This book deeply unsettled me in the way that thrillers should. I could only read this during the day, purely because I was so afraid I’d be kept up all night thinking about it.

Influencer Island is exactly what it sounds like - a group of influencers are sent to an island to compete in a Hunger Games-esque competition. The twists and turns practically gave me a pain in my neck because I saw very few of them coming.

This book is so good because in this day and age you could almost believe it, but it’s just that but unattainable that it allows us the escapism so many of us look for in books.

I’d recommend this book if you like thrillers, plot twists and pop culture references.

First I would like to thank Netgalley for this ARC of Influencer Island. The format of this book drew me in immediately. In this first couple pages we see the line “May fame and followers be upon you.” And I was hooked from that point on I always love a good mystery but lately they have been feeling pretty cookie cutter and predictable. The text is laid out as if I’m reading a transcript from a podcast, reading it this way was a new way of reading a mystery/thriller novel and I loved every second of it! It kept me interested and intrigued to figure out the mystery’s of the novel. The novel was very dark and gripping, the format was a huge positive for me while reading this book. I am a big mystery/murder buff so this was like breathing new life into my with the mystery/thriller genre. Definitely recommend for anyone who is a fan of murder documentaries, horror podcasts, etc. The writing may seem erratic and disorganized but it’s truly such an amazing story full of mystery! The last 25% of the book had me absolutely hooked the plot twists and reveals made me openly gasp! I can’t wait to buy a physical copy when the book releases and I also can’t wait to read more work from this amazing author!

3.5/5 stars! Thank you, NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book was amazing. I feel like Squid Games would be more accurate to compare it to than Hunger Games, but it was super interesting and I read the book in just a few hours.

The format was pretty cool, written like the script of a podcast, but it took me a moment to get used to it and sometimes I’d find myself going back to see who was talking or where we were getting the info from (feed, audio clip, interview, etc.) but it was a nice touch I think. Considering what the book focused on.

I gotta say that even though the plot was super intriguing, it felt like I was reading tabloids in the first half and as much I enjoy reading about the occasional celebrity… it almost bored me to read about all of these celebrities and their lives leading up to visiting Influencer Island. It was necessary, of course to lead up to the plot, but it also felt drawn out. Especially because the action didn’t start until about 60% through and then it ended so fast.

The ending was completely unexpected. I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong. I love when books take me by surprise, but I found the ending to be very anticlimactic and disappointing. The build up was great, and then just… yeah. I almost didn’t read the last few sections.

I think I may have enjoyed this more if I had read She Died Famous first, as they tie in together. But I think overall, it was pretty good and I’d like to check out more work from this author.

I found the synopsis for this book so intriguing! I love competitions/games in stories and the podcast format is one of my favourites. Social media influencers on an island, last person standing is the winner…yes please!
I finished this in a day and while it did go off in a strange direction at one point (or a few points 🤣) I actually really enjoyed it. I’d be very interested in listening to this as an audiobook in the future!
This definitely won’t be for everyone but for me I was thoroughly entertained and will be checking out more books from this author 😊

I loved the idea of this book unfortunately I didn’t like the format style.

Influencer Island is portrayed by podcast transcripts and each chapter is a separate podcast episode. This I think will be a love or hate kind of style for readers and sadly I am the latter.

I also didn’t feel like there was enough writing on the actual influencer competition itself, it came across more of Cal trying to feed his obsession of who the anonymous artist Wyatt James is.

The characters weren’t very memorable which could have been helped more if they were given backstories.

I want to start this review by saying I'm unsure why people were so hard on this book for grammatical errors when all currently reviewed copies are ARCs. Most ARCs have not been edited fully and will be finalized before their release date. The author even sent out an email about the updated edited version today.

Moving on I am so thankful for this book and Kyle Rutkin. I have been in a slump this month and nothing much was holding my attention other than rereading some of my all-time favorite books until I started this book. I was immediately captured by the format in which this book is presented and tried to figure out the mystery before key things were revealed to me. I loved that you got different perspectives because the book is written like a podcast/interview so you're not stuck with just a certain set of POVs, but you get different perspectives about what was happening at the same time from different voices. I think this book would make a wonderful Audiobook and if Kyle Rutkin ever decides to go that route I will be eager to hear the story told to me that way even though I already know how it ends.

