"If You're Seeing This, It's Meant For You" is a multi-genre, fever-dream of a novel that follows Gen-Z Olivia and Millennial Dayna as they navigate working in a crumbling gothic manor turned hype-house. And I ate it up!

I really enjoyed this one. It's clear that Stein is such a talented writer, and she really understands the culture of the internet, and she embodies the distinct voices of both Gen-Z and Millennial women. Even though the plot was over the top and, at times, pretty unbelievable, I was totally sat. I enjoyed the ridiculousness of the book, and it's clear that satire is something Stein is very skilled at writing.

The best thing about this book is Stein's commentary on TikTok and the lifestyle of influencers, especially influencers who are using content creation as their full-time job. I, personally, missed a lot of the discourse around hype houses when they were more popular, but I think that Stein's use of this setting was kind of brilliant? Normally, I dislike books that feel "too modern" or that provide heavy commentary on social media. Because most of the time, I think the throughline is that "social media is bad" or "we're addicted to our phones," and I'm just frankly tired of that narrative. Yes, social media can be negative, and yes, I do think some of us need to touch more grass, but to have such one-dimensional takes about one of the most powerful tools of our time is honestly so wild to me. I really like how Stein delved into social media and peeled back the layers of how funny and bizarre creating content can be, while also rewarding, healing, and monetarily lucrative. There's also an overarching theme of the "evolution" of the internet from "the Tumblr girl" phase to the "modern content creator." So much to chew on here, especially for those of us *rasies hand* who work in social media!

This book isn't too long, but it definitely packs a ton of storylines into one bizarre story. If you like "weird girl fiction" with an emphasis on satire and social commentary about the internet, then this one is for you.

This is one of those crazy novels that took me a while to assimilate as it moves quickly with twists and turns at every corner! Dayna moves into Craig's crumbling mansion and it literally becomes a House of Influencers as the guests post everything online. But one young resident, Becca, is missing and no one knows where she is. As each are worried about their own careers, they form relationships, attempt to out-do each other with "likes" and are never quite sure what will happen next. It's a pure thrill-ride!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I cannot stop thinking about this book! If You're Seeing This, It's Meant for You is a modern gothic mystery involving a social media hype house and a missing influencer. I went into this book without any expectations, and was shocked by how quickly I connected with the characters and became invested in the story. The book was also flat out funny - the opening scene had me giggling alone in an airport. The story itself was a lot like social media disasters - I just couldn't tear my eyes away.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think it could be a really interesting book to discuss in a book club. I'm curious about how this book will feel in another 20-30 years as social media trends and the internet continue to morph.

The concept behind this book was so intriguing! A modern gothic told through the confines of a TikTok hype house. The author really understands Internet culture and how your life stage and age affects your experience there. Social media really was a place, a setting. The plot was wonderful, and I just wanted to spend more time there with our characters, getting to know them. With that element, the book would’ve felt really complete and would’ve given some grounding on character motivations when things were moving so fast.

Thank you so much for providing me this book! My review will be published on my TIkTok account @catieschwartzman in my May Reading Wrap-Up video.

I'm normally not the biggest fan of books that feel too current, especially if they reference the pandemic or incorporate references to TikTok/social media in general. However, these topics are handled well in this book—nothing is too on the nose and it generally all feels relevant to the plot, especially since the majority of the characters are content creators. I especially loved the use of a Reddit post to introduce the book. In fact, I feel like the book had such a strong start that my three-star rating is mainly based on how it seemed to fall flat in the second half. There was quite a bit of tension built up in the first half surrounding the mystery of the missing influencer, so I expected the ending to be a bit more exciting. I feel like some of the characters didn't get a real resolution and I would have liked to learn more about what happened to them. I still enjoyed this book, though, and will definitely be adding some of Leigh Stein's other books to my TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I didn't know what I was getting into with a modern gothic, but I loved every minute!
 found this story incredibly bingable! The writing style is so accessible - I felt engaged from the first chapter! I really enjoyed the storyline and the mystery kept me glued to my kindle. I finished the book in two sittings because I just didn't want to put it down. It actually hauled me out of my reading slump! I love the commentary on social media and our attachments to it - reminds me of Melissa Broder's work to a degree. I'm eager to read more from this author and I look forward to picking this up on release day!

