Tell Your Friends

by Lauren Wilson

A thrilling and intoxicating tale of envy, revenge and the price of perfection, from the acclaimed author of THE GOLDENS

IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HER …

Reluctant online sensation Crystal Shaw sees university as her chance to escape the clutches of her controlling vlogger family. While outwardly agreeing to her mother’s demands to create a spin-off channel about her university experience, Crystal is secretly looking for someone who can help her expose some damning evidence about her parents – which she hopes will destroy their social media empire, giving her and her younger siblings freedom.​

Crystal opens up to Alyssa, a fellow journalism student, and the two begin to form a friendship. But Alyssa is a secret superfan of Crystal’s family’s vlog – and has her own dark plans. Alyssa isn’t ready to say goodbye to her perfect surrogate family just yet … and she’ll do anything to be welcomed into the fold.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

284 pages, Paperback

Expected publication June 18, 2026

About the author

Lauren Wilson has a BA (Hons) degree in Journalism and an MA in Creative Writing. She lives in North East England with her fiancé and their snuggly spaniels. Her acclaimed debut novel, The Goldens, was selected as a Waterstones Book of the Month in July 2025.

Reviews

[Nancy McFarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as reality tv shows are not really real a family vlog should definitely make those watching question what is going on and what a family must do to seem so perfect. As you get to know Crystal Shaw you will realize that things are definitely not as portrayed in the Shaw Family vlog, but before Crystal can ‘escape’ her family’s grasp she meets Alyssa in her first week away from home and at university. What follows is a tense story about family, friendship, greed, and definite mental illness.