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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
It's one of those book you start and cannot stop till you turn the last page. Gripping, well plotted, and solid.
The elements of contemporary online make it even more interesting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The elements of contemporary online make it even more interesting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Starting off this review, I wanted to point out that this is the first book I've ever read by this author. With that in mind, I will immediately say that I loved the idea of this format of a podcast, and more books should be written this way. That’s what drew me to request this book for review in the first place.
The story (podcast) is very fast paced. However, there was something just… Lacking. For me, personally. Backstories were drawn out a little too much and characters were just a little too unlikable for me. It made it hard to resonate with anyone. On top of unlikable characters, there was also a lot of flip-flopping around in the story. That, personally, was a bit of a mood killer for me.
I wish the other went into a little bit of more gory details with some aspects. For example, I was really hoping that *spoiler* the shark scene would have a bit more oomf. However, it was lacking for me. That disappointed me the most. The lack of gory detail.
I want to personally thank NetGalley, as well as the author, publisher, and anyone else involved in providing copies, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Reviews will also be submitted to Goodreads.
The story (podcast) is very fast paced. However, there was something just… Lacking. For me, personally. Backstories were drawn out a little too much and characters were just a little too unlikable for me. It made it hard to resonate with anyone. On top of unlikable characters, there was also a lot of flip-flopping around in the story. That, personally, was a bit of a mood killer for me.
I wish the other went into a little bit of more gory details with some aspects. For example, I was really hoping that *spoiler* the shark scene would have a bit more oomf. However, it was lacking for me. That disappointed me the most. The lack of gory detail.
I want to personally thank NetGalley, as well as the author, publisher, and anyone else involved in providing copies, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Reviews will also be submitted to Goodreads.
This one of the the most unique stories I’ve had the chance to read. The fact that influencers are used as what I would call props was an outstanding move on this author’s part. The whole premise of people only wanting to gain followers and likes is so prominent in this day and age.
The books being laid out as a podcast and mixed media was done fantastically, every aspect of this book will really reach this generation of readers. I enjoyed that there were a few different plot lines and how they ended up intersecting. I appreciate the fast pace and how the story as a whole flows.
I feel like this book will be for a certain type of reader and can see why others would not be into the writing style, but I loved it. I felt like parts were over the top, but in a great way. I cannot wait to read more by this author!
The books being laid out as a podcast and mixed media was done fantastically, every aspect of this book will really reach this generation of readers. I enjoyed that there were a few different plot lines and how they ended up intersecting. I appreciate the fast pace and how the story as a whole flows.
I feel like this book will be for a certain type of reader and can see why others would not be into the writing style, but I loved it. I felt like parts were over the top, but in a great way. I cannot wait to read more by this author!
3.75⭐️ This book was a very interesting read. First off the book is written in a podcast script style inside of a normal book format, which I actually really enjoyed and felt like I read it faster because of this. This story was super fast paced and every time I would read it I got sucked in and couldn’t stop, it kept me engaged. I didn’t get too attached to the characters, but I was interested in their story. The story highlights the dark side of social media, which I thought was really interesting. If you like dark psychological thrillers with lots of secrets this is a perfect read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC for my honest opinion.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC for my honest opinion.
Sold as Squid Game meets Fyre Festival, Influencer Island takes a seemingly fun social media competition and turns it into a deadly social experiment led by a mysterious avant-garde artist. Ten influencers are sent to an island paradise, lured into entering the competition by sun- and booze-soaked Instagram videos posted by the most popular social media stars. But the competition goes offline, and by the time investigators find it, nearly everyone is either missing or dead, corpses found in the most gruesome scenes of torture imaginable. One podcaster is determined to figure out exactly what went down on that island and bring light to this terrible scene.
Although this book's premise sounded promising, there was so much that was off or poor about the execution. It's written as the script of a podcast, which sets it up for failure on delivering important elements like a coherent plot/timeline, exposition, character backstories, etc. All the characters felt generic and interchangeable to me. I couldn't tell anyone apart, nor could I give you a good description of why the podcaster protagonist does what he does, nor could I tell you that I was invested in any of the characters' outcomes by the time I trudged to the end. The book just felt a bit hollow. For example, although there are descriptions of disturbing, gruesome acts of violence, the description is presented as just that - as a reader, often what makes things disturbing is your investment in a better outcome, then that expectation being subverted by something horrible and unexpected. This gives you that horrible outcome, devoid of any of the investment in the characters or what happens to them.
The "moral of the story" is also just overdone - some performance artist is sick of the veneers that influencers display, so he orchestrates their brutal murder for all to see? That story has been told and retold. There are too many elements in here that are thrown onto the page, from the true crime podcast angle to the Banksy angle to the romance subplot that was uninteresting to the missing-brother subplot, it was too much to pack into 200 pages, and none of these lines were executed particularly well.
Thank you to Greater Path for the eARC via Netgalley.
