This is a great books, I started it last evening and finished it just now! I couldn’t put it down.

I am not normally a thriller / crime lover but there was something about this book that grabbed me. I was expecting a little more futuristic interaction with technology from reading the description but the book is very much about a normal girl living in the regular world trying to figure out what happened to her mum.

I would totally recommend!

I received a copy of this book via net galley and its publishers Penguin Random House UK / Penguins children's books.

Five people are recruited to go on You Tube and tell stories that influenced their lives. Each have one month to become the biggest internet sensation - if they do their You tube lives will be extended to 3 months. One of these Is Jess whose mother was the first victim of a serial Killer 10 years after the event and 12 other murders on Jess is desperate to find the man responsible.

For me there are flaws in the way the mystery is uncovered with a lack of connections that would make it more realistic. I felt like Jess made great leaps in her thinking without real evidence. However there was a good feeling of suspense at times.

I think it disturbs me somewhat that this is published as a children's book I wouldn't want my under 16 reading it. Classified as Young Auldt presumably because of the age of its protagonists this is really quite a dark mystery.

Are you Watching is the debut novel from Vincent Ralph and marketed for the YA audience which I didn’t realise until I started reading. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed One of us is Lying by Karen McManus,I thought the synopsis for this thriller sounded similar and intriguing.
I certainly think it’s a clever idea using social media as a central theme to this novel although maybe somewhat dangerous and foolhardy when the storyline develops. In a nutshell, Jess wants to catch her mum’s killer,killed by the Magpie Man a decade ago. He’s gone on to kill a total of thirteen women and so far eluded the police. She’s been given an opportunity to share her story online in a bizarre competition that will give the person,with the most viewing figures (after an initial four weeks) more airtime. Jess is desperate to bring the perpetrator to justice so that both her and her dad, who literally is a shadow of his former self, can perhaps move on with their lives.
Whilst this is an interesting idea, I found it unbelievable that this father would sanction something so risky for the slightest chance that his daughter could taunt and goad a serial killer into revealing himself when up till now he has evaded capture. Of course I realise this is a piece of fiction so cannot expect the storyline to be completely realistic but I do think the bounds of incredulity are overstretched in this novel.
Despite this criticism, I strangely found myself caught up in Jess’s quest for justice and read the entire novel over the course of one day. So , as a debut goes, this author managed to engage my interest entirely. I did find some of the dialogue rather repetitive at times and there are a couple of scenes that I found overly sentimental but this was an enjoyable,easy read.In terms of revealing the killer, I was second guessing all the way, thinking one minute it was that person , then another so the author does a fantastic job in casting suspicion on quite a few individuals, throwing you off the scent. It is creepy in some places, adding to the tension and dangerous nature of the situation Jess has willingly put herself in and the pace of the novel is pitched just right. However I did think the ending was wrapped up rather quickly and conveniently.
I suppose in terms of role models, the author has created a strong, fearless young woman in the guise of Jess with her best best friends Emily and Hanna her trustworthy sidekicks, proving that nothing is impossible. The grief that is still so raw for Jess and her dad is wrapped up in almost every word so that you can only begin to imagine the heartache these two have had to endure, as have the other families who are victims of this serial killer.
Perhaps if I was a member of the audience this book is targeted at, instead of a middle aged woman, I might have read this thriller with a different set of eyes, rather than seemingly picking it to pieces. I appreciate what a labour of love it must be for any author to get their work published so I hope this debut is a success. Are you watching is worth a read and after all, this review is only one opinion!!
My thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

When Jess was seven, her mother was killed by someone who became known as the Magpie Man, a serial killer who went on to claim another dozen victims. Ten years later, Jess gets the chance to appear in an online show called the Eye, where every Monday for a month, cameras will follow her from waking up to going to sleep. Jess sees this as an opportunity to try and finally unmask the Magpie Man and stop his killing spree. But does she really know what she’s unleashing?

I enjoyed this story more than I anticipated. The premise is a little far fetched - a 17 year old tracking down a serial killer through YouTube, but somehow it mostly worked. There were times when I felt that the story wasn’t really moving on at all, but overall an enjoyable story. I didn’t see the ending coming, and the identity of Magpie Man was a surprise, but, again, it worked and was believable.

It’s a difficult story to categorise, however. It’s definitely a crime drama, with a serial killer on the loose, but because it’s written from Jess’s viewpoint, there is little coverage of the criminal investigation, and far more about Jess’s life and relationships with friends and family. Whatever the genre, it’s still a good read!

A very good debut novel, and an author to look out for,,

Are You Watching? is one of my favourite books I've read recently, once I started reading I didn't want to put the book down! The story is about a girl called Jess whose mum was killed 10 years ago by a person who is referred to as Magpie Man. All she wants is to get justice for her mum and find the killer so she decides to take part in a YouTube reality series to help solve the case.

I really enjoyed this book and loved how it was so different to anything I'd read before. Having technology being involved in a thriller is a really interesting concept and it was great how this allowed you to see two sides to Jess, her on the camera and her not. I think by seeing Jess like this we got to see more of an insight into the character and how she felt and dealt with certain things.

