Unfollow Me: A Novel

by Charlotte Duckworth

Overview

This domestic thriller is a “timely, page-turner of a novel” that examines the terrifying depths of our social media obsessions (Araminta Hall, author of Our Kind of Cruelty)

You can't stop watching her.

Violet Young is a hugely popular journalist-turned-mummy-influencer, with three children, a successful husband and a million subscribers on YouTube who tune in daily to watch her everyday life unfold.

Until the day she's no longer there.

But one day she disappears from the online world—her entire social media presence deleted overnight, with no explanation. Has she simply decided that baring her life to all online is no longer a good idea, or has something more sinister happened to Violet?

But do you really know who Violet is?

Her fans are obsessed with finding out the truth, but their search quickly reveals a web of lies, betrayal, and shocking consequences . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643853925
Publisher:	CROOKED LANE BOOKS
Publication date:	03/10/2020
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Charlotte Duckworth has spent the past fifteen years working as an interiors and lifestyle journalist, writing for a wide range of consumer magazines and websites. She lives in Surrey with her partner and their young daughter.

Editorial Reviews

01/20/2020

British author Duckworth (The Rival) makes her U.S. debut with a perceptive domestic thriller. To more than a million subscribers on YouTube, Violet Young has the perfect life—a devoted husband, three young children, a beautiful London home, and a thriving career as a “mummy-vlogger.” Yet Violet’s relatability comes from her admitting “struggling with parenthood, making the wrong decisions.” Many women—and a few men—start their day watching Violet’s latest post. Fans go into a tailspin when Violet abruptly deletes all her social media. Avid fans obsess over trying to find out what happened to Violet, especially photographer Yvonne Hawley and single mom Lily Peters. While Yvonne and Lily each make it their mission to investigate every aspect of Violet’s life, including stalking her family, they also deal with their own personal issues. The solid plot unfolds through the perspectives of Lily, Yvonne, and Violet’s husband—each of whom has damaging secrets they want to hide even while putting their lives in the public via social media. Readers will look forward to Duckworth’s next. Agent: Caroline Hardman, Hardman & Swainson Literary (U.K.). (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Unfollow Me:
"A perceptive domestic thriller...Readers will look forward to Duckworth's next."
—Publishers Weekly

“Highly recommended.”
—Library Journal, starred review

“Unfollow Me is the first novel I’ve read by Ms. Duckworth, but it definitely won’t be the last. Anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers should definitely give this book a try.”
—All About Romance

“A crazily relatable and modern story...I would liken this book to thrillers such as The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl.”
—Manhattan Book Review

“A timely, page-turner of a novel, that asks the reader to think about all the ways we judge women, both personally and professionally.” 
—Araminta Hall, author of Our Kind of Cruelty

“Delves into the picture-perfect world of influencers—a brilliant read.” 
—Claire McGowan, author of What You Did

“Clever, tense and beautifully written, Unfollow Me is SO good.” 
—Phoebe Locke, author of The Tall Man

“A brilliantly dark, twisty thriller that kept me up at night. Duckworth has written another blinding novel.”
—Vikki Patis, author of The Diary

“Duckworth explores the closing gap between what’s public and what’s private in our lives today. A tense, compelling read that will make you think.”
—Caroline Hulse, author of The Adults

“Chilling, smart and sinister, Charlotte Duckworth is back in a brilliant new read. Unfollow Me cements her status as an exciting voice…I loved it.”
—Phoebe Morgan, author of The Girl Next Door

“Gripping, scarily realistic and unpredictable. Brilliant!” 
—Karen Hamilton, international bestselling author of The Perfect Girlfriend

From the Publisher

12/04/2020

"That channel does not exist" is the message plastered across the computer screens of Violet Young's followers. Violet produces a daily vlog, Violet Is Blue, to help other young mothers deal with postpartum depression. But now "Violet isn't blue anymore. Violet is gone." Even though it's true her vlog has morphed into a testament to her perfect family and is a huge moneymaker with all the sponsored ads, her followers still depend on her. Lily, a widow and a single mom of a three-year-old, follows Violet religiously—she seems like the sister Lily never had—and Yvonne tracks Violet's every move, especially as it pertains to Violet's husband, Henry. Lily and Yvonne follow her for different reasons, each with her own agenda and her own secrets. When Violet's social media channels all simultaneously disappear, they know something is very wrong. Amid speculation about Violet's situation on the GoMamas pregnancy forum, Lily and Yvonne take matters into their own hands to find out what happened. It's not stalking if you're worried, right? VERDICT Social media and a killer story intertwine in British author Duckworth's (The Rival) all-too-real portrayal of what might happen when your intimate family details are just a click away for all the world to see. Highly recommended.—K.L. Romo, Duncanville, TX

Library Journal