Although this book's premise sounded promising, there was so much that was off or poor about the execution. It's written as the script of a podcast, which sets it up for failure on delivering important elements like a coherent plot/timeline, exposition, character backstories, etc. All the characters felt generic and interchangeable to me. I couldn't tell anyone apart, nor could I give you a good description of why the podcaster protagonist does what he does, nor could I tell you that I was invested in any of the characters' outcomes by the time I trudged to the end. The book just felt a bit hollow. For example, although there are descriptions of disturbing, gruesome acts of violence, the description is presented as just that - as a reader, often what makes things disturbing is your investment in a better outcome, then that expectation being subverted by something horrible and unexpected. This gives you that horrible outcome, devoid of any of the investment in the characters or what happens to them.
The "moral of the story" is also just overdone - some performance artist is sick of the veneers that influencers display, so he orchestrates their brutal murder for all to see? That story has been told and retold. There are too many elements in here that are thrown onto the page, from the true crime podcast angle to the Banksy angle to the romance subplot that was uninteresting to the missing-brother subplot, it was too much to pack into 200 pages, and none of these lines were executed particularly well.
Thank you to Greater Path for the eARC via Netgalley.
I follow this author on TikTok and when I saw this book on NetGalley I gasped. I am so grateful and happy to have been accepted to read this book.
Some of my favourite movie genres are found footage and fake-umentaries; this novel reads like those genres. This novel is off to a great start. The writing style adds to the format of the book due to its nature of being straightforward and direct. It is also very immersive and interesting- I found myself drawn in and I didn’t want to put it down.
This plot had some twists and turns, some were guessable and others weren’t. This book was thrilling and a bit off-putting (in a god thriller way). The characters were super important to this story and were very well written, a few are sure to be favourites from this moment onward.
Some of my favourite movie genres are found footage and fake-umentaries; this novel reads like those genres. This novel is off to a great start. The writing style adds to the format of the book due to its nature of being straightforward and direct. It is also very immersive and interesting- I found myself drawn in and I didn’t want to put it down.
This plot had some twists and turns, some were guessable and others weren’t. This book was thrilling and a bit off-putting (in a god thriller way). The characters were super important to this story and were very well written, a few are sure to be favourites from this moment onward.
*Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Meh.
The book is fine I guess. It’s influencers being tricked into going to an island inspired by Fyre Festival and when they get there, it’s a Battle Royale/Hunger Games style fight to the death.
I think there are a lot of attempts this book does to be a lot deeper than it is. Maybe it’s because I’ve studied fine arts and been surrounded by a community of artists for so many years but I just couldn’t get over this book’s villain (and potentially even the author?) genuinely believing that his impact is anything more than shock value art. It’s wildly boring and is only significant because it’s about celebrity but the villain thinks he’s above shallow celebrities even though he’s a shallow faux-deep celebrity with a raging god-complex. But he “opens people’s eyes”.
But also the people who have become so enlightened still live off of celebrity status.
There are multiple storylines and connected mysteries running in and out of each other throughout the entire book and that was something I could really do without. Having to switch between storyline so quickly with no breaks or transitions was a bit frustrating at times and what doesn’t help is that Cal is simply not a character I want to follow along with. It’s not that I dislike him but he also isn’t interesting or enjoyable to watch. I just don’t care for him or his crush on Carrie.
In the end, I’m sort of confused on what the message is supposed to be. People go to inhumane lengths to gain fame and fortune but those who go against the fight for fame will be rewarded with fame and fortune?
Very jumbled and difficult to pay attention to, especially when all of the influencers who aren’t Carrie felt like copy pasted duplicates of each other. I wish such a cool concept was executed better
CW: murder, death, grief, multiple mentions of addiction/substance abuse, bodily mutilation, stalking, kidnapping/hostage situations, religious extremism/cult activity, gaslighting
Meh.
The book is fine I guess. It’s influencers being tricked into going to an island inspired by Fyre Festival and when they get there, it’s a Battle Royale/Hunger Games style fight to the death.
I think there are a lot of attempts this book does to be a lot deeper than it is. Maybe it’s because I’ve studied fine arts and been surrounded by a community of artists for so many years but I just couldn’t get over this book’s villain (and potentially even the author?) genuinely believing that his impact is anything more than shock value art. It’s wildly boring and is only significant because it’s about celebrity but the villain thinks he’s above shallow celebrities even though he’s a shallow faux-deep celebrity with a raging god-complex. But he “opens people’s eyes”.
But also the people who have become so enlightened still live off of celebrity status.
There are multiple storylines and connected mysteries running in and out of each other throughout the entire book and that was something I could really do without. Having to switch between storyline so quickly with no breaks or transitions was a bit frustrating at times and what doesn’t help is that Cal is simply not a character I want to follow along with. It’s not that I dislike him but he also isn’t interesting or enjoyable to watch. I just don’t care for him or his crush on Carrie.
In the end, I’m sort of confused on what the message is supposed to be. People go to inhumane lengths to gain fame and fortune but those who go against the fight for fame will be rewarded with fame and fortune?
Very jumbled and difficult to pay attention to, especially when all of the influencers who aren’t Carrie felt like copy pasted duplicates of each other. I wish such a cool concept was executed better
CW: murder, death, grief, multiple mentions of addiction/substance abuse, bodily mutilation, stalking, kidnapping/hostage situations, religious extremism/cult activity, gaslighting
"Fyre Festival meets Hunger Games" is a lot to live up to and unfortunately this book didn't deliver.