This book is undeniably timely, offering a sharp and often unsettling look at the world of hype houses and teen influencers. It captures the surreal nature of social media fame, touching on topics like vaping culture and parasocial relationships in a way that feels very current. That said, the book sometimes struggles under the weight of its own relevance. Because the subject matter is so close to real life and still unfolding, parts of the commentary felt underdeveloped or a little too on-the-nose. The introduction was by far the strongest part—it hooked me right away—but the momentum didn’t always carry through. Still, it’s a solid pick for readers interested in thrillers that reflect the strange, hyper-online world we live in now.

I was super on-board with this.... until I wasn't

Starting off with a funny little Reddit AITA post, Dayna finds out through the internet that she's just been dumped. Facing sudden homelessness, she decides to get into contact with an old acquaintance and take a job as a manager at a hype house--set in a very old Hollywood famous house. However, she soon finds out that the house is shrouded in the mystery of Becca, a tarot card reading influencer who suddenly vanished after posting a cryptic video.

Like I said, I thought the first half of this book was captivating. The writing was fantastic, the characters were interesting, and the slow weaving mystery kept me turning the pages. But by the second half of the book it loses a lot of steam. We don't get a lot of character development outside of our two main players (Dayna and Olivia) which is a shame because they all have very interesting setups. Sean and Piper especially were two characters that I thought had the most potential, but they just get shoved in a corner after Piper's backstory gets revealed. And the ending was just super rushed, I'm not sure I loved how it ended considering how the story was going.

I enjoyed my time with it, I just wish that second half would've baked longer in the oven.

I loved this novel so much! This is my first time reading from this author, and now I can’t wait to her previous books. I was immediately captivated from the start, which is a Reddit post. After that, the novel alternates between two characters, Dayna and Olivia. I enjoyed reading from both their perspectives. Leigh Stein’s prose is so hilarious, poignant, and razor-sharp. The ultra cool vibe and creepy setting in a decaying, gothic California mansion perfectly sets the right tone and ambiance. I really felt I was living inside this incredible story about the highs and lows of internet fame. I went into this book completely blind and it totally paid off. This book might seem shallow but it has a deep and profound message. I liked the concept and story structure. The novel has excellent pacing and witty side characters. The ending made me smile. Such a fun and riveting adventure. Highly recommended!

I think this was an interesting concept for a book, especially in this day and age, but I don't know if this was executed as well as it could have been. The writing was great, there were so many lines I bookmarked because they were beautifully written!

I was expecting this to be a bit more gothic and suspenseful, but it kind of fell short for me I think. I didn't really connect with any of the characters, they didn't feel fully developed. A large portion of the book was quite rabbit-focused, which I don't think was all that necessary. The chapters were quite long and nothing in them was holding my attention.

The ending seemed very rushed, and I don't even really know exactly what happened? Overall, I unfortunately think I was more excited to finish the book for the sake of finishing it, rather than wanting to know how the story ended. The cover is absolutely gorgeous though!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Took me a bit to get into as I didn't really understand the concept of a "hype house" before reading this. Regardless the writing of this was pretty good Stein did a good job at building up to the mystery of what the house is up to. I did like the individual personalities of each character and they even reminded me of current and past social media influencers.
4.2/5

Another banger from internet queen, Leigh Stein! IYSTIMFY is a quick read, with depth, humor, and Stein's signature satire. Both POV's are relatable, regardless of your age. Dayna, the disillusioned Millennial artist/journalist struggling with yet another "pivot," and Olivia, the extremely online Gen Z kids trying to make sense of her circumstances. One chapter in particular really nerds out on Tarot in a clever way.

Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!

Im obsessed with the best book of 2025! I devoured it in one sitting, completely captivated by the story. The characters were so well-developed, and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down, even when my friends and family tried to distract me. The writing was engaging, and the author's style was unique. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a page-turner. Trust me, you won't regret it! It's a must-read for book lovers,

➵ If You’re Seeing This, It’s Meant for You is about a tarot influencer who vanishes from a haunted Los Angeles hype house. Leigh Stein captures the surrealness of “the platform” with humor and insight, making this a quick and engaging read. It’s a tale for anyone who’s ever felt like a message from the universe found them at just the right, or wrong, moment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC! °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

A thought-provoking commentary on social media and influencer culture, intertwined with a mysterious plot. The dual POV from Dayna and Olivia offers a unique perspective from both an older and younger lens.

Enjoyable quick read!

👯‍♂️👀MULTI-POV
➖UNDER 200pgs
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Popular esoteric Influencer Becca from the Decker House (think Hype House) ghosts all social media, never to be seen or heard from again.

Dayna, 39 && is dumped via Reddit while following a moving truck full of her possessions to said-now-ex-boyfriend’s house.