The only fault I found with this book was that I wish that certain parts had lasted longer. I felt like a lot of contestants were eliminated super early on in one big swoop and it would have been just a little better had they not been eliminated so soon. It would have given more time to experience the contestants and I felt like there could have been more told about how they were all connected. I don't want to say much more because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone that is looking forward to this book. I feel like this is a perfect summery isolated island mystery/horror that shows just how corrupt the social media lifestyle has made us as a society. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for something fresh and new.

*I was granted an ARC of this book by Netgalley and Kyle Rutkin. While I did receive this book free all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and not influenced by that at all.*

“They are going to kill us... They are going to kill us all. Please. I beg you. Don’t come to the island. It’s a trap.”

Right from the very start, Influencer Island hooks its readers into devouring the pages as various characters recap their experience on the island, which is told in a podcast format. Opposed to most novels, the aftermath of the contest is revealed almost immediately. Now it’s a matter of finding out what lead up to this chilling conclusion and how each of the characters are involved.

The concept of Influencer Island is truly innovative – think Hunger Games meets Squid Games with a dash of Fyre Festival sprinkled in. In a generation centered around fame, social media and influencers, the story has themes most readers can relate to.

The podcast format will definitely be a “love it or hate it” vibe with the reader. The simplicity of the format makes it easy to read through the story quickly, but it shifts back and forth from past to present which at times can be confusing. Ironically, the story’s main premise is character growth but I found it hard to connect with the characters on a deeper level (and there are many characters to keep track of!)

Enjoyment of this book is going to be entirely dependent on what each individual values in their reading. If you love a fast paced thriller with an interesting villain and an abundance of plot twists, this story is for you!

Thank you to Net Galley, Greater Path LLC and Kyle Rutkin for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book had me wanting to read it and so when I was granted an eARC I was thrilled. However, the book simply didn’t live up to expectations.

First, none of the characters are in any way memorable. The only things I really remember about them are their names - Cal, Carrie, Tuck, Kiana, Bella, Nicki Mo, Trevor, etc.. But who they are, what they stand for? Not much to tell you because they just weren’t memorable to me. We didn’t get a decent enough background for any character to make them pop.

Second, the POV just bounced around too much. Never knowing which point of view you’d get next or what they’d be talking about now didn’t set well with me. I like to have an idea of when point of view changes are coming and what’s going on. It made it a bit hard to keep track of.

Third, the format. I’m not a fan of books that mimic scripts. While this isn’t a script, it is written in a transcript format for a podcast. One chapter = one episode of the podcast. The problem was, the episodes weren’t planned out well. They all seemed to just go with the flow, whatever the characters wanted to discuss at the time. The action scenes were woefully lacking, almost as if they were an afterthought.

The book is OK and it’s a fairly quick read, but I can’t say I’d want to read it a second time. It has potential, but it needs some work to make it a better story.

I definitely enjoyed the Podcast/documentary setting and it was very fast paced. I read it in one sitting, and it had me intrigued from the beginning. There’s some moment I loved and moments I didn’t love.
There was just some things that were unrealistic and didn’t make sense. It fell flat for me, and I believe if the book was longer it would have helped a lot. Because I do love the idea of the influencer island and the thrill of the game. It’s fun, I had fun reading. Just some things lacked a lot and fell flat, I think it would have helped if the book was just longer, so it could have went into way more detail of characters and certain situations. It had me wanting more.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Greater Path LLC and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Unique, edge of the seat thriller. Vibrant imagery, cunning characters, a story you won't want to put down. Perfectly paced, a story that will stay with you well after you finish.

Influencer Island is a fast-paced, twisted thriller. Think a much darker The Hunger Games. The concept is fascinating - a competition for influencers on an island that millions send in submission videos for. They think it'll be luxe, VIP, rubbing elbows with other elite influencers and celebrities in paradise. What it actually is - battle royale of the influencers. A fight to the death while maintaining social media status. The story is told in podcast format in the aftermath of the island. The contest went offline, so one must listen to an unaired podcast to get answers. And who is the mysterious Wyatt who threw the competition? This was one dark, twisted read and I loved every second of it. Highly recommended!!

I have never listened to any podcasts so when I saw that this book was written in that style, I was not sure what to expect. And for me, it took a little bit of getting used to, since it seemed to jump from one comment to the next, not exactly in order. Once I got used to it, it was more interesting to me. As an older person who did not grow up with the internet, I basically could care less about the number of views and likes on any message I post, nor do I blindly follow the newest trend. However, I also understand that for several people today it is very important. So a story that starts out based on that fact is certainly unique in this day and age. Add in a rather strange mystery and it makes for a wild premise. I finished it, but don't know that I would ever read it again.

This was an interesting premise and format - and those two things saved a story that felt just a touch not-fleshed-out-enough. Overall I enjoyed it and will be interested in what this author does in the future.

A bunch of influencers get thrown together on an island thinking they're going to party down, but instead, they're forced to fight to the death. It's an intriguing enough premise that caught my attention. The book has a format resembling a podcast with interviews and snippets taken from the island event. I thought Kyle Rutkin executed its podcast structure quite well with moments that built to a shocking reveal. If it was a podcast, you'd be anticipating the next episode, which is how the chapters are arranged. It pulls you along nicely as you want to learn more about the mysterious Wyatt James, the mastermind behind the island contest. Also, I enjoyed the mysteries around our two leads: Carrie and Cal.

There's plenty of brutality on display once our story makes it to the island. But even before the island, there are moments that shock like hearing about Cal's dead father on display in an art exhibit that was pretty gruesome (and entirely unbelievable). Yes, you'll need to suspend your disbelief quite often. It's a fast, fun read but also a little disposable. I'm not sure how much it will resonate with me in a few months, but it's good in the moment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5. Fear Nerd says, "Check it out!"

Thanks to Net Galley for the advance copy!

I always enjoy a book that's written in a different kind of format. This story is told as a podcast transcript. It was a bit hard at times to get into the writing and to keep who was saying what straight but once you get into the flow of it it's relatively easy to follow. The plot is one that I've seen done before but still has enough of a spin on it that made me be interested in it. The story gets kind of lost towards the end with the two different plots between Cal and his father + Carrie and her brother and I didn't feel super invested in either, tbh. Overall I had fun reading this and I think people who like borderline campy stuff would have fun reading this, too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Greater Path LLC for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the podcast format and the idea of the Influencer competition. The concept is unique. This book is everything you want in a dark thriller.

I was really disappointed with this book. The first half started out so brilliantly. I loved the podcast format and the idea of the Influencer competition.
I could hear the voices of the different narrators perfectly and things were twisting into a great thriller/horror story.
Then, sadly, about the halfway mark- once they actually got to the island- things started to fall apart.
I understand with only a few surviving characters that there would be a lack of audio for the podcast format but with that lack you lose a lot of the tension and the atmosphere.
Hearing Carrie talk about her experience was fine but it would have been better for more build up to hear more influencers or to hear more about what was done to them.
It felt like many influencers were killed off quickly but we didn't care because we had no emotional connection with those characters- it was like those tributes in Hunger games whose names we never got.
In addition the reasonings behind the influencer island were quite anticlimactic. I wasn't as enthralled by the reveal of Tuck's connection as I was by Cal's father's. In fact both connections seemed spurious.

I think that what would have made this better would have been more interviews/ audio clips with other influencers. Maybe more information on the 'cult' conditioning. Even a small interview with those followers who went through rehab afterwards. Maybe a multi-media finish with visual interviews or newspaper clippings, Buzzfeed quizzes etc would have given more life.
Such a shame because it had such great promise at the outset but just failed to deliver.

This book wasn’t exactly what I had expected. Very predictable from the beginning, and nothing really left to shock or surprise the reader, but Rutkin still managed to come up with a somewhat unique plot that was at least entertaining to read.

Reminiscent of Hunger Games, this unconventional novel reads like a podcast or crime show interview. Following a cast of “influencers” on a remote island as they try to fight for their survival while maintaining their influencer status through social media. The main focus is on one character in particular named Carrie as she tries to learn more about the disappearance and death of her brother. The story gets a bit messy as she discovers new clues yet moves through each scene too quickly to allow the reader to feel any emotions towards the characters.

Quick and easy read. A bit dark for a summer read, but enjoyable nonetheless.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dark. Twisted. Wild. This book is everything you want in a dark thriller. Influencer Island is the Hunger Games of the elite. It’s a wild ride from start to finish.

I liked the concept and thought it was unique, but I think it needed fleshed out a bit more. The last half of the book felt rushed and I would’ve appreciated if the characters were more developed and if more time was spent delving into their time on the island and what went down. It all just happened too fast. But overall it was enjoyable and I think the format was also pretty unique, it’ll be great as an audiobook.