What do you think?
Rate this book
Under the Influence #1
Thanks For Watching
This irreverent psychological thriller shows the humor and dark side of the life of an influencer - think And Then There Were None but with sponsored livestreams.
Michelle Monroe’s fifteen minutes are almost up.
After ten years online, she is a master at her trade: scamming her fans. But her once-bright internet stardom is blinking into oblivion. The brand deals are drying up, the views are plummeting, and even her haters no longer care enough to snark.
When she spots an ornate, scarlet envelope sitting outside her high-rise condo, she realizes her luck is about to change. It’s an invite to an exclusive brand trip for the new energy drink company, Excelsior. The answer is easy: Yes. Even if she has to tolerate hours with the peers that surpassed her.
The worst she expects is a blow-out fight or two (filmed, of course, from multiple angles). But no one anticipates joining a different kind of Mile-High Club: witnessing the death of their frenemy at 30,000 feet. Still, the most tragic news of all is that there’s no internet on the island, no turndown service, and only each other and their shared grudges for entertainment.
As the backstabbing turns literal, and more influencers die in awful, strange ways, the dwindling group can no longer deny the obvious: someone gathered them there to die.
Michelle Monroe’s fifteen minutes are almost up.
After ten years online, she is a master at her trade: scamming her fans. But her once-bright internet stardom is blinking into oblivion. The brand deals are drying up, the views are plummeting, and even her haters no longer care enough to snark.
When she spots an ornate, scarlet envelope sitting outside her high-rise condo, she realizes her luck is about to change. It’s an invite to an exclusive brand trip for the new energy drink company, Excelsior. The answer is easy: Yes. Even if she has to tolerate hours with the peers that surpassed her.
The worst she expects is a blow-out fight or two (filmed, of course, from multiple angles). But no one anticipates joining a different kind of Mile-High Club: witnessing the death of their frenemy at 30,000 feet. Still, the most tragic news of all is that there’s no internet on the island, no turndown service, and only each other and their shared grudges for entertainment.
As the backstabbing turns literal, and more influencers die in awful, strange ways, the dwindling group can no longer deny the obvious: someone gathered them there to die.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
May 18, 2026
I really wanted to like this book, especially because I’ve been watching Kate on Youtube for longer than I can count, or at least longer than I want to admit. I will say, the news headlines on the end pages of the hardback were a fun edition to the print hardback version. However, the font is super large, which was an odd choice because I feel like the page count would have been a lot smaller if the font had been a normal size.
I will say, I had issues with the multiple points of view. There are 11 characters in this book, and each and every one of them is given chapters. It’s just a lot of characters to get through in such a short book, which leaves the characters feeling two-dimensional and flat as a whole. We don’t get enough time with anyone in particular, which means we don’t get to know them, get to know their motives organically in the book, and as a result, we don’t really get attached to anyone in particular. I honestly, based on the blurb, expected to be in Michelle’s POV the entire book.
I think if she had cut it down to even 3-4 POVs the book would have been a lot stronger because we would have a little more equity in the characters themselves and maybe actually care about them better as they’re slowly being picked off.
The other odd choice is what she chose to describe and what she didn’t. I never had a fully clear image of any of the characters. Occasionally, we’d get a fleeting detail about hair or eyes or build, but it always came randomly, so it didn’t help really associate it with them. Also, early on we’re told Ivy takes three pills. There’s no description of them, no real hint of what they are or could be – are they small or big; white or blue; round or oval or capsule? None of this information is given in any way – and we have the exact same thing happen much later in the book which made one of the ‘dun dun dun’ moments feel lackluster and flat because I was more confused and going ‘what are they all freaking about’ because we’re not given details. It just felt really weird, some of the items that were left with little to no description, meanwhile, how pretty the sand is, how people arched and posed for the camera was better described.
Also, for the end of the book, I wish there had been more setup to lead to the motivation of the killer itself throughout the story. I think this issue again ties back to the too many POVs for such a short novel. Because we don't have the equity, we don't get the crumbs we would normally get in a really good thriller/whodunit novel. And then, because we didn't get the bread trail to those motivations and whys, we have to be spoon fed those reasons after the big reveal. Which, in the end isn't fun, because I am one who loves to piece everything together myself when able. I love being able to go back and see what I missed, where if I completely missed it, but in this, I think even if I reread it again, I wouldn't see those building blocks or bread crumbs, because there wasn't enough time to lay them down for the reader.
I think the bones are interesting in the story, I just really wish it would have been exacuted more solidly as a whole.
I will say, I had issues with the multiple points of view. There are 11 characters in this book, and each and every one of them is given chapters. It’s just a lot of characters to get through in such a short book, which leaves the characters feeling two-dimensional and flat as a whole. We don’t get enough time with anyone in particular, which means we don’t get to know them, get to know their motives organically in the book, and as a result, we don’t really get attached to anyone in particular. I honestly, based on the blurb, expected to be in Michelle’s POV the entire book.
I think if she had cut it down to even 3-4 POVs the book would have been a lot stronger because we would have a little more equity in the characters themselves and maybe actually care about them better as they’re slowly being picked off.
The other odd choice is what she chose to describe and what she didn’t. I never had a fully clear image of any of the characters. Occasionally, we’d get a fleeting detail about hair or eyes or build, but it always came randomly, so it didn’t help really associate it with them. Also, early on we’re told Ivy takes three pills. There’s no description of them, no real hint of what they are or could be – are they small or big; white or blue; round or oval or capsule? None of this information is given in any way – and we have the exact same thing happen much later in the book which made one of the ‘dun dun dun’ moments feel lackluster and flat because I was more confused and going ‘what are they all freaking about’ because we’re not given details. It just felt really weird, some of the items that were left with little to no description, meanwhile, how pretty the sand is, how people arched and posed for the camera was better described.
Also, for the end of the book, I wish there had been more setup to lead to the motivation of the killer itself throughout the story. I think this issue again ties back to the too many POVs for such a short novel. Because we don't have the equity, we don't get the crumbs we would normally get in a really good thriller/whodunit novel. And then, because we didn't get the bread trail to those motivations and whys, we have to be spoon fed those reasons after the big reveal. Which, in the end isn't fun, because I am one who loves to piece everything together myself when able. I love being able to go back and see what I missed, where if I completely missed it, but in this, I think even if I reread it again, I wouldn't see those building blocks or bread crumbs, because there wasn't enough time to lay them down for the reader.
I think the bones are interesting in the story, I just really wish it would have been exacuted more solidly as a whole.
Want to Read
August 5, 2025AHHHHH I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU, KATE!! I cannot WAIT to read!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
And Then There Were None but for influencers. 10 current or former influencers take a brand deal trip to an isolated island villa with no signal, no Internet access, and no way off. And then they start to die- one by one.
I'll start off non-spoilery.
This was a nice easy read that I'd expect to find in airport bookstore or to read on the beach.
The pacing was decent and the characters were individual enough for it not to be confusing. I did find them a bit shallow and 2 dimensional; almost caricatures of influencers.
