REVIEW

You Will Never Be Me

by Jesse Q. Sutanto

I Recommend!

5 Stars

GoodReads

At a Glance

Published08/20/2024

GenreMystery & Thriller

FormatAudiobook

NarrationEunice Wong and Risa Mei

GoodReads3.62

My Score5

Spice LevelNone

Book Summary

Influencer Meredith Lee didn’t teach Aspen Palmer how to blossom on social media just to be ditched as soon as Aspen became big. So can anyone really blame Mer for doing a little stalking? Nothing serious, more like Stalking Lite.

Then Mer gets lucky; she finds one of Aspen’s kids’ iPads and swipes it. Now she has access to the family calendar and Aspen’s social media accounts. Would anyone else be able to resist tweaking things a little here and there, showing up in Aspen’s place for meetings with potential sponsors? Mer’s only taking back what she deserves—what should have been hers.

Meanwhile, Aspen doesn’t understand why her perfectly filtered life is falling apart. Sponsors are dropping her, fellow influencers are ghosting her, and even her own husband seems to find her repulsive. If she doesn’t find out who’s behind everything, she might just lose it all. But what everyone seems to forget is that Aspen didn’t become one of TikTok’s biggest momfluencers by being naive.

When Meredith suddenly goes missing, Aspen’s world is upended, and mysterious threats begin to arrive—but she won’t let anything get in the way of her perfect life again.

[summary provided by GoodReads]

My Review

4.5 stars

This was my first time reading anything by this author, and wow, I was completely blown away by how invested I became in these two main characters and their chaotic lives as social media influencers. I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved the dual narration. Each narrator captured the personalities of Meredith and Aspen so perfectly that it made the story feel even more immersive. There’s some language throughout, but no spice, which I appreciated.

This was such a smart, well-written story that dives deep into the world of influencer culture. The author does an incredible job peeling back the glossy filter of social media to reveal the darker, more competitive side of chasing fame and validation online. There are so many layers and messages woven into this story about authenticity, envy, and the pressures of living your life publicly. I think this would make a fantastic low-stress thriller pick for a book club because it sparks so many great discussion points.

I absolutely loved the pettiness and cattiness between these two women. Their rivalry and constant one-upping each other made this such an addictive read. These characters are far from likable, yet I couldn’t look away. The snark, the manipulation, the desperate need for followers—it was deliciously entertaining. I tore through this book in just two days because I had to know how it would all play out.

That said, I do think it’s a little light on the mystery and thriller elements. I was hoping for a few more dark or shocking moments between these two frenemies. It’s definitely more character-driven than plot-driven, but the drama was so juicy that I didn’t even mind. The story still kept me guessing, and the ending completely caught me off guard—in the best way.

Overall, this was such a fun, bingeable read that perfectly captures the toxic world of social media and the obsession with image. I’m already excited to pick up more books by this author. Highly recommend, especially the audiobook version. If you enjoy stories about toxic female friendships, influencer culture, and messy characters behaving badly, this one should definitely be on your list.

**This book is part of a thriller real-time reaction episode, which you can listen to here.