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bee_reads_horror's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
One of my favorite opening scenes in any book, maybe ever.
I listened to the audio of this one and it was a blast- there were 2 narrators and I think they were perfect for their respective characters. I also loved the added sound effects. They weren't too over the top or frequent and a few totally jump scared me and it was just such a great time.
Was this book perfect? no... Did all of it make sense? no... Did it seem believable that the speaker was able to so quickly and easily manipulate people and to such atrocious acts? absolutely not. But was this a wildly entertaining and addictive? 100% yes!!
I listened to the audio of this one and it was a blast- there were 2 narrators and I think they were perfect for their respective characters. I also loved the added sound effects. They weren't too over the top or frequent and a few totally jump scared me and it was just such a great time.
Was this book perfect? no... Did all of it make sense? no... Did it seem believable that the speaker was able to so quickly and easily manipulate people and to such atrocious acts? absolutely not. But was this a wildly entertaining and addictive? 100% yes!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
chezler24's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Cesare has shown us that YA horror can be as punchy as adult horror! Influencer is an unhinged wild ride depicting just how far people will go to follow their favorite influencer. The book opens with a home invasion scene and does not let up. I thought it was neat we were able to flip back and forth between the pov of Aaron/the Speaker and Crystal. I feel like most things would have our villain appear as this omniscient/omnipresent entity (which Aaron would like to portray); however, having the ability to hear his thoughts showed how tenuous his grasp of power and control was. While I do think the pacing could have been tweaked here or there (e.g., showing two of the characters becoming pawns of the Speaker or the ending sequence), I was hooked and enjoyed every second of this wild story (even the sections that made me squirm).
Check trigger warnings before you dive in. Certain scenes can definitely be a turn-off for some individuals.
Check trigger warnings before you dive in. Certain scenes can definitely be a turn-off for some individuals.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Outing, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Islamophobia, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia
coastal_moonlit_garden's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Okay! I broke away from my usual romcom/fantasy/hist fic scene to try this thriller and I really enjoyed it! It took a couple chapters to have my brain not keep picturing Conrad Fisher as a raging psychopath LOL but Christopher Briney did. Great job bringing the dark twisted mind of Aaron to life. I agree with other reviewers that this is a dark read because it feels like a scenario like this could happen and that gives me shivers. The story itself moved quickly and I’m satisfied with how it ended but wish we could’ve gotten more of a follow up on how everyone is doing later/more removed by the final scenes. Audible has this story listed under teen and young adult but I’d go ahead and say put this under horror thriller. There are some disturbing scenes that I wouldn’t have wanted to read as a teen; but if you’re a true crime fan like me, this was a good pick!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Drug use, Gore, and Sexual assault
Minor: Homophobia and Violence
aberthold's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, and Murder
l_b's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This audiobook was dark but also so interesting to listen to.
Crystal saying someone did this to her in response to Aaron releasing her youtube videos is so strange cause like girl you said terrible things about the people who are supposed to be your friends. Him releasing the videos is fucked but also it's fucked to even make the videos in the first place.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death