If You're Seeing This, It's Meant For You by Leigh Stein was a really interesting read! The premise of a missing tarot influencer and the weird, decaying mansion where it all went down kept me hooked from start to finish. Dayna, who’s trying to rebuild her life, and Olivia, the eager new influencer, made a great team as they started piecing together the mystery of Becca’s disappearance.

I loved how Stein balanced the gothic, mysterious vibe of the mansion with the modern, sometimes absurd world of social media. It felt like a sharp commentary on influencer culture, and it had me thinking about how much of our lives are actually shaped by the internet. The pacing was good, though there were a couple of moments where things felt a little slow. But honestly, the story kept me engaged, especially with the twists toward the end.

If you’re into a mix of mystery, a little bit of social media chaos, and a spooky setting, this book is definitely worth checking out! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Social media influencer competitions as gothic novel, check. Cautionary tale about the media, check. Ghosts and violence and horror, check. Within all of these tropes is a surprisingly solid novel about how people evaluate their lives, measure themselves against others, believe in lies even when they know they're lies, and seek happiness in worlds that seem utterly antithetical to it. The set up--a man with a famous but collapsing mansion invites influencers to create a "hype house" and compete with one another for sponsorship--allows Stein to bring together a swath of different people at different times in their lives, with radically different goals. Their interactions feel mostly real, full of ambivalence and uncertainty and mistakes and realizing things too late, and the characters are mostly interesting and sympathetic, except for a few who remain underdeveloped. So if you're into reality TV or YouTube videos, and like a mystery, you'll probably enjoy this.

I thought this was a unique way of combining old and modern ways Hollywood dreams and myths have changed, especially with missing girl, tarot reader Becca Chambers, is involved. I recommend this novel if you like mysteries that aren’t super dark/serious and have an element of foolishness tossed in. And a rabbit named Owen Wilson. Who doesn’t love bunnies??

Dayna is a late 30-something who belongs to a dying world -- celeb gossip blogs and print media. When her boyfriend dumps her via a reddit post, she reconnects with an internet friend from 20 years ago for a place to live/job offer. A portrait of arrested development, Dayna bumbles her way through running Craig's crumbling mansion turned hype house while sleeping with the talent, acting like a teenager, and all-around being a TikTok stereotype of a millennial.

I was really intrigued for the first 20% or so, but we never delve deeper into the characters, learn more about the house, or really scratch the surface thematically. I don't usually say this -- but this book could've benefited from being about 50 pages longer. Some of the plot points and ideas here needed more room to breathe, and I feel they could've been developed in a way more meaningful to the reader. As it stands, the plotting is faster and faster as the novel continues -- to it's detriment.

I felt like this novel was trying to say something about... influence culture maybe? But never felt involved enough to absorb about it.

Recommended for those looking for a page-turning, influencer+gothic vacation read.

An excellent and evocative story about social media, very clearly drawing inspiration from gothic literature in a successful and compelling way. Will recommend!

Gothic mansions, influencers, Owen Wilson, bloodlines, and tarot. This book shows the impact of internet parasocialism with perfection. As someone who went to college for communications, the plot is extremely accurate and funny. Whether we admit it or not, social media management can be ridiculous. Stein strategically mixes two contrasting elements, present day society and ancient magick, in this enjoyable novel. “If You’re Seeing This, It’s Meant for You” is my first ARC read and I wasn’t disappointed. Thank you for this opportunity, NetGalley!

Thanks to Ballantine Books for the ARC.

If You’re Seeing This, It’s Meant for You had some enjoyable standout moments, but its uneven writing and rushed ending keep me from giving it a higher star rating.

I really enjoyed the satire and commentary on influencing and social media. I’m not sure if it was the author’s intention, but I found Dayna an unreliable narrator who was skeptical of influencing but also sucked into it. I imagine this attitude will mirror a lot of readers’ experiences with the almighty algorithm. The first third to half of the novel does a good job building a gothic, mysterious atmosphere.

Unfortunately, after all that tension, the ending is laid out very quickly, though it fits well with the preceding events. Through the book, I found most of the characters wooden and one-dimensional. We don’t really get to know them beyond some superficial details that are told to us. Maybe this is a reflection of how we never truly know the influencers we follow online, but it doesn’t make for a well-rounded reading experience.

There are also multiple relationships that, while not illegal, toe the line of ethics. The imbalance in power dynamics is only obliquely referenced. I felt a little crazy reading those moments—was it supposed to be normal?

The book tries to hit a lot of notes: humor, tragedy, psychological horror, coming of age, millennial malaise, and surrealism. Leigh Stein executes some of these tones better than others. If readers are interested in social commentary, they will likely enjoy this book but may want to look elsewhere for stronger literary work.

This book was so smart and funny. Reminded me of Rufi Thorpe x Margo's Got Money Trouble. It's exactly the book I'll tell people to buy & take on their summer vacations. Owen Wilson Forever!

"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!