FOLLOW ME BACK
Follow Me Back, Book 1
by A.V. Geiger
Sourcebooks Fire
YA Suspense/Thriller
368 pages
COMING
JUNE 6th, 2017!!!
Tessa Hart’s world feels very small. Confined to her bedroom with agoraphobia, her one escape is the online fandom for pop sensation Eric Thorn. When he tweets to his fans, it’s like his speaking directly to her…
Eric Thorn is frightened by his obsessive fans. They take their devotion way too far. It doesn’t help that his PR team keeps posting to encourage their fantasies.
When a fellow pop star is murdered at the hands of a fan, Eric knows he has to do something to shatter his online image fast—like take down one of his top Twitter followers. But Eric’s plan to troll @TessaHeartsEric unexpectedly evolves into an online relationship deeper than either could have imagined. And when the two arrange to meet IRL, what should have made for the world’s best episode of Catfish takes a deadly turn…
Told through tweets, direct messages, and police transcripts.
Eric Thorn is frightened by his obsessive fans. They take their devotion way too far. It doesn’t help that his PR team keeps posting to encourage their fantasies.
When a fellow pop star is murdered at the hands of a fan, Eric knows he has to do something to shatter his online image fast—like take down one of his top Twitter followers. But Eric’s plan to troll @TessaHeartsEric unexpectedly evolves into an online relationship deeper than either could have imagined. And when the two arrange to meet IRL, what should have made for the world’s best episode of Catfish takes a deadly turn…
Told through tweets, direct messages, and police transcripts.
MY TIDBITS
This is one of those reads, which shoots off like a roller coaster ride and just when it seems to reach the last hill, places an explosion at the end.
After a horrid experience, Tessa is stuck in her room thanks to a severe case of agoraphobia. Her only escape is the world of social media where she fangirls the pop singer, Eric Thorn. With encouragement from her therapist, Tessa engages with other fans and winds up in contact with Taylor, a person who claims to despise the pop star. As time goes on, the two find their differences are actually similarities and grow closer to each other. But neither knows that the fears they have in common are about to be their demise.
Mix social media with fandom and marketing, and out comes a dangerous mix. At least, that's the path this tale twists around.
Both of the main characters are sympathetic and easy to get lost in. Despite her issues, Tessa has a pretty level head and a warm heart, making her a person to cheer for. Her agoraphobia does hit the extreme, and knowing a person or two with similar issues, I found her situation and how it was handled by the therapist a little off. Eric Thorn also comes across fairly level-headed, although he's presented as a pop-star who is stuck in a world he doesn't really want to be in. He fits the image of a 'please love me because I'm misunderstood' star and offers all which is needed for the perfect teen heartthrob. The normal teen drama of 'girl meets famous guy' is the stage, and it holds everything this type of story should, especially for the lower end of the YA group. But this isn't a sweet romance. It's dark. And tense. And it's exactly these unexpected chills and twists which bring this story to life.
Through the use of twitter DMs, the situation hits home and allows a shadow of uncertainty to hang like a ominous fog until the danger begins to emerge. The author does a good job of layering the secrets in the background, until they muddle enough to make it unclear where the danger is really coming from. Even at the end, when it is clear that things aren't right, every revelation comes with an unexpected twist.
And the end. . .well, that hits like a nuclear slam leaving tons of theories and possibilities of what happened or will happen next.
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