Gripping narrative that uncovers layers of chilling secrets. Finished it in a day and didn’t stop for breath!

"Influencer Island" by Kyle Rutkin is a chilling and suspenseful novel that blends horror and mystery in a gripping narrative. Rutkin's storytelling prowess shines as he crafts a tale of intrigue, danger, and the dark side of social media fame. The book's atmospheric setting and well-developed characters create an immersive reading experience that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Rutkin skillfully builds tension and suspense, leading readers through a twisted journey of unexpected twists and turns. "Influencer Island" is a haunting read that delves into the dangers of seeking validation online, making it a must-read for fans of horror and mystery genres. As the mysteries unravel, readers are left with a sense of unease and anticipation for the sinister revelations that lie ahead.

"Fyre Festival meets Hunger Games" is a lot to live up to and unfortunately this book didn't deliver.

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 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 could barely finish this. I was intrigued by the plot, but had to put the book down after a few pages because the writing was so juvenile it made it hard to read.

I recieved this title from NetGalley and was so excited I got chosen to read and review it. Unfortunately i wasnt veey well for a ling time and didnt get round to reading it until just recently.

Influencer Island was a very interesting read. Not the usual style I read, for me personally it was a bit confusing at times.

I was expecting much more of a hunger games style story, only with influencer battling for survival. It sounded promising from the blurb, but the actual book didn't deliver unfortunately. I'm sorry to say, that I wouldn't recommend this book.

I´d give this novel that it is catchy. Because it is also silly to the point of absurdity, written by a person who has obviously very little info about the lives of both artistic and influencer people - I mean the real, everyday life, not the "dreamy", illogical take. This is like a fever dream, where you can believe almost any absurdity because you are conditioned by the feverish state of mind to believe it. But in the real life there is the money trail, the tax office, the police and even the secret services (much more capable and resourceful than one would think). There is also critical thinking. But, yes - I enjoyed this feverish dream read to a point. Catchy it is.

This was a quick, crazy thriller that I couldn’t stop reading!! I’ve read this book described as Hinger Games meets Fyre and Instagram on steroids and I agree. It really makes you think about how twisted people will get when it comes to social media and competing for the ultimate influencer title.

Listen, I really wanted to like this more than I did. The premise sounds right up my alley, but unfortunately this one just fell flat for me. Seems like the author tried to do a bit too much without really doing much of anything at all if that makes sense.

Good premise but I found flaws with the execution! Will be interested in what this author does next!

I really enjoyed this, it was such a unique idea for a ya horror story. I am glad that I was chosen to give this one a read. I will be checking out anything else by this author

Intriguing book with a reality TV sensibility. The idea is unique, but I had a hard time with the format which is basically a podcast. I think a regular plot would have worked better for me; although, I did enjoy the mystery.

I think the author presented an interesting premise but I found a lot of the mystery aspects lacking.

I wasn't a fan of this book. The way it is written was really confusing at times and a lot of characters were similar.

3.5 rounded up to a 4.

This was actually SUPER fun. So fun, in fact, that I went out and got the other two available books by the author. I love it when stories are stylized, and I'd never encountered a story written in podcast form before. I know some may not like the gimmick, but I found it fun.

This was definitely a quick and entertaining read. It's nothing too deep, but sometimes that's exactly what you need- good, pulpy fun. I'm not sure I'd exactly class it as horror, but I didn't care as I enjoyed the ride so much. Horror adjacent, maybe. Just needed a little bit more editing to clean some mistakes up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I requested this book because of the Fyre Festival comp but I did think all of the influencers just melded together. I also didn't love that the entire thing was a podcast script. That being said, I did enjoy how fast-paced it was and the final twist so I would recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I could not finish enough of this book to be able to leave a comprehensive review, but I hope it finds its audience and I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I found Influencer Island by Kyle Rutkin to be disappointing. The book promised to provide insights into influencer marketing, but it failed to deliver on that promise. The writing was a bit boring, and the author seemed more interested in promoting his own agenda than in providing useful information. The book was also poorly organized, with confusing chapter headings and a lack of clear direction. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking to learn about influencer marketing.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc for an honest review!

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. It was much darker than I had anticipated and I didn’t find the characters particularly entertaining or engaging .

This book was good, but I felt it needed more. I love the idea it brought to us and wished it went a little darker.

First of all, the cover of this book is so gorgeous. Influencer Island reminded me a lot of Lord of the Fly Fest by Goldy Moldavsky if it had been much more sinister (and not YA). Fast-paced and intriguing, Influencer Island catapulted me to the scene of the crime. I did find the writing style to be a bit confusing at times, the back and forth with time and the podcast style. There were A LOT of similar characters to keep track of.