Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Never meet your heroes…”

This book was so much fun! I had a blast joining Harper on her quest for fame, but is it really everything she’d hoped for? Sometimes YA fiction is just what I need in between my other reads (mostly thrillers, ha) and this book was filled with excitement, so much drama and even some unexpected twists and turns I certainly wasn’t ready for. And now I have a brand new author on my radar! I’m so happy to be sharing my review of Island of Influencers!

About the book

Harper wants to be an influencer. Badly. She’ll do anything to be like her famous cousin, Belle.

When Belle is the latest ‘victim’ in a string of influencer kidnappings, and is put on an island for a new reality show, Harper wants in too.

It’s her chance to join the greatest talents and finally make a name for herself.

But with demeaning tasks and the constant pressure of a live audience judging their every move, it’s not long before cracks begin to appear in the influencers’ shiny veneers . . .

The beginning

Harper really, really wants to be a content creator. She longs to be just like her successful cousin Belle, who has just reached the 1 million subscriber milestone that Harper would sell a limb for. She is desperate for the fame and is ready to do just about anything to get it. These characters, even though I wasn’t particularly fond of either of them at first, really came to life in those first few chapters. Their personalities shone through and the setting felt so easy to visualise in my mind. These days, fame on Tubeify isn’t all it seems. Influencers are going missing, their channels showing a strange countdown timer and a creepy masked figure. It seemed something dark was going on. When Belle also disappears, Harper and her production manager – who Harper has named Asswipe for reasons that will become very clear when you read – are quick to realise what’s wrong and get the police involved. The book was very fast paced so far and I’d say on the younger side of YA, but I can definitely see the appeal for the kids of today (it makes me feel so old saying that, haha!)

“I know the only person who might be able to help crack this case is someone who can navigate the online world like a pro; someone who lives and breathes the lawlessness of social media; someone who can think outside the constraints of reality; someone like me.”

I was drawn in by the whole mystery of so many disappearances, and Harper really takes it in her stride to learn the truth. Along with her online friend Cady, Harper digs deeper into Belle’s digital life, stumbling across an online hub called Island of Influencers. Every little thing Harper discovers felt so satisfying and so crucial to the task she’s given herself. I found the book to be quite an addictive read pretty quickly, the pacing fast but consistently exciting. Harper makes intriguing connections and I loved how one clue leads to the next so smoothly and effortlessly, the progress they were making felt really good. However, they soon realise all isn’t what it seems… The Island of Influencers was a real place. The kidnappings were a hoax. There’s a new reality/game show in town. And they want Harper to be a part of it. Was it all far-fetched? Yes. Was it unrealistic? Yes. But that’s the beauty of fiction and Monique nails it for her YA audience. There was something so charming about it with so much to discover, and I was excited to learn more about the island!

The middle

As the influencers were given more information about what would happen on the island, it gave me big I’m A Celeb vibes. They’d be heading to a desert island where they’d have to fend for themselves and take part in challenges. The biggest brands and companies would be involved, so they’d also have to work to secure deals. The better the deals, the more comfortable their time on the island would be. The winner of the show would nab themselves a multi-million-pound sponsorship deal with iGENect, a brand new platform to rival Tubeify. It was a brilliant concept and I was so excited to see how the author would make this work. So far, most of the influencers we met seemed insufferable and annoying, but I hoped we’d see a different side of them as the challenges commenced. Or maybe that’s how rich people with millions of subscribers are in real life 🥴 The author’s background as a script writer and PA for YouTubers has really helped bring this story to life in the best way. The detail is incredible and it always felt so fun to read.

“My dad says in his line of work, they form this kind of brotherhood and no matter how scary a situation gets, no one ever gets left behind. I always wondered what it would be like to have friendships worth risking my life for.”

The book perfectly portrays the darker side of being a popular creator, of ‘influencer culture’, of fame and fortune. The work these people put into their communities, the pressure of becoming the best of the best. It feels so toxic in a way but also so very real. But the seriousness is also balanced with such a fun edge in the form of a tamer version of The Hunger Games. These influencers really would do anything to win! The more Harper learns about the creators she’s looked up to for years, the more she isn’t sure she wants in. But as her own followers grow into the tens of thousands, is her dream of being big finally coming true? And would she survive the gruelling, creepy, even cruel tasks that were about to come her way? Some of these tasks were wild! I couldn’t tear my eyes away! I loved the author’s creativity with these challenges and I really loved how Harper protects Belle and helps her, even though Belle doesn’t always appreciate it. Despite her fame, she definitely isn’t cut out for island life. Harper is a real sweetheart underneath it all and such a kick ass MC! More characters like Harper in YA books, please!

The end

Harper soon has to decide on being true to herself and doing what is right, or the fame and fortune she’s always dreamed of. It was so brilliantly explored and I loved how so many characters show their true colours. She puts her trust in the wrong people in order to help her find her creator niche, but as a result, she ends up turning away from those who matter, betraying trust. It’s a big learning curve for her. The competition gets more cruel in a bid to eliminate more people from the island. Reading the awful comments from viewers, the bullying that was happening in the arena was enough to make my stomach turn. If that didn’t put Harper off wanting all the fame, then I wasn’t sure what would. My favourite character throughout all this was Cady. She’s the friend everyone needs in their corner! There were also so many little twists and turns that I didn’t expect at all, but each one felt so interesting and brought so much variety to the story.

“Nothing can take away who you are, Harper Taylor… nothing and nobody can ever be you.”

Experimenting with artificial intelligence was a brilliant direction for this book and it worked so well. I didn’t see it coming! AI really does scare me. The story gets darker but I loved it, their time on the island turning nightmarish. Who could be trusted?! What started out as a bunch of ‘fun’ challenge to get the fans involved turns into something much, much different. However, the ending felt very off and pretty abrupt which left me with more questions than I had answers. I’m not sure it felt satisfying enough for me, but it felt dark and I loved that this side of an influencer’s life is explored so thoroughly. I do kind of want a sequel just to have my questions answered, but I do appreciate how we have to think about the possibilities for these creators after their island experience. How would life change for them now? Would they rethink their careers or do anything different with the knowledge they’d gained? I’d absolutely recommend this for readers of YA and for those interested in how AI could change our futures, and not necessarily for good… if you read it, let me know what you think!

Overall thoughts

Island of Influencers is such a fun, thought-provoking read with surprisingly dark twists and turns. It explores the real side of fame, of the mental struggles being a wealthy influencer can impose upon someone, especially teens and young adults. It felt completely immersive and it was so exciting joining Harper as she lives out her dream, but being a famous creator isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I found the book to be not only a fast-paced adventure of survival and competition, but also a reality check, looking at the real horrors of social media at its worst. It has brilliant British humour and some well-developed characters, even though they weren’t all likeable! Such an adventurous, imaginative and addictive read!

Huge thanks to the author, Monique Turner, and Ruth at Chicken House Books for my beautiful copy and goodies! You can grab your own copy of Island of Influencers right now on Amazon or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following the author on Instagram and X/Twitter for more updates!

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