What do you think?
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 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 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 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 someone gathered them there to die.
Michelle Monroe’s fifteen minutes are almost up.
After ten years online, she is a master at her 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 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 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 someone gathered them there to die.
345 pages, Kindle Edition
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 70 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.
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
August 5, 2025
AHHHHH I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU, KATE!! I cannot WAIT to read!
*Update: Read August 2026*
I had a really fun time with this one! It was a quick read with plenty of twists. I've seen some comments saying the characters fall flat but I actually really disagree, I think Kate captured the shallow and self-serving nature of (many) influencers perfectly. I died when one of the characters filmed a tutorial for funeral-core glam makeup. The caricatures were over the top, but so are influencers, often to a dystopian degree.
I can't wait to read more!!! I'm so proud of Kate and so inspired by her, as I have been since I first watched her "printing out my novel" video that motivated me to finally write my first novel back in 2020. I'll be waiting with baited breath for A Closetful of Cauldrons and murder mystery Tennessee
*Update: Read August 2026*
I had a really fun time with this one! It was a quick read with plenty of twists. I've seen some comments saying the characters fall flat but I actually really disagree, I think Kate captured the shallow and self-serving nature of (many) influencers perfectly. I died when one of the characters filmed a tutorial for funeral-core glam makeup. The caricatures were over the top, but so are influencers, often to a dystopian degree.
I can't wait to read more!!! I'm so proud of Kate and so inspired by her, as I have been since I first watched her "printing out my novel" video that motivated me to finally write my first novel back in 2020. I'll be waiting with baited breath for A Closetful of Cauldrons and murder mystery Tennessee
August 27, 2026
This book would have easily be 150 pages if it used a normal font and didn’t consist of numerous 1 liner chapters, it read pretty annoying in my opinion, however, it’s a design choice I do not understand but also didn’t knock down stars for.
The story itself is very messy. I feel confused the entire time reading this, because so much just didn’t make sense to me. Influencing on an island, for an energy drink brand, but there’s no internet on the island? That just doesn’t seem plausible or believable to me. I feel like nothing really happens, until one of them just turns up dead all the sudden. Followed by 1-8 line chapters of each character’s pov on what they were doing after one character died, and it didn’t really add to the story in my opinion. I just feel like it lacked structure, red herrings, all the things that would make this a good whodunnit story.
This book had way too many pov’s, especially since the blurb was written as if it was only gonna be Michelle. With this short of a story, and having 11 characters that all get a pov, there’s just no way to get to know them and care for them. They lack depth because there is not enough page to give them the spotlight.
The ending sadly did not save it for me either. I kind of deduced it, solely because why else introduce so many pov’s? We’re being fed the reasons after the reveal, I just wished to have seen more of a set up to the reveal and their motivations throughout the story.
It’s sad, I really wanted to like this book as I’ve watched Kate on twitch for years, and I am genuinely happy for her that she got published. However, I wished to have seen this executed better.
The story itself is very messy. I feel confused the entire time reading this, because so much just didn’t make sense to me. Influencing on an island, for an energy drink brand, but there’s no internet on the island? That just doesn’t seem plausible or believable to me. I feel like nothing really happens, until one of them just turns up dead all the sudden. Followed by 1-8 line chapters of each character’s pov on what they were doing after one character died, and it didn’t really add to the story in my opinion. I just feel like it lacked structure, red herrings, all the things that would make this a good whodunnit story.
This book had way too many pov’s, especially since the blurb was written as if it was only gonna be Michelle. With this short of a story, and having 11 characters that all get a pov, there’s just no way to get to know them and care for them. They lack depth because there is not enough page to give them the spotlight.
The ending sadly did not save it for me either. I kind of deduced it, solely because why else introduce so many pov’s? We’re being fed the reasons after the reveal, I just wished to have seen more of a set up to the reveal and their motivations throughout the story.
It’s sad, I really wanted to like this book as I’ve watched Kate on twitch for years, and I am genuinely happy for her that she got published. However, I wished to have seen this executed better.
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.
June 18, 2026
Great idea, poor execution. And it pains me to say this as a long time watcher of Kate’s youtube channel. I felt like there was a lack of clues throughout the plot, making the final reveal lackluster. I wish we got more backstory about the characters and delved deeper into their psyche. I also think there were too many characters. I did love the themes presented and the epilogue. I’m willing to read more of what Kate puts out in the future as I do believe the potential is there!
