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Influencer Island
FYRE FESTIVAL meets HUNGER GAMES in this dark psychological thriller about a social media competition that turns deadly.
Welcome to Influencer Island, an experience for ten competitors to travel to paradise and compete for social media glory. Overnight, millions of users send off their submission videos, hoping for the chance to party with the biggest influencers and celebrities in the world.
Or so they thought…
By the time the contest went offline, over a dozen influencers were declared dead or missing. No winner was announced. The only hope for a conclusion lay in an unaired podcast produced by Cal Everett, a young reporter with his own mysterious connection to the murderous contest creator, Wyatt James.
As listeners will soon discover, James designed Influencer Island to be more than a battle of social media wits. If the contestants hope to survive, they will have to answer the question at the very heart of the competition: How far would you be willing to go for fame?
PLEASE NOTE:
Influencer Island is a dark, fast-paced psychological thriller. The format is unconventional -- Similar to a podcast transcript, and comparable to titles like World War Z, Sadie, or Daisy Jones & The Six. Due to the graphic nature of the novel, 18+ are recommended.
Welcome to Influencer Island, an experience for ten competitors to travel to paradise and compete for social media glory. Overnight, millions of users send off their submission videos, hoping for the chance to party with the biggest influencers and celebrities in the world.
Or so they thought…
By the time the contest went offline, over a dozen influencers were declared dead or missing. No winner was announced. The only hope for a conclusion lay in an unaired podcast produced by Cal Everett, a young reporter with his own mysterious connection to the murderous contest creator, Wyatt James.
As listeners will soon discover, James designed Influencer Island to be more than a battle of social media wits. If the contestants hope to survive, they will have to answer the question at the very heart of the competition: How far would you be willing to go for fame?
PLEASE NOTE:
Influencer Island is a dark, fast-paced psychological thriller. The format is unconventional -- Similar to a podcast transcript, and comparable to titles like World War Z, Sadie, or Daisy Jones & The Six. Due to the graphic nature of the novel, 18+ are recommended.
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2022
20 people are currently reading
704 people want to read
About the author
Kyle Rutkin
9 books217 followersAuthor and Creative Ritualist. Follow my newsletter The Creative Ritual on Substack. https://creativeritual.substack.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews
July 16, 2022
I appreciate the originality of this book, it's very clever.
It takes a while to get used to the format though, which is unconventional.
The characters were flat and I'd have liked the author to have spent more time developing them.
The story was very fast-paced, dark and gripping.
If you're into psychological thrillers, you should need to give this one a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this for an honest review.
It takes a while to get used to the format though, which is unconventional.
The characters were flat and I'd have liked the author to have spent more time developing them.
The story was very fast-paced, dark and gripping.
If you're into psychological thrillers, you should need to give this one a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this for an honest review.
July 15, 2022
Amazing concept but the book itself still needs a little work in my opinion. I came across a few grammatical errors and name changes (like Kendall instead of Kaylyn, or Gigi instead of Kiki). I didn't like how it was obvious who some of the characters were based on in real life.
This would have been infinitely better if the author focused more on the action scenes, like the shark scene. I loved it. It was such an original scene and I wish there was more of it. I couldn't care less about Cal - Carrie is a much more interesting character to focus on.
Apart from these points, I quite enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a "Love Island gone wrong" vibe.
UPDATE: the author has reached out to me regarding the errors and was willing to fix them. You can see they care a lot about this book and that's wonderful.
This would have been infinitely better if the author focused more on the action scenes, like the shark scene. I loved it. It was such an original scene and I wish there was more of it. I couldn't care less about Cal - Carrie is a much more interesting character to focus on.
Apart from these points, I quite enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a "Love Island gone wrong" vibe.
UPDATE: the author has reached out to me regarding the errors and was willing to fix them. You can see they care a lot about this book and that's wonderful.
August 2, 2022
"Fyre Festival meets Hunger Games" is a lot to live up to and unfortunately this book didn't deliver.
The story started out promising and I enjoyed the podcast format. It felt both refreshing and fitting (though also messy at times), considering the novel's exploration of our obsession with social media and influencer culture.
However, I feel like the book tried to cover too much in just 200 pages. The bloodthirsty competition that the synopsis hints at is only a small portion of the story and hence very disappointing. Add weird arsty and bizarre cult-like elements, a romance subplot (that I had zero investment in), social commentary, many blah characters (some have hardly any lines or scenes), and you have everything stretched too thin.
I got increasingly bored and despite some okay twists, I wasn't impressed because it was too little, too late. I wanted Squid Game, Battle Royale and Hunger Games levels of bloodbaths. This book wasn't it.
Thank you to Greater Path LLC and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
The story started out promising and I enjoyed the podcast format. It felt both refreshing and fitting (though also messy at times), considering the novel's exploration of our obsession with social media and influencer culture.
However, I feel like the book tried to cover too much in just 200 pages. The bloodthirsty competition that the synopsis hints at is only a small portion of the story and hence very disappointing. Add weird arsty and bizarre cult-like elements, a romance subplot (that I had zero investment in), social commentary, many blah characters (some have hardly any lines or scenes), and you have everything stretched too thin.
I got increasingly bored and despite some okay twists, I wasn't impressed because it was too little, too late. I wanted Squid Game, Battle Royale and Hunger Games levels of bloodbaths. This book wasn't it.
Thank you to Greater Path LLC and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
July 26, 2022
thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
let me just start this review off by saying that if i wanted to read a podcast script, i would read a podcast script.
influencer island is pitched as fyre island meets the hunger games (literally, within the novel itself) and follows reporter cal everett as he seeks to uncover the truth about a reality show gone horribly wrong.
this book had potential. from the summary, i was expecting a thriller that involved social media influencers fighting for their lives on a secluded island and what i was given was... not that.
for one, i could barely differentiate between the influencers. each one of the contestants was given a one-line introduction and we never really got to know them beyond that. the main pitfall of having the entire book written in the form of a podcast script means that we rarely get to know something about characters that they wouldn't be willing to tell the public. the podcast narrator and main character, cal, also felt one-dimensional. his motivations were hazy at best and it didn't make sense to tell the story through his perspective at all. carrie was a potentially interesting character, but ultimately, i just didn't find myself caring about her. additionally, one of the influencers (bella) is israeli-american, and she repeatedly asserts that her heritage has taught her to work hard because nothing in life comes easily. nothing about the influencer's ancestors displacing and killing palestinians should be treated as some kind of family story meant to teach their children to always fight for what they want.
the plot itself was also difficult to keep track of. there would be 3 sentences about what cal is trying to figure out about wyatt james in the present, and then it would switch back to carrie and the other influencers recounting what happened on the island. neither of these plots were engaging on their own, and because there were too many flashbacks and timeskips, it was almost impossible to stay invested in the mystery. i kept waiting for the book to pick up the pace, for there to finally be some kind of big reveal or bloody final showdown, but i was already 80% through before anything exciting happened.
the ending had potential to be an exciting reveal, but by the time it came around i just wanted the book to be over. in order for the ending to be successful, you had to be really invested in the individual characters' pasts, and as i mentioned before, i simply wasn't. nothing about this book made it possible to care about superficial internet personalities or a struggling reporter.
there were too many pop culture references throughout the book- it actually calls out katniss by name and likens the influencers' experience to squid game- which not only dated the book but made it more underwhelming. if the author is constantly and blatantly drawing comparisons to iconic dystopian media within their own text, it's fair for a reader to have high expectations, and influencer island causes those expectations to be shattered.
this author presumably set out to write a book that would be hailed as a nuanced commentary on influencer culture but ultimately failed due to how chaotic it was. the author shot himself in the foot with the comp titles and the best part about the book is honestly the cover.
let me just start this review off by saying that if i wanted to read a podcast script, i would read a podcast script.
influencer island is pitched as fyre island meets the hunger games (literally, within the novel itself) and follows reporter cal everett as he seeks to uncover the truth about a reality show gone horribly wrong.
this book had potential. from the summary, i was expecting a thriller that involved social media influencers fighting for their lives on a secluded island and what i was given was... not that.
for one, i could barely differentiate between the influencers. each one of the contestants was given a one-line introduction and we never really got to know them beyond that. the main pitfall of having the entire book written in the form of a podcast script means that we rarely get to know something about characters that they wouldn't be willing to tell the public. the podcast narrator and main character, cal, also felt one-dimensional. his motivations were hazy at best and it didn't make sense to tell the story through his perspective at all. carrie was a potentially interesting character, but ultimately, i just didn't find myself caring about her. additionally, one of the influencers (bella) is israeli-american, and she repeatedly asserts that her heritage has taught her to work hard because nothing in life comes easily. nothing about the influencer's ancestors displacing and killing palestinians should be treated as some kind of family story meant to teach their children to always fight for what they want.
the plot itself was also difficult to keep track of. there would be 3 sentences about what cal is trying to figure out about wyatt james in the present, and then it would switch back to carrie and the other influencers recounting what happened on the island. neither of these plots were engaging on their own, and because there were too many flashbacks and timeskips, it was almost impossible to stay invested in the mystery. i kept waiting for the book to pick up the pace, for there to finally be some kind of big reveal or bloody final showdown, but i was already 80% through before anything exciting happened.
the ending had potential to be an exciting reveal, but by the time it came around i just wanted the book to be over. in order for the ending to be successful, you had to be really invested in the individual characters' pasts, and as i mentioned before, i simply wasn't. nothing about this book made it possible to care about superficial internet personalities or a struggling reporter.
there were too many pop culture references throughout the book- it actually calls out katniss by name and likens the influencers' experience to squid game- which not only dated the book but made it more underwhelming. if the author is constantly and blatantly drawing comparisons to iconic dystopian media within their own text, it's fair for a reader to have high expectations, and influencer island causes those expectations to be shattered.
this author presumably set out to write a book that would be hailed as a nuanced commentary on influencer culture but ultimately failed due to how chaotic it was. the author shot himself in the foot with the comp titles and the best part about the book is honestly the cover.
July 29, 2022
Thank you to Kyle Rutkin for the arc. Much appreciated.
Whenever I hear the word "influencer" a piece of me dies inside.
When I heard that a book about a group of "influencers" getting slaughtered on a reality TV show -set on an island in the Bahamas- was coming out, I said "sign me up!" To be honest, I was expecting something a bit more Laymon-esque. This book is not that.
The story -for the most part- is a script for a podcast, by a reporter trying to find out what happened to the celebrities on the island, the whereabouts of the reclusive artist who founded the project, and his involvement in their deaths.
The characters -who are as shallow and superficial as you would expect- and their backstories, are focused on a bit too much. I wanted a Splatterpunk-Battle-Royale, damn it! Instead I got a straight-up podcast-investigation of the events leading up to something similar to one.
With all that being said... I quite enjoyed some of the investigation side of things, the missing brother, and a conspiracy plot that I won't spoil . It was a quick read too -around 3-4 hours- which means that I must have enjoyed it.
3 Stars.
Whenever I hear the word "influencer" a piece of me dies inside.
When I heard that a book about a group of "influencers" getting slaughtered on a reality TV show -set on an island in the Bahamas- was coming out, I said "sign me up!" To be honest, I was expecting something a bit more Laymon-esque. This book is not that.
The story -for the most part- is a script for a podcast, by a reporter trying to find out what happened to the celebrities on the island, the whereabouts of the reclusive artist who founded the project, and his involvement in their deaths.
The characters -who are as shallow and superficial as you would expect- and their backstories, are focused on a bit too much. I wanted a Splatterpunk-Battle-Royale, damn it! Instead I got a straight-up podcast-investigation of the events leading up to something similar to one.
With all that being said... I quite enjoyed some of the investigation side of things, the missing brother, and a conspiracy plot that I won't spoil . It was a quick read too -around 3-4 hours- which means that I must have enjoyed it.
3 Stars.
September 8, 2022
3.5 rounded up to 4.
“How far would you be willing to go for fame and followers?”
Welcome to Influencer Island, an experience for ten competitors to travel to paradise and compete for social media glory.
Overnight, millions of users send off their submission videos, hoping for the chance to party with the biggest influencers and celebrities in the world.
Or so they thought…
By the time the contest went offline, over a dozen influencers were declared dead or missing. No winner was announced. The only hope for a conclusion lay in an unaired podcast produced by Cal Everett, a young reporter with his own mysterious connection to the murderous contest creator, Wyatt James.
I was immediately enticed by the blurb of this book and couldn’t wait to get started. I enjoyed the unique way in which Rutkin structured his story through podcast write ups, social media posts, news reviews etc which gave the story an original twist.
I thought the book was dark and twisted and the concept was intriguing, but for me it fell a little short. I don’t know if it was because I felt like I couldn’t relate to any of the characters and maybe I was expecting more ‘drama’ or ‘mayhem’, but I just wasn’t all that invested in the outcome for any of the ‘contestants’ and thought the whole plot was flat. I was left feeling like I wanted more, and that the ending didn’t really have the impact I expected. Shame really because I thought the ideas in the book were ace.
“How far would you be willing to go for fame and followers?”
Welcome to Influencer Island, an experience for ten competitors to travel to paradise and compete for social media glory.
Overnight, millions of users send off their submission videos, hoping for the chance to party with the biggest influencers and celebrities in the world.
Or so they thought…
By the time the contest went offline, over a dozen influencers were declared dead or missing. No winner was announced. The only hope for a conclusion lay in an unaired podcast produced by Cal Everett, a young reporter with his own mysterious connection to the murderous contest creator, Wyatt James.
I was immediately enticed by the blurb of this book and couldn’t wait to get started. I enjoyed the unique way in which Rutkin structured his story through podcast write ups, social media posts, news reviews etc which gave the story an original twist.
I thought the book was dark and twisted and the concept was intriguing, but for me it fell a little short. I don’t know if it was because I felt like I couldn’t relate to any of the characters and maybe I was expecting more ‘drama’ or ‘mayhem’, but I just wasn’t all that invested in the outcome for any of the ‘contestants’ and thought the whole plot was flat. I was left feeling like I wanted more, and that the ending didn’t really have the impact I expected. Shame really because I thought the ideas in the book were ace.
September 12, 2022
This one had so much potential. I loved the idea behind it. A bunch of influencers are invited to an island to see - what will each of them do to become THE most famous influencer of them all?
I didn't even mind the unconventional story style - it's written in Podcase or interview format where POV are interjected in to scenes with a name and then : and what they said (think Daisy Jones and Opal & Nev). It's an interesting way to tell the story and, honestly, I think it added to the suspense and dread.
But the build up was huge. The twist at almost the end just didn't quite live up to the hype the story had given me. It was almost there but just not quite and I ended up being disappointed. I did like a few of the really gruesome scenes like the sharks and the hunting showdown. They were great pulse-pounding, fast scenes that really drew me in. I just wish I'd loved the ending more.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
I didn't even mind the unconventional story style - it's written in Podcase or interview format where POV are interjected in to scenes with a name and then : and what they said (think Daisy Jones and Opal & Nev). It's an interesting way to tell the story and, honestly, I think it added to the suspense and dread.
But the build up was huge. The twist at almost the end just didn't quite live up to the hype the story had given me. It was almost there but just not quite and I ended up being disappointed. I did like a few of the really gruesome scenes like the sharks and the hunting showdown. They were great pulse-pounding, fast scenes that really drew me in. I just wish I'd loved the ending more.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
July 28, 2022
3.75 🌟
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a free eARC copy through NetGalley. Opinions are my own.
I was intrigued when I came across Influencer Island on NetGalley and wanted to try this book. I was overjoyed when I learned that I was approved for a copy of the book. I genuinely thought that I would love this book. However, I feel like if I had read this book at any other time, I would have enjoyed this more. The reason for this is Samantha Allen's Patricia Wants to Cuddle, which also has a similar premise- remote island+ people competing which turns deadly and has elements of multimedia.
Since I read both of the novels closer to each other, I constantly compared the novels and sometimes would get confused with minor details. I recognize that this is quite unfair and it's just me being stupid. However, I do feel like Patricia Wants to Cuddle had stronger character development in contrast to this novel, but it could simply be because of it is a contemporary literary fiction work.
Regardless of this issue, I really enjoyed it for what it was despite the slight errors in the review copy. Also, the book cover is phenomenal!
A Book A Week Challenge, Book 2 of Week 30 of 2022
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a free eARC copy through NetGalley. Opinions are my own.
I was intrigued when I came across Influencer Island on NetGalley and wanted to try this book. I was overjoyed when I learned that I was approved for a copy of the book. I genuinely thought that I would love this book. However, I feel like if I had read this book at any other time, I would have enjoyed this more. The reason for this is Samantha Allen's Patricia Wants to Cuddle, which also has a similar premise- remote island+ people competing which turns deadly and has elements of multimedia.
Since I read both of the novels closer to each other, I constantly compared the novels and sometimes would get confused with minor details. I recognize that this is quite unfair and it's just me being stupid. However, I do feel like Patricia Wants to Cuddle had stronger character development in contrast to this novel, but it could simply be because of it is a contemporary literary fiction work.
Regardless of this issue, I really enjoyed it for what it was despite the slight errors in the review copy. Also, the book cover is phenomenal!
A Book A Week Challenge, Book 2 of Week 30 of 2022
August 30, 2022
Influencer Island was an interesting mystery to jump into.
In the beginning, it seemed like this had some potential. With each character that we meet, the suspicious feelings start to develop. Of course, I just wanted to know how everything was going to connect before the reveals came my way. Once everything was revealed, my brain felt like it was melting. Mostly because I didn't see all of that coming out. Some, yes, but not all of it.
The island with influencers seemed kind of cool. I just don't think I fully understood what the overall statement was supposed to be. Even the villain parts of this were okay but mostly confusing. Maybe with more information I would probably understand it all a bit better. Or maybe I will just be confused even more.
In the end, it was an okay book that fizzled out towards the end.
In the beginning, it seemed like this had some potential. With each character that we meet, the suspicious feelings start to develop. Of course, I just wanted to know how everything was going to connect before the reveals came my way. Once everything was revealed, my brain felt like it was melting. Mostly because I didn't see all of that coming out. Some, yes, but not all of it.
The island with influencers seemed kind of cool. I just don't think I fully understood what the overall statement was supposed to be. Even the villain parts of this were okay but mostly confusing. Maybe with more information I would probably understand it all a bit better. Or maybe I will just be confused even more.
In the end, it was an okay book that fizzled out towards the end.
September 13, 2022
Influencer Island
⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 7/30/22
Author: Kyle Rutkin
Publisher: Greater Path LLC
Pages: 190
GR: 3.51
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Greater Path LLC and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Welcome to Influencer Island, an experience for ten competitors to travel to paradise and compete for social media glory. By the time the contest went offline, over a dozen influencers were declared dead or missing. No winner was announced. The only hope for a conclusion lay in an unaired podcast produced by Cal Everett, a young reporter with his own mysterious connection to the murderous contest creator, Wyatt James. If the contestants hope to survive, they will have to answer the question at the very heart of the competition: How far would you be willing to go for fame?
My Thoughts: The format of this book is unconventional, once you get used to it, it goes really fast. I think if the book would have focused on action events or the original scenes, it would have been better. The character development was hit or miss, meaning some characters were developed real well, while others got a line with no development. The POV was hard to keep track of, who was speaking where. The plot was a bit all over the place, it tried to incorporate too many subplots. The book was very chaotic. I was left with wanting more, more structure, more character development, and more definitive plot direction. I do not like giving books 2 stars but I just couldn’t find where to give more stars. I did not mind the podcast commentary, I thought that was unique. The ending was disappointing.
⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 7/30/22
Author: Kyle Rutkin
Publisher: Greater Path LLC
Pages: 190
GR: 3.51
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Greater Path LLC and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Welcome to Influencer Island, an experience for ten competitors to travel to paradise and compete for social media glory. By the time the contest went offline, over a dozen influencers were declared dead or missing. No winner was announced. The only hope for a conclusion lay in an unaired podcast produced by Cal Everett, a young reporter with his own mysterious connection to the murderous contest creator, Wyatt James. If the contestants hope to survive, they will have to answer the question at the very heart of the competition: How far would you be willing to go for fame?
My Thoughts: The format of this book is unconventional, once you get used to it, it goes really fast. I think if the book would have focused on action events or the original scenes, it would have been better. The character development was hit or miss, meaning some characters were developed real well, while others got a line with no development. The POV was hard to keep track of, who was speaking where. The plot was a bit all over the place, it tried to incorporate too many subplots. The book was very chaotic. I was left with wanting more, more structure, more character development, and more definitive plot direction. I do not like giving books 2 stars but I just couldn’t find where to give more stars. I did not mind the podcast commentary, I thought that was unique. The ending was disappointing.
July 11, 2022
4 stars.
Influencer Island had a premise that I was super excited to read - I love anything to do with the dark side of technology and social media, so this was perfect for me. I'm glad to say that this book did not disappoint!
The reader is thrown into the drama from the beginning and the fast pace throughout the book kept me absolutely hooked. Dark undertones are present right from the start, and every reveal - particularly involving Cal, the protagonist, and Carrie, one of the influencers - was unexpected, which I really enjoyed. There wasn't a dull moment, nor did the narrative start to drag at any point. The podcast format of the book was also very interesting to read, with interviews and audio transcripts littered throughout that made a somewhat unrealistic competition seem believable.
Whilst I loved the rapid pace of the book, it made it hard to keep up with all the names of the characters that are in the book. It was a little difficult to connect with some of the side characters, and I found myself questioning decisions made by certain characters due to how extreme or surprising they seemed.
Nevertheless, a thrilling read that had me hooked all the way through. I'd definitely love to see more by this author!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital copy of this book to read and review.
Influencer Island had a premise that I was super excited to read - I love anything to do with the dark side of technology and social media, so this was perfect for me. I'm glad to say that this book did not disappoint!
The reader is thrown into the drama from the beginning and the fast pace throughout the book kept me absolutely hooked. Dark undertones are present right from the start, and every reveal - particularly involving Cal, the protagonist, and Carrie, one of the influencers - was unexpected, which I really enjoyed. There wasn't a dull moment, nor did the narrative start to drag at any point. The podcast format of the book was also very interesting to read, with interviews and audio transcripts littered throughout that made a somewhat unrealistic competition seem believable.
Whilst I loved the rapid pace of the book, it made it hard to keep up with all the names of the characters that are in the book. It was a little difficult to connect with some of the side characters, and I found myself questioning decisions made by certain characters due to how extreme or surprising they seemed.
Nevertheless, a thrilling read that had me hooked all the way through. I'd definitely love to see more by this author!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital copy of this book to read and review.
October 20, 2022
I recieved this as an arc a while back and finally decided to read it, since I felt like the title and description gave me more autumn vibes. Anyway, the concept of this story is so good but the execution is lacking a lot, at least for me. The storyline felt rushed on some important stuff and completely dragged on stuff that felt quite unimportant to the storyline. Also I wish there was more depth to the characters as well as more depth to the actual plot on the island…since that whole thing seemed to be over in a blink of an eye, at least it felt like it. Personally I thought the idea of the story being told on a podcast format was genius but the execution again was too confusing with the time jumps from the story within the podcast. This had so much potential but sadly it wasn‘t as good as it could‘ve been.
August 24, 2022
This was a fun and really quick read- I didn’t realize it was part of a series but it works as a standalone. The story centers on an eccentric artist who invites top influencers and wannabes to a secluded island where they must participate in Hunger Games type challenges to increase their followings. The author kills off lots of people, which is fun because you have no real expectations of who will make it to the end.
The main characters are a contestant named Carrie and a journalist named Cal. Carrie has been reeling since the disappearance of her beloved brother a year ago, and Cal is having trouble accepting the death of his father. It’s a short book that didn’t go too deeply into the dynamics of their relationship, but I thought it worked.
The action throughout was fun but I admit that when all is unveiled, it felt a little contrived to me and the villain’s motive felt like a stretch. That being said, the author did a good job of tying up the loose ends.
Overall, this is a fun little horror book and I found it engaging and relevant for the times. I’ll likely pick up another book by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a.copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The main characters are a contestant named Carrie and a journalist named Cal. Carrie has been reeling since the disappearance of her beloved brother a year ago, and Cal is having trouble accepting the death of his father. It’s a short book that didn’t go too deeply into the dynamics of their relationship, but I thought it worked.
The action throughout was fun but I admit that when all is unveiled, it felt a little contrived to me and the villain’s motive felt like a stretch. That being said, the author did a good job of tying up the loose ends.
Overall, this is a fun little horror book and I found it engaging and relevant for the times. I’ll likely pick up another book by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a.copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 12, 2022
So what if your life actually depended on likes and followers? No, like literally. That is essentially what’s happening in Influencer Island. How far would you go to be famous?
A bunch of top influencers are invited to an exclusive island and a further 10 influencers compete to be chosen to also a tend a mysterious competition to held on this island by a mysterious artist akin to Banksy. But everyone quickly realises, this competition is darker than it seems and it ties in to a larger mystery connecting everyone in this scheme!
I want to start with the plot. I feel like this plot was unique and so relevant to the culture we all live in as a society. It has so much potential, however, I feel like there was just way to much going on for a book this short, and because of that, a lot of the links felt forced together. There was the Carrie and Tuck plot and then Carrie and Angel, and Cal and his father and then the Wyatt James and his cult and yet somehow all of these seemingly different things come together. In a longer book where each of these plots could be fully fleshed out, I feel like that link would’ve been mind blowing!! But because this book was so short I was just left feeling like the connections were flimsy and forced. The short length of the book and the many plot lines ensured that it was very fast paced which is great but I think it would’ve been even better slightly slower paced to really flesh out the plot.
I also feel like the characters weren’t fully fleshed out. You got to know them, but not enough of who they are and background knowledge, that you cared about all the crazy things that were happening to them or even understood their motivations for making certain choices. It felt superficial. They were also way to calm throughout this book. They weren’t showing the emotion you’d expect them to be showing within the situations. I know this is meant to be a commentary on how desensitized we are and how for some drama and sensation we’d look the other way but I’m not talking about the viewers, but more so the investigators and the authorities.
Carries reason for going seems to change throughout the book which also through me off a bit and made me not fully like her character at times.
I believe that if we got to maybe hear more from Wyatt James a lot of the reasoning and insanity would’ve made more sense. It would still be crazy, but If you could see into the mind of the crazy person, understand more of what lead him to develop this weird cultish mindset and methodologies then maybe I’d understand why certain links were made. The bit we got at the end was not enough. It explained what happened to make him snap, but not why he developed this cultish style thinking with the weird rituals and stuff.
On to the writing! I enjoyed the podcast transcript way the book was written in. Its akin to Taylor Jenkins Reids, Daisy Jones and the Six and it makes the book impossible to put down as it was such an easy read! I read this on like 4 hours!
One thing that bugged me slightly is that this is a written transcript of an audio podcast. All of the clips from the podcast are noted as Audio from whatever source. Now, if I’m listening to a video of an event playing, I’m only hearing the words and sounds. I cant hear actions like someone waving, or someone drinking something. So why choose to put transcriptions of those actions into the book. Listeners of your podcast wouldn’t have seen that and couldn’t have heard it either. So how can the written transcript include things like[MODELS CASUALLY WAVE IN THE BACKGROUND]or [TAKES SIP OF BEER] when that isn’t something anyone listening to the video audio would’ve heard? I can understand including sounds like laughing into the written transcript as that’s something listeners would’ve heard but there’s even a part where they added [GOES TO GRAB CARRIE’S ASS. SHE SHOVES HIM AWAY.]into an apparent audio transcript of what played on the podcast. No one listening to the audio via podcast would’ve been able to know that was happening…why include it in the transcript? Does that mean that during the actual podcast you paused the recording, and said that to your listeners for context and then continued the recording? A lot of those entries make for sense for video transcripts. Now I know a lot of the source material for the podcast was videos, but this wasn’t transcripts of those videos, these were transcripts of the completed podcast containing audio from the videos. I understand that maybe these “action” entries can give context in certain situations, like stating someone stared off into the distance, but if you’re claiming this is an audio transcript of something listeners hears, then you can’t just include these when it doesn’t make sense to the material you’re claiming this is from.
Other than this little nitty gritty fact I really enjoyed the writing style!
Overall, I enjoyed a large majority of the book as well as the social commentary about our societies obsession with getting likes and being loved by strangers. I would’ve liked this mystery a lot more if the connections and plot twists felt more believable but still a fun short read!
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR CERTAIN THINGS COVERED ABOVE!!!!!!
*Spoiler Alert on the plot issue* You really expect me to believe that Wyatt arranged a murder island spectacle because of Tucks dying wish? And then you managed to ensure that none of the other contestants ever killed Carrie in her sleep so she could survive to become her true self again. Then at the same time, he says no but actually I did this island thing to bring Cal here so he can go through what his father went through…Wyatt James is truly twisted so I can understand his delusional thinking but the links all seemed so forced and unbelievable.
Then there’s the person who killed Tuck. I didn’t buy her reason for killing him at all! And then wanting to kill Carrie. Her backstory didn’t have enough girth to peg her not only as a sociopath but as someone that would go to such extremes over such frivolous issues.
*Spoilers ahead on everyone being to calm* Joss and Cal go to an art auction after which the big bad assistant tells Cal to get into a car but Joss isn’t allowed to follow. We then find out Cal has been whisked off to the island. Joss doesn’t know any of this but doesn’t freak out about Cal not showing up to work the next day or not being reachable. He merely says that he wonders what Wyatt has in store for him? Like what!! Surely you’d be contacting authorities telling them that he’s disappeared, he is a known murderer afterall!!
We’re also told that the morning that the contestants flew to the island the authorities started believing that this was essentially a murder island and yet we don’t even hear that they made an attempt at stopping the contestants. We are told that the contestants essentially knew this wasn’t a joke but still chose to go cause fame was more important but surely the authorities wouldn’t agree with that logic and would attempt to do something! Also the whole time the contestants were there. We don’t hear anything about the authorities attempting to rescue them. Trying to track the location from all the posts and streams, sending in teams? Nope essentially they just chilled and waited to see how it plays out.
Carries reason for going seems to change. Right at the beginning we were told she wanted to go to get exposure for her brothers disappearance. Later we find out she was sick of feeling less than and felt like a failure and therefore wanted to do more. She wanted to know what it would feel like to be Angel. Then during the competition it chances to I want to find my brother…?
Also the plot with The Eleven I still don’t fully get? How do they play into this? Was Wyatt their leader? Are they still out there? What do they do?
A bunch of top influencers are invited to an exclusive island and a further 10 influencers compete to be chosen to also a tend a mysterious competition to held on this island by a mysterious artist akin to Banksy. But everyone quickly realises, this competition is darker than it seems and it ties in to a larger mystery connecting everyone in this scheme!
I want to start with the plot. I feel like this plot was unique and so relevant to the culture we all live in as a society. It has so much potential, however, I feel like there was just way to much going on for a book this short, and because of that, a lot of the links felt forced together. There was the Carrie and Tuck plot and then Carrie and Angel, and Cal and his father and then the Wyatt James and his cult and yet somehow all of these seemingly different things come together. In a longer book where each of these plots could be fully fleshed out, I feel like that link would’ve been mind blowing!! But because this book was so short I was just left feeling like the connections were flimsy and forced. The short length of the book and the many plot lines ensured that it was very fast paced which is great but I think it would’ve been even better slightly slower paced to really flesh out the plot.
I also feel like the characters weren’t fully fleshed out. You got to know them, but not enough of who they are and background knowledge, that you cared about all the crazy things that were happening to them or even understood their motivations for making certain choices. It felt superficial. They were also way to calm throughout this book. They weren’t showing the emotion you’d expect them to be showing within the situations. I know this is meant to be a commentary on how desensitized we are and how for some drama and sensation we’d look the other way but I’m not talking about the viewers, but more so the investigators and the authorities.
Carries reason for going seems to change throughout the book which also through me off a bit and made me not fully like her character at times.
I believe that if we got to maybe hear more from Wyatt James a lot of the reasoning and insanity would’ve made more sense. It would still be crazy, but If you could see into the mind of the crazy person, understand more of what lead him to develop this weird cultish mindset and methodologies then maybe I’d understand why certain links were made. The bit we got at the end was not enough. It explained what happened to make him snap, but not why he developed this cultish style thinking with the weird rituals and stuff.
On to the writing! I enjoyed the podcast transcript way the book was written in. Its akin to Taylor Jenkins Reids, Daisy Jones and the Six and it makes the book impossible to put down as it was such an easy read! I read this on like 4 hours!
One thing that bugged me slightly is that this is a written transcript of an audio podcast. All of the clips from the podcast are noted as Audio from whatever source. Now, if I’m listening to a video of an event playing, I’m only hearing the words and sounds. I cant hear actions like someone waving, or someone drinking something. So why choose to put transcriptions of those actions into the book. Listeners of your podcast wouldn’t have seen that and couldn’t have heard it either. So how can the written transcript include things like[MODELS CASUALLY WAVE IN THE BACKGROUND]or [TAKES SIP OF BEER] when that isn’t something anyone listening to the video audio would’ve heard? I can understand including sounds like laughing into the written transcript as that’s something listeners would’ve heard but there’s even a part where they added [GOES TO GRAB CARRIE’S ASS. SHE SHOVES HIM AWAY.]into an apparent audio transcript of what played on the podcast. No one listening to the audio via podcast would’ve been able to know that was happening…why include it in the transcript? Does that mean that during the actual podcast you paused the recording, and said that to your listeners for context and then continued the recording? A lot of those entries make for sense for video transcripts. Now I know a lot of the source material for the podcast was videos, but this wasn’t transcripts of those videos, these were transcripts of the completed podcast containing audio from the videos. I understand that maybe these “action” entries can give context in certain situations, like stating someone stared off into the distance, but if you’re claiming this is an audio transcript of something listeners hears, then you can’t just include these when it doesn’t make sense to the material you’re claiming this is from.
Other than this little nitty gritty fact I really enjoyed the writing style!
Overall, I enjoyed a large majority of the book as well as the social commentary about our societies obsession with getting likes and being loved by strangers. I would’ve liked this mystery a lot more if the connections and plot twists felt more believable but still a fun short read!
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR CERTAIN THINGS COVERED ABOVE!!!!!!
*Spoiler Alert on the plot issue* You really expect me to believe that Wyatt arranged a murder island spectacle because of Tucks dying wish? And then you managed to ensure that none of the other contestants ever killed Carrie in her sleep so she could survive to become her true self again. Then at the same time, he says no but actually I did this island thing to bring Cal here so he can go through what his father went through…Wyatt James is truly twisted so I can understand his delusional thinking but the links all seemed so forced and unbelievable.
Then there’s the person who killed Tuck. I didn’t buy her reason for killing him at all! And then wanting to kill Carrie. Her backstory didn’t have enough girth to peg her not only as a sociopath but as someone that would go to such extremes over such frivolous issues.
*Spoilers ahead on everyone being to calm* Joss and Cal go to an art auction after which the big bad assistant tells Cal to get into a car but Joss isn’t allowed to follow. We then find out Cal has been whisked off to the island. Joss doesn’t know any of this but doesn’t freak out about Cal not showing up to work the next day or not being reachable. He merely says that he wonders what Wyatt has in store for him? Like what!! Surely you’d be contacting authorities telling them that he’s disappeared, he is a known murderer afterall!!
We’re also told that the morning that the contestants flew to the island the authorities started believing that this was essentially a murder island and yet we don’t even hear that they made an attempt at stopping the contestants. We are told that the contestants essentially knew this wasn’t a joke but still chose to go cause fame was more important but surely the authorities wouldn’t agree with that logic and would attempt to do something! Also the whole time the contestants were there. We don’t hear anything about the authorities attempting to rescue them. Trying to track the location from all the posts and streams, sending in teams? Nope essentially they just chilled and waited to see how it plays out.
Carries reason for going seems to change. Right at the beginning we were told she wanted to go to get exposure for her brothers disappearance. Later we find out she was sick of feeling less than and felt like a failure and therefore wanted to do more. She wanted to know what it would feel like to be Angel. Then during the competition it chances to I want to find my brother…?
Also the plot with The Eleven I still don’t fully get? How do they play into this? Was Wyatt their leader? Are they still out there? What do they do?
December 27, 2022
3 Stars
Influencer Island is written in the style of a podcast transcript reporting on what happened during the sadistic “Influencer Island” bloodbath reality show stream. It’s accurately described as a blend of the Fyre Festival and The Hunger Games on the book blurb. 10 wannabe influencers are invited to an idyllic tropical island where they believe they’ll be competing to become the newest, biggest influencer. Carrie is hoping her newfound fame will lead her to discovering more about her brother’s disappearance a year prior. What she doesn’t know is that the other 9 contestants were all there the day her brother went missing and may know more than they’re letting on.
This book comes in at just under 200 pages. While I was excited for a short read to help me reach my yearly reading goal, this book would definitely benefit from another 100 pages. Too much time is spent developing our main characters that it’s disappointing when the climax of the novel is resolved within a few paragraphs. The appeal of this novel is the competition, but half the contestants are eliminated “off screen.” Most of the book takes place off the island, and I feel such an incredible setting should have more time spent in it. This is why I think the podcast transcript style of the writing wasn’t the best way to fully explore this plot. I think it would be more interesting if it was an actual fictional podcast that could actually be listened to, but as a novel it would be a better experience if all the events happened in real time rather than having them recounted to you later.
Still, the premise was entertaining, the murders were gruesome, and I’d be lying if I said this novel didn’t keep me up at night. It’s definitely spooky and thrilling, but there was some lost potential that made me want more from this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Greater Path LLC for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Influencer Island is written in the style of a podcast transcript reporting on what happened during the sadistic “Influencer Island” bloodbath reality show stream. It’s accurately described as a blend of the Fyre Festival and The Hunger Games on the book blurb. 10 wannabe influencers are invited to an idyllic tropical island where they believe they’ll be competing to become the newest, biggest influencer. Carrie is hoping her newfound fame will lead her to discovering more about her brother’s disappearance a year prior. What she doesn’t know is that the other 9 contestants were all there the day her brother went missing and may know more than they’re letting on.
This book comes in at just under 200 pages. While I was excited for a short read to help me reach my yearly reading goal, this book would definitely benefit from another 100 pages. Too much time is spent developing our main characters that it’s disappointing when the climax of the novel is resolved within a few paragraphs. The appeal of this novel is the competition, but half the contestants are eliminated “off screen.” Most of the book takes place off the island, and I feel such an incredible setting should have more time spent in it. This is why I think the podcast transcript style of the writing wasn’t the best way to fully explore this plot. I think it would be more interesting if it was an actual fictional podcast that could actually be listened to, but as a novel it would be a better experience if all the events happened in real time rather than having them recounted to you later.
Still, the premise was entertaining, the murders were gruesome, and I’d be lying if I said this novel didn’t keep me up at night. It’s definitely spooky and thrilling, but there was some lost potential that made me want more from this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Greater Path LLC for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 29, 2022
Sold as Squid Game meets Fyre Festival, Influencer Island takes a seemingly fun social media competition and turns it into a deadly social experiment led by a mysterious avant-garde artist. Ten influencers are sent to an island paradise, lured into entering the competition by sun- and booze-soaked Instagram videos posted by the most popular social media stars. But the competition goes offline, and by the time investigators find it, nearly everyone is either missing or dead, corpses found in the most gruesome scenes of torture imaginable. One podcaster is determined to figure out exactly what went down on that island and bring light to this terrible scene.
Although this book's premise sounded promising, there was so much that was off or poor about the execution. It's written as the script of a podcast, which sets it up for failure on delivering important elements like a coherent plot/timeline, exposition, character backstories, etc. All the characters felt generic and interchangeable to me. I couldn't tell anyone apart, nor could I give you a good description of why the podcaster protagonist does what he does, nor could I tell you that I was invested in any of the characters' outcomes by the time I trudged to the end. The book just felt a bit hollow. For example, although there are descriptions of disturbing, gruesome acts of violence, the description is presented as just that - as a reader, often what makes things disturbing is your investment in a better outcome, then that expectation being subverted by something horrible and unexpected. This gives you that horrible outcome, devoid of any of the investment in the characters or what happens to them.
The "moral of the story" is also just overdone - some performance artist is sick of the veneers that influencers display, so he orchestrates their brutal murder for all to see? That story has been told and retold. There are too many elements in here that are thrown onto the page, from the true crime podcast angle to the Banksy angle to the romance subplot that was uninteresting to the missing-brother subplot, it was too much to pack into 200 pages, and none of these lines were executed particularly well.
Thank you to Greater Path for the eARC via Netgalley.
Although this book's premise sounded promising, there was so much that was off or poor about the execution. It's written as the script of a podcast, which sets it up for failure on delivering important elements like a coherent plot/timeline, exposition, character backstories, etc. All the characters felt generic and interchangeable to me. I couldn't tell anyone apart, nor could I give you a good description of why the podcaster protagonist does what he does, nor could I tell you that I was invested in any of the characters' outcomes by the time I trudged to the end. The book just felt a bit hollow. For example, although there are descriptions of disturbing, gruesome acts of violence, the description is presented as just that - as a reader, often what makes things disturbing is your investment in a better outcome, then that expectation being subverted by something horrible and unexpected. This gives you that horrible outcome, devoid of any of the investment in the characters or what happens to them.
The "moral of the story" is also just overdone - some performance artist is sick of the veneers that influencers display, so he orchestrates their brutal murder for all to see? That story has been told and retold. There are too many elements in here that are thrown onto the page, from the true crime podcast angle to the Banksy angle to the romance subplot that was uninteresting to the missing-brother subplot, it was too much to pack into 200 pages, and none of these lines were executed particularly well.
Thank you to Greater Path for the eARC via Netgalley.
May 6, 2023
Submit your applications. The prize? Social media glory.
Infamous street artist Wyatt James (the fictional Banksy) has created an art installation/social experiment offering ten successful applicants the chance to party on a remote island with the biggest influencers and ‘celebrities’. We are introduced to Cal - a young reporter who has seemingly been offered the opportunity to investigate the mysterious James. It quickly becomes obvious that Cals interest in James runs deeper than the podcast he is producing.
‘’It was clear that Wyatts video struck at the heart of what the new generation desires. They don’t want to grow up and be an astronaut or a doctor. They want followers. They want verified check marks. They want to be famous.’’
This book focuses on some relevant and important themes. Are you able to disregard your own identity in order to curate the perfect feed? Would you kill for fame? It shines a light on the vulgarity of the industry many young people are aspiring to become a part of. I was a fan of Rutkins character building and progression in Carrie. Unlike her followers, I was rooting for her the whole way. The flaws she was initially so eager to hide made her likeable and ‘real’… ironic eh? I enjoyed the format - the interview style kept it fast paced and engaging.
There were certain threads running through the story that I wasn’t a fan of. Albeit necessary for the plot, the romance between two of the characters felt childish and unbelievable. Who falls in love that quickly? I didn’t enjoy Cals story. It made the plot feel far-fetched and slightly messy. At points it felt like Rutkin was digging for an unnecessary twist. I would have preferred to keep Cal at arms length - an unbiased observer as opposed to a reluctant participant.
All in all, I’d recommend this. Not bad for a short, twisty horror.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Infamous street artist Wyatt James (the fictional Banksy) has created an art installation/social experiment offering ten successful applicants the chance to party on a remote island with the biggest influencers and ‘celebrities’. We are introduced to Cal - a young reporter who has seemingly been offered the opportunity to investigate the mysterious James. It quickly becomes obvious that Cals interest in James runs deeper than the podcast he is producing.
‘’It was clear that Wyatts video struck at the heart of what the new generation desires. They don’t want to grow up and be an astronaut or a doctor. They want followers. They want verified check marks. They want to be famous.’’
This book focuses on some relevant and important themes. Are you able to disregard your own identity in order to curate the perfect feed? Would you kill for fame? It shines a light on the vulgarity of the industry many young people are aspiring to become a part of. I was a fan of Rutkins character building and progression in Carrie. Unlike her followers, I was rooting for her the whole way. The flaws she was initially so eager to hide made her likeable and ‘real’… ironic eh? I enjoyed the format - the interview style kept it fast paced and engaging.
There were certain threads running through the story that I wasn’t a fan of. Albeit necessary for the plot, the romance between two of the characters felt childish and unbelievable. Who falls in love that quickly? I didn’t enjoy Cals story. It made the plot feel far-fetched and slightly messy. At points it felt like Rutkin was digging for an unnecessary twist. I would have preferred to keep Cal at arms length - an unbiased observer as opposed to a reluctant participant.
All in all, I’d recommend this. Not bad for a short, twisty horror.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2024
Wow, no one saw this review coming. In the first 100 pages, I said this book had 5 star potential.
Unfortunately after this the book went downhill. The actual action scenes were far too quick (I felt like we went from 10 contestants to 2 in about 10 pages?) and I found that having multiple mysteries was too much to take on in less than 200 pages.
A good premise, but didn’t feel finished.
Also just a note, an easy way to alienate some of the book-influencer community is to thank booktok and bookstagram.
Unfortunately after this the book went downhill. The actual action scenes were far too quick (I felt like we went from 10 contestants to 2 in about 10 pages?) and I found that having multiple mysteries was too much to take on in less than 200 pages.
A good premise, but didn’t feel finished.
Also just a note, an easy way to alienate some of the book-influencer community is to thank booktok and bookstagram.
August 7, 2022
I truly enjoyed this book. It is a fast-paced psychological thriller told in a podcast format. It is a very plot driven story pinpointing the shallowness of influencer culture. It focuses on the obsession given to certain individuals and the cult-like following that they can gain. It also reveals how the art world is trying to evolve using social media. The finale shows the dark side to our fixation to this media obsession. A lot to tackle in a 200 some page book. The characters could have been fleshed out a bit but using a podcast format makes this more of a social commentary. I have to say, though, I am a sucker for a good conspiracy theory plot so I quite enjoyed this book.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy in exchange for my review.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy in exchange for my review.
July 15, 2022
**3.5 stars**
A relevant psychological thriller, taking on as it does the constant chasing of fame via social media and the influencers who live a life in that strange spotlight.
Survivor meets Love Island in this narrative that is part horror, part social commentary- it is both addictive and compelling where fame equals death equals fame.
I do feel it could do with a decent copy editor casting an eye over it, there are a few technical hitches and editorial issues but as an ARC you often find this and it didn't take away from the cleverness of the plot.
Overall a genuinely entertaining read that deserves its fifteen minutes of fame.
A relevant psychological thriller, taking on as it does the constant chasing of fame via social media and the influencers who live a life in that strange spotlight.
Survivor meets Love Island in this narrative that is part horror, part social commentary- it is both addictive and compelling where fame equals death equals fame.
I do feel it could do with a decent copy editor casting an eye over it, there are a few technical hitches and editorial issues but as an ARC you often find this and it didn't take away from the cleverness of the plot.
Overall a genuinely entertaining read that deserves its fifteen minutes of fame.
August 7, 2022
*Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Meh.
The book is fine I guess. It’s influencers being tricked into going to an island inspired by Fyre Festival and when they get there, it’s a Battle Royale/Hunger Games style fight to the death.
I think there are a lot of attempts this book does to be a lot deeper than it is. Maybe it’s because I’ve studied fine arts and been surrounded by a community of artists for so many years but I just couldn’t get over this book’s villain (and potentially even the author?) genuinely believing that his impact is anything more than shock value art. It’s wildly boring and is only significant because it’s about celebrity but the villain thinks he’s above shallow celebrities even though he’s a shallow faux-deep celebrity with a raging god-complex. But he “opens people’s eyes”.
But also the people who have become so enlightened still live off of celebrity status.
There are multiple storylines and connected mysteries running in and out of each other throughout the entire book and that was something I could really do without. Having to switch between storyline so quickly with no breaks or transitions was a bit frustrating at times and what doesn’t help is that Cal is simply not a character I want to follow along with. It’s not that I dislike him but he also isn’t interesting or enjoyable to watch. I just don’t care for him or his crush on Carrie.
In the end, I’m sort of confused on what the message is supposed to be. People go to inhumane lengths to gain fame and fortune but those who go against the fight for fame will be rewarded with fame and fortune?
Very jumbled and difficult to pay attention to, especially when all of the influencers who aren’t Carrie felt like copy pasted duplicates of each other. I wish such a cool concept was executed better
CW: murder, death, grief, multiple mentions of addiction/substance abuse, bodily mutilation, stalking, kidnapping/hostage situations, religious extremism/cult activity, gaslighting
Meh.
The book is fine I guess. It’s influencers being tricked into going to an island inspired by Fyre Festival and when they get there, it’s a Battle Royale/Hunger Games style fight to the death.
I think there are a lot of attempts this book does to be a lot deeper than it is. Maybe it’s because I’ve studied fine arts and been surrounded by a community of artists for so many years but I just couldn’t get over this book’s villain (and potentially even the author?) genuinely believing that his impact is anything more than shock value art. It’s wildly boring and is only significant because it’s about celebrity but the villain thinks he’s above shallow celebrities even though he’s a shallow faux-deep celebrity with a raging god-complex. But he “opens people’s eyes”.
But also the people who have become so enlightened still live off of celebrity status.
There are multiple storylines and connected mysteries running in and out of each other throughout the entire book and that was something I could really do without. Having to switch between storyline so quickly with no breaks or transitions was a bit frustrating at times and what doesn’t help is that Cal is simply not a character I want to follow along with. It’s not that I dislike him but he also isn’t interesting or enjoyable to watch. I just don’t care for him or his crush on Carrie.
In the end, I’m sort of confused on what the message is supposed to be. People go to inhumane lengths to gain fame and fortune but those who go against the fight for fame will be rewarded with fame and fortune?
Very jumbled and difficult to pay attention to, especially when all of the influencers who aren’t Carrie felt like copy pasted duplicates of each other. I wish such a cool concept was executed better
CW: murder, death, grief, multiple mentions of addiction/substance abuse, bodily mutilation, stalking, kidnapping/hostage situations, religious extremism/cult activity, gaslighting
August 2, 2022
“May fame and followers be upon you”
when I learnt that I was approved access to a copy of this book I was over the moon. From just reading the blurb I knew I was gonna love it. I have a big obsession with black mirror and influencer island is a mix of the show, squid game and hunger games!
The plot was very clever and unique. imagine your life really depend on likes and the followers you have! And how far can you go
to gain more popularity!
I did not care for any of the characters, maybe just Wyatt James because he was the biggest mystery in the book. I just wanted to read the book to know how everything unfold. And then it hit me. I felt that Im just like the viewers who were watching all the murder and insanity happening without patting their eyes. The book notes how our generation is desensitized to basically everything. The viewers in the book were watching people getting attacked by sharks and killed by their peers while laughing and make comments about their guesses of who should die next.
I loved that the story was fast paced, dark, gruesome and gripping. I couldn’t stop reading the book because I was dying to know what is going to happen next.
The only thing that bothered me was the writing style of the book. It was in the form of podcast script which was annoying at some point because there were parts where I’m at the edge of my seat and then the part cuts into a different subject. However i feel if the book was written in the normal form we are used to I won’t enjoy it as much as it’s original form.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
when I learnt that I was approved access to a copy of this book I was over the moon. From just reading the blurb I knew I was gonna love it. I have a big obsession with black mirror and influencer island is a mix of the show, squid game and hunger games!
The plot was very clever and unique. imagine your life really depend on likes and the followers you have! And how far can you go
to gain more popularity!
I did not care for any of the characters, maybe just Wyatt James because he was the biggest mystery in the book. I just wanted to read the book to know how everything unfold. And then it hit me. I felt that Im just like the viewers who were watching all the murder and insanity happening without patting their eyes. The book notes how our generation is desensitized to basically everything. The viewers in the book were watching people getting attacked by sharks and killed by their peers while laughing and make comments about their guesses of who should die next.
I loved that the story was fast paced, dark, gruesome and gripping. I couldn’t stop reading the book because I was dying to know what is going to happen next.
The only thing that bothered me was the writing style of the book. It was in the form of podcast script which was annoying at some point because there were parts where I’m at the edge of my seat and then the part cuts into a different subject. However i feel if the book was written in the normal form we are used to I won’t enjoy it as much as it’s original form.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 14, 2022
There isn't a SINGLE dull moment in Kyle Rutkin's Influencer Island. I absolutely tore through this novel, and whenever I had to put it down, I struggled to focus on what I needed to do (aka my 9 to 5 job) because I was so caught up in wanting to know what happened next. The podcast approach is pretty clever, and I can see some people having an issue with it, but personally, I love it, and I thought it added an extra layer of complex storytelling that was specific to this story. Podcasts help promote someone's brand, whether they're a true crime podcast, a comedy podcast, etc. Podcasts promote an image, and so the method of telling Carrie's and Cal's stories via a podcast made perfect sense to me.
Also, reading this book right after the Amber Heard trial felt particularly potent. Her trauma and pain were memed and jeered at across the world, going viral to the point where content creators on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram were jumping on board just to increase their followers, views, and attention. It was absolutely disgusting watching how social media thrived off of Amber's trauma, and the whole idea that social media can be heartless and in some cases genuinely dangerous, was a clear theme throughout the book.
I didn't love a couple things about the book, namely the Big Reveal of who Wyatt James is and what happened to Tuck. I like the idea behind them, and I need to add that my lack of enthusiasm about them is more of a personal preference than a reflection on the author. The cult angle was also a bit confusing and at first seemed to be unnecessary, especially, since the cult's storyline isn't resolved and is left just hanging there, but then I saw that Influencer Island is part of a fictional universe this author has created, which made a lot more sense. I'm excited to check out the rest of this author's work and to get deeper into the Died Famous universe! Highly recommend!
Also, reading this book right after the Amber Heard trial felt particularly potent. Her trauma and pain were memed and jeered at across the world, going viral to the point where content creators on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram were jumping on board just to increase their followers, views, and attention. It was absolutely disgusting watching how social media thrived off of Amber's trauma, and the whole idea that social media can be heartless and in some cases genuinely dangerous, was a clear theme throughout the book.
I didn't love a couple things about the book, namely the Big Reveal of who Wyatt James is and what happened to Tuck. I like the idea behind them, and I need to add that my lack of enthusiasm about them is more of a personal preference than a reflection on the author. The cult angle was also a bit confusing and at first seemed to be unnecessary, especially, since the cult's storyline isn't resolved and is left just hanging there, but then I saw that Influencer Island is part of a fictional universe this author has created, which made a lot more sense. I'm excited to check out the rest of this author's work and to get deeper into the Died Famous universe! Highly recommend!
July 28, 2022
Well, this was just fun!
While there’s definitely messaging here about social media and influencer culture, it’s also a blast of a read.
Now to be honest, I kind of hate influencers. Maybe it’s the fact that all the vapid ones move to L.A. (home) and then complain about how everyone in L.A. is vapid. Maybe it’s the fact that they think the word ‘shilling’ has positive connotations. Whatever it is, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them getting their comeuppance in this book!
Did I like the characters? Nope. Did I care? Also nope. The book was over-the-top entertainment and I raced through it.
I’ll admit a wee bit of disappointment in the reason behind (and the truth) behind everything, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the read!
• ARC via Publisher
While there’s definitely messaging here about social media and influencer culture, it’s also a blast of a read.
Now to be honest, I kind of hate influencers. Maybe it’s the fact that all the vapid ones move to L.A. (home) and then complain about how everyone in L.A. is vapid. Maybe it’s the fact that they think the word ‘shilling’ has positive connotations. Whatever it is, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them getting their comeuppance in this book!
Did I like the characters? Nope. Did I care? Also nope. The book was over-the-top entertainment and I raced through it.
I’ll admit a wee bit of disappointment in the reason behind (and the truth) behind everything, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the read!
• ARC via Publisher
August 31, 2022
Influencer Island explores our dark obsession with social media and the role it plays in our lives.
The focus is on renowned artist, Wyatt James, (think Banksy) and their involvement event in a competition known as Influencer Island. Eleven of the most popular influencers are encouraging people to sign up to compete…the key rules, do what you need to in order to survive.
Some well-known YA fiction is alluded to here, and the characters were very obviously based on people we might recognise. However, the podcast format was an interesting idea.
From the outset this was clearly going to have a purpose we would need to uncover. The character of Cal was our lifeline here, though he had his own reasons for getting involved.
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this before publication.
The focus is on renowned artist, Wyatt James, (think Banksy) and their involvement event in a competition known as Influencer Island. Eleven of the most popular influencers are encouraging people to sign up to compete…the key rules, do what you need to in order to survive.
Some well-known YA fiction is alluded to here, and the characters were very obviously based on people we might recognise. However, the podcast format was an interesting idea.
From the outset this was clearly going to have a purpose we would need to uncover. The character of Cal was our lifeline here, though he had his own reasons for getting involved.
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this before publication.
July 27, 2022
3.75⭐️ This book was a very interesting read. First off the book is written in a podcast script style inside of a normal book format, which I actually really enjoyed and felt like I read it faster because of this. This story was super fast paced and every time I would read it I got sucked in and couldn’t stop, it kept me engaged. I didn’t get too attached to the characters, but I was interested in their story. The story highlights the dark side of social media, which I thought was really interesting. If you like dark psychological thrillers with lots of secrets this is a perfect read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC for my honest opinion.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC for my honest opinion.
August 10, 2022
3.5 stars!
I loved the concept of this book, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. The style was interesting, but having read another podcast style book lately, this one fell a little flat in comparison. Some of the characters were a little dull and I wish that the games were a little longer, but there was a lot to love here, and I enjoyed the book more than I expected to!
I loved the concept of this book, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. The style was interesting, but having read another podcast style book lately, this one fell a little flat in comparison. Some of the characters were a little dull and I wish that the games were a little longer, but there was a lot to love here, and I enjoyed the book more than I expected to!
July 28, 2022
Amazing. I loved reading this book! I want to listen to this as an audiobook and love it even more. I loved it was a podcast and everyone’s view.
September 22, 2022
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
This book sounded amazingly awesome and I just had to click request. I was so excited that I was selected! And yesterday (12th July) I just couldn’t sleep (too warm/not feeling too well) and so I decided this one would be a nice read while I wait for sleep to come. I have to say there were points that I really loved and things I was definitely not a fan of. In the end I just cannot rate the book higher than two stars. 🙁
I will be doing a good/not good review because otherwise it gets so chaotic.
💕I loved that it was about an island in the middle of nowhere and something gruesome had happened. For me the best horror and thriller take place at an island. You cannot easily escape the place already, but with how Wyatt has his soldiers trained good luck getting anywhere AT ALL.
💕Carrie was an interesting MC. At times a bit cringy, but I did like her drive and loved that she was dedicated to her brother (OK, maybe she was a bit too dedicated). I was proud that she never gave up. Many people when faced with sharks or someone about to murder you would not do what Carrie did.
💕The challenges. They were really fucked up. The sharks. The murder.
💕The cover was really good.
💕The title was nice.
💕Loved how scary at times it got and how craycray Wyatt was and how far he went for his art.
💕While I wasn’t a fan of how people reacted to the stuff happening on Influencer Island… it was pretty realistic. I could see this happen in real life. That is kind of bad, haha.
💕What happened with the models at the start of it all. Poor girls!
🙄Wasn’t a fan of Cal at all. Not at all. I mean, if he was just in the back I wouldn’t have minded it, but with each new part he became a bigger part of the mystery of Wyatt and frankly? I couldn’t give a dip about it.
🙄NFTs. Fuck that.
🙄The whole plotline that seemed straight out of the darkest places of the internet… or the local conspiracy nuts. I mean, at points I just had to re-read or scratch my head and wonder what the fuck was going on and why.
🙄The plotline also confused me greatly. Especially in the beginning when I was like, why are we researching everything under the sun. Just let me go to the island.
🙄Didn’t really care about the mystery of Tuck or Wyatt. OK, Wyatt maybe, but not in this big big format. It mostly took away from the island stuff and that is what I signed up for.
🙄It was supposed to be a podcast… well, it just felt more like someone decided that a script-format would look cool. At times there was the clear feel of a podcast, but at times I just didn’t see it anymore, which is a shame.
🙄The ending. WTF.
🙄How everyone just went with things. Oh, scary island. Let’s go. Oh, there are threats. Let’s go. I mean, a lot of these influencers had the chance to say a big fat NOPE to it all, but instead they went with it.
🙄How the POV just kept changing each paragraph or so. It was so utterly confusing. I mean, one moment I was with Carrie and cheering for her and hoping she wouldn’t die, and the next we are with Cal. I think that maybe it would have also worked if the names were much more different.
🙄How Wyatt just seemed to get away with so many things. I mean there were so many bad things surrounding him and in the mean time it seemed no one cared.
🙄Such unlikeable characters, but I can forgive that for most, fits with the horror theme, haha. Though some people. ARGH.
🙄Given the stuff from the beginning I had definitely expected WAY WAY more death.
🤔There were various errors in the texts. Mostly with names (Gigi or is it Kiki? Kaylyn or is it Kendall?) but also some other things that had me re-reading bits to makes sense of it.
All in all, as I said there were points that were fantastic, it was great horror at times. But the whole conspiracy stuff, the twist at the end, the whole the plot seemed so chaotic, not such fun characters… I was not a fan.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This book sounded amazingly awesome and I just had to click request. I was so excited that I was selected! And yesterday (12th July) I just couldn’t sleep (too warm/not feeling too well) and so I decided this one would be a nice read while I wait for sleep to come. I have to say there were points that I really loved and things I was definitely not a fan of. In the end I just cannot rate the book higher than two stars. 🙁
I will be doing a good/not good review because otherwise it gets so chaotic.
💕I loved that it was about an island in the middle of nowhere and something gruesome had happened. For me the best horror and thriller take place at an island. You cannot easily escape the place already, but with how Wyatt has his soldiers trained good luck getting anywhere AT ALL.
💕Carrie was an interesting MC. At times a bit cringy, but I did like her drive and loved that she was dedicated to her brother (OK, maybe she was a bit too dedicated). I was proud that she never gave up. Many people when faced with sharks or someone about to murder you would not do what Carrie did.
💕The challenges. They were really fucked up. The sharks. The murder.
💕The cover was really good.
💕The title was nice.
💕Loved how scary at times it got and how craycray Wyatt was and how far he went for his art.
💕While I wasn’t a fan of how people reacted to the stuff happening on Influencer Island… it was pretty realistic. I could see this happen in real life. That is kind of bad, haha.
💕What happened with the models at the start of it all. Poor girls!
🙄Wasn’t a fan of Cal at all. Not at all. I mean, if he was just in the back I wouldn’t have minded it, but with each new part he became a bigger part of the mystery of Wyatt and frankly? I couldn’t give a dip about it.
🙄NFTs. Fuck that.
🙄The whole plotline that seemed straight out of the darkest places of the internet… or the local conspiracy nuts. I mean, at points I just had to re-read or scratch my head and wonder what the fuck was going on and why.
🙄The plotline also confused me greatly. Especially in the beginning when I was like, why are we researching everything under the sun. Just let me go to the island.
🙄Didn’t really care about the mystery of Tuck or Wyatt. OK, Wyatt maybe, but not in this big big format. It mostly took away from the island stuff and that is what I signed up for.
🙄It was supposed to be a podcast… well, it just felt more like someone decided that a script-format would look cool. At times there was the clear feel of a podcast, but at times I just didn’t see it anymore, which is a shame.
🙄The ending. WTF.
🙄How everyone just went with things. Oh, scary island. Let’s go. Oh, there are threats. Let’s go. I mean, a lot of these influencers had the chance to say a big fat NOPE to it all, but instead they went with it.
🙄How the POV just kept changing each paragraph or so. It was so utterly confusing. I mean, one moment I was with Carrie and cheering for her and hoping she wouldn’t die, and the next we are with Cal. I think that maybe it would have also worked if the names were much more different.
🙄How Wyatt just seemed to get away with so many things. I mean there were so many bad things surrounding him and in the mean time it seemed no one cared.
🙄Such unlikeable characters, but I can forgive that for most, fits with the horror theme, haha. Though some people. ARGH.
🙄Given the stuff from the beginning I had definitely expected WAY WAY more death.
🤔There were various errors in the texts. Mostly with names (Gigi or is it Kiki? Kaylyn or is it Kendall?) but also some other things that had me re-reading bits to makes sense of it.
All in all, as I said there were points that were fantastic, it was great horror at times. But the whole conspiracy stuff, the twist at the end, the whole the plot seemed so chaotic, not such fun characters… I was not a fan.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
July 27, 2022
I follow this author on TikTok and when I saw this book on NetGalley I gasped. I am so grateful and happy to have been accepted to read this book.
Some of my favourite movie genres are found footage and fake-umentaries; this novel reads like those genres. This novel is off to a great start. The writing style adds to the format of the book due to its nature of being straightforward and direct. It is also very immersive and interesting- I found myself drawn in and I didn’t want to put it down.
This plot had some twists and turns, some were guessable and others weren’t. This book was thrilling and a bit off-putting (in a god thriller way). The characters were super important to this story and were very well written, a few are sure to be favourites from this moment onward.
Some of my favourite movie genres are found footage and fake-umentaries; this novel reads like those genres. This novel is off to a great start. The writing style adds to the format of the book due to its nature of being straightforward and direct. It is also very immersive and interesting- I found myself drawn in and I didn’t want to put it down.
This plot had some twists and turns, some were guessable and others weren’t. This book was thrilling and a bit off-putting (in a god thriller way). The characters were super important to this story and were very well written, a few are sure to be favourites from this moment onward.
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