A unique and fun horror story filled with twists and turns! I loved this book and I loved the writing style. Would. highly recommend!

This was a faster paced read than I expected. I do think this would work best as an audiobook. Just because of the format being podcast/interview style.

While this was very psychological, for the characters, I had expected more graphic descriptions. But after finishing the book what we got made sense due to what the characters experience and what is unknown for them.

I did find majority of the characters unlikeable. But I do think its part of the point. They wanted fame no matter the consequences.

I thought I had figured out Tucks part in the story but I was wrong. So wrong that the twist surprised me.

This was the perfect length. It didn't drag at any point. We got enough information that we could figure out what the experience was like.

This was really fast-paced intense. But, I'm not sure it was for me.

The characters were not very developed and I find that I need a fair amount of character development in thrillers to enjoy them.

Also, I'm a little tired of the podcast style format.

This book was unique, interesting, and fun to read. While I enjoyed reading it for personal reading, I will not be adopting it for my classroom. Thank you to the publisher!

There's both too much and too little going on for me in this one. The overall story is a bloodthirsty influencer competition, seeing how far people would go for fame and followers, but within this there are three plots - a woman searching for her brother, a man searching for the truth about his father, and a mysterious cult marked with IXXI. There's also a romance subplot which I didn't invest in. It's a lot for 200 pages, and I felt it all fell a little thin.

I enjoyed the writing style - set up as a series of podcast style interviews. It's fast paced, and easy to read. It just lacks the punch I wanted in a mystery thriller.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of this was really interesting to me, but the execution fell a bit flat. I read it quickly, and was invested in finding out where it would go, but it was lacking a certain amount of polish. Or, maybe it was the format that didn't land with me -- it would be a really fascinating TV series, I think, but it felt like I was reading a script, not a book.

I am also way too out of the loop to have picked up on the fact that the characters are send-ups of existing influencers.

It's fluffy and short and full of action, and that might appeal to people, but I think it could've used some tighter editing.

I read up to 31% before deciding to DNF, so my review is only up to that point. The first few pages of the book drew me in, but I quickly lost interest over the format of the story. It read less like a thriller/horror novel, and more like a slow-paced podcast. I had high hopes for this one, considering the original concept, but it just ended up falling flat.

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was very excited for this book, especially how much of a hold influencers have on the world now. I was a little disappointed in the execution, but the idea was a brilliant concept. It gives me the vibes of The Menu, where they are all brought to an island, but then the challenged to try and come out on top was also thrown in there. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but it could have been organized better than it was!

I'm not too fond of the writing style. The amount of fonts used is a bit extrame and it felt more than a script than a book. It's different than other books, but it felt like the author just wanted to make this into a movie but didn't have the means to so they wrote this book.

⚒️Book Review🎬
Influencer Island
By: Kyle Rutkin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

📢Probably should throw out a trigger warning. Very graphic and dark!📢

Call me crazy but whatever, I LOVED this book. Some things just work for some people and I completely got into this one. I read it in like less than 8 hours because I was just intrigued!

If your a fan of the trash reality shows then this might be down your alley. Huge fan-no shame here! Basically it's a call to all IG influencers that want to be at the very top. How far would you go to have the most followers? Millions of users apply but only the most dedicated get chosen.

Wyatt James, infamous for his extremely morbid pieces of art, has created this survival reality show where fans and contestants soon realize is all about death. Contestants are dropping like flies but is this real or fantasy? This book reads like a podcast and is definitely recommended for more mature readers.

Creepy, sinister, shocking, intriguing...I loved it! I mean some of the scenes were absolutely horrible and gruesome but it's just a book right? 🤷‍♀️ I'd love to see this adapted into a movie!

Published July 30, 2022

Thank you @netgalley and @greaterpathllc @kmrutkin for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

DNF at 40%

Quite difficult to get through this podcast-like structure.As for me, the book would have been better if it was a conventional novel with narration and dialogues. Many characters, all similar to each other, make readers confused, and at one point I was completely lost. My interest was lost, too. The book is really short, but difficult to read, so unfortunately I did not finish this one. Maybe it would be better as an audiobook? I do not know, but it did not work for me.

An idea of Paradise Island fixed with Battle Royale / Squid Game etc. sounds appaling, but Influencer Island makes the impression of an unfinished, unpolished book. As if it lacked editorial touch.

Maybe someday I will take it into my hands and read it again.

It was such a great book. I loved it. It reminded me of the hunger games and I couldn't put it down. So addicting!

A fantastic book that gives a creepy yet brilliant insight into the lives of social media influencers and how far they are willing to go to elevate their social status

Free trip to paradise? Sign me up! The only catch is that instead of competing for likes and comments, these influencers will like totally be like literally competing for their lives.

Influencer Island is a fun and quick read. Just go with the flow and enjoy the drama. This isn't about in-depth character development. These people are archetypes and could be replaced by millions of others in their same niche. Everyone is desperate for fame and some will literally kill for it.

I think this will land for people who watched/ed reality TV and follow-up influencer culture.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review.

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.

I'm not sure if this book is my cup of tea. I had really high hopes for this book because of the premise. But I thought it was really slow moving and I couldn't connect to any of the characters.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy. Really liked the concept of Influencer Island, and thought the format (as a podcast) was well executed (could've easily been very gimmicky). However, perhaps due to the limitations of the format, there was little in terms of character building and plot development. What should've been the highlight of the book, the challenges the contestants were forced to do on the island, ended up passing like a blur, limiting your ability to connect with the characters or the story. This was an okay story, but could've been much better. 3 out of 5 for me.

This was a great concept and has a lot of promise, but I felt like it needed to be longer to truly put across the story it was trying to tell.

Loved this book. It had so many twists and turns and it really drew me in to the climax. I also really enjoyed the character development throughout the book. I will be recommending this to all my family and friends.

Thanks NetGalley!
I downloaded it for the title and it is exactly what you would expect!
It is easy to get through and a fine read. Great for your reading challenges. I can recommend to the right audience.