July 20, 2026
I just can’t. Poor writing, a lot of confusion with characters because of the poor writing, etc. the plot isn’t even gripping me and I usually LOVE these kinds of books. I don’t normally not finish books but I just feel this is a waste of my time and energy.
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
Did Not Finish
July 17, 2026dnf at 14%
Did Not Finish
June 2, 2026Thank you to the publisher for sending me an arc
Dnf at 31%
I may come back to this one in the future. I haven't had the desire to pick this one back up because I haven't found anything enticing about it. The pov switches were a bit jarring and in a way it felt like reading a script rather than a book
I enjoy Kate's YouTube videos and have been looking forward to reading a finished work by her. This one just isn't for me but I look forward to future works
Dnf at 31%
I may come back to this one in the future. I haven't had the desire to pick this one back up because I haven't found anything enticing about it. The pov switches were a bit jarring and in a way it felt like reading a script rather than a book
I enjoy Kate's YouTube videos and have been looking forward to reading a finished work by her. This one just isn't for me but I look forward to future works
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 19, 2026
This book was horrible! The premise is great but the narrating was atrocious! I am not sure what sort of nepotism/bribery was involved to get the narrator this job but words can’t even begin to describe how horrible it is - just sample the audiobook and see for yourself.
I thought I could get through the narrating because the premise of this book is right up my alley. But the characters in this novel are absolutely horrible people! I got through about 20% before I gave up!
Save your time and money and avoid this novel!
I thought I could get through the narrating because the premise of this book is right up my alley. But the characters in this novel are absolutely horrible people! I got through about 20% before I gave up!
Save your time and money and avoid this novel!
August 31, 2026
Kymmenen influensseria saa kutsun Excelsior-energiajuomabrändin sponsoroimalle luksuslomalle syrjäiselle saarelle. Saarella ei ole kenttää tai verkkoyhteyksiä, mutta brändi toivoo, että influensserit siitä huolimatta kuvaisivat joka päivä kontenttia lomastaan, jonka vaikuttajat voisivat julkaista sitten, kun viikko on ohi. Tämän lisäksi brändi lähetti kutsun mukana avokätisesti erilaisia lahjoja, ja kaikki kutsutut ottavat tarjouksen vastaan - vaikka muutamaa vierasta hermostuttaakin, ketä kaikkia saarelle oikein on kutsuttu. Lukija saa tietää, että koko poppoo itse asiassa tuntee toisensa ennestään, ja että osa porukasta on ollut alunperin parhaita ystäviä, kunnes syystä tai toisesta välit ovat tulehtuneet ja ystävyys on muuttunut kylmäkiskoisuudeksi, ellei peräti vihollisuudeksi.
Osa porukasta lentää niin ikään saarelle kutsutun Internet-kuuluisan pilotin kyyditseminä yksityiskoneella kohti Isle de Cairn'n saarta. Porukka on sekalainen, ja mukaan mahtuu niin fitfluensseria, authortubettajaa, kauneusgurua kuin uskovaista nettisaarnaajaakin. Lennon aikana osa yrittää tasoitella vanhoja kaunoja, osa hautoo yhä kitkeriä tunteitaan yrittämättä peitellä hapanta asennettaan. Tunnelma säilyy jotakuinkin rauhanomaisena, kunnes hieman ennen laskeutumista tragedia iskee. Yksi somevaikuttajista löytyy koneen vessasta kuolleena.
Saarella järkyttynyttä lentoseuruetta on vastassa kolme muuta kutsuttua somevaikuttajaa, jotka Excelsior on kutsunut huolehtimaan cateringista. Brändin edustajia saarella ei ole: Excelsiorin mukaan on autenttisempaa, että influensserit viettävät viikon saarella keskenään. Kun juuri saapunut influensserilauma käsittää, että saarella ei ole ketään brändin edustajaa, koko touhu alkaa vähän huolestuttaa. Etenkin, kun yksityiskoneen vessassa on ruumis.
Yksi ruumis on kuitenkin vasta alkua.
Alkupään luvut, joissa osa influenssereista esitellään, joissa he odottavat lentokentällä ja joissa he matkustavat kohti saarta, ovat todella koukuttavia ja mielenkiintoisia. En ole immuuni influensseridraamalle, ikävä kyllä :D Mutta kun päästiin saarelle asti, ja mukaan liittyi vielä kolme hahmoa lisää, tahti tuntui hidastuvan. Olin tähän mennessä olettanut, että lennolla mukana olleet influensserit ovat se porukka, johon keskitytään, ja tavallaan ärsytti kun mukaan sisällytettiin vielä lisää porukkaa, joita en "tuntenut" samalla tavalla kuin lennolla olleita.
