Thank you, @netgalley for this ARC! Very rarely does a book keep my attention enough to be read in the duration of one sitting, but THIS one did. I knew within pages of Kyle Rutkin's newest work of art, "Influencer Island," that I was in for a wild ride! The description of this title holds up to the hype, as it truly is a Hunger Games-ish setting with a social media twist. I would also compare this title to Gretchen McNeil's "#MurderTrending."
"Influencer Island" is a brilliant idea, and shows just how far young adults will go in order to be famous online. This was terrifying in the BEST way.

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!

I thought the concept of this book was very compelling and really drew me to read it ASAP. I think this book markets itself well as tapping into the dystopian themes that so many readers (myself, included) are always looking to read, I love atypical narrative styles, so I thought the podcast transcript format was super unique. I really liked the character Carrie. And I found this to be a very quick read. However, I felt the plot was a bit muddled. I almost wish the book was longer and took more time introducing different plot points rather than jumbling them together. I also noticed several typos/ missing words. Overall, I appreciated the opportunity to read this book, and I would read more from this author.

“May fame and followers be upon you”

I literally read this book in less then 24 hours. Let’s just say as a social media influencer if anyone sends me a invite to a island competition, I’ll be denying it.
This book is written like a podcast script so it’s not like a traditional book. I was a bit confused in the beginning of the book since I’ve never read a book like this.
But I can say once I got the hang of the writing style I was hooked! I was drawn into the hunger game like plot. Only one influencer was leaving that island.
I do wish there was more competitions in it but overall I liked the book and might purchase a physical copy to actually read again.
I’ll always be reading his over works.

“We’re going to hunt each other for sport. Shoot and skin each other like animals. Maybe look pretty while we do it.”

“A wave doesn’t care about your intentions. It won’t give you a break or play games with you. So, if you hesitate even in the slightest, you’ve already lost.”

I enjoyed this book, the format fitted well with the storyline I felt, modern and relevant, I just wish I could say that the story line was beyond belief but with today’s influencer culture I’m not sure it is