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Thanks to the Internet—and to social media—nothing is private anymore. Our lives are no longer just our own. They’re shared with our friends…and their friends…and anyone in the world who cares to take a look. And in Kathleen Barber’s eerie thriller Follow Me, one woman’s online following could prove dangerous.
The story explores the dark side of Internet stardom for bubbly social media influencer Audrey Miller. When she lands her dream job with the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Audrey is thrilled to share her new life with her massive Instagram following. If nothing else, it keeps her from feeling lonely in a city where she knows just two people. But little does Audrey know that her move has brought her closer to a man who’s been obsessively following her for years—and now that she’s in town, he’s determined to take their relationship offline.
Audrey soon begins to realize that something is a little off. Maybe it’s her creepy upstairs neighbor…or that guy who keeps popping up at the museum…or her coworker who gets a little handsy. But she often has that eerie feeling that she’s being watched. And as those feelings go from eerie to troubling to downright terrifying, you might find yourself double-checking the locks on your door, rethinking your social media accounts, and picking up some of those handy little stickers to cover the webcam on your computer.
Meanwhile, the author will keep you guessing with her suspenseful story. Audrey’s magnetic personality and good looks attract an endless number of admirers—some more persistent than others—and though you may have a pretty good idea of which one is the most dangerous, the story is filled with enough troubling incidents to make you question your conclusions. You’ll never know which characters to trust or even which ones to like. After all, even the main character is self-centered and generally fake. She doesn’t really care about anything but her own appearances, her own goals, and her own feelings. She strings people along and keeps them around as long as they’re useful. Admittedly, that makes everything feel a little shallow—and her personality might keep you from truly connecting to the character—but that won’t take away from the creepiness of the story.
Follow Me is unexpected and challenging—and, most of all, it’s completely chilling. Not only will the story surprise you, but it’s sure to make you think twice about how you present yourself to your “followers” online.
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