Eniten minua tietysti kiinnosti, että kuka on murhaaja, ja miksi. Yritin löytää syylliseen viittaavia vihjeitä, ja minulla oli pari veikkausta, jotka eivät lopulta osuneet oikeaan :D Tarina on kerrottu kolmannessa persoonassa, ja luvut vaihtelevat eri hahmojen näkökulmien välillä. Kerronta vaikuttaa kaikkitietävältä ja subjektiiviselta - kertoja kuvailee eri luvuissa keskiössä olevan hahmon ajatuksia ja tuntemuksia, kuin näkisi tämän pään sisään. Tästä huolimatta en saanut kiinni siitä, kuka todella on syyllinen. Jos lukisin kirjan toisen kerran, saattaisin löytää vihjeet aiemmin.
Vaikka hahmoja oli kokonainen lauma, he erottuivat hyvin toisistaan eikä minulla ollut vaikeuksia sen sisäistämisessä, että kenen edesottamuksia missäkin luvussa seurataan. Hahmot olivat kaikki oikeastaan aika ärsyttäviä - itsekkäitä, omahyväisiä ja ulkokultaisia - mutta kuitenkin sen verran kiinnostavia, että en yhdenkään kohdalla ajatellut että "plääh. vaihtuispa jo seuraava luku". Oli myös hauskaa päästä stereotyyppisen somevaikuttajan pään sisään: miten maailma näyttäytyy, kun kaikki ympärillä tapahtuva on mahdollista sisältöä, joka pitää saada filmille? Onko luonnonvaloa tarpeeksi, mikä on paras kulma, onko rajaus toispuoleinen vai ok? Cavanaugh on itsekin ns. authortuber eli kirjailijatubettaja, joten nämä osuudet tuntuivat aika uskottavilta ja mielenkiintoisilta.
Kertomuksessa oli myös muutama epäuskottava kohta. Jos lentokoneessa on ruumis, eikä saarella ole yhteyttä nettiin, eikö olisi järkevää lähteä sillä lentokoneella mahdollisimman pian takaisin ihmisten ilmoille ja ilmoittaa kuolemasta? Toisekseen - saaren luksuslukaalissa on useita kameroita - miksi hahmot eivät tarkistaneet niiden nauhoitteita nähdäkseen, esimerkiksi, milloin kukakin hahmo on viimeksi liikkunut kenenkin seurassa? Ja kolmanneksi, asia joka hiersi minua eniten - saarella on influensserien asuttaman rakennuksen lisäksi arviolta viiden mailin päässä vuorenrinteellä toinen asunto, jolle hahmot yhdessä välissä päättävät suunnata etsimään apua.He kuitenkin luovuttavat kesken kaiken ja palaavat takaisin. Yhdessä vaiheessa kaksi hahmoa lähtee kohti kartanoa uudestaan, mutta jos käsitin oikein, hekään eivät vaeltaneet perille saakka, vaan kääntyivät lopulta ympäri? Jos olisin saarella missä ihmisiä kuolee joka toinen päivä, yrittäisin saavuttaa tuon perhanan kartanon hinnalla millä hyvänsä, jos olisi edes pieni mahdollisuus, että sieltä saattaisi löytyä apua :D
Cavanugh'n kirjoitustyyli oli minulle aika mieluinen, vaikka välillä vastaan tuli virkkeitä, joita en heti ensilukemalta ymmärtänyt :D Joskus hahmot myös kommunikoivat keskenään sanomatta mitään, ja jotkut kohtaukset olivat hieman sekavia kun en osannut tulkita, mitä hahmot ajavat takaa nyökkäyksellään tai ottamalla katsekontaktia toiseen hahmoon. Cavanaugh myös tykkää sanojen toistosta tehokeinona, joka voi alkaa ärsyttää pidemmän päälle. Niin ja toistosta puheen ollen - tämä on myös pikku juttu, mutta kirjassa on kaksi lukua, joista toinen päättyy sanaan "Dead.", muotoiltuna juuri noin, omalla yksinäisellä rivillään, ja toinen päättyy "Dead." omalla rivillään, ja seuraavalla rivillä "Another one of them, dead." Vaikka näiden välillä on useita lukuja, tämä tuntui silti toistolta :D
Muutamasta epäuskottavuudesta ja toistuvista maneereista huolimatta tämä oli mielenkiintoista luettavaa, ja olen hurjan tyytyväinen, että Cavanaugh on saanut ensimmäisen romaaninsa onnellisesti julkaistua. Tiedän että Cavanaugh'lla on ainakin kaksi tai kolme muuta kirjoitusprojektia kesken, ja tämäkin näyttää olevan ensimmäinen osa sarjasta, joten lisää on ilmeisesti tulossa :)
Osa porukasta lentää niin ikään saarelle kutsutun Internet-kuuluisan pilotin kyyditseminä yksityiskoneella kohti Isle de Cairn'n saarta. Porukka on sekalainen, ja mukaan mahtuu niin fitfluensseria, authortubettajaa, kauneusgurua kuin uskovaista nettisaarnaajaakin. Lennon aikana osa yrittää tasoitella vanhoja kaunoja, osa hautoo yhä kitkeriä tunteitaan yrittämättä peitellä hapanta asennettaan. Tunnelma säilyy jotakuinkin rauhanomaisena, kunnes hieman ennen laskeutumista tragedia iskee. Yksi somevaikuttajista löytyy koneen vessasta kuolleena.
