I don’t usually read YA fiction, I have nothing against YA I just don’t find them to be gritty enough, but this definitely blew my previous thoughts out the window. ‘Are you watching’ was a really intense and gritty thriller, I will definitely hunting out more books by Vincent Ralph.

An intriguing and twisty thriller, fast paced and definitely addictive; it is ideal for both the YA and thriller markets. I was hooked from the first page.

When Jess was seven years old her mother was murdered by the Magpie Man. She was his first victim but not his last and he has never been caught. Jess is now seventeen and is featuring in a reality TV programme broadcast on YouTube; by telling her story Jess is hoping to taunt the killer into coming for her. 

Jess is a believable and sympathetic character and her relationships with her father and her friends are realistic and touching. The plotting is very clever, the narrative well written and I didn’t see the end coming. 
If you enjoy a compelling whodunit you will love Are You Watching.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of the best YA thriller I hav read this year. The pace of the story is really good. The story really grips me hard and push me to keep on read to know what happen next. I have no idea what to expect. My guess all was wrong and it really surprise me of who is the culprit is. 

Overall, the story was good and is indeed a gripping one but I’m hoping the ending wasn’t that short.

Jess is a young 17 year old who has been accepted for a social media reality show together with four other people - all with their own stories to tell, but Jess's story is not like the others.   At the tender age of 7, her mother was the first victim of the serial killer known as "The Magpie Man".  Ten years, and 12 other victims later and the police are still no closer to catching him - so Jess intends to use the reality show to identify and capture him.

This is a steady paced story of determination by a young girl looking for justice but her character is not fully believable in her actions, and its difficult to make any connection with any of the other characters..  The pace picks up in the second half of the book and there are a few twists that may change your suspicions on who the Magpie Man might be.

The premise of this book was very promising - a girl using a youtube reality series to try and find her mother's killer. But for me, personally, I think it didn't really deliver. I really enjoyed the first half of the book and I actually stayed up way too late reading through the majority of this book, but the way the book ended brought my rating down to a 3,5 star instead of a full 4 star.

I wasn't a huge fan of Jess as a main character and I didn't really like her friends either. She didn't grow on me until later on in the book, but then towards the end, she did some things that made me sigh out loud multiple times.

All-in-all I thought it was an interesting book, but the ending kind of 'ruined' it for me (I guess, idk that's not really the right word).

An exciting YA book, where the daughter or a murder victim decides to track down the murderer by laying a trap. It is tense, very exciting and full of the unexpected. A great read for adults and for teenagers!

Thank You to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing the e-publication in exchange for a unbiased review of this book. 

Really interesting

This was a romping good read! Jessica is on a mission to get accepted as a vlogger for a new reality show, but not because she welcomes the thought of the world seeing the minutiae of her everyday life. She is trying to catch 'The Magpie Man'. When Jessica was 7, her Mum was murdered 51 seconds from home. Ten years on, the police are no closer to finding her Mum's killer. And he has struck again. At least another 12 times. Jessica wants to provoke the killer into coming out of the shadows and she begins giving a series of messages, coded and otherwise whilst she is filmed constantly on her given day. She begins to receive threatening messages that escalate into threatening acts that she attempts to confront (pulse racing stuff).

As the killer strikes another 3 times, vital information is found as a direct result of her vlogs that lead Jessica to the killer. But time is running out for Jessica, will she be his next victim? As all hope fades for her, she is saved by the one person who she thought had given up on life. 

A great thriller with a twist.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and Netgalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for a unbiased review of these works.

An intresting look at social media, and its downfalls

I really enjoyed this book. It kept my interest and me guessing  until the end. I'll be keeping this book in mind to pass onto teens in my life for whom I'm buying a gift. That being said, I'm the mother of a teen or two and really enjoyed it too. It doesn't have to be pigeonholed by age. Recommended.

This is YA read heavily steeped in this current age of social Media that every one of our current always watched generation will most certainly understand and get the pitfalls of.
So Jessica Simmons wants to catch the Magpie Man.
Her mum was the first victim of this notorious serial killer and his kill-count is now way up at 13.
With this goal in mind, she applies and is accepted to star on a new web-based reality show with 4 others called The Eye.
The show is a competition to see who can collect the largest following and that individual will get a regular spot for the next 3 months.
So Jessica has 1 month to make her mark, the cameras every Monday will follow her from the minute she opens her eyes until she closes them at midnight.
Also, her whole social media, every text and personal interaction she has will be food for the masses.
The general idea is that each contestant gets there own day of the week to showcase their life and build a fanbase.
This really was an interesting and rather unique premise which definitely made you think.
But what starts out as rather on the back-burner then starts to build at a steady momentum almost like a rolling stone and the show then starts to impact every part of Jessicas life from school to home and even her own leisure time.
Jessica is public property and her life is an open book just waiting to be read.
Then the messages start-up chilling and surreal, is he watching, one of the many new subscribers and online trolls she is now dealing with.
Told completely from Jessicas POV this is not just a mystery to discover and find closure from but also a journey to better understand herself even telling herself some harsh own-truths along the way.
I did find it slightly unrealistic and the idea of using yourself as bait to draw out a killer is never a good idea also in real-time this frankly just wouldn't work unless the killer was a moron wanting to be caught.
I also can't see any parent being on board with this especially after losing your spouse in such a horrific way.
I also wanted the whys and whatnots of this rather than the superficial but that also wasn't happening either.
The finish itself was rather anti-climactic, it was underwhelming if im honest after all that build-up a bit of a letdown.
Still, it was enjoyable and well written and appropriate for the digital age we all live in.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of are You Watching.

