Gothic novels are one of my favorite genres and overall I really enjoyed this modern take on one. The behind the scenes working of a TikTok hype house was really detailed and interesting, and I enjoyed the perspectives of both Dayna and Olivia. Minus one star for the last chapter, which felt like a bit of a cheap ending.

A gothic tale set in the glitzy, crumbling heart of contemporary Hollywood.

Leigh Stein’s If You’re Seeing This, It’s Meant for You pulls you in from page one. We meet Dayna at her lowest—publicly dumped, professionally adrift, and clinging to one last thread in L.A.: a residency at a once-iconic mansion turned influencer house. It’s not exactly the glamorous second act she imagined, but it’s familiar. Twenty years ago, this very place launched her art career. Now it’s falling apart, and so is she!

Tasked with managing the house’s new generation of creators—some lost, some ambitious, all haunted by fame—Dayna does her best.. But the past looms large. What really happened to Becca, the house’s famous tarot reader and social media darling? And what secrets is Craig, and his reclusive sister, hiding behind the screen-ready façade?

This book is smart, eerie, and sharp-eyed about the performance of identity, both online and off. With echoes of gothic tradition wrapped in influencer gloss, Stein has crafted a perfectly unsettling story about reinvention, loss, and the ghosts we follow for likes.

#Ballantine #IfYoureSeeingThisItsMeantForYou #LeighStein #ContemporaryGothic #DarkLit #HollywoodThriller #TarotVibes

If You’re Seeing This, It’s Meant for You by Leigh Stein is one of those books that feels like it’s holding a mirror up to the way we live now—especially the way we reach for connection in a world that often feels disconnected, curated, and strangely performative.

Going into it, I wasn’t sure what to expect—a satirical take? A commentary on digital life? But what I found was something more layered and emotionally sharp. Stein writes with this biting honesty, exploring the strange, often blurry space between who we are and who we present ourselves to be, especially online. It’s both funny and devastating in equal measure.

The narrator feels so familiar—not because she’s exactly like me, but because she taps into something universal: that aching desire to be seen, loved, validated. And she’s not afraid to show her flaws, her contradictions, her craving for attention even when she pretends not to care. I found myself cringing at moments, nodding at others, and completely caught up in her spiral.

What makes the book hit especially hard is how well it captures the loneliness beneath the surface. Behind all the filters, the posts, the performative self-awareness, there’s real vulnerability. Real hunger. It’s not just about being online—it’s about what we’re trying to soothe when we log in.

By the end, I felt both seen and a little bit exposed. It’s that kind of book—the one that entertains you while quietly asking, Are you paying attention to the ways you’re performing too?

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me an advance copy of Leigh Stein's #contemporaryfiction novel, If You're Seeing This, It's Meant for You, in exchange for an honest review.

#IfYoureSeeingThisItsMeantforYou is ultimately a social commentary on the influencer space. Set in a crumbling Hollywood mansion that gets converted into a hype house, this contemporary fiction novel blends elements of #mystery, #satire, and #gothichorror to create a modern-day fable of sorts whose lesson is a warning to society about the pervasiveness of social media and the potential loss of identity associated with online personas and the influencer space.

39-year-old Dayna is jobless, in debt, and has just been publicly humiliated after being dumped by her 44-year-old boyfriend via a Reddit post. Desperate and down on her luck, Dayna phones an old friend to accept his recent offer of a potential job and place to live while she figures out her next steps. She arrives at the house only to discover that the task ahead of her may be more challenging than she initially thought.

A few states over, 19-year-old Olivia is reeling from a different set of devastating circumstances, which draws her to the hype house where she meets the enigmatic owner Craig, her new content manager Dayna, and a handful of other influencers staying at the house for various reasons.

While building their brands, engaging with fans, and working through personal traumas, some of the influencers learn that they have another shared motive: to find the missing tarot card reader and fellow influencer, Becca. Along with Dayna's guidance, the group bands together to execute an ambitious campaign that will hopefully pay for the house's much-needed renovations, boost their careers, and most importantly, find the elusive Becca.

On the one hand, the novel does a superb job at explaining the intricacies of the influencer space as well as exposing its darker facets. Both its plot and any subplots are intriguing, keeping readers engaged with the mystery and the numerous directions the story could have explored.

On the other hand, most of the characters and the subplots lack substance. The novel could benefit from fleshing out the characters, especially those whose perspectives are narrating the story, and either dropping or elaborating on some of the stronger subplots. Although abrupt and unfinished conclusions are not necessarily negative, in this instance, the ending felt incredibly rushed.

Overall, a solid three-star rating that could easily increase with some edits or tweaks.

Plot
39 year old Dayna has hit rock bottom. Shes unemployed and just got dumped. So what does she do? She’s accepts a job offer from an old friend to essentially be a content manager for a hype house of young 20 year content creators. Seems normal enough? Except did i say house? No sorry I meant this ancient gothic run down mansion like house on haunted hill mansion. And why does she get this strange feeling whenever she’s in this house? Likes it alive. The house is full of secrets but so are the people are living there. And rumor has it one of the original creators (a tarot card reader) is missing? So where’s Becca? Dayna needs answers & she’ll do what it takes to get them.

Review
I really enjoyed this one! It was fast paced and the setting was very eery and cryptic. I first thought that a story line shout content creators might come off cringy but honestly it ended being very relatable. It focused a lot on social media and how it holds power over us whether we realize it or not. I really I like the gothic aspects of the house too and the spiritual elements as well. I wouldn’t say this a horror novel but it’s eery enough to make things very interesting & entertaining. My only critique is the ending. It felt a little rushed and confusing and it ended to abruptly. I had so many questions but I also think that might have been the point. But I’m also not a fan of opening endings so this critique is personal lol. I would 100% recommend & oh did I mention theirs a bunny involved! 🐰