldn’t finish this one fast enough, one of my favorites of the year!

What a totally, completely creepy story!

Meg Russo is still grieving a tragic accident that took place a few months ago when she finds herself a victim of targeted harassment. She learns soon enough that there is a group of people who believe that people targeted first his ex-rock star father and now here for work they had created. Her father's song and her own teenage novel supposedly hide lyrics and messages that speak to this group.
Gaylin is super talented and able to weave together a story that sounds a bit outrageous here in this description.

The book is tense and terrifying as it is hard to believe that this group of people have been moved to vandalize and threaten Meg and her daughter. It's so fast paced I almost can't believe what I read! If you love a tense thriller that doesn't let up. We Are Watching is for you!
#williammorrow #wearewatching #alisongaylin

We Are Watching by Alison Gaylin is a gripping and sinister psychological thriller.

Lily Russo is being driven to her first year of college by her parents Meg and Justin. What should be an exciting day turns deadly. A car of young men starts following them, taunting Lily and taking pictures. Meg tries to get away from them but has trouble keeping the car under control. They end up crashing and Justin doesn’t make it. Just when they are trying to settle back into their lives after the tragic accident they learn there is a cult that has been obsessed with their family for years and is convinced they will bring upon the end of the world by 121222 unless they repent.
The Wolves are watching! Who can they trust?

Many thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow Publishing for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

WHAT!! That was WILD! I CANNOT think straight right now. Like I'm legit paranoid for the two main characters lol This was such a wild ride with SO many suspenseful moments, I truly felt the anxiety and was on the edge of my seat. I loved the twists, a lot of them I did NOT see coming. This truly kept me intrigued and gripped to see what would happen next. It's wild how the crazies believed all of this and how they were everywhere. I truly enjoyed this, so thrilling and suspenseful! Easily 5 stars!!

I received this ARC from William Morrow and NetGalley to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

Thank you so very much to NetGalley and William Morrow Books!

Holy Cow! Alison Gaylin has a way of creating stories and characters who make you think and question every single person you have and will ever meet. I find myself in the grocery store, questioning the man I just passed by in aisle four, the mail carrier, your kid's third grade teacher, the annoying coworker or the nice lady who sits in the third pew at church, they are all under scrutiny. Maybe I might have said something or done something that I don't remember but they will never forgive or forget or their watching me for someone else's revenge. It's insane how these stories get in my head. Now that, is a great read!

This is the second book I've read by this author. The first one I read a couple of years ago and STILL think about it and now, there's this one. I've never had a book stay with me like The Collective did and because of that, I had pretty high expectations for this one and she did not disappoint!!

WOW! An absolutely gripping thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. I love to go into books relatively blind, so I was only vaguely aware of the plot when starting. The conspiracy theory/end of the world vibes were FANTASTIC. Such a unique take on a thriller and the character development was great.

HIGHLY recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

I'm not sure that I actually liked this incredibly intense psychological thriller, heavy with conspiracy theories and rabbit holes, but it was unique and propulsive. Focusing on a family at the center of a QAnon-esque conspiracy, this novel covers the sheer insanity of the last ~4 years of sociocultural experience AND manages to scare the pants off of you. Worth a weird and disorienting read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Mark your calendars for January 2025 because this is an absolute gem of a thriller that you won't want to miss. If you enjoyed Netflix’s "Worst Roommate Ever," this book will be right up your alley.

Meg Russo’s story is one of resilience and courage. After the heartbreaking loss of her husband, she and her college-aged daughter are determined to rebuild their lives and their family bookstore. But when unsettling threats from a group of unhinged conspiracy theorists—who believe a book predicted COVID-19 and that Meg’s musician father worshiped the devil—start to chip away at their sense of safety, the tension skyrockets. As the pressure mounts, these two strong women must dig deep, confront their fears, and uncover the truth before it’s too late.

I’ll admit, the first chapter had me bracing for a typical hormonal-middle-aged-woman-in-crisis-whose-kids-hate-her story or a confusing multi-timeline plot, but I was pleasantly surprised. The narrative stays focused and engaging.

It reminded me of my college days when I was assigned a persuasive paper on an off-the-wall conspiracy theory and chose the one about Paul McCartney being replaced after a car accident. The book perfectly captures that fringe backward logic and wild speculation, like people playing records backward and seeing clues that aren’t really there. And set in a post-COVID world, with Facebook and Reddit fueling rapid misinformation, it feels more relevant than ever.

If you consider yourself a light conspiracy theorist, you’ll likely find this book intriguing without feeling offended or put off. The characters each fall somewhere on a spectrum of skepticism. However, if you’re very sensitive to themes of mental illness, particularly schizophrenia, this might not be the right fit for you, though it’s not overly dark or scary. I’d also note minor trigger warnings for antisemitism, illness, car crashes, and loss of a parent.

This would make an excellent, quick book club read, opening up rich conversations about the spread of misinformation, the spiral of delusion, and how wild theories—amplified by the anonymity of the internet—can take root and lead to real-world harm.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

“We Are Watching” by Alison Gaylin is an intense and suspenseful psychological thriller. A couple is driving their daughter to Ithaca College when a car pulls up next to them and the passengers begin to taunt the daughter. The car crashes and the husband is killed. While trying to cope with her grief the mother starts receiving strange messages, visitors and threats. She discovers that a book she has written as a child, which was never published has become the source of a cult doomsday prophecy. The journey from broken wife to saving her daughter and herself from these fanatics is tightly woven and will keep you turning each page.

Ms. Gaylin uses conspiracy theories fed through social media to make this story very real and quite terrifying! A quick and exciting read.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so much better than I expected. I am so excited to buy it. Thank you so much for the ARC, Netgalley. This author may be an instant buy for me now.

While driving their daughter Lily to college, Meg and her husband Justin find themselves pursued by a car full of aggressive young men. The Russo family ends up being forced off the road and Justin is killed in the accident. Now it’s months later and Meg and Lily are trying to go on from this awful tragedy. But suddenly, they find themselves being targeted on social media and the book store Meg runs vandalized. What is behind these strange attacks? Does it go back to Meg’s father’s music career and his famous cult following. Or is it related to Meg’s own childhood novel that she wrote called “The Prophesy” which some believed to be a doomsday conspiracy novel. As the threats worsen, Meg finds herself doing everything she can to protect herself, her daughter and her father. This was a fast paced ride that came to an intense climactic finish! Loved this read and highly recommend it!