Book Review — You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Berkley
Publish date: August 20th, 2024
Number of pages: 336 pages
Author’s website: https://jesseqsutantoauthor.com/
Author’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesseqsutanto/
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When cracks start forming in an influencer’s curated life, she finds out that jealousy is just as viral as a video in this riveting suspense novel by bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

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 everything: 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. 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.

Rating: 4/5

Written by the author of the cozy mystery “Aunties” series, this was my first thriller by the author and I was hooked! (The link to my review of Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto can be found below this review).

You Will Never Be Me has themes of jealousy and infidelity that aren’t unique to thrillers, but what sets it apart is how it delves into the world of social media momfluencers (mom influencers). Jesse Q. Sutanto balances the suspense with wit as we’re inside the heads of 30-something social media-obsessed main characters. Sometimes, you empathize with the characters when they express how managing their accounts and curating their feeds are for their livelihoods including supporting their children, but you also have moments where as an outside viewer you see how absurd they are being especially when they put the concerns or needs of their children to the wayside to get the best camera angle.

I appreciated the nuance that someone can both be hyper-concerned about providing for their families yet also super into “fame”. I found it surprising and great that there is also a social critique on the inauthenticity of social media and parasocial relationships that we may form with people we only “know” via Instagram or TikTok. A not-so-subtle reminder that the people behind the screen are real, that the parts they show might not be the entire truth, and to not take what you see on your screen as the blueprint for how you should or shouldn’t be living your life.

The pacing on this one is quick and about 50% in I was shocked with a particular part and ended up finishing the same night (no spoilers but OMG). It’s a turn of events that I didn’t expect for only halfway through the book.

I wasn’t shocked by the ending and even guessed it would end the way it did. The author did a great job showing us the characters’ motivations that the ending made sense.

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to know!