Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Length: 352 pages
First Published: 2023
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Rachael’s Review
I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Ten teenage influencers are invited to a remote island to film “In Real Life,” a reality show where they live unplugged for three weeks. With several friends-turned-enemies invited, the influencers quickly realize that the producers are looking for maximum drama. When the production crew fails to show on the first day and one influencer dies, they realize they are trapped on the island without any way to escape. A mysterious “Sponsor” is pulling strings backstage, revealing their secrets to the entire world as more influencers end up dead.
People to Follow was an over-the-top young adult thriller that was still an addictingly good read for me. At first, I had to make a cheat sheet of all the characters but, once I sorted them all out, I was completely hooked. Worley masterfully manipulates this isolation thriller, adapting the And Then There Were None trope to a younger generation of readers. With plenty of drama and a few excellent twists, People to Follow has all the delicious beach read vibes that make it a quick fun read.
Publisher’s Description
In Olivia Worley’s pitch-perfect debut, People to Follow, ten teen influencers come to a remote island to star in a reality show, but when one of them winds up dead, they realize that this time, the price of getting “cancelled” could be their lives.
A reality show on a remote Caribbean island. Ten teen influencers. One dead body.
Welcome to “In Real Life,” the hot new reality show that forces social media’s reigning kings and queens to unplug for three weeks and “go live” without any filters. IRL is supposed to be the opportunity of a lifetime, watched closely by legions of loyal followers. But for these rising stars–including Elody, an Instagram model with an impulsive streak; Kira, a child star turned fitness influencer; Logan, a disgraced TikTok celeb with a secret; and Max, a YouTuber famous for exposés on his fellow creators–it’s about to turn into a nightmare.
When the production crew fails to show up and one of their own meets a violent end, these social media moguls find themselves stranded with a dead body and no way to reach the outside world. When they start receiving messages from a mysterious Sponsor threatening to expose their darkest secrets, they realize that they’ve been lured into a deadly game…and one of them might be pulling the strings.
With the body count rising and cameras tracking their every move, the creators must figure out who is trying to get them canceled–like, literally–before their #1 follower strikes again.
About Olivia Worley
Olivia Worley is an actor and the author of People to Follow. She was born and raised in New Orleans and currently lives in New York City. Visit the author’s website →
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