I like the idea and the execution isn't bad, but i did find the motivations behind the killings somewhat basic and not worth killing over (maybe one or two were, but most weren't)
It was very strange to me to find out 47% through the book that 2 of the characters who had died already were Asian. At no point is this mentioned prior, so my image of the characters were set in stone at this point.
The narrative did become melodramatic at points, especially when a body was found, and none of the characters had a lick of common sense
There's a a mention of Diddy owning an island nearby? Like is this the celebrity you want to name drop?
There are some lines in the book that felt really out of place and like they were written for tumblr such as
"Despite the microaggression..."
"In that moment, it was clear Nick had forgotten that East Asians weren’t the only Asians even though he’d traveled all over the world with her."
Neither of these were necessary and felt like buzzwords.
Now for spoilers
And Then There Were None but for influencers. 10 current or former influencers take a brand deal trip to an isolated island villa with no signal, no Internet access, and no way off. And then they start to die- one by one.
I'll start off non-spoilery.
This was a nice easy read that I'd expect to find in airport bookstore or to read on the beach.
The pacing was decent and the characters were individual enough for it not to be confusing. I did find them a bit shallow and 2 dimensional; almost caricatures of influencers.
I like the idea and the execution isn't bad, but i did find the motivations behind the killings somewhat basic and not worth killing over (maybe one or two were, but most weren't)
It was very strange to me to find out 47% through the book that 2 of the characters who had died already were Asian. At no point is this mentioned prior, so my image of the characters were set in stone at this point.
The narrative did become melodramatic at points, especially when a body was found, and none of the characters had a lick of common sense
There's a a mention of Diddy owning an island nearby? Like is this the celebrity you want to name drop?
There are some lines in the book that felt really out of place and like they were written for tumblr such as
"Despite the microaggression..."
"In that moment, it was clear Nick had forgotten that East Asians weren’t the only Asians even though he’d traveled all over the world with her."
Neither of these were necessary and felt like buzzwords.
Now for spoilers
Want to Read
August 20, 2025I cannot wait to read Thanks For Watching. I went ahead and submitted a suggestion to my library and I am going to preorder both the Hard copy and Nook copy this weekend.
June 15, 2026
1st off, I’m happy to see a friend accomplish a dream and goal. YOU GO KATE!!!
2nd, I had no idea what was going to happen till the end. We love that in a thriller!! This book was different than any other thriller I’ve read.
3rd, go buy this book and support Kate because she deserves it 🫶🏼
2nd, I had no idea what was going to happen till the end. We love that in a thriller!! This book was different than any other thriller I’ve read.
3rd, go buy this book and support Kate because she deserves it 🫶🏼
May 21, 2026
Another YouTuber thinks they can write.
Did Not Finish
May 21, 2026I got to 14%, couldn’t keep track of any of the characters, felt no interest in their actions, goodbye
July 7, 2026
Des influenceurs désespérés pour un nouveau moment de gloire, un huis-clos sur une île isolée et des corps qui s'empilent l'un après l'autre.
Tout était là pour me plaire, j'étais même très prise par le bouquin jusqu’au dernier chapitre aka la révélation de le/la coupable.
Honnêtement ce livre était un petit guilty pleasure, comme on dit. J'ai pris un malin plaisir à suivre ces influenceurs l'un plus horrible que l'autre. Les voir se faire des coups bas, s'allier et se poignarder dans le dos en fonction de ce qui leur était plus bénéfique. Les différents pdv ne m'ont pas dérangés, ils étaient tous bien distincts l'un de l'autre et je n'avais aucun mal à suivre qui était qui où et quand. Je peux comprendre que d'autres aient eu du mal ou pensent qu'il y en a trop, mais pour moi ça sert l'histoire, ça permet d'être à différents endroits de l'ile quasi en même temps, de voir tous les personnages de leur propre point de vues mais aussi comment les autres les perçoivent etc. Ça contribue aussi au theme du livre, et nous mets un peu plus dans l'ambiance 'influenceurs', c'est un peu méta mais c'est justement comme si on suivait les vlogs de chaque influenceurs pour de vrai, sauf qu'on est dans leurs tête.
Donc voilà, des gens meurent, le suspense est à son comble, les survivants commencent à péter un cable, j'adore ma lecture et je fais mes petites hypothèses dans mon coin, tout va bien.
Et bam j'arrive au chapitre où tout s'explique et je suis un peu.. déçue? Confuse? les deux?
(pas l'épilogue par contre, j'ai adoré l'épilogue aussi)
Je spoil à partir de maintenant:
Bref, c'était quand même une petite lecture sympa 3.5/5 arrondis à 4 ici. J'ai parlé du petit bémol du livre, selon moi, dans le spoil mais à part ça j'ai vraiment passé un bon moment et ça m'a donné envie de lire le prochain tome que l'autrice à annocé.
Petite note: je suis l'autrice sur youtube/insta et je suis trop contente parce que c'est le 1er livre par une youtubeuse que je suis que je trouve vraiment bon et que j'ai eu du plaisir à lire. Merci.
Tout était là pour me plaire, j'étais même très prise par le bouquin jusqu’au dernier chapitre aka la révélation de le/la coupable.
Honnêtement ce livre était un petit guilty pleasure, comme on dit. J'ai pris un malin plaisir à suivre ces influenceurs l'un plus horrible que l'autre. Les voir se faire des coups bas, s'allier et se poignarder dans le dos en fonction de ce qui leur était plus bénéfique. Les différents pdv ne m'ont pas dérangés, ils étaient tous bien distincts l'un de l'autre et je n'avais aucun mal à suivre qui était qui où et quand. Je peux comprendre que d'autres aient eu du mal ou pensent qu'il y en a trop, mais pour moi ça sert l'histoire, ça permet d'être à différents endroits de l'ile quasi en même temps, de voir tous les personnages de leur propre point de vues mais aussi comment les autres les perçoivent etc. Ça contribue aussi au theme du livre, et nous mets un peu plus dans l'ambiance 'influenceurs', c'est un peu méta mais c'est justement comme si on suivait les vlogs de chaque influenceurs pour de vrai, sauf qu'on est dans leurs tête.
Donc voilà, des gens meurent, le suspense est à son comble, les survivants commencent à péter un cable, j'adore ma lecture et je fais mes petites hypothèses dans mon coin, tout va bien.
Et bam j'arrive au chapitre où tout s'explique et je suis un peu.. déçue? Confuse? les deux?
(pas l'épilogue par contre, j'ai adoré l'épilogue aussi)
Je spoil à partir de maintenant:
Bref, c'était quand même une petite lecture sympa 3.5/5 arrondis à 4 ici. J'ai parlé du petit bémol du livre, selon moi, dans le spoil mais à part ça j'ai vraiment passé un bon moment et ça m'a donné envie de lire le prochain tome que l'autrice à annocé.