This is a fast paced thrilling YA contemporary following a girl who agrees to have her days streamed live on a YouTube channel in an attempt to catch the serial killer that killed her mum ten years ago. It's tense right from the start as we find out what happened to her mum and only gets tenser when she starts to tease him and try to get him out from hiding. I loved the relationship the main character has with her dad who loves her but is so distant and broken after losing her mum. The British seaside setting was super vivid, from the fish and chippy, to the boring secondary school to the seafront buses, to the dark alleyways where serial killers or school bullies could be lurking. The plot itself is twisty, dealing with the killer maybe coming out to play but also how the fame affects her friends and school. You felt the desperation but also the despair when she doesn't know if she's doing the right thing as things get more and more dangerous. I read this super quick!

Fantastic, A refreshing new YA thriller using Social media with a few twists to keep you guessing. Can't wait to read some more from this author.

Are You Watching? is a thrilling YA book, one that draws you in from the start and leaves you wanting to read more! 

Ten years ago, Jess's mother was murdered by the Magpie Man. She was the first of his victims but not the last. Now Jess is the star of a YouTube reality series and she's using it to catch the killer once and for all. The whole world is watching her every move. And so is the Magpie Man...

I really loved this book, it had so much suspense for a YA book and I liked the added aspect of reality tv and social media. Jess is a strong female lead in this book, determined to uncover who the Magpie Man is and get justice for her mum.

As well as the thrills and suspense, Vincent Ralph manages to convey all the teenage angst and emotions. He shows the grief and loss Jess and her dad are going through, but also the hope and determination to move forward in their lives.

A fast paced and exciting thriller, YA fans will love this!

Jess was 7 years old when her Mum was murdered, not only was the killer never caught, but he claimed another 12 victims since and was now nicknamed The Magpie Man.  Now 17, Jess has decided to try and claim justice for her Mum by applying to be the star of a You Tube reality show, where for one day a week she will have cameras following her every move. She plans to use her time on camera to find out who the Magpie Man is and bring him to justice. 

As Jess’ life is played out over the internet Jess receives a barrage of abuse from viewers and messages from who knows who and one crank making out to be the Magpie Man. The lack of progress she thinks she is making frustrates her, but maybe she’s closer than she thinks. 

This story is fast paced and a really easy read. Short sharp chapters always go down well with me, I feel it allows me to take the story in better with the punctuation of the chapters. Jess’ character is reckless, but she’s a teenager seeking revenge / justice, so I can appreciate that. The polices role in the story seems al little disconnected, I would think they would be much more involved if this was to happen, I wondered if this came from the authors experience and echoed his mistrust. The relationship between Jess and her two best friends and her Dad was portrayed well in the story, the support, worry, excitement and love was clear.  The story and tension builds up well and keeps you wondering if he will be revealed and who he could be. The ending felt a little rushed, but that was in line with the pace of the book I guess. 

I really enjoyed this book and happy to give this 4.5/5 rounded up to 5. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books for this advance copy in exchange for this honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It keeps you guessing right until the end!

My only issue (hence four stars) was that I found a few moments quite rushed. A couple of them were over so quickly that it seemed a little pointless having them in. However as a whole it was a gripping story and I would definitely recommend it.

This was a fast paced thriller that gripped me from beginning to end. The short chapters made it a quick read. Lots of twists and turns and social media involvement

Unfortunately I am no longer interested in reading this book, therefore I will not be reviewing it any further.

This was an interesting premise utilising social media. It was a captivating read that keeps the reader interested with an engaging plot.

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I ran through this so fast! It’s properly addictive. I definitely wouldn’t have agree to do what Jess did, but I did love her drive to solve the case and find out more. It was a really interesting concept of going after a serial killer, with sometimes obvious results, but I did enjoy it.

There were two parts I thought were a little far fetched or disappointing - the way the other “stars” behave, and how Jess couldn’t have put it together herself, she is wholly reliant on a third party. However, that’s not untrue for crime, and she does put in the work to find that person.

I like Jess even though you feel her frustration, or experience your own at her recklessness! I liked how social media played into the story and how she saw the world, which was a really nice way to see it all.

A very quick read, which I really enjoyed.