Quickly re-routed to the haunted Decker House to help her old friend & owner Craig with managing a slew of influencers && renovating the house. She’s pulled into the mystery surrounding Becca’s disappearance — and strange things are afoot @ the Decker house.

I was gifted an eARC from the publisher of this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley!

The first 36% had me peeing my pants out of laughter. Not literally, I promise.

I love the cover of this book so so so so much. I think I could actually write an essay on why I love the cover alone, so strong feelings towards the cover.

The rabbit is my favorite part of this book.

For the social commentary alone and weirdness, this book gets 3 stars. Most books that include influencers or people even using social media have an outdated touch to it that takes me out of the book and if it’s detached enough it can be a bit cringy. This book did an excellent job at capturing some of the typical internet slang, weird challenges, and crazy things people do to gain traction.

The reason it wasn’t a 5 star read for me personally, even though it might be your next favorite book:
-It’s hard to make me laugh, I won’t lie. Like, really hard. The fact that this book managed to captivate me and get me going for a solid 20% alone is awesome.
-A lot of the humor in this book is related to the craziness that comes with a hype house, and unfortunately that also realistically includes really dangerous activities, so those are definitely a part of this book. These characters do very scary insane things.
-I think my brain is too tired to keep track of so many characters, so I struggled a bit to understand fully the dynamics and what all was happening, but it seems like there were two characters, Jake and Olivia, that were more main than other character in the hype house? I have this regular struggle with books, so it’s likely a me thing.
-It began to feel slightly overwritten to me by about 60% in, I was struggling to want to jump back in, but, this also could be a me thing. The first half was excellent, and then I lost interest as I got further in the book, which is a new experience for me.

Trigger/Content Warnings, Potential Spoilers (the ones I can remember and identify currently):
-Self Harm
-Family conflict
-Alcohol usage
-Vomiting
-Grieving

I knew I was going to vibe with this book when the epigraph included Olivia Rodrigo. AND then she was quoted again later in the book. So that already was a star right there. This book had a lot of fun references and was basically Team 10 living in the House on Haunted Hill (It’s every day bro?) and a pet rabbit named Owen Wilson.. The mystery was interesting enough to keep me going but I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. This is a book where the concept kind of out did the plot but it was really fun to read - even if I started reading it in Victoria Ratliff’s voice after Lorazepam was mentioned.

I devoured this book in one sitting. It was part look at social media and influencer culture, part classic gothic, and part mystery. I loved getting the point of view of both Dayna and Olivia and seeing them through each others perspectives. There was a handful of central characters — as well as those connected to the houses history — but I found the characters all distinctive enough to keep track of. Whenever I got comfortable the story took a twist, keeping me on my toes.

3 stars

Dayna gets dumped by her boyfriend in a Reddit post (that sounds even worse than break up by Post-it.) Then Craig, a man she knew twenty years ago offers her the chance to revive her career by helping to turn his decrepit mansion into a to a hype house for influencers.

She accepts, but she doesn’t realize that Becca, a tarot card influencer living at the house has gone missing. Dayna enlists the help of Olivia, another influencer in the house, to help create a social media campaign to help find Becca, but Craig doesn’t want the bad publicity.

Olivia searches the mansion for clues and gets to know the other three people living in the house while Dayna becomes involved with both Craig and Jake, another house resident and the last person to see Becca. Where has Becca gone and what secrets are hidden in the house?

This was OK. I’m aware of hype houses, but don’t follow any influencers, so a lot of this wasn’t super familiar to me. The ending was very rushed, I had to read it a second time to make sure I caught what happened. Definitely geared toward younger people.

This book has a rabbit named Owen Wilson...let that sink in for a second. Just sit with that for a moment. Iconic. I think everyone needs a rabbit named Owen Wilson.

Given that this author does a lot of satire and commentary writing, this book is a conversation on a lot of aspects of our modern world. For example, our main character learns about her own relationship/break-up through a Reddit thread. And I thought that was hilarious.

This book has a touch of modern gothic spook to it. We get a spooky old mansion that is turned into a modern, influencer-type house, and lots of aspects of the world of the influencer. And through the lens of very different people.

I, personally, didn't really connect to the characters. They weren't fully developed enough for me. And I can see that being a choice since influencers are just marketing shells of people, but there's a way to make a character shallow without it seeming like you didn't spend enough time on them. This didn't feel purposeful, even if it was. I don't even think it was.

This is another book with a great premise but with an execution that didn't quite hit the mark. This could've been so deep and interesting, but it didn't land for me the way I wanted it to. I can still see a lot of people liking this though.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.