Wow! What a timely, provocative and downright creepylicious story! Don't misunderstand: Generally speaking, I'm all in when it comes to new technology, even though I realize that just about any advancement comes with the potential for misuse. Knowing that, I'm active on social media, but I don't post anything I'd be upset about if my grandmother saw it; still, I recognize that who gets what I post - and what they do with it - isn't always under my control.Case in point: As I was in the middle of this book, my husband and I were recovering from nasty colds. One morning, I mentioned that tidbit on my Facebook page (garnering expected sympathy, of course, from family and friends). What I didn't expect was this: the very next day, an email arrived from our drugstore of choice expressing the hope that we were feeling better and offering a discount on cold-related items. Immediately, the theme from Twlight Zone passed through my brain; to this day, I'm not clear on how that happened, but I'm totally sure it was no coincidence.
The story here follows the experiences of Audrey Miller, who has an enviable following on her blog and Instagram posts. She's just moved from her beloved New York City to Washington, D.C., to take a job managing social media for a major museum. She's also moved close to her ex-boyfriend, who's an on-again, off-again friend with benefits, and to her long-time friend Cat, an on-the-climb attorney at a high-powered D.C. firm.
Audrey lucks into a basement apartment not far from her friends, but it comes with her landlady's whacked-out grandson who loves get into her apartment whenever he feels like staring at her up close and personal. Chapters shift between perspectives of Audrey and Cat and "Him" - an anonymous male who's been in lust with Audrey ever since she began posting all her comings, goings, likes and dislikes online. In fact, her life is like a day-to-day autobiography, open to anyone who cares; clearly, "Him" cares beyond the point of obsession.
Her stalker isn't identified, but readers learn he's managed to install secret software on Audrey's laptop that allows him to track her every moment - even when she's asleep. All she knows is that strange things are happening - like the feeling that she's being watched and that someone besides that grandson has been in her apartment - but there's no way she can prove anything. Meantime, there's growing tension between Audrey and Cat that only grows stronger when Audrey meets Max, who knows one of Cat's darkest secrets - one she's determined to keep that way.
As the relationship between Audrey and Max heats up, the unknown "Him" gets bolder in his pursuit of her affections and the action ratchets up to a can't-put-it-down frenzy that doesn't stop till the bang-up ending. Super good - as well as a scary reminder that somebody's out there watching us all. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-publication copy for review.
Follow Me by Kathleen Barber (Gallery Books, February 2020); 349 pp.
No comments:
Post a Comment