Petite note: je suis l'autrice sur youtube/insta et je suis trop contente parce que c'est le 1er livre par une youtubeuse que je suis que je trouve vraiment bon et que j'ai eu du plaisir à lire. Merci.
June 5, 2026
What a cool and engaging murder mystery! I love And Then There Were None, so I just had to give this one a try and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for stories in which the characters are slowly revealed to have more and more skeletons in their closets, and the 'noose' tightens as things start to go wrong and look suspicious. This novel delivered all of that and more.
The cast of characters was engaging and fun to love/hate! They hit that sweet spot of "I like all of them but also low-key want all of them to suffer," which is hard to do for me as a reader because I usually just like and sympathize with everybody, haha.
I liked very much that we got to dive into everyone's POV and inner life. As a writer myself, it's quite a feat to handle so many different POVs and I am really impressed that Kate Cavanaugh pulled that off. It became a whirlwind of, 'wait, who was present when X happened? Who's keeping Y from whom?' and I enjoyed being swept along in it!
At first I was a little put off by those very brief 'in-between' chapters that glanced at each character for a tiny moment. But I grew to really like them as the novel progressed. Those short moments reminded me of the 2000s TV series "24," where at the end of each episode each character was briefly shown.
Also loved the grim reality of dealing with multiple dead bodies in a hot climate. Yikes.
Mild spoilers for character dynamics:
Medium spoiler for a character arc:
Big spoilers for the finale:
I have 2 points that bothered me a bit, but they are both minor!
1.) I personally would have loved to dive further into the setting. The island and the mansion were frequently said to be beautiful and idyllic, but I felt like the descriptions fell a little bit short of that; or at least didn't show that "enough" for me. I really love becoming deeply immersed in settings, though, so that's a personal preference.
2.) Spoiler for a character's plight:
Overall, a fantastic read. I had a ton of fun, especially since my country had its first big heat wave of the summer while I was reading - very immersive lol. :D
The cast of characters was engaging and fun to love/hate! They hit that sweet spot of "I like all of them but also low-key want all of them to suffer," which is hard to do for me as a reader because I usually just like and sympathize with everybody, haha.
I liked very much that we got to dive into everyone's POV and inner life. As a writer myself, it's quite a feat to handle so many different POVs and I am really impressed that Kate Cavanaugh pulled that off. It became a whirlwind of, 'wait, who was present when X happened? Who's keeping Y from whom?' and I enjoyed being swept along in it!
At first I was a little put off by those very brief 'in-between' chapters that glanced at each character for a tiny moment. But I grew to really like them as the novel progressed. Those short moments reminded me of the 2000s TV series "24," where at the end of each episode each character was briefly shown.
Also loved the grim reality of dealing with multiple dead bodies in a hot climate. Yikes.
Mild spoilers for character dynamics:
Medium spoiler for a character arc:
Big spoilers for the finale:
I have 2 points that bothered me a bit, but they are both minor!
1.) I personally would have loved to dive further into the setting. The island and the mansion were frequently said to be beautiful and idyllic, but I felt like the descriptions fell a little bit short of that; or at least didn't show that "enough" for me. I really love becoming deeply immersed in settings, though, so that's a personal preference.
2.) Spoiler for a character's plight:
Overall, a fantastic read. I had a ton of fun, especially since my country had its first big heat wave of the summer while I was reading - very immersive lol. :D
Review of advance copy received from Author
(I received an advance reader's copy of this audiobook through bookfunnel via Kate's YouTube video link).
This book unfortunately didn't work for me in any aspect.
Ultimately, nothing about this book held my interest and the ending held no impact on me because there wasn't enough throughout the story to intrigue me into the motives. The influencers didn't really care that they were dying off and were able to easily move on, so I didn't really care that they were dying off and was easily able to move on. I just finished reading this today - a third attempt in 2 weeks - but I can already feel the story leaving me as there was nothing to hold on to.
2 stars, though, because I did enjoy the ending (the last 4 chapters). I wish the motives had been something we could have pieced together ourselves, but I respect the reasons and liked it.
- - -
The writing threw me off immediately with descriptions of little details going too far in depth. Descriptions of the settings, the character's actions/expressions/etc were fine and wanted, but the opening chapter felt bogged down by brand names.
And that felt to be the start of the hollowness of the characters. While I was able to differentiate one character from the other - a positive - I was not able to invest interest in any of the characters. They all only cared about one thing: the viewership they woud get from this and what they could buy after. But i didnt even really understand why this energy drink brand would be so monumental for them. We got a quick run down of what makes each character an influencer and flawed in their personalities, but other than that, the characters didn't really have backgrounds or ambitions that I could care about (most of them were missing personal lives), that could endear me to them or engage me in the story. They lacked character arcs. I didn't see any of them going anywhere after this story or really being anywhere before the storey. They felt like they existed solely for this narrative and had nothing else going on. I wish this had been told from the perspective of one main character instead of an ensemble so we could at least get more interiority from one character, but everyone was shallow and surface level.
In terms of plot and "thrilling elements," that also felt lacking. I think because the only stipulation they had when going to this island was that they had to enjoy themselves, they didn't really have a direction. The story felt aimless and there wasn't enough depth in the character's reactions to the deaths to make up for that. There wasn't even an implication as to why these deaths were happening. I think if their invitations had given them something to accomplish when they got to the island so they were actually doing something, or if they had been more dedicated to escaping the island or figuring out why they were being killed off, then I would have been more interested. There was no sense of urgency, despite their short lived concern for a shortage of supplies. I understand that footage is their top priority, and it could be at the forefront of their minds, but I need them to be scared of something, suspicious of each other to the point of fear of being stuck there with each other or more concerned about finding the killer. Something other than drinking and personal life drama that we aren't connected to the characters enough to care about.
This book unfortunately didn't work for me in any aspect.
Ultimately, nothing about this book held my interest and the ending held no impact on me because there wasn't enough throughout the story to intrigue me into the motives. The influencers didn't really care that they were dying off and were able to easily move on, so I didn't really care that they were dying off and was easily able to move on. I just finished reading this today - a third attempt in 2 weeks - but I can already feel the story leaving me as there was nothing to hold on to.
2 stars, though, because I did enjoy the ending (the last 4 chapters). I wish the motives had been something we could have pieced together ourselves, but I respect the reasons and liked it.
- - -
The writing threw me off immediately with descriptions of little details going too far in depth. Descriptions of the settings, the character's actions/expressions/etc were fine and wanted, but the opening chapter felt bogged down by brand names.
And that felt to be the start of the hollowness of the characters. While I was able to differentiate one character from the other - a positive - I was not able to invest interest in any of the characters. They all only cared about one thing: the viewership they woud get from this and what they could buy after. But i didnt even really understand why this energy drink brand would be so monumental for them. We got a quick run down of what makes each character an influencer and flawed in their personalities, but other than that, the characters didn't really have backgrounds or ambitions that I could care about (most of them were missing personal lives), that could endear me to them or engage me in the story. They lacked character arcs. I didn't see any of them going anywhere after this story or really being anywhere before the storey. They felt like they existed solely for this narrative and had nothing else going on. I wish this had been told from the perspective of one main character instead of an ensemble so we could at least get more interiority from one character, but everyone was shallow and surface level.
In terms of plot and "thrilling elements," that also felt lacking. I think because the only stipulation they had when going to this island was that they had to enjoy themselves, they didn't really have a direction. The story felt aimless and there wasn't enough depth in the character's reactions to the deaths to make up for that. There wasn't even an implication as to why these deaths were happening. I think if their invitations had given them something to accomplish when they got to the island so they were actually doing something, or if they had been more dedicated to escaping the island or figuring out why they were being killed off, then I would have been more interested. There was no sense of urgency, despite their short lived concern for a shortage of supplies. I understand that footage is their top priority, and it could be at the forefront of their minds, but I need them to be scared of something, suspicious of each other to the point of fear of being stuck there with each other or more concerned about finding the killer. Something other than drinking and personal life drama that we aren't connected to the characters enough to care about.
May 16, 2026
I am going to preface this review by saying that I did enjoy the book. It was entertaining, but not exactly what I was expecting. I've read through quite a few of the other reviews on here, and I do agree with some things.
The writing was choppy at the beginning, but it seemed to get better as we went further into the book. The ending was definitely stronger than the beginning. I hated how many different points of view we had. There were too many; it should have been two, maybe four max. Because it was really hard to get into these characters. I also feel like this book might have benefited from some flashback chapters. They were all pretty awful people, which is fine, but like another reviewer pointed out, it would have been better to focus on their personas and then start having cracks appear as the story moved along. Flashbacks would have helped flesh the characters out more.
Also, I had no idea what the majority of these characters looked like for a while. Michelle and Sanjeev, yes, their descriptions told me enough information to picture them clearly, eventually anyway, but Ivy and Ian, no. Ivy's description made me think pale white goth girl, only for it to be later revealed that both she and Ian were Asian. I don't even remember Ian getting a description. Lauren had red hair; Sarah and Olivia were both blonde. Ro had dark hair, and Cody had muscles. Dylan and Nick? No clue. I know some people don't care if the characters are described or not, but I am not one of them.
The pacing wasn't bad. The plot was decent. It did keep me reading because I wanted to know who the killer was, and no, I did not guess correctly who did it. I think if the book had received a bit more polish before being published, it could have easily been 4/5 star read. I really wanted this to be a 5 star read because I've been watching Kate's YouTube channel for years now, and I plan to still read whatever she publishes next.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
i received this book as an arc from the publisher. any spoilers will be hidden.
i'm going into this with a little bit of bias, because i've been watching kate on youtube since 2020 and she's been a huge inspiration for me and my writing for years. i was really excited for this book to be my first ever ARC copy of anything.
it was alright in some aspects. i liked how vibrant the setting was described as and i liked when the suspense would build and have me pausing anything else i was doing (walking, usually) to read what was going to happen next. but the ending really felt like a dip.
i was expecting more when it came to the deaths in this book. maybe it's the way kate has been marketing it i was hoping for shocking moments
the motive's weren't all that much (except for one or two people), and the characters were all so unlikeable and stereotypical (and i feel mean for saying that some of them were stupid, but i just wish there was more depth to everyone and i wanted at least someone to be interesting.
really though, i had a good time reading this. i was nervous when i saw how long it was originally, but i would've gotten done with it quicker if i had read it as a physical book rather than an e-book (i just don't like e-books). i do want to read this again sometime to see if there are any clues throughout that lead up to the ending.
one more thing,
i'm going into this with a little bit of bias, because i've been watching kate on youtube since 2020 and she's been a huge inspiration for me and my writing for years. i was really excited for this book to be my first ever ARC copy of anything.
it was alright in some aspects. i liked how vibrant the setting was described as and i liked when the suspense would build and have me pausing anything else i was doing (walking, usually) to read what was going to happen next. but the ending really felt like a dip.
i was expecting more when it came to the deaths in this book. maybe it's the way kate has been marketing it i was hoping for shocking moments
the motive's weren't all that much (except for one or two people), and the characters were all so unlikeable and stereotypical (and i feel mean for saying that some of them were stupid, but i just wish there was more depth to everyone and i wanted at least someone to be interesting.
really though, i had a good time reading this. i was nervous when i saw how long it was originally, but i would've gotten done with it quicker if i had read it as a physical book rather than an e-book (i just don't like e-books). i do want to read this again sometime to see if there are any clues throughout that lead up to the ending.
one more thing,
Read
June 25, 2026This was exactly what I needed. Before picking up this book, I'd had an incredibly hectic month and a half, during which I was slowly trudging my way through the long, dense beast that is It by Stephen King. In stark contrast, Thanks for Watching is a light, quick play on my personal favorite overdone trope-- blatant And Then There Were None knockoff. They're almost always very surface-level and cliche, but I'm always glad to pick one up.
Like most books that use And Then There Were None as inspo, this is what I would call a flash in the pan book. It’s a quick read, and you probably won’t think about it again once you’re finished. The characters are familiar because they’re 1 dimensional stereotypes, the plot is familiar because it’s a play on a known trope. It does one or two interesting things with that trope, but not enough to make it feel unique. Whodunnit is unsurprising, if not obvious. It’s not bad, and it’s a fun ride while you’re on it, but it’s not enough of a standout that it’s going to stick with you. If you were around in the mid ‘10s booktube scene, reading the YA novels being pumped out at the time, this one reads similarly. The characters are mostly in their 30s, but feel and act younger, and there's a YA tone to the writing as well.
I did a mixture of reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook. The narrator for the audiobook was very dynamic, adding extra nuance to the text than might have been immediately obvious if I’d been just reading with my eyes. There were a couple moments the narration felt a bit off or over-exaggerated, but on the whole I thought it was a really compelling performance.
All-in-all, this is one of those books that’s going to hover between a 2.5/5 (it’s alright) and a low 3/5 (I liked it), so I think I’ll wait until the dust settles a bit to decide. I really enjoy Kate’s authortube content, and hope I enjoy whatever she publishes next more than I enjoyed this one. I also concur with pretty much everything another reviewer already stated here.
Like most books that use And Then There Were None as inspo, this is what I would call a flash in the pan book. It’s a quick read, and you probably won’t think about it again once you’re finished. The characters are familiar because they’re 1 dimensional stereotypes, the plot is familiar because it’s a play on a known trope. It does one or two interesting things with that trope, but not enough to make it feel unique. Whodunnit is unsurprising, if not obvious. It’s not bad, and it’s a fun ride while you’re on it, but it’s not enough of a standout that it’s going to stick with you. If you were around in the mid ‘10s booktube scene, reading the YA novels being pumped out at the time, this one reads similarly. The characters are mostly in their 30s, but feel and act younger, and there's a YA tone to the writing as well.
I did a mixture of reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook. The narrator for the audiobook was very dynamic, adding extra nuance to the text than might have been immediately obvious if I’d been just reading with my eyes. There were a couple moments the narration felt a bit off or over-exaggerated, but on the whole I thought it was a really compelling performance.
All-in-all, this is one of those books that’s going to hover between a 2.5/5 (it’s alright) and a low 3/5 (I liked it), so I think I’ll wait until the dust settles a bit to decide. I really enjoy Kate’s authortube content, and hope I enjoy whatever she publishes next more than I enjoyed this one. I also concur with pretty much everything another reviewer already stated here.
May 30, 2026
3.5 rounded up. I had a pretty good time with this book, and actually quite enjoyed the characters. Even if we weren’t supposed to like them, I ended up liking most of them (or loving hating them).
It would have been nice to get more background of each of them shown throughout the book because as it stood some of the influencers I found to be not as horrible as they were supposed to be. It wasn’t until the very end for some when we are told, oh they actually did this horrible thing and that’s why they deserve to die. It would have been nice to see that earlier in the pages or even in small flashbacks.
My personal theory going through this was that all the influencers were killing each other (Ro killed Ivy, Cody killed Ian etc) which I felt caused stronger personal motivations for the killings rather than it simply being Michelle and Dylan behind them all (aside from Sarah’s). As it stood, I found the justification for some of the killings weak. Ivy was a gossip and spilled secrets, but so did everyone including Michelle and Dylan. Ro plagiarized and wrote about their lives in her books, which yeah is bad, but worth killing her over? When again, it seemed she did that with many of the influencers. I didn’t agree, and found there wasn’t enough personal motivation to justify it.
Having Michelle and Dylan be the only two survivors when they were basically in the same boat as the others made it feel unfair in the end, which could be the point. One of the themes does seem to be unfairness so if that’s what the author was going for then it was accomplished. Call me blood-thirsty, I just wanted them all to die!
I did like the writing style. It was fun and kept the pace going. I don’t think there was ever a part where I got bored in the story, and I loved the short dedicated chapters to each character’s reaction after something crazy happened. Overall, a fun time and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a modern-day murder mystery.
It would have been nice to get more background of each of them shown throughout the book because as it stood some of the influencers I found to be not as horrible as they were supposed to be. It wasn’t until the very end for some when we are told, oh they actually did this horrible thing and that’s why they deserve to die. It would have been nice to see that earlier in the pages or even in small flashbacks.
My personal theory going through this was that all the influencers were killing each other (Ro killed Ivy, Cody killed Ian etc) which I felt caused stronger personal motivations for the killings rather than it simply being Michelle and Dylan behind them all (aside from Sarah’s). As it stood, I found the justification for some of the killings weak. Ivy was a gossip and spilled secrets, but so did everyone including Michelle and Dylan. Ro plagiarized and wrote about their lives in her books, which yeah is bad, but worth killing her over? When again, it seemed she did that with many of the influencers. I didn’t agree, and found there wasn’t enough personal motivation to justify it.
Having Michelle and Dylan be the only two survivors when they were basically in the same boat as the others made it feel unfair in the end, which could be the point. One of the themes does seem to be unfairness so if that’s what the author was going for then it was accomplished. Call me blood-thirsty, I just wanted them all to die!
I did like the writing style. It was fun and kept the pace going. I don’t think there was ever a part where I got bored in the story, and I loved the short dedicated chapters to each character’s reaction after something crazy happened. Overall, a fun time and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a modern-day murder mystery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received an ARC of this book by the publisher.
I have been a fan of Kate Cavanaugh’s YouTube channel for many years now and have been so excited for the day when I finally got to read a book by her and she did not disappoint with this debut novel.
As a lover of all things mystery and thriller Thanks for Watching definitely gave me all of the twists and turns that I look forward to reading in a book. I am a sucker for morally ambiguous characters in my books but there was nothing ambiguous about how these influencers maneuvered within their lives. They were not only deeply flawed, seemingly to their core, but they also appear to be vastly apathetic throughout the entirety of the brand trip that is supposed to be their second chance.
From the first death I was thrown for a loop in the best way and the events that followed in the book definitely kept me on my toes straight through to the end where the killer was finally revealed. I did not see that one coming, and I definitely didn’t expect to find myself actually cheering on the culprit. The fact that the motive wasn’t revealed until nearly the end was such a great move and just put a bow on everything for me. If ever there were a group of people that did not deserve your sympathy, it would be this one.
I’m not used to reading a book with quite such a wide array of characters in it and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep track of who was who but to be able to do so and not have me lose sight of each character within the book and keep me engaged throughout is a testament to Kate Cavanaugh’s extraordinary writing abilities. Thanks for Watching is such a wonderful modern-day twist on ‘And Then There Were None’ and I loved it! This is absolutely a five-star read for me.
I have been a fan of Kate Cavanaugh’s YouTube channel for many years now and have been so excited for the day when I finally got to read a book by her and she did not disappoint with this debut novel.
As a lover of all things mystery and thriller Thanks for Watching definitely gave me all of the twists and turns that I look forward to reading in a book. I am a sucker for morally ambiguous characters in my books but there was nothing ambiguous about how these influencers maneuvered within their lives. They were not only deeply flawed, seemingly to their core, but they also appear to be vastly apathetic throughout the entirety of the brand trip that is supposed to be their second chance.
From the first death I was thrown for a loop in the best way and the events that followed in the book definitely kept me on my toes straight through to the end where the killer was finally revealed. I did not see that one coming, and I definitely didn’t expect to find myself actually cheering on the culprit. The fact that the motive wasn’t revealed until nearly the end was such a great move and just put a bow on everything for me. If ever there were a group of people that did not deserve your sympathy, it would be this one.
I’m not used to reading a book with quite such a wide array of characters in it and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep track of who was who but to be able to do so and not have me lose sight of each character within the book and keep me engaged throughout is a testament to Kate Cavanaugh’s extraordinary writing abilities. Thanks for Watching is such a wonderful modern-day twist on ‘And Then There Were None’ and I loved it! This is absolutely a five-star read for me.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4 stars
this is a book that i have been WAITING for and i'm so happy that i finally got the chance to read it. i've been a fan of kate cavanaugh since i was FIFTEEN years old so it honestly feels a little surreal to finally get the chance to read a book of hers, and to have the privilege of doing that early is very awesome.
this book was very interesting and honestly, it did not end the way that i thought it was going to, which is definitely a plus. kate does a great job at making characters that are so easy to dislike and the one character i did like was one who survived so AYY. i think that she did a great job of setting up this book so that you weren't rooting for any of them, because i know that i wasn't!
i really enjoyed this book but the only thing that held me back from a five star is the fact that i wasn't yearning to pick up this book like i have for books in the past and honestly, that's no fault of kate's.
i do also believe that this book would be a better physical read than an audiobook read. i recieved both advanced copy's and i felt that there were some transitions in the audiobook that were rather jarring and that was do to the length of the chapters being less than a chapter so i just felt like i was getting whiplash jumping through povs. it just felt clunky, but i do feel that the physical/ebook version of this book would curb that feeling.
overall, i thought that this was an excellent debut from kate cavanaugh and i'm very happy to finally be able to support her books after being a fan for so long. i will definitely read her books in the future!!
thank you to inimitable books for the e-arc!
this is a book that i have been WAITING for and i'm so happy that i finally got the chance to read it. i've been a fan of kate cavanaugh since i was FIFTEEN years old so it honestly feels a little surreal to finally get the chance to read a book of hers, and to have the privilege of doing that early is very awesome.
this book was very interesting and honestly, it did not end the way that i thought it was going to, which is definitely a plus. kate does a great job at making characters that are so easy to dislike and the one character i did like was one who survived so AYY. i think that she did a great job of setting up this book so that you weren't rooting for any of them, because i know that i wasn't!
i really enjoyed this book but the only thing that held me back from a five star is the fact that i wasn't yearning to pick up this book like i have for books in the past and honestly, that's no fault of kate's.
i do also believe that this book would be a better physical read than an audiobook read. i recieved both advanced copy's and i felt that there were some transitions in the audiobook that were rather jarring and that was do to the length of the chapters being less than a chapter so i just felt like i was getting whiplash jumping through povs. it just felt clunky, but i do feel that the physical/ebook version of this book would curb that feeling.
overall, i thought that this was an excellent debut from kate cavanaugh and i'm very happy to finally be able to support her books after being a fan for so long. i will definitely read her books in the future!!
thank you to inimitable books for the e-arc!
Review of advance copy
4.75
Cover 5; characters 4; Plot 5; Pace 5; Intrigue 5; Logic 4; worldbuilding 4; Writing 5; Enjoyment 5
As always I must start off with saying that Kate is one of my best friends and I was given an audio arc of this book to read and rate pre-release. So take my review as you will.
The last quarter of this book left me cackling and cheering for a murderer. The influencers in this novel are problematic on a whole other level and I was living for seeing them being offed, one by one.
There were definitely moments in this book where you felt tense. You were just waiting for the shoe to drop and the bad thing to happen. And honestly, the more you learn about these people, the more you want the bad thing to happen. I really liked where things ended up. We do learn who did what and why and I fully support it.
The only issue I had throughout the novel was always knowing who was who with our large cast of characters. We're looking at 11 people from the jump and while in a lot of books with a big cast they're all very different people, this specific group had a LOT in common. They were all a bit selfish and/or narcissistic, they were *influencers* who were for sure bad behaving. They were all keeping secrets about bad things they had done in the past. But that was kind of the point. The only way for us to be okay with them all dying, they had to be annoying and deemed bad in our opinion and they all definitely fit the bill.
Anywho, if you like a classic murder mystery, especially ones with twists from modern day first world problems, I highly recommend this one!
Cover 5; characters 4; Plot 5; Pace 5; Intrigue 5; Logic 4; worldbuilding 4; Writing 5; Enjoyment 5
As always I must start off with saying that Kate is one of my best friends and I was given an audio arc of this book to read and rate pre-release. So take my review as you will.
The last quarter of this book left me cackling and cheering for a murderer. The influencers in this novel are problematic on a whole other level and I was living for seeing them being offed, one by one.
There were definitely moments in this book where you felt tense. You were just waiting for the shoe to drop and the bad thing to happen. And honestly, the more you learn about these people, the more you want the bad thing to happen. I really liked where things ended up. We do learn who did what and why and I fully support it.
The only issue I had throughout the novel was always knowing who was who with our large cast of characters. We're looking at 11 people from the jump and while in a lot of books with a big cast they're all very different people, this specific group had a LOT in common. They were all a bit selfish and/or narcissistic, they were *influencers* who were for sure bad behaving. They were all keeping secrets about bad things they had done in the past. But that was kind of the point. The only way for us to be okay with them all dying, they had to be annoying and deemed bad in our opinion and they all definitely fit the bill.
Anywho, if you like a classic murder mystery, especially ones with twists from modern day first world problems, I highly recommend this one!
May 29, 2026
DNF
I do not like her writing style. The sentences feels so formulaic and are all similar. Pretty much every other sentence has an introductory element, and something similar to that concept at the end, but only to emphasize the last few words, oh my. Like that, and yes, just as unnecessary, tragic. lol. I prefer 80%-ish of a book to have complete sentences that read like one complete thought. No stupid commas, or em dashes, or parenthesis, etc. Ok, maybe I should ease up on the commas... they are necessary, until they get overused, for every, single, stylistic, pause... sigh. Anyway.
Side note: this is not to say that there can't be different and experimental books, but it takes a very skilled writer and language master to create a well done book that is not infuriating to read.
I'm bored with the plot. Or rather nothing much is going on. Influencers get invited to an island, one of them flys the plane, gossip and catching up ensues, someone dies on the plane, they have a dinner party and the chit chatting continues, then another person dies sometime that night in their room, and more useless chatter takes place in the morning (and that's when I stopped reading). All the talking is so boring. It's trying to come off as if it's juicy and revealing, but I ain't buying it.
This book is about 300 pages, and it feels too long (taking into account the large print) and not enough is happening to keep me reading. The writing style is formulaic, uninteresting, and repetitive, all with a basic surface level commentary on influencers.
I do not like her writing style. The sentences feels so formulaic and are all similar. Pretty much every other sentence has an introductory element, and something similar to that concept at the end, but only to emphasize the last few words, oh my. Like that, and yes, just as unnecessary, tragic. lol. I prefer 80%-ish of a book to have complete sentences that read like one complete thought. No stupid commas, or em dashes, or parenthesis, etc. Ok, maybe I should ease up on the commas... they are necessary, until they get overused, for every, single, stylistic, pause... sigh. Anyway.
Side note: this is not to say that there can't be different and experimental books, but it takes a very skilled writer and language master to create a well done book that is not infuriating to read.
I'm bored with the plot. Or rather nothing much is going on. Influencers get invited to an island, one of them flys the plane, gossip and catching up ensues, someone dies on the plane, they have a dinner party and the chit chatting continues, then another person dies sometime that night in their room, and more useless chatter takes place in the morning (and that's when I stopped reading). All the talking is so boring. It's trying to come off as if it's juicy and revealing, but I ain't buying it.
This book is about 300 pages, and it feels too long (taking into account the large print) and not enough is happening to keep me reading. The writing style is formulaic, uninteresting, and repetitive, all with a basic surface level commentary on influencers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I want to start off by saying I've been following Kate for years on YouTube, but I tried my best not to let that cloud my judgement of the book. I got an early copy due to the release date pushback.
There were some parts I enjoyed and I often found the book difficult to put down, even if I wasn't always enjoying what was happening on the page. I liked somebody dying on the plane, I also enjoyed the pilot's early death to limit escape, and I liked the reveal that it was two people working together, which I never considered.The book did get me there. I suspected both Michelle and Dylan at times, but was successfully convinced to look away from them. I'm sure it's enjoyable on a second read to watch where Michelle and Dylan are and aren't at the same time.
The characters weren't as well fleshed out as I would have liked. It made them difficult to differentiate, and I think the slew of POVs limited how deeply we could go with any one character. I understand they were meant to be unlikable, but they were hard to connect with. I know some influencers are awful, but they're all interesting, engaging, and charismatic, which I didn't see come through.
This debut shows a lot of potential. The story itself felt pretty strong; the writing felt more YA to me. This book could have thrived with more words, which would allow for more character development.
There were some parts I enjoyed and I often found the book difficult to put down, even if I wasn't always enjoying what was happening on the page. I liked somebody dying on the plane, I also enjoyed the pilot's early death to limit escape, and I liked the reveal that it was two people working together, which I never considered.The book did get me there. I suspected both Michelle and Dylan at times, but was successfully convinced to look away from them. I'm sure it's enjoyable on a second read to watch where Michelle and Dylan are and aren't at the same time.
The characters weren't as well fleshed out as I would have liked. It made them difficult to differentiate, and I think the slew of POVs limited how deeply we could go with any one character. I understand they were meant to be unlikable, but they were hard to connect with. I know some influencers are awful, but they're all interesting, engaging, and charismatic, which I didn't see come through.
This debut shows a lot of potential. The story itself felt pretty strong; the writing felt more YA to me. This book could have thrived with more words, which would allow for more character development.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I enjoyed the readability of this book, even though the characters for the most part were not people I would want to know in real life.
The premise is gathering influencers together on an island under the premise they will then promote a new drink. The influencers we are introduced to are all battling demons of some sort, all having something to do with their careers as influencers.
I liked how quickly the first murder happened, while they were in the air on the way to the island.
The second island removes the pilot from being able to fly the survivors off the island. I'm not sure what prevented the pilot from reporting the first death. I don't remember that being addressed.
I'm troubled by their being two left at the end of the story. I don't see where the two survivors would be loyal enough to not eventually result in both being discovered for the crimes. I think it would have been a stronger ending if there was something that tied the two together in a stronger way or if one of them killed their partner, leaving only one survivor.
These questions weren't enough to interfere with my enjoying reading the story. It was a fun ride, a good read when you want something to enjoy and drift along on the story.
The premise is gathering influencers together on an island under the premise they will then promote a new drink. The influencers we are introduced to are all battling demons of some sort, all having something to do with their careers as influencers.
I liked how quickly the first murder happened, while they were in the air on the way to the island.
The second island removes the pilot from being able to fly the survivors off the island. I'm not sure what prevented the pilot from reporting the first death. I don't remember that being addressed.
I'm troubled by their being two left at the end of the story. I don't see where the two survivors would be loyal enough to not eventually result in both being discovered for the crimes. I think it would have been a stronger ending if there was something that tied the two together in a stronger way or if one of them killed their partner, leaving only one survivor.
These questions weren't enough to interfere with my enjoying reading the story. It was a fun ride, a good read when you want something to enjoy and drift along on the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2026
4.5 Stars
I picked this up because I love a good "who survives murder island" popcorn book, especially with a bunch of messy people and this did not dissapoint in that aspect. For something I expected to be more like a CW show, the characters had a surprising depth to them I wasn't expecting and seeing the world through the influencer lens made for a captivating read. I became genuinely interested and fascinated on seeing their perspective and how they filtered their world through what was "content".
This book especially excelled at the interpersonal relationships between the characters, and despite the sheer amount of characters they had very distinct voices. I was concerned at first on the mystery aspect of it - any time any book is comped to "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie I'm always worried it's going to be a direct copy of the twist but while reading this genuinely did have me guessing.
This is very much still a "fun" read thriller, but I highly recommend it, especially if you've ever followed content creators on social media. The only difficult part of the book at first was keeping straight the kind of content creators all of them were - for example Ro I didn't quite understand what her deal was when she was first introduced.
I picked this up because I love a good "who survives murder island" popcorn book, especially with a bunch of messy people and this did not dissapoint in that aspect. For something I expected to be more like a CW show, the characters had a surprising depth to them I wasn't expecting and seeing the world through the influencer lens made for a captivating read. I became genuinely interested and fascinated on seeing their perspective and how they filtered their world through what was "content".
This book especially excelled at the interpersonal relationships between the characters, and despite the sheer amount of characters they had very distinct voices. I was concerned at first on the mystery aspect of it - any time any book is comped to "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie I'm always worried it's going to be a direct copy of the twist but while reading this genuinely did have me guessing.
This is very much still a "fun" read thriller, but I highly recommend it, especially if you've ever followed content creators on social media. The only difficult part of the book at first was keeping straight the kind of content creators all of them were - for example Ro I didn't quite understand what her deal was when she was first introduced.
May 29, 2026
The story is fun, but the writing is hard to get through. I suppose a testament to the plot is I really did want to know whodunnit, but the writing was confusing. As someone mentioned, it was hard to understand the characters in any depth, and often they are referred to with pronouns instead of names even when scenes change, so I wasn’t always clear on who was saying what. The action also didn’t always line up with the story - how did they get from A to B? Word choice (eg using ‘dawn’ instead of ‘don’) made it seem like this skipped the editing process.
Substantively, more back story would be useful. Embedding more character history would develop the characters and let us at least *try* to solve the mystery. My edition includes a bonus chapter (?) for print that includes some previous history but is not exactly expository; without it I think the ending would have felt extra hasty.
Someone else mentioned the font was really big…not sure why.
Substantively, more back story would be useful. Embedding more character history would develop the characters and let us at least *try* to solve the mystery. My edition includes a bonus chapter (?) for print that includes some previous history but is not exactly expository; without it I think the ending would have felt extra hasty.
Someone else mentioned the font was really big…not sure why.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received this arc from the publisher.
I found the plot well-paced, with each new turn leaving me doubting my guess as to who the killer may be (and yes my original guesses were so wrong haha). I thoroughly enjoyed the dip into each character's psyche, watching them slowly unravel their pristine exteriors as the circumstances unfolded throughout the story.
I particularly liked the characters of Ro and Olivia, Rowena especially (but I think that's the antisocial writer in me.) And I just wanted to protect Olivia, ugh.
Without giving away any spoilers, the deaths were unexpected, my jaw was hung open during the last 20% (ebook)... Overall a solid four stars from me, I will be reading the book again over the coming week, and I look forward to buying a physical copy upon release in April :)
I found the plot well-paced, with each new turn leaving me doubting my guess as to who the killer may be (and yes my original guesses were so wrong haha). I thoroughly enjoyed the dip into each character's psyche, watching them slowly unravel their pristine exteriors as the circumstances unfolded throughout the story.
I particularly liked the characters of Ro and Olivia, Rowena especially (but I think that's the antisocial writer in me.) And I just wanted to protect Olivia, ugh.
Without giving away any spoilers, the deaths were unexpected, my jaw was hung open during the last 20% (ebook)... Overall a solid four stars from me, I will be reading the book again over the coming week, and I look forward to buying a physical copy upon release in April :)
May 14, 2026
3.5/5
There's nothing memorable about the characters, and yet I had to finish the story. It is the whole point of the story and very divisive of the author. I can't stop reading (i.e. watching).
It's messy. It's not that deep. We turn away thinking, "That's crazy", and move on without being affected. If this were IRL, we (the audience) would watch people go through this experience without any human connection or emotion, just like how we are meant to read this book. The characters are representative of the story, which is representative of the pages of the book, which is representative of the videos we watch endlessly on the apps. Entertainment grab. It’s a fascinating cycle of fake personas, attention-seeking thrills, and how far one can go before valuing human lives as human rather than what brand they wear.
There's nothing memorable about the characters, and yet I had to finish the story. It is the whole point of the story and very divisive of the author. I can't stop reading (i.e. watching).
It's messy. It's not that deep. We turn away thinking, "That's crazy", and move on without being affected. If this were IRL, we (the audience) would watch people go through this experience without any human connection or emotion, just like how we are meant to read this book. The characters are representative of the story, which is representative of the pages of the book, which is representative of the videos we watch endlessly on the apps. Entertainment grab. It’s a fascinating cycle of fake personas, attention-seeking thrills, and how far one can go before valuing human lives as human rather than what brand they wear.
June 11, 2026
I was really excited to read this book because I'm a huge fan of Kate Cavanaugh and her writing-themed YouTube channel. But as I was reading, I decided to read it like I had no idea who Kate is so I could give my honest thoughts on the book. I enjoyed the second half more than the first half, but honestly I felt like there were too many characters to keep straight, and by the time they all started dying I felt like I hadn't gotten to know them enough to really care about most of them.
I should add that I don't normally read thrillers, so it's possible the book just wasn't my thing. I don't think it's a bad book, and Kate Cavanaugh clearly knows a thing or two about crafting mysteries because I did NOT see the twist coming, but overall it's...not really for me, I guess? But if you like thrillers and mysteries, I would recommend checking it out. Maybe it's for you!
I should add that I don't normally read thrillers, so it's possible the book just wasn't my thing. I don't think it's a bad book, and Kate Cavanaugh clearly knows a thing or two about crafting mysteries because I did NOT see the twist coming, but overall it's...not really for me, I guess? But if you like thrillers and mysteries, I would recommend checking it out. Maybe it's for you!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
DNF - ARC Review
Was excited for this debut, but could not connect with the writing by the choppiness (was confusing at times) and the evident hatred of influencers the author has, which was off-putting. If you like constantly bitchy characters, this could be for you. It would have been strong writing if she had made the characters appealing like influencers are to their followers, and then psychologically twist reality to expose them, which is what I was expecting. I don't know if the characters were written like sketches intentionally to make them seem empty and desperate, but they needed more flesh to them to pop off the page and make differentiating them easier. Read like a fast draft or by a writer still trying to find their voice.
Was excited for this debut, but could not connect with the writing by the choppiness (was confusing at times) and the evident hatred of influencers the author has, which was off-putting. If you like constantly bitchy characters, this could be for you. It would have been strong writing if she had made the characters appealing like influencers are to their followers, and then psychologically twist reality to expose them, which is what I was expecting. I don't know if the characters were written like sketches intentionally to make them seem empty and desperate, but they needed more flesh to them to pop off the page and make differentiating them easier. Read like a fast draft or by a writer still trying to find their voice.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
ARC received from the publisher!
So I’m a longtime subscriber and huge fan of Kate, so I was excited to receive an ARC. I finished the book in a day, as I absolutely could not put in down. It was a fast paced, page turning mystery. But while the plot was engaging, I felt like I was given very little information about the characters and their past relationships. Like how did this person become an influencer? How do they know each other? The dialogue also felt weird at times and didn’t flow properly. I think it suffered from using too many Sometimes it felt like the author was being a bit too overly preachy about certain topics, and the constant talk about one character’s toxic masculinity made my eyes roll a bit. But it was an overall ok read. Solid 3.5 stars.
So I’m a longtime subscriber and huge fan of Kate, so I was excited to receive an ARC. I finished the book in a day, as I absolutely could not put in down. It was a fast paced, page turning mystery. But while the plot was engaging, I felt like I was given very little information about the characters and their past relationships. Like how did this person become an influencer? How do they know each other? The dialogue also felt weird at times and didn’t flow properly. I think it suffered from using too many Sometimes it felt like the author was being a bit too overly preachy about certain topics, and the constant talk about one character’s toxic masculinity made my eyes roll a bit. But it was an overall ok read. Solid 3.5 stars.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I was given an ARC of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I've been reading mysteries all my life. This is the first time I did not figure out the whodunnit! It all made perfect sense in the end, and I could trace all the clues after I finished, so it was enormously satisfying. It moves fast, so don't be surprised if you miss something because you had to glance at your dog. LOL Kudos to the author for juggling these slightly unloveable characters and forgive yourself when you find yourself cheering when another one drops. Enough twists and turns to keep those pages turning! I loved it, and I'll be a fan for life.
Regina Duke, USA Today Bestselling Author
I've been reading mysteries all my life. This is the first time I did not figure out the whodunnit! It all made perfect sense in the end, and I could trace all the clues after I finished, so it was enormously satisfying. It moves fast, so don't be surprised if you miss something because you had to glance at your dog. LOL Kudos to the author for juggling these slightly unloveable characters and forgive yourself when you find yourself cheering when another one drops. Enough twists and turns to keep those pages turning! I loved it, and I'll be a fan for life.
Regina Duke, USA Today Bestselling Author
March 23, 2026
Kate Cavanaugh’s “Thanks for Watching” is a fun and twisty read that doesn’t take itself too seriously but is seriously entertaining. With the cast of characters, the reader is swept along an exclusive influencers-only brand trip to an island where they all start mysteriously dying one by one.
The pacing never lagged, and I appreciated the commentary on self-image, content creation, and parasocial relationships. The audiobook narration by Aure Nash was top tier and I can’t wait to re-read the story as a physical book (now that I know the ending) so I can see it all come together on paper as well.
Thank you to Inimitable Books and the author for the ALC!
The pacing never lagged, and I appreciated the commentary on self-image, content creation, and parasocial relationships. The audiobook narration by Aure Nash was top tier and I can’t wait to re-read the story as a physical book (now that I know the ending) so I can see it all come together on paper as well.
Thank you to Inimitable Books and the author for the ALC!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I listened to the ARC of the audiobook. First, what a fun romp through some terrible people's lives (and deaths)! The characters were clearly defined and easy to differentiate, which is not an easy task in such a large cast. The author herself is a Youtuber, and it is easy to see how she has taken her experience of the darker side of social media and twisted it into this tale. None of the characters are likeable, which makes all their comeuppances even more delicious. Great campy, silly, darkly satirical take on influencers and what our obsession with social media says about us as a society.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews