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snoopydoo77's review against another edition
4.0
***I received a free copy from the publisher and chose to leave a voluntary review. Thank you!***
This is my second book by this author and so far I enjoyed what I read. I love that books are so easy and fast to read and yet have a certain depth to it.
This was not different with this book, I loved that we get multiple POV again, I made it so much better to enjoy, it was not confusing and each voice was great in their own way.
It was easy to relate to them good or the bad …. Which made it even better, It was suspenseful and made kept me super engaged in the book.
One thing was for sure, this book makes you really think…. About not only about how much we spend online but really how much we share and how it can be used against you/
It sure has left me a bit more paranoid, that is for sure lol .
I rate it 4 ★
justinkhchen's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
A timely topic with a lukewarm execution, Follow Me definitely highlights the vulnerability of (over)sharing one's life on social media, as well as the risk of technological invasion, but plot-wise it falls short of actually bringing anything new to the stalker thriller sub genre—a serviceable quick read, but with limited lasting impression.
One strength I enjoy about Follow Me is the depiction of its protagonist; particularly at the constant juxtaposition between the 'living the perfect life' online persona, against what's really happening in real life. It also does a decent job at throwing shades at multiple suspects throughout a good portion of the novel. Unfortunately, not only do I find the final reveal to be very cliché and underwhelming (not to mention leaving all the suspicious activities done by the non-villain unresolved/explained), it also fails to integrate social media/technology in any meaningful way. In the novel's introduction, author Kathleen Barber mentioned she was initially inspired to write this book after hearing about RAT (remote access Trojan)—where victims mistakenly downloaded an programmed file onto their computer for hackers to access webcam/files remotely—but this element only shows up briefly in a couple paragraphs, and is irrelevant in the grand scheme.
Follow Me serves its intent, if nothing more. Its premise is ripe for a twisted, tech-savvy stalker story with a side serving of social commentary, but instead it comes across as if someone just read an essay on influencer culture, calling that research, and wraps an old-fashioned, trite narrative about jealousy and obsession within a superficial overlay of hashtags, sponsored posts, and dark web forum. A decent library loan book, and read it soon because it's already feeling dated with its heavy emphasis on Instagram, and no mentioning of TikTok.
A timely topic with a lukewarm execution, Follow Me definitely highlights the vulnerability of (over)sharing one's life on social media, as well as the risk of technological invasion, but plot-wise it falls short of actually bringing anything new to the stalker thriller sub genre—a serviceable quick read, but with limited lasting impression.
One strength I enjoy about Follow Me is the depiction of its protagonist; particularly at the constant juxtaposition between the 'living the perfect life' online persona, against what's really happening in real life. It also does a decent job at throwing shades at multiple suspects throughout a good portion of the novel. Unfortunately, not only do I find the final reveal to be very cliché and underwhelming (not to mention leaving all the suspicious activities done by the non-villain unresolved/explained), it also fails to integrate social media/technology in any meaningful way. In the novel's introduction, author Kathleen Barber mentioned she was initially inspired to write this book after hearing about RAT (remote access Trojan)—where victims mistakenly downloaded an programmed file onto their computer for hackers to access webcam/files remotely—but this element only shows up briefly in a couple paragraphs, and is irrelevant in the grand scheme.
Follow Me serves its intent, if nothing more. Its premise is ripe for a twisted, tech-savvy stalker story with a side serving of social commentary, but instead it comes across as if someone just read an essay on influencer culture, calling that research, and wraps an old-fashioned, trite narrative about jealousy and obsession within a superficial overlay of hashtags, sponsored posts, and dark web forum. A decent library loan book, and read it soon because it's already feeling dated with its heavy emphasis on Instagram, and no mentioning of TikTok.
kris_82's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
tokki_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
namitakhanna's review against another edition
4.0
Audrey has over a million followers on Instagram where her life is like an open book .which also invites a stalker in her life. When she gets a job opportunity of a lifetime she's ready to make a move from New York City to Washington DC but there is no way that the stalker will let this little move stop him .
Told by three Pov’s Audrey , her friend Cat, and the stalker ‘Him’ Follow Me is an interesting dark creepy thriller with a few nice twists and turns
I would like to thank Gallery, Pocket Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Told by three Pov’s Audrey , her friend Cat, and the stalker ‘Him’ Follow Me is an interesting dark creepy thriller with a few nice twists and turns
I would like to thank Gallery, Pocket Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
thephdivabooks's review against another edition
4.0
Social media stalker thrillers are the new buzzy thing this year, and I am soaking up every single one! Kathleen Barber’s Follow Me is actually even better than her last book which got tons of great feedback and became an AppleTV+ series. Twisty, salacious, and un-put-down-able!
What is it about stalker fiction that is so compelling? I was thinking about that in the wake of reading (and loving) Follow Me. It isn’t so different from why so many of us become fans of social media influencers. Sure, we might occasionally ridicule their over-the-top lives in ours heads, but for the most part I think it is natural to craft a story around what these people are sharing, and to feel as though we know them on a more personal level. Particularly when they post about things we are interested in, it can be hard not to covet their lives, and to think we know them better than we do.
In Follow Me, Audrey’s Instagram fame is contrasted with her actual life. I loved the way Barber juxtaposes the way Audrey sets up an Instagram-worthy picture and the messy reality of her life. For instance, she might stage a perfect table and flowers, but just off the edge of the frame, she has been living out of boxes rather than unpack. She might post about her amazing job, but then behind it worry about her creepy neighbor entering her apartment uninvited.
Audrey is a character we shouldn’t like. It would be easy to call her fake or superficial (and in fact, some do). But seeing Audrey’s messy side, and the parts of herself that are so far from perfect they are almost shocking compared to her public posts, it humanizes her.
When Audrey accepts a position at the Smithsonian, she moves to the DC area and accepts an apartment sight unseen. And while she tries to prove herself promoting a new true-crime miniatures exhibit at work, she has a number of characters circling her life who may be involved with some of the creepy goings on in her life. Or is it possible it is one of her thousands of followers?
In addition to Audrey’s perspective, we get some chapters narrated by her close friend from college, Cat, who is living in DC and becomes her support system when everything begins, and mysterious chapters from the villain “him”. I love getting to hear from the villain! I had so many theories about who I thought it might be—such a fun guessing game!
A thrilling read that will definitely have you rethinking your use of social media!
Thank you to Gallery Books for my copy. Opinions are my own.
What is it about stalker fiction that is so compelling? I was thinking about that in the wake of reading (and loving) Follow Me. It isn’t so different from why so many of us become fans of social media influencers. Sure, we might occasionally ridicule their over-the-top lives in ours heads, but for the most part I think it is natural to craft a story around what these people are sharing, and to feel as though we know them on a more personal level. Particularly when they post about things we are interested in, it can be hard not to covet their lives, and to think we know them better than we do.
In Follow Me, Audrey’s Instagram fame is contrasted with her actual life. I loved the way Barber juxtaposes the way Audrey sets up an Instagram-worthy picture and the messy reality of her life. For instance, she might stage a perfect table and flowers, but just off the edge of the frame, she has been living out of boxes rather than unpack. She might post about her amazing job, but then behind it worry about her creepy neighbor entering her apartment uninvited.
Audrey is a character we shouldn’t like. It would be easy to call her fake or superficial (and in fact, some do). But seeing Audrey’s messy side, and the parts of herself that are so far from perfect they are almost shocking compared to her public posts, it humanizes her.
When Audrey accepts a position at the Smithsonian, she moves to the DC area and accepts an apartment sight unseen. And while she tries to prove herself promoting a new true-crime miniatures exhibit at work, she has a number of characters circling her life who may be involved with some of the creepy goings on in her life. Or is it possible it is one of her thousands of followers?
In addition to Audrey’s perspective, we get some chapters narrated by her close friend from college, Cat, who is living in DC and becomes her support system when everything begins, and mysterious chapters from the villain “him”. I love getting to hear from the villain! I had so many theories about who I thought it might be—such a fun guessing game!
A thrilling read that will definitely have you rethinking your use of social media!
Thank you to Gallery Books for my copy. Opinions are my own.
kaelaceleste's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounding up cuz this was silly but I liked it!
The story here revolves around a popular instagrammer who gets a job as a social media manager for a DC museum and relocates from her glamorous life in NY to take it. The problem is - a guy who has been stalking her for years ALSO lives in DC and takes this as his chance to go full psycho. Chaos ensues.
Overall I thought this was a fun and quick little thriller. I love stuff that involves the internet/social media as a plot line so this was right up my alley. The parts where someone is sneaking around her apartment were really creepy too. I also loved the DC setting and all the details about the city! The main character was a bit ditzy and naive at times (who moves from NY to DC and is shocked that you have to lock your door??), and really irritated me when she did things like not immediately call the police when weird stuff started happening. But honestly, it worked for her character as an influencer to be overly trusting so I wasn't that mad at it. The reveal of her stalker worked well and kept me guessing for a while, tho I did ultimately guess it and thought the way she found out was kinda lame...
Sometimes you need a goofy little thriller to break up your reading a bit and that's exactly what this was for me.
The story here revolves around a popular instagrammer who gets a job as a social media manager for a DC museum and relocates from her glamorous life in NY to take it. The problem is - a guy who has been stalking her for years ALSO lives in DC and takes this as his chance to go full psycho. Chaos ensues.
Overall I thought this was a fun and quick little thriller. I love stuff that involves the internet/social media as a plot line so this was right up my alley. The parts where someone is sneaking around her apartment were really creepy too. I also loved the DC setting and all the details about the city! The main character was a bit ditzy and naive at times (who moves from NY to DC and is shocked that you have to lock your door??), and really irritated me when she did things like not immediately call the police when weird stuff started happening. But honestly, it worked for her character as an influencer to be overly trusting so I wasn't that mad at it. The reveal of her stalker worked well and kept me guessing for a while, tho I did ultimately guess it and thought the way she found out was kinda lame...
Spoiler
a folder on your desktop called "Audrey"???? seriously bro??Sometimes you need a goofy little thriller to break up your reading a bit and that's exactly what this was for me.
aschrotel's review against another edition
3.0
Predictable but I was still entertained. Not the best writing I’ve ever read... but overall I enjoyed it.
alybre13's review against another edition
5.0
WHOA!
First, I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You know how books are toted as “the next *insert extremely popular book title here*” and you read that book and it’s nothing like the popular title? Not so with this book. In the description, this book is described as “The Next “You”” and oh boy was it ever!!! It’s been awhile since I’ve dug into a book that is so compulsively readable, and I can’t wait to read this author’s backlog, along with recommending this book to all my friends, acquaintances, bartenders, hairdressers, mailmen....
In this book we follow Audrey, a very self-aware Instagram influencer as she moves to Washington DC to pursue her dream career- running the social media account for a famous art museum. Audrey’s first job assignment is to curate posts regarding a new art installation about a famous actress who is tragically murdered in her own home. As we follow Audrey’s story (told from her perspective, her best friend Cat’s perspective, and “Him”- her stalker) similarities between the tragic murder of the actress displayed in the art museum begin to emerge in Audrey’s life.
Read this one. You won’t regret it!
First, I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You know how books are toted as “the next *insert extremely popular book title here*” and you read that book and it’s nothing like the popular title? Not so with this book. In the description, this book is described as “The Next “You”” and oh boy was it ever!!! It’s been awhile since I’ve dug into a book that is so compulsively readable, and I can’t wait to read this author’s backlog, along with recommending this book to all my friends, acquaintances, bartenders, hairdressers, mailmen....
In this book we follow Audrey, a very self-aware Instagram influencer as she moves to Washington DC to pursue her dream career- running the social media account for a famous art museum. Audrey’s first job assignment is to curate posts regarding a new art installation about a famous actress who is tragically murdered in her own home. As we follow Audrey’s story (told from her perspective, her best friend Cat’s perspective, and “Him”- her stalker) similarities between the tragic murder of the actress displayed in the art museum begin to emerge in Audrey’s life.
Read this one. You won’t regret it!
rozuuuuh's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0