Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What a crazy ride that was! Such a great twisted story!! The performance was amazing and added the perfect addition to a wonderful tale. Definitely worth the read! Bravo!!!!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"Don't just think, act"
I always loved the psychology behind cult-leaders and how they gain their power. This book really displays the power of persuasion in young minds. Aaron (The Speaker) isn't a cult leader necessarily... but he copies the style of Charles Manson to influence people to perform outrageous acts.
Thing is, Aaron is influencing people in two separate ways and achieving the same outcome. Behind a mask, on a growing social platform, The Speaker is a social justice warrior encouraging people to right wrongs but taking it a little too far behind the scenes in specific DMs....
In person, Aaron has taken over a friend group and is pressuring and influencing this group to commit atrocities.
He is able to do this through studying the ways of serial killers and cult leaders alike... and Aaron has BIG plans to become a household name as well.
In walks Crystal, the girl that Aaron is bound to underestimate and she has a gift for noticing things that most others wouldn't.
This dueling POV thriller was such a fun YA slasher. Adam has mastered this genre for sure.
Thank you to Adam Cesare for sending me a copy of the physical print of his book!
I always loved the psychology behind cult-leaders and how they gain their power. This book really displays the power of persuasion in young minds. Aaron (The Speaker) isn't a cult leader necessarily... but he copies the style of Charles Manson to influence people to perform outrageous acts.
Thing is, Aaron is influencing people in two separate ways and achieving the same outcome. Behind a mask, on a growing social platform, The Speaker is a social justice warrior encouraging people to right wrongs but taking it a little too far behind the scenes in specific DMs....
In person, Aaron has taken over a friend group and is pressuring and influencing this group to commit atrocities.
He is able to do this through studying the ways of serial killers and cult leaders alike... and Aaron has BIG plans to become a household name as well.
In walks Crystal, the girl that Aaron is bound to underestimate and she has a gift for noticing things that most others wouldn't.
This dueling POV thriller was such a fun YA slasher. Adam has mastered this genre for sure.
Thank you to Adam Cesare for sending me a copy of the physical print of his book!
4.5* rounded down.
The opening chapter of this book hits like a hammer. This had incredible performances from both VA's and a well-paced plot that kept me intrigued.
This was genuinely fun, I couldn't wait to get back to it and see where it would take me. The number of eye-rolls I elicited for Aaron's dialogue must be a new record. My god is he insufferable, but again very well-written and performed.
I do feel like the end was a little light handed, all things considered. I wanted more, and there was minimal confrontation between *those two* at the end. It wasn't satisfying.
I look forward to what the author does next.
The opening chapter of this book hits like a hammer. This had incredible performances from both VA's and a well-paced plot that kept me intrigued.
This was genuinely fun, I couldn't wait to get back to it and see where it would take me. The number of eye-rolls I elicited for Aaron's dialogue must be a new record. My god is he insufferable, but again very well-written and performed.
I do feel like the end was a little light handed, all things considered. I wanted more, and there was minimal confrontation between *those two* at the end. It wasn't satisfying.
I look forward to what the author does next.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Influencer kept me interested right until the end. One of Adam Cesare's strongest suits as an author is building up suspense, in a style reminiscent of David Fincher's movies. Having said that, it isn't a novel without flaws. Still, I had a good time reading this. I recommend it if you enjoy YA thrillers.
Spoiler
It was very hard to suspend disbelief about a lot of plot points. For one thing, how can the antagonist, charming and charismatic though he may have been, ensnare Harmony and Paul so easily? They went from being average high school students to killers very quickly. Also, do police exist in this world? I understand that Crystal thought they wouldn't be too interested in her theories, but by the end it was pretty obvious he (+Paul and Harmony) were killers. Thirdly, and this is totally my fault, but this was too "YA" for my taste.
medium-paced