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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have had Clowns in the Cornfield on my TBR for a while now so haven’t actually read anything by Adam Cesare until now, but boy did this start with a bang! The opening scene of this book can be described as nothing less than one of the best beginnings in a book I have ever read.
Once the opening is done the story switches to the POVs of two different characters in the story, one being the sociopathic titular influencer and the second being one of his 'prey'. Here the story slows down considerably from the opening, where it turns into a more psychological attack. The main character of Aaron was fantastically written, he gave off some very “American Psycho” vibes, his inner thought process fascinating all the way to the end. As he manipulates a friend group and his followers into doing things that go beyond the norm for an influencer.
I will add that this book is not for the feint of heart, parts of it get quite gory, but it is a book that has sat with me and I have thought about daily since I listened to the audio.
Thank you Netgallery for the Arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
Once the opening is done the story switches to the POVs of two different characters in the story, one being the sociopathic titular influencer and the second being one of his 'prey'. Here the story slows down considerably from the opening, where it turns into a more psychological attack. The main character of Aaron was fantastically written, he gave off some very “American Psycho” vibes, his inner thought process fascinating all the way to the end. As he manipulates a friend group and his followers into doing things that go beyond the norm for an influencer.
I will add that this book is not for the feint of heart, parts of it get quite gory, but it is a book that has sat with me and I have thought about daily since I listened to the audio.
Thank you Netgallery for the Arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Outing, Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Islamophobia, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you Netgalley, Adam Cesare and Hachette Children's Group | Hodder Children's Books for the eArc of Influencer.
Narrated by: Isabela Merced, Christopher Briney, Brittany Pressley.
This is my first read of Adam's Cesare and I'm ashamed to say that I still have the Clown in the Cornfield still to read! The Influencer is a YA psychological horror with a duel POV in first person. We follow both Crystal, who seems to feel out of place with her friends and Aaron, who is the new kid on the block and an Influencer.
This book starts off with a bang, a home invasion murder and it packs a punch. This immediately pulls you into the storyline, gory, scary and engaging. You don't stop engaging either, As we follow our 2 POV, you soon realise the direction and with the great character development, who they really are. I couldn't stop reading and has some great twists. The psychological aspects leave you wondering about cohesive control and with social media aspect, it's very relevant. Definitely an American Psycho/ YOU feel narrative which has been modernised
Even though it is a YA, I suggest reading the triggers as I wouldn't recommend reading for sensitive readers.
4.5 stars on Storygraph, 4 stars for Amazon, Netgalley and Goodreads
Narrated by: Isabela Merced, Christopher Briney, Brittany Pressley.
This is my first read of Adam's Cesare and I'm ashamed to say that I still have the Clown in the Cornfield still to read! The Influencer is a YA psychological horror with a duel POV in first person. We follow both Crystal, who seems to feel out of place with her friends and Aaron, who is the new kid on the block and an Influencer.
This book starts off with a bang, a home invasion murder and it packs a punch. This immediately pulls you into the storyline, gory, scary and engaging. You don't stop engaging either, As we follow our 2 POV, you soon realise the direction and with the great character development, who they really are. I couldn't stop reading and has some great twists. The psychological aspects leave you wondering about cohesive control and with social media aspect, it's very relevant. Definitely an American Psycho/ YOU feel narrative which has been modernised
Even though it is a YA, I suggest reading the triggers as I wouldn't recommend reading for sensitive readers.
4.5 stars on Storygraph, 4 stars for Amazon, Netgalley and Goodreads
3.5 stars! This was an unhinged wild ride, a horror story based on a psychopath influencer and just how far people will go to follow their favorite influencers. This was dark, gory, intricate and unsettling in all the ways good horrors are. However, it did suffer some pacing issues and caused my interest to drop off in the middle, but the ending had me gripped again anxious to see how it all ended! Overall, I really enjoyed this one, if you’re a horror fan, like books with cult-y vibes, and some humor here and there you’ll enjoy this one!
Publishing 10/1/24
Thank you so much to Union Square & Co./Sterling Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.
This book is quite hard to review without spoiling anything but this was an absolutely wild and unhinged ride that doesn't water down any of the gory details.
The narration was really interesting as we are following two people, one a psychopath but both unlikable in their own ways. I really liked that both of them were unlikable as that made the story interesting to follow for me. The writing overall was great!
The opening of this hooked me and then unfortunatel it did get a little boring for a bit but then it really picked up again after 50ish pages and I couldn't put it down. The ending was so good and chaotic but it really fit the whole vibe of the book.
So, if you're looking for an unhinged book with unlikable narrators and all the gory details. This is definitely the book for you. (Please check trigger warnings before reading)
This book is quite hard to review without spoiling anything but this was an absolutely wild and unhinged ride that doesn't water down any of the gory details.
The narration was really interesting as we are following two people, one a psychopath but both unlikable in their own ways. I really liked that both of them were unlikable as that made the story interesting to follow for me. The writing overall was great!
The opening of this hooked me and then unfortunatel it did get a little boring for a bit but then it really picked up again after 50ish pages and I couldn't put it down. The ending was so good and chaotic but it really fit the whole vibe of the book.
So, if you're looking for an unhinged book with unlikable narrators and all the gory details. This is definitely the book for you. (Please check trigger warnings before reading)
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a book that proves YA horror can be just as horrific as adult horror. It starts with a bang of a cold open and then we see it unfold. Something I loved about this book is there are no simple characters. All of the teens are complicated and doubt themselves and their place within their friend groups and lives. We never get the self-assured final girl, but one whose fear doesn’t stop her from doing what needs to be done. There are awkward missteps and moments that felt very true to the high school experience!
I really liked having the perspective of the villain and heroine though out the story. This is not a book that shies away from violence or toned down the serious topics. But it felt purposeful and not gratuitous.
I really liked having the perspective of the villain and heroine though out the story. This is not a book that shies away from violence or toned down the serious topics. But it felt purposeful and not gratuitous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence, Vomit