The story was at a good pace and I found myself always wanting to read another chapter (not great when the chapters are only a few pages long as I'd allow myself more than I had time to read!) As the book neared the end I was still intrigued to know how it would end, I didn't find it predictable which I liked. There were a lot of surprising twists and turns in the last fifty pages and I think it would have been nice if it was a bit more detailed. At times I thought the ending was seeming rushed,

I think this is a fantastic book, one I really enjoyed but am sad I have finished reading. I'd love to read more books from this author in the future!

This is a YA Mystery novel surrounding Jessica who is trying to find the serial killer called "The Magpie Man" who killed her mum and 13 other women. 

It has 144 chapters but the chapters are quick and easy to read.

I'm glad I requested this and got to read this.

I don’t often read YA books, but the premise and idea behind this one drew me in with great interest. Whilst having to maybe take the idea with a pinch of salt, the story follows, to begin with 5 youths who are taking part in a YouTube show called the eye.

It’s a show that follows 5 youths , who each have experienced a trauma or have something interesting about them. Followed from morning until midnight the story focuses on Jess, a 17 year old girl who’s mother was killed by a serial killer 10 years prior. That being Jesses clique so to speak. She plans to use the show to help her hunt down ‘The Magpie Man’.

Jess has a close group of friends and the characters feel quite real, at least to me. It’s a fast paced read, it’s not too long and it’s never dull.

It’s interesting and at times a compelling look in today’s youth, and use of Social media, and though i say to take with a pinch of salt, it probably won’t be too long until someone’s life is indeed streamed live online in a Truman show or big brother manner.

A book I’d certainly recommended to the targeted audience and any older readers interested in a mystery rooted right in today’s world

When 17-year-old Jess applies to be part of a reality series on YouTube she is delighted to get chosen as one of the final 5, each having one day each week where every move they make is monitored and put outlive. The one with the most followers at the end of the first month gets the opportunity to carry on for a further two months. Each has a reason for wanting that air time, for Jess it is to catch the man who murdered her mum ten years ago and has carried on murdering ever since.
This is a super Y A read as it centres around six form, social media and finding that balance between parents and children growing up and learning to back off and when to be there for each other. Jess's dad is naturally more edgy than most at letting go but he knows that she is a young woman. Jess goes all out to taunt the killer out of the woodwork and did I cringe.
Vincent Ralph has definitely got a home run with this book as he ticks all the boxes to connect with that generation. He creates more than one hero for readers to get behind while at the same time raise the tension enough to snuggle more under the duvet. It has that scary movie feel about it, those jump at moments that come to nothing while as a reader I want to shout he's behind you. A brilliant round-up at the end, darn I was so close!
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

a strange one about a girl who grew up knowing her mother was murdered by the magpie man, the man who was given the nickname by her dad....

jess was only 7 when this tragedy happened and her life changed that dad...her dad became lost in himself and though she had her nan, she was shaped by this event...

then she applies for a series that is based around following her life for a month...along with other contestants they film their day, jess uses her day to spark an interest in the magpie man and his murders which have happened over the years...

a strange book that follows this teenager around with the hopes of sparking enough interest so that the magpie man is unmasked...and maybe he is a lot closer than everyone thinks...

Fast paced YA thriller with a surprising twist. Jessica's mum was murdered by a killer dubbed The Magpie Man when she was a small child and he goes on to repeatedly kill so she takes matters into her own hands to catch him.
I enjoyed how social media and reality streaming shows were used in this book. Jessica uses them to her advantage to hunt for the killer. Yeah it's probably not uber realistic and yet in some ways it could be with how connected we are these days..
Oh and HALLELUJAH for those short chapters!!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb of this book caught my attention. I'm always interested to see how authors work social media and the huge effect of the internet into crime stories. Often, it's not great. But I liked the use of it in this book, and I could definitely understand Jess' decision to use such a potentially powerful tool to find her mother's killer. I didn't guess the killer's identity, but I found it a bit unsatisfactory - I still had questions afterwards.

Jess was a bit reckless at times, and wrapped up in her own situation -  but she is a teenager! I could relate to Jess' sense of grief, and how that led to her desire to do something. I liked the glimpses of how her mother's death affected other people too, and the different ways in which they dealt (or not) with it.

Unfortunately my copy of the ARC contained many errors, one of the main ones being the frequent disappearance of the letter combination "fi" - e.g. "first" became "rst" - which pulled me out of the story multiple times, but I assume these will be fixed in the final published edition.

Overall, this was a fast-paced, quick read, and is worth checking out.

A brilliant debut book, that gives a new take on a thriller book.
I really enjoyed this. It’s fast paced, makes your heart pound and it’s constant mystery keeps you guessing until the very end.
I really enjoyed the social media aspect. It felt very realistic in a world where people post their whole lives online for people to see.
I didn’t guess anything, I had so many theories but they all were wrong & I was nowhere close to guessing who the magpie man is.

Thank you to Netgalley for a ARC of this book

As soon as I read the first page of this, I knew it was going to be a great read. I was hooked from the first sentence. Are You Watching? I s a modern take on a murder mystery as it intertwines social media and serial killers in a story that unveils secrets and truths that no one dared believe.

Plot:
This book had a straight forward narrative that meant it was really easy to follow. Sometimes I find it hard to follow mystery/thriller books like this because it can jump back and forth so much, but this one didn’t. It focuses on a young girl named Jessica, whose mother was murdered by known serial killer: The Magpie Man. She takes part in a YouTube reality show that streams her life live in front of friends and strangers to make people more aware of these tragic events and to help find who is responsible. Jessica is a strong character in the novel, being young and extremely head-strong. She’s on a mission for justice and she doesn’t stop until she gets what she wants. It’s really insightful to see these types of characters in teen novels as it inspires younger audiences to be like her and be strong no matter what. People should fight for what they believe in.

Style:
The writing style was very simple and easy, which made for a quick and easy read. It only took me a couple of days to finish this - which is a record for me this month - and I always say that if you can’t put it down, it must has been good. The mix of media, from texts, phone calls and print jumbles the world of multi-media and storytelling to appeal to a wider audience. If you want an easy teen thriller read, then this is the one for you.

Summary:
If you love thrillers, but aren’t a fan of the complicated narratives, I would really recommend this. It doesn’t take too much thought and the storylines are really easy to follow. There are a lot of twists and turns that you might not expect - I know I didn’t - and there were points when the atmospheric imagery made my heart beat a little quicker. It was a really emotional and thrilling read.

☆☆☆/5

Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Although I liked the concept, and the writing seemed good, I had to DNF this novel. The file is corrupt in a very specific way; anywhere the letters 'fi' appear together, they've vanished from the text. This leads to sentences like 'The iv participants will start lming on Friday' and I kept having to stop reading to figure out what was actually being said.

I look forward to reading this in print, where I assume that problem will be fixed, but for now I can't review this, I'm afraid.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC

Seventeen year old Jess is not your typical teenager.
Her mother was murdered 10 years ago by the serial killer dubbed the Magpie Man.
Jess and her father have never really recovered from this and basically their lives are on permanent hold.
In a bold move designed to do what the police haven't been able to do in the intervening decade, Jess signs up to star in a YouTube reality show in order to try and flush out and catch the killer.

If the plot is slightly far fetched at times, the story moves along at a great pace, the story evolves well with a few red herrings along the way. The tension gets ramped up as Jess gets closer to her goal.

Overall a very enjoyable read.

An accessible book with a strong message about social media. Using platforms to investigate her mother's murder was an interesting concept that just didn't work for me. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC egalley.

This is a modern take of the serial killer novel using social media. It is aimed at the young adult market but the novel was not for me and I could not finish it.

Are You Watching is such a clever YA book. It is a crime thriller with a twist and I was hooked very early on. With short chapters this is one of those books that makes you want to keep reading. The plot was original and well written, very easy to read.

Jess lost her mother 10 years ago when she was the first victim of the serial killer they call The Magpie Man. He is still on the loose and still killing. When Jess is given the chance to appear on a new You Tube reality show she uses the exposure to try and lure the killer and out and get justice for her mother. Everybody is watching, and soon Jess is watching her back. Can she do what the police couldn't do and stop the Magpie Man?

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

Jess's childhood has been lived in the shadow of grief following the murder of her mother by the serial killer known as the Magpie Man. 10 years later police are no nearer to unmasking him and she decides to take matters into her own hands. As a participant on a reality show with a twist, she lives one day each week live streaming on Youtube with the aim of flushing the killer out.

It's a fantastic plot that had me hooked from the start. The pace of the book is fast and each (short) chapter ended in such a way that I had to read "just one more" before finishing the book in the early hours of the next morning. The use of social media in Jess's plot to catch the killer cleverly plays on the current interest in true crime documentaries as well as online groups where crimes are analysed and conspiracy theories hatched. Her decision to publicise the case suggests that internet fame is something of a catch 22 situation. She needs the renown and interest in her to reignite public interest in the case in the hope that someone remembers something that could lead to solving the case. However, by putting herself out there she is making herself vulnerable, and it soon seems that the Magpie Man intends Jess to be his next victim. This made for some genuinely creepy moments and the final scenes in the graveyard I could feel my heart racing, hoping desperately that Jess would make it.

As well as an incredibly tense plot, threaded throughout the book are points where grief is explored, both from Jess's point of view and cleverly acknowledging how difficult people find talking to someone grieving. It is pitched at just the right level and doesn't ever feel forced or intrusive to the plot. This, as well as some of Jess's interactions with friends and family, add a depth to the book that can quite often be missing in this genre.

Hopefully, it's clear I loved the book and the fact that I genuinely didn't guess the identity of the Magpie Man is a big part of this.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This is a really interesting premise and although I think Jessica stumbled into her plan to draw out her mother’s killer rather than have a clear course of action she utilised her YouTube show well. I thought the story was pacy, definitely kept you wondering who the magpie man was and there’s some strong characters besides Jess. This was a really easy read and a great page turner with a very creepy storyline.