The story started out promising and I enjoyed the podcast format. It felt both refreshing and fitting (though also messy at times), considering the novel's exploration of our obsession with social media and influencer culture.
However, I feel like the book tried to cover too much in just 200 pages. The bloodthirsty competition that the synopsis hints at is only a small portion of the story and hence very disappointing. Add weird arsty and bizarre cult-like elements, a romance subplot (that I had zero investment in), social commentary, many blah characters (some have hardly any lines or scenes), and you have everything stretched too thin.
I got increasingly bored and despite some okay twists, I wasn't impressed because it was too little, too late. I wanted Squid Game, Battle Royale and Hunger Games levels of bloodbaths. This book wasn't it.
Thank you to Greater Path LLC and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
The story started out promising and I enjoyed the podcast format. It felt both refreshing and fitting (though also messy at times), considering the novel's exploration of our obsession with social media and influencer culture.
However, I feel like the book tried to cover too much in just 200 pages. The bloodthirsty competition that the synopsis hints at is only a small portion of the story and hence very disappointing. Add weird arsty and bizarre cult-like elements, a romance subplot (that I had zero investment in), social commentary, many blah characters (some have hardly any lines or scenes), and you have everything stretched too thin.
I got increasingly bored and despite some okay twists, I wasn't impressed because it was too little, too late. I wanted Squid Game, Battle Royale and Hunger Games levels of bloodbaths. This book wasn't it.
Thank you to Greater Path LLC and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
Thank you to Greater Path LLC for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When I initially read that this book wasn’t in a traditional format, I was really excited. I had been looking for a horror book that stood out from the rest of the lineup, and “Influencer Island” fit the bill. While it took a minute to get used to the format, I do think it worked well with the story. If there is an audiobook, I might recommend that over reading it, but that would depend on the person.
As far as the story, while I liked where it was going, I don’t think it ever reached its peak even though it had a conclusion. There were plenty of elements thrown out, but not all of them really made it to fruition. The “love story” between two characters felt really contrived and added very little to the story. The connection between the main protagonist and antagonist did make sense when it was finally revealed, but it didn’t feel as developed as it could’ve been. The purpose of the main event made sense, and the theme it was meant to get across was clear, there was just something I can’t put my finger on that didn’t quite work, especially when the secondary antagonist was revealed. The three-way triangle of how everyone was connected was certainly interesting and kept my attention, I just don’t think it worked as well as it could’ve.
Don’t get me wrong. I did understand what the author was getting at, and the (at times overhand) discussion of social media and what people are willing to do for fame. The frequent comparisons to Fyre Fest were also really fun, though the lifting of direct situations related to that real event was a bit much. Ultimately, I wanted to know who the artist was and how it would all end.
Would I read it again? No. I felt I got everything I could out of the book from my first reading, but I wouldn’t rule out reading it again after some changes in my own life. It did intrigue me to read other works by the author, which I look forward to doing soon. “Influencer Island” is a fun read for someone looking for an unconventional format with an engaging premise.
When I initially read that this book wasn’t in a traditional format, I was really excited. I had been looking for a horror book that stood out from the rest of the lineup, and “Influencer Island” fit the bill. While it took a minute to get used to the format, I do think it worked well with the story. If there is an audiobook, I might recommend that over reading it, but that would depend on the person.
As far as the story, while I liked where it was going, I don’t think it ever reached its peak even though it had a conclusion. There were plenty of elements thrown out, but not all of them really made it to fruition. The “love story” between two characters felt really contrived and added very little to the story. The connection between the main protagonist and antagonist did make sense when it was finally revealed, but it didn’t feel as developed as it could’ve been. The purpose of the main event made sense, and the theme it was meant to get across was clear, there was just something I can’t put my finger on that didn’t quite work, especially when the secondary antagonist was revealed. The three-way triangle of how everyone was connected was certainly interesting and kept my attention, I just don’t think it worked as well as it could’ve.
Don’t get me wrong. I did understand what the author was getting at, and the (at times overhand) discussion of social media and what people are willing to do for fame. The frequent comparisons to Fyre Fest were also really fun, though the lifting of direct situations related to that real event was a bit much. Ultimately, I wanted to know who the artist was and how it would all end.
Would I read it again? No. I felt I got everything I could out of the book from my first reading, but I wouldn’t rule out reading it again after some changes in my own life. It did intrigue me to read other works by the author, which I look forward to doing soon. “Influencer Island” is a fun read for someone looking for an unconventional format with an engaging premise.
This book was incredible! I’ve never read a book in this style but reading it was like having the podcast playing in my mind. Kyle’s writing was very creative and engaging. I read this whole book in about 3 hours. I thought I had it figured out and then something new would happen.
Give this book a try even if you don’t think you’d like the style!
Thanks to NetGalley and Kyle Rutkin for the ARC of this novel.
Give this book a try even if you don’t think you’d like the style!
Thanks to NetGalley and Kyle Rutkin for the ARC of this novel.