Saarella järkyttynyttä lentoseuruetta on vastassa kolme muuta kutsuttua somevaikuttajaa, jotka Excelsior on kutsunut huolehtimaan cateringista. Brändin edustajia saarella ei ole: Excelsiorin mukaan on autenttisempaa, että influensserit viettävät viikon saarella keskenään. Kun juuri saapunut influensserilauma käsittää, että saarella ei ole ketään brändin edustajaa, koko touhu alkaa vähän huolestuttaa. Etenkin, kun yksityiskoneen vessassa on ruumis.
Yksi ruumis on kuitenkin vasta alkua.
Alkupään luvut, joissa osa influenssereista esitellään, joissa he odottavat lentokentällä ja joissa he matkustavat kohti saarta, ovat todella koukuttavia ja mielenkiintoisia. En ole immuuni influensseridraamalle, ikävä kyllä :D Mutta kun päästiin saarelle asti, ja mukaan liittyi vielä kolme hahmoa lisää, tahti tuntui hidastuvan. Olin tähän mennessä olettanut, että lennolla mukana olleet influensserit ovat se porukka, johon keskitytään, ja tavallaan ärsytti kun mukaan sisällytettiin vielä lisää porukkaa, joita en "tuntenut" samalla tavalla kuin lennolla olleita.
Eniten minua tietysti kiinnosti, että kuka on murhaaja, ja miksi. Yritin löytää syylliseen viittaavia vihjeitä, ja minulla oli pari veikkausta, jotka eivät lopulta osuneet oikeaan :D Tarina on kerrottu kolmannessa persoonassa, ja luvut vaihtelevat eri hahmojen näkökulmien välillä. Kerronta vaikuttaa kaikkitietävältä ja subjektiiviselta - kertoja kuvailee eri luvuissa keskiössä olevan hahmon ajatuksia ja tuntemuksia, kuin näkisi tämän pään sisään. Tästä huolimatta en saanut kiinni siitä, kuka todella on syyllinen. Jos lukisin kirjan toisen kerran, saattaisin löytää vihjeet aiemmin.
Vaikka hahmoja oli kokonainen lauma, he erottuivat hyvin toisistaan eikä minulla ollut vaikeuksia sen sisäistämisessä, että kenen edesottamuksia missäkin luvussa seurataan. Hahmot olivat kaikki oikeastaan aika ärsyttäviä - itsekkäitä, omahyväisiä ja ulkokultaisia - mutta kuitenkin sen verran kiinnostavia, että en yhdenkään kohdalla ajatellut että "plääh. vaihtuispa jo seuraava luku". Oli myös hauskaa päästä stereotyyppisen somevaikuttajan pään sisään: miten maailma näyttäytyy, kun kaikki ympärillä tapahtuva on mahdollista sisältöä, joka pitää saada filmille? Onko luonnonvaloa tarpeeksi, mikä on paras kulma, onko rajaus toispuoleinen vai ok? Cavanaugh on itsekin ns. authortuber eli kirjailijatubettaja, joten nämä osuudet tuntuivat aika uskottavilta ja mielenkiintoisilta.
