What do we get when we mix Fyre Festival with the Hunger Games? One captivating story!

Wyatt James is an incredibly popular, mysterious, and down-right influential artist. We don't know this artist's true identity, but they have taken the country by storm and attracted the attention of many of the Hollywood elite.

Cal Everett is a young man who has spent his life trying to piece together his identity and his true calling, despite the fact that he grew up without his father. His father, a famous artist suffering from the ups and downs of mental illness, has always been a mystery to him. And despite the fact that he has true artistic talents, he decides to become a reporter instead.

Carrie Andrews is a young woman who is trying to find her way after her best friend/brother, Tuck, went missing a year ago. Carrie was going to be the next big thing in the surfing world, the girl to beat. But between losing her brother to addiction and a big injury herself, she never really got back on her surf board. She is desperate to find out what happened to her brother once and for all.

What brings all three of these people together? Influencer Island: a competition for ten people to travel to a tropical island to party and compete for social media fame and followers.

But when the competition is over and many people are missing or dead, there are a lot of questions. Cal decides to use his journalism skills to investigate what happened and tell the public through a podcast. We soon find out that there is much more than Influencer Island linking Cal and Wyatt together. And Carrie might actually be able to find out what happened to her brother.

This story was WILD! I LOVED that it reads like a podcast transcript. I think that was a really perfect way to tell a story like this. I also loved its take on social media culture and the impact it can have on a person and society (good and bad...but mostly bad, haha). Overall, this was a really fun read and I would definitely recommend it!

Thanks Kyle Rutkin and Netgalley for the galley!

#influencerisland #kylerutkin #netgalley #bookstagram #socialmedia #thriller

Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. I read about three quarters of it and just couldn't make myself finish it.. the characters were boring in my opinion and the story itself kind of dragged on, I have read more than a few books with similar themes and stories, but this one just wasn't it for me. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for honest review.

Thank you to Greater Path LLC and Netgalley for providing a free E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

With an unusual formatting - the title is written in the form of a true crime podcast, incorporating flashbacks, media clips and recordings from the event - Influencer Island is one of the most intriguing psychological thrillers of 2022. While none of the characters are particularly likeable, the social commentary on art and social media provides enough plot that the book is an exciting and fast paced read.

The horror and psychological thriller is introduced well and the character of Wyatt James is built as a cult-like figure who is believable in his plot.

The one let down is the reveal of Wyatt's true identity which feels almost dismissive in the grand scale of things.

A dark psychological thriller about a social media competition that turns deadly.
Very well-drawn characters. Their emotions, their restlessness was all playing in front of me. Everything was flawless about the book, Including the storytelling.

I absolutely loved this one. I love books that deal with reality tv/influencers and this one had both. The premise of the book as a podcast kept me on the edge of my seat.

I absolutely loved the format and the storyline kept me intrigued from the first page to the last! I will definitely read more of Kyle's work in the future. I am so glad that I saw this one on NetGalley and read it!

So, I’m going to start with the concept… I loved the idea behind this book.
Psychological thriller - it’s marketed at Fyre Festival meets Hunger Games and I get it.
I’m happy to announce that I completed this book in a few hours, barely putting it down.

This story follows Cal a young reporter, Wyatt James an elusive artist and Carrie an influencer with an agenda.
This is the first thriller I’ve read in a long time, and the flow was interesting, fast paced and gripping.

The unconventional format of the book is in a podcast setting, personally this isn’t something I enjoy - however I honestly could not imagine this being told in any other way. It appeared to suit the bones of the story and worked perfectly.

The author has managed to keep the characters engaging and interesting.
However, for me - I was not a fan of Cal. I found him boring and pointless 😅 the relationship between him and Cassie I just didn’t understand and it didn’t feel suited to the story.

This is my first book by this author, and I’m glad this is where I started - I’d happily read other works by them. This book is part of a series, but works well as a stand alone.

I did really enjoy this, the whole concept felt fresh, dark and very black mirror - with a dash of mean girls.
However the execution of it confused me, it felt very juttery and at times the flow felt off. The concept is great, but something is missing.
Some parts felt forced, too information heavy - and trying to be something it’s not.

Overall, I would recommend this book - it’s interesting, thought provoking and at times a bit scary in the ways that social media can have this much control over us.

This book was intense and insane and I oddly loved it! The writing was good, it gripped me all the way into the end. The format didn't feel great reading from a kindle, but I think it might be different in a finished copy.
This book was surreal, but it worked.,

(3.5/5) A solid thriller, really loved the style as it's like a modern spin on an oral history book. At times the scene cuts did not seem realistic for a podcast though it was still easy to follow. I'm also not big on the trope of a big villain monologue. Regardless I enjoyed myself.

This book read like a movie, and despite it being the kind of trashy movie I tend to avoid (or laugh at whilst my wife watches!) I really enjoyed this book. Because I thought of it like a trashy, teenagers/20 somethings getting killed off one by one movie, I was consistently surprised by some well constructed sections of characters experiencing similar situations, or backstories. The ARC I received from Netgalley (Thank you!) did contain quite a few typos, but that didn't dampen my enjoyment.
All in all, it's not a prizewinner, but the author certainly understands the current social media frenzy, seems to enjoy the satirical side of these things, and writes with a very filmic quality. This was a book, that like the films I mentioned could have been utterly destroyed by it's ending, had a conclusion that was totally in keeping with the style and was "out the box" enough for my tastes, I'll definitely be checking out the author's other books

This was interesting. I loved the idea of the book and it gave me ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Fyre Festival’ vibes. The book is about a group of select proem who go to an island with famous models and influencers and have to fight to survive and all the people chosen have links to this one specific person in the book. The book is a quick read as it isn’t many pages which was nice and it was in a interview style format.
I would recommend this!

(my review from instagram)

Soooo this book was a bit of a mind f*ck. Tbh the first few chapters I was ready to dnf cause it just felt like it was trying too hard to be something it was not??

BUT I stuck with it and then certain parts of the plot continued to grab my attention. Although I didn’t love the interview style, it did keep me more captivated because we shifted perspectives and there were flashbacks and flash-forwards that kept me pulled in. I think the commentary on influencers and how far people will go for fame/money was compelling. The question of what people will accept as “art” was also incredibly interesting to me and I enjoyed the exploration of those themes.

Basically, this book had so so much potential and I stuck around because I loved the concept. However, I truly felt like this book was trying so hard to convince me it was a good book…If that makes sense?? I think the writing and plot improved a lot by the end, so I will give it 3⭐️ but I was hoping for more.

I loved the concept - the execution, not so much.

I usually love unconventional formats, but this one just made me confused and it took me a long time to understand who was who. The book also had many mistakes and incidents where characters names had been changed

This one had so much potential. I loved the idea behind it. A bunch of influencers are invited to an island to see - what will each of them do to become THE most famous influencer of them all.

I didn't even mind the unconventional story style - it's written in Podcase or interview format where POV are interjected in to scenes with a name and then : and what they said (think Daisy Jones and Opan & Nev). It's an interesting way to tell the story and, honestly, I think it added to the suspense and dread.

But the build up was huge. The twist at almost the end just didn't quite live up to the hype the story had given me. It was almost there but just not quite and I ended up being disappointed. I did like a few of the really gruesome scenes like the sharks and the hunting showdown. They were great pulse-pounding, fast scenes that really drew me in. I just wish I'd loved the ending more.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Wow! Loved it! Influencer Island, by Kyle Ruskin, is a quick read; it will grab ahold of you and hold on until the last page. Dark, atmospheric and quite disturbing; this is perfect for fans of Fantasticland, by Mike Bockoven. I’d love to hear the audio version and see it made into a Netflix or HBO Max limited series.

I think that the concept was very original and interesting, but the format was daunting. Having read another book or two set in the back and forth interview format I thought I was prepared and able to tackle this book with a similar format... I was not. The back and forth from different media interviews and whatever else was documented to tell the story. I also felt like it was too obvious to me who some of these influencers were based off of and it made it hard to get invested. I think a little more work on some of the characters as well as more focus on the action and this would of been a much better read for me. In the end I still think it is an interesting concept, but that maybe it would work better as a series/film than a book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and really quick read- I didn’t realize it was part of a series but it works as a standalone. The story centers on an eccentric artist who invites top influencers and wannabes to a secluded island where they must participate in Hunger Games type challenges to increase their followings. The author kills off lots of people, which is fun because you have no real expectations of who will make it to the end.

The main characters are a contestant named Carrie and a journalist named Cal. Carrie has been reeling since the disappearance of her beloved brother a year ago, and Cal is having trouble accepting the death of his father. It’s a short book that didn’t go too deeply into the dynamics of their relationship, but I thought it worked.

The action throughout was fun but I admit that when all is unveiled, it felt a little contrived to me and the villain’s motive felt like a stretch. That being said, the author did a good job of tying up the loose ends.

Overall, this is a fun little horror book and I found it engaging and relevant for the times. I’ll likely pick up another book by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a.copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

WHAT A STORY!!

Have you every thought to yourself - man I wish there was a book that combined Fyre Fest with the Hunger Games - but actually could it be told to me in the style of a documentary podcast... well you are in luck!

This book features a more untraditional format and is stylized as a podcast. I LOVE unique formats and with the multiple storylines it was awesome to go back and forth so quickly betwen POVs and not have to wait a traditional chapter to know what was going on with other characters. However - I do know that not everyone loves this so BE WARNED this is not like a normal book (it's like a cool book).

I loved how this had multiple loose threads that slowly turned into one big overarching story. There were times were I was like how is this all going to connect - but it all did. I enjoy when I'm not able to figure every "twist" out and while I did figure out 1 of them - I loved being like "WHAT" to things towards the end.

Definetly going to be looking into the audio book format of this book because it truly read as a podcast - so would love to listen to it now. (and I don't every listen to audio books - so that should tell you how I felt about this book).

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this one. Can't wait to check out Kyle's other books!

Did not finish, unfortunately.

I've read several reviews complaining about the book's format. But since I've never tried this type of narration before, I said, well, go for it. Unfortunately, I didn't resonate with it, it was very difficult to keep up with all the characters. It's quite a shame because I loved the premise of it, but from one chapter to the other, I already forgot who all the influencers were and who was talking.

Thank you Net Galley for providing a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a little out of my normal comfort zone, but I actually wound up really enjoying it! I was in desperate need of a break after reading a bajillion romance novels. Don't get me wrong, a good cheesy romance is up there on my list of favorites, but I was definitely ready for a palette cleanser & Influencer Island was a great choice.

I actually saw an ad for this book on Facebook and decided to see if there was an ARC available! I am so grateful to the publisher and author that I was chosen to read and review it ahead of publishing.

As I mentioned, this book was out of my comfort zone as it is a thriller. I've read one or two books in the genre, but it's not something I usually gravitate toward. However, Influencer Island caught my attention.

To give you a basic summary, a renowned and controversial artist creates a reality show involving beloved influencers and people who want to be believed influencers. However, things quickly turn dark as contestants are eliminated -- not just from the competition, but from existence.

There is a lot more to the plot than just the competition, as we switch perspectives from our podcast narrator to some of the contestants and even an agent involved in the later investigation.

I don't want to get into the story too much because I don't want to spoil anything, but overall I really enjoyed this book. It was a unique way of telling a story and had a lot of interesting twists and turns. I did get a little confused sometimes between the switching of characters. I also felt like I was looking for more in terms of character development and more description of the initial part of the competition. I found it a little difficult to visualize.

All that being said, Influencer Island gave me a much-needed thrill and mystery and was overall very creative. I gave it 4 stars, docking that one star for having a lot of great ideas that I didn't think were fully realized.

Influencer Island is available now for Kindle (included in Unlimited) and paperback.

This book far surpassed any expectations I had before reading it.
I love a good, dark, horror book but I’m finding them harder to find.
This one is really well written, the author has created an eerie atmosphere that draws you in immediately. It’s fast paced with characters that jump off of the page, a truly awesome read.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.