Instagram-famous triplets Cecily, Amber, and Rudy—the children of home renovation superstars—are ready for a perfect summer. They’ve just moved into the site of their parents’ latest renovation project when they begin to receive chilling messages from someone called The Follower. It soon becomes clear that this anonymous threat is more than a simple Internet troll, and he can’t wait to shatter the Cole family’s perfect veneer and take back what’s his. The Follower examines the implications of what it is to be watched in the era of social media fame—as well as the lies we tell and the lengths we’ll go to uphold a perfect image, when our lives depend on it.
Cecily, Amber and Rudy are the triplet children of mildly famous house flippers. They run an Instagram that was taking in mild amounts of money; when the house flipping business got into trouble, their mother seized on the Instagram, and now it's the major source of income for the family, with everything held to a rigid schedule. The triplets aren't really enjoying it as much any more; Rudy is tired of having to always be 'on' for the viewers, though he loves interacting in the comments; Cecily can't talk about the things she's really passionate about, because it's not 'worthy'; Amber is barely on screen any more, because she's a size eighteen and her mother thinks the viewers won't be interested.
Their newest house is already a difficult flip, very badly run down and with a short timetable. When unexplained things start happening, the triplets and their parents brush it aside. Accidents keep happening, though, and the triplets know they have to solve the mystery before the Follower reaches their end game.
There's a lot going on in this story. Social Media bullying, body shame and positivity, a lesbian relationship, horror, long term illness and recovery - which, when you list it all out, makes it sound like a very heavy, packed novel! Kate has a light touch, though, and everything moves along quickly. Parts of it are genuinely creepy.
BE AWARE that there is a section with some medical grade grossness - I'm desperately trying not to spoil anything, but if you have difficulty with non fatal gore, be very careful. There is also some animal violence.
Kate managed to keep me guessing; the villain is someone I suspected at one point, but since I suspected almost everyone that's not saying much! It did all make sense when it came together, except for the sequel hook, which I can't reconcile with anything else we learned during the novel. I hope there's a sequel to explain it!
This is a great, fast paced novel that will really creep you out.
The Follower publishes on the 29th of April, 2021. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
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