Member Reviews

I wasn't sure about this book before I started reading it, but I found I read it within a day. Everything moved along fast with plenty of twists. I didn't guess the ending and though deaths were involved (trying not to leave spoilers) I didn't think the descriptions were as gory as some books. A new author for me, but one I'd try more books from.

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What I liked:
- The podcast style of the book - I haven't seen it before and I thought it lended itself well to a milder thriller (i.e. if they're talking about it...you can assume they survive). Might not be to everyone's taste, but as someone who doesn't always like thriller, I preferred it

-The commentary on influencers and of course, the big reference to Fyre Festival - I thought it was interesting.

What I didn't like as much

- The characters: all of them fell flat to me and unlike real people. There was a lot of scoffing and smiling when honestly, there shouldn't have been I don't think. The romance was also blegh and didn't need to be included.

-The podcast style of the book - it would have been better if we didn't have so many people commentating at once about different things. If this were a real podcast, you'd get even more confused, so I don't understand it from that perspective.

-The end: it was disappointing, considering the strong beginning, and that's all I'll say on that.

This book was going to be 3 stars, but having written my review, I see it as a 2 star, maybe 2.5. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I did not finish the book, I read about 10%, the writing style wasn't for me ie being written like I'm listening to a podcast. I do think this will translate very well into an audiobook.
I did however think it was very well written and I 100% would've finished it if it was written like a "regular" book.

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I really enjoyed this book. I had previously read a book with a similar format (Sadie) and I listen to a lot of investigative podcasts so I was familiar with this type of format (which this book does well!). The premise is reminiscent of The Hunger Games, Battle Royale and Beauty Queens. I found myself rooting for everyone and nobody at the same time, which is definitely a good thing. I would recommend influencer Island,

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This book was very interesting in that it is set up with each chapter being a podcast episode. This does however make some of the storyline difficult to follow and at times the number of characters that were speaking got confusing as to who they were.
However, the storyline was fantastic and had me at the edge of my seat. I needed to learn more about the mystery of the island and what was happening and how all the characters were connected. This book definitely had my attention the entire time I was reading.

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Think of a grim version of "Total Drama Island" series , but with celebrities, influencers and aspiring influencers. Very suiting for today's society. I really enjoyed the idea and the plot. There is a lot of potential, but still needs a little bit of work. There is too much happening and I could hardly keep up with the characters and the action. The author keeps switching between characters and locations, giving the impression that he just chaotically wrote ideas on paper. I don't know. I just don't like the format. It feels rushed and unfocused.

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I liked how this was written in the style of a podcast. I was hooked at first but it fell away fort about half way thought and the ending let it down.

Thanks netgalley for this advanced copy of this book

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I thought Influencer Island was a fun, quick read perfect for summer.
The idea is very interesting and unique. I didn’t love the way it was formatted as podcast transcripts but that’s just personal preference. That said, I think it would make an excellent audio book.
I enjoyed!

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This book was incredible! I’ve never read a book in this style but reading it was like having the podcast playing in my mind. Kyle’s writing was very creative and engaging. I read this whole book in about 3 hours. I thought I had it figured out and then something new would happen.

Give this book a try even if you don’t think you’d like the style!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kyle Rutkin for the ARC of this novel.

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Influencers island is a social media competition, that challenges influencers to go against each other. By the end of the competition, most of the influencers haven’t made it. The real challenge is to figure out why this all happened the way it did. The book is set in a podcast format. This is my second book I’ve read with this formatting and it takes a while to get used to. But the story is worthwhile. The story had a promising premise and that’s what caught my attention. The story has some interesting characters and some characters will have the reader rooting for them. The creator of this competition shows the reader, what some people will do for fame. It’s sad and a realistic commentary.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Greater Path LLC for this ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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This one of the the most unique stories I've had the chance to read. The fact that influencers are used as what I would call props was an outstanding move on this author's part. The whole premise of people only wanting to gain followers and likes is so prominent in this day and age.

The books being laid out as a podcast and mixed media was done fantastically, every aspect of this book will really reach this generation of readers. I enjoyed that there were a few different plot lines and how they ended up intersecting. I appreciate the fast pace and how the story as a whole flows.

I feel like this book will be for a certain type of reader and can see why others would not be into the writing style, but I loved it. I felt like parts were over the top, but in a great way. I cannot wait to read more by this author!

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Loved everything about this book. It’s faced paced, it keeps you interested and on enge the whole time your reading, which lead to me reading it in one sitting. The characters and the story in general is very relatable and there are parts within the story that really hit home aboht social media and how much it does effect you as a person. However the one thing I really loved was how it skips between different people. Usually I don’t like it when a books does this, however I think because it does it throughout the whole story, easily and with multiple people it’s just so natural and really adds to the need to read on and builds excitement. I’ve been in a reading downer recently and this book has really got me out of it!! Great book and can’t wait to read the other books from the author now!

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If you’re looking for something to get you out of a reading slump and you’re into thriller this is it!! It gave me a mix of fyre festival and squid games. It is a fast paced thriller , I appreciated the documentary / interview/ podcast style writing, it was pretty easy to follow along and I know this would sound so awesome as an audiobook ! I read this in two days and enjoyed it so much!

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This was so unique in how it was written and the idea itself. It definitely took a few minutes to get used to the style that it was written in but once I did I really couldn’t stop. The past two nights I’ve almost dropped my kindle on the floor because I fell asleep when I finally couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

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I really love the concept of this book, the podcast style format worked really well for me as I loved the tone it set and the back and forth between storylines made it hard to put down. I also really enjoyed the subject matter as well, it really appealed to the influencer loving millennial that I am.

The things that didn’t work for me were the romance, it felt very instalove and wasn’t all that believable, meaning it felt more like a plot point. I also felt like the pacing was off, the first half of the book sets such a great tone, however the main island action was incredibly short, I would’ve loved to have seen that expanded more, or less of a build up to match the rest of the book.

Overall though I really enjoyed this book, I got through it in a couple of days so despite my grievances I obviously had a fun time reading it and I will definitely be checking out the next one. I would give this 3.5 stars but netgalley doesn’t allow for that sadly.

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I was attracted to this book because of its note about the format. Having read countless of mystery & thrillers, including domestic thrillers, I was really intrigued by this. In terms of the background story, it is described as "fyre festial meets hunger games" which made it even more intriguing.

The book isn't terrible but it's only 145 pages! perhaps the format (podcast transcript) doesn't allow for more but I feel like it could've been meatier. For example, add some narrative between the dialogues to add dimension to the characters and set the scene with descriptions of places.

I feel terrible for saying this but I feel it was obvious some of the characters were inspired by actual influencers / instagram models that we all know. To me this was a bit too transparent and whilst it's OK to draw inspiration from real people and events, I wish the author had been a bit more imaginative.

You may notice that my review doesn't mention anything about the plot... honestly, there isn't much of a plot. It's all a bit shock scene after shock scene... the "mystery" didn't really add much to the story. Comparing the format to World War Z and Daisy Jones & The Six is quite a claim. I really don't think this book compares to either. I understand the book needs to be marketed but this anticipation really is doing a disservice to this book. This novel is what is is, and I enjoyed it for what it was - a 145 page podcast transcript.

Reviewing this book feels like correcting an essay to me: the idea is great, the format is innovative, the story had me on the edge of my seat but the execution was lacking.

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Fyre Festival meets The Hunger Games is the perfect description of this unique book, and I loved how it was formatted like a podcast. Multiple sides to the story unravelled beside each other, and this author has found a new fan in me

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This would be a great summer read. Fast paced. Formatted into short chapters and audio descriptions. I think this would make an even better audio book.

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Kyle Rutkin has a new fan.
I absolutely adored Influencer Island. The premise and cover are what drew me in but the mystery within caught me hook, line and sinker.

The book is the perfect length for the events, there's not a wasted page. It's camp-y and gory but also has a good bit more going on if you sit with it for a while. I would have loved more time with the other influencers besides Carrie, Kiana and Bella but maybe the few glimpses are best.
I could see this becoming an amazing horror-mystery mini-series, I'd certainly tune in.

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc copy of Influencer Island. All opinions expressed are my own.

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This was everything it promised to be and yes, fyre festival meets hunger games is the perfect description. I loved the characters and it really keeps you glued to the pages. I can't explain how good this book is and as a millennial, this isn't that far fetched really. I'll leave all the questions it raises about our current lifestyles and social media, aside for now but it does really get you thinking. Its got a good pace and doesn't have chapters just full of waffle, there's always something happening and moving the plot along. It's written in a podcast format which was also a 1st for me but as someone obsessed with true crime on podcasts and YouTube I felt it actually worked well. Although you are reading thr book through various characters interviews and recollection, it still makes you feel like you are there watching and listening along irl. Really well written, relevant and captivating. A perfect modern thriller...... it is about time we move away from the same old locked room thriller anyways and this is exactly how you do it! Highly recommended

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