Kertomuksessa oli myös muutama epäuskottava kohta. Jos lentokoneessa on ruumis, eikä saarella ole yhteyttä nettiin, eikö olisi järkevää lähteä sillä lentokoneella mahdollisimman pian takaisin ihmisten ilmoille ja ilmoittaa kuolemasta? Toisekseen - saaren luksuslukaalissa on useita kameroita - miksi hahmot eivät tarkistaneet niiden nauhoitteita nähdäkseen, esimerkiksi, milloin kukakin hahmo on viimeksi liikkunut kenenkin seurassa? Ja kolmanneksi, asia joka hiersi minua eniten - saarella on influensserien asuttaman rakennuksen lisäksi arviolta viiden mailin päässä vuorenrinteellä toinen asunto, jolle hahmot yhdessä välissä päättävät suunnata etsimään apua.He kuitenkin luovuttavat kesken kaiken ja palaavat takaisin. Yhdessä vaiheessa kaksi hahmoa lähtee kohti kartanoa uudestaan, mutta jos käsitin oikein, hekään eivät vaeltaneet perille saakka, vaan kääntyivät lopulta ympäri? Jos olisin saarella missä ihmisiä kuolee joka toinen päivä, yrittäisin saavuttaa tuon perhanan kartanon hinnalla millä hyvänsä, jos olisi edes pieni mahdollisuus, että sieltä saattaisi löytyä apua :D
Cavanugh'n kirjoitustyyli oli minulle aika mieluinen, vaikka välillä vastaan tuli virkkeitä, joita en heti ensilukemalta ymmärtänyt :D Joskus hahmot myös kommunikoivat keskenään sanomatta mitään, ja jotkut kohtaukset olivat hieman sekavia kun en osannut tulkita, mitä hahmot ajavat takaa nyökkäyksellään tai ottamalla katsekontaktia toiseen hahmoon. Cavanaugh myös tykkää sanojen toistosta tehokeinona, joka voi alkaa ärsyttää pidemmän päälle. Niin ja toistosta puheen ollen - tämä on myös pikku juttu, mutta kirjassa on kaksi lukua, joista toinen päättyy sanaan "Dead.", muotoiltuna juuri noin, omalla yksinäisellä rivillään, ja toinen päättyy "Dead." omalla rivillään, ja seuraavalla rivillä "Another one of them, dead." Vaikka näiden välillä on useita lukuja, tämä tuntui silti toistolta :D
Muutamasta epäuskottavuudesta ja toistuvista maneereista huolimatta tämä oli mielenkiintoista luettavaa, ja olen hurjan tyytyväinen, että Cavanaugh on saanut ensimmäisen romaaninsa onnellisesti julkaistua. Tiedän että Cavanaugh'lla on ainakin kaksi tai kolme muuta kirjoitusprojektia kesken, ja tämäkin näyttää olevan ensimmäinen osa sarjasta, joten lisää on ilmeisesti tulossa :)
May 15, 2026
Another YouTuber thinks they can write.
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.
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.
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,
September 19, 2026
I was so excited to get my hands on Thanks For Watching that I asked my library to order a copy and waited for it to be available to borrow! Kate Cavanaugh is an avid library reader, and I wanted to honor that while also giving others in my area the chance to read it too!
I am biased, as she is one of the Youtubers I've watched for years, and half the reason I picked up this book. To support someone I admire and encourages her community to read, write, and be as creative as our hearts desire. That being said, I really enjoyed Thanks For Watching! Kate is quirky and I love that it shines through in her characters in their own ways. To me, I would say this is murder mystery is satirical in how it portrays the influencers of this casts and the obsessive need to be filming all the time. Which is a real thing, of course, but this book dials it up to an 11!
The cast is large, but each has a distinct voice and the pacing is fast! Each character is a different face of influencer life—beauty, fitness, bookish, secret gossip, religion, cooking... you name it. And I love them because what we're shown in their PoVs is just how bad they are. Behind the curtain, so to speak. The worst of the worst and they're all put on an island with one death after another, and for a moment, they really do just turn into camera animals. It's a fun ride and while I loved the characters, I wasn't exactly horrified at any of their deaths (which hm, isn't that another thing to think about, how they act like they do because they know people will eat it up and really am I, the reader, any better than them when it comes to entertainment?) My two favorite characters ended up being Sanjeev and Olivia. Sanjeev has my whole heart and god I wished better for him in this book.
I have a lot of feelings about the ending of this one! Part of the fun of mysteries is finding the clues, and while, after the ending I knew it was, I didn't feel like I was playing sleuth alongside the characters. That may be because the characters weren't interested in the clues, either, but as a reader I felt that the plot was a little too subtle on it and would have greatly enjoyed more hints or red-herrings. The big reveal felt very rushed. The plot twist was good, but happened much too fast. Like, a lot was summarized and I wished there had been more to it! However, the suggestion of a second book with what we were given in the epilogue has my interest peeked so I'm looking forward to it!
I am biased, as she is one of the Youtubers I've watched for years, and half the reason I picked up this book. To support someone I admire and encourages her community to read, write, and be as creative as our hearts desire. That being said, I really enjoyed Thanks For Watching! Kate is quirky and I love that it shines through in her characters in their own ways. To me, I would say this is murder mystery is satirical in how it portrays the influencers of this casts and the obsessive need to be filming all the time. Which is a real thing, of course, but this book dials it up to an 11!
The cast is large, but each has a distinct voice and the pacing is fast! Each character is a different face of influencer life—beauty, fitness, bookish, secret gossip, religion, cooking... you name it. And I love them because what we're shown in their PoVs is just how bad they are. Behind the curtain, so to speak. The worst of the worst and they're all put on an island with one death after another, and for a moment, they really do just turn into camera animals. It's a fun ride and while I loved the characters, I wasn't exactly horrified at any of their deaths (which hm, isn't that another thing to think about, how they act like they do because they know people will eat it up and really am I, the reader, any better than them when it comes to entertainment?) My two favorite characters ended up being Sanjeev and Olivia. Sanjeev has my whole heart and god I wished better for him in this book.
I have a lot of feelings about the ending of this one! Part of the fun of mysteries is finding the clues, and while, after the ending I knew it was, I didn't feel like I was playing sleuth alongside the characters. That may be because the characters weren't interested in the clues, either, but as a reader I felt that the plot was a little too subtle on it and would have greatly enjoyed more hints or red-herrings. The big reveal felt very rushed. The plot twist was good, but happened much too fast. Like, a lot was summarized and I wished there had been more to it! However, the suggestion of a second book with what we were given in the epilogue has my interest peeked so I'm looking forward to it!
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.
September 17, 2026
First off: I’m not usually big on mysteries, so perhaps some of this review is coloured by that, good or bad.
I would give this 3.5 stars if I could, but I’m rounding up.
I loved the influencer island trip idea! It’s a good take on the locked room-esque trope, imo. The fact that it’s an energy drink brand was a good way to bring these influencers together!
My big issue, though, was how the characters were written. I found it frustrating trying to keep track of the characters—especially with similar names and not a lot of description to go around. I would say it would be a good thing to sprinkle in more descriptions of the characters, and even the locations on the island. It often felt to me like the characters would low-key teleport from one location to another, for how little I understood of the connections between locations. Also with so many characters it was very difficult to keep everyone straight. I understand that the first few deaths would mean that those characters don’t have much time to imprint on the reader, but I often confused characters like Lauren vs. Sarah.
I kept with this story because I liked the mystery behind the who and the why. That being said, I feel there wasn’t quite enough hints vs. payoff. It’s enough to almost make me want to go back to check on some things… almost.
I did enjoy the story and the writing. I’ve watched the authors videos on YouTube for years now, and genuinely believe she is able to write well. I just think that maybe this wasn’t the right start? If there were fewer characters, I think the writing may have thrived, but I do understand why this was written the way it was.
I know this was a lot of negatives, but from what I hear of her future projects that will be published, there’s a chance I will enjoy other stories Kate Cavanaugh writes in the future.
I would give this 3.5 stars if I could, but I’m rounding up.
I loved the influencer island trip idea! It’s a good take on the locked room-esque trope, imo. The fact that it’s an energy drink brand was a good way to bring these influencers together!
My big issue, though, was how the characters were written. I found it frustrating trying to keep track of the characters—especially with similar names and not a lot of description to go around. I would say it would be a good thing to sprinkle in more descriptions of the characters, and even the locations on the island. It often felt to me like the characters would low-key teleport from one location to another, for how little I understood of the connections between locations. Also with so many characters it was very difficult to keep everyone straight. I understand that the first few deaths would mean that those characters don’t have much time to imprint on the reader, but I often confused characters like Lauren vs. Sarah.
I kept with this story because I liked the mystery behind the who and the why. That being said, I feel there wasn’t quite enough hints vs. payoff. It’s enough to almost make me want to go back to check on some things… almost.
I did enjoy the story and the writing. I’ve watched the authors videos on YouTube for years now, and genuinely believe she is able to write well. I just think that maybe this wasn’t the right start? If there were fewer characters, I think the writing may have thrived, but I do understand why this was written the way it was.
I know this was a lot of negatives, but from what I hear of her future projects that will be published, there’s a chance I will enjoy other stories Kate Cavanaugh writes in the future.
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.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews