I haven't read a YA mystery in a while so this made a change for me. This book was amazing! It gripped my soul and I couldn't put it down.
The story follows Jess, a 17 year old girl who uses social media and is on a show where she tells the story of her mothers murder by the Magpie Man. Jess wants to use the show to help people gain awareness about this case and to try and catch the killer.
The mystery was good and it kept me guessing throughout the book. It had tension and I enjoyed the writing style. The characters are realistic and I did enjoy following them in the story. I didn't really connect with them but I still enjoyed the book.
The book isn't realistic to real life as the school is okay with the filming and my school wouldn't have been. Also a lot of the decisions were reckless which is usual for YA and it did lead to consequences which was nice to see.
Overall this is a fast paced, fun YA mystery that I recommend if you like YA mystery books.

A good story which kept me gripped. I read this in one go. It is an easy read with a few twists thrown in.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I really wanted to read this book as the description looked amazing and right up my street! However, when I came to read the e-copy at least 3-4 words on each page were missing two letters which made it very difficult to read so unfortunately I couldn’t finish the book as it was too distracting.

Could not connect with this book, the continuous typo missing fi assumed intended as there was so many? So not a book for me

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher’s for letting me read this book early. I really enjoyed this book and loved how there is a morden twist by using social media. I loved the world building and the characters.

Ten years ago, Jess's mum was murdered by the Magpie Man. She was the first victim of the Magpie Man but not the last. Jess is now the star of a YouTube reality series which she is using to try and catch the Magpie Man once and for all. The whole world is watching her every single move and so is the Magpie Man!

I have been excited about reading this book ever since I heard all about it at YALC, but was quite worried it would not live up to my expectations. It actually exceeded my expectations! It is an addictive, well-written and quick-paced YA thriller that I flew right the way through.

I loved the modern twist that is the centre of this thriller, the use of social media in catching a killer. Jess being a part of a YouTube reality series adds such an interesting aspect to the story and makes you really think about the good sides and bad sides of social media and its uses. It is packed full of twists and turns and always keeps you at the edge of your seat.

Being interested in true crime made me even more interested in this book as a whole. It really draws into the big interest that there is around true crime at the minute and I would love to see more books like this one in the future.

To say it is only a debut novel, it is incredibly well-written, well-paced and keeps your attention all the way through. The characters are all interesting and well developed. I could honestly have read from Jess' perspective for a whole lot longer if it was possible.

Are You Watching? is an addictive, well-written and fast-paced thriller that I am sure so many people will fly right the way through. You will be kept on the edge of your seats whilst reading this thats for sure! I cannot recommend this one enough so make sure you pre-order it before its released on the 6th February 2020!

I'm always nervous when reading a book from a female narrator written by a male author. This book had some of those bits that I didn't enjoy and felt were unnecessary however I enjoyed it overall. Jessica is a smart and interesting protagonist. The story itself discusses trauma in-depth and does not shy away from the gruesome details. I did think the villain was this or that and did not find out till the end which was really interesting. The reasons behind the monstrous acts were also not properly explained until the very end so the audience has time to make up their own theories. I genuinely found this book very interesting. Especially how it incorporated social media to someone's benefit for the good. Will definitely read again.

Jess' mother was murdered when she was seven by a serial killer who has never been caught. Ten years later, despairing of the police she enters a competition to be in an on-line TV mini series which she hopes will catch the murderer's eye and throw up clues to his identity. it's modern, fast paced with a thrilling denouement. A good read.

Thank you Netgalley for the loan of this book.
I really enjoyed this book and raced through it. It was so addictive i just coukdbt wait to reach the end. with a strong female character and other characters you feel for this is a fantastic read.
A young girl who's mother was murdered by a serial killer, sets out to try and "capture" him by taking part on a YouTube show online and goading him so he will make a mistake and be caught. She soon starts to receive sinister messages, but are they from the killer (aka The Magpie Man) or someone closer to home? Sometimes, those you seek are closer than you think. Excellent book, go and buy it now!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I really enjoyed this cleverly written book and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

This was a gripping, nifty piece of YA and I read it fast. It was hugely enjoyable and entertaining if a little implausible at times.

Jess' mother was murdered by the Magpie Man, so when she hears of a new online series being filmed, she decides to apply and try to succeed where the police failed.

Yes, it's far fetched, which is par for the course with YA. But there are enough red herrings and twists to keep you hooked until the big reveal. Overall, it's entertaining, fun escapism.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation to review.

Are You Watching? by Vincent Ralph a compelling and questioning four-star read. This was so good, I couldn’t put it down, but I couldn’t give it five as I was shaking m head going really… at several points, I know its fiction and dramatized much like most of reality TV, but still I struggled to accept that at times. Jess intrigued me, she was a great character and I could have read her for longer, but it was the other characters that just pushed me too far. The star of this show thou is the whodunit aspect, that kept me hooked and I did not have a clue.

Are You Watching? is an incredibly gripping, slightly unrealistic YA thriller by Vincent Ralph.

Seventeen-year-old Jess applies to be a part of a YouTube reality show called The Eye which live streams the lives of five different individuals with interesting stories to tell, every week. Jess's story begins when she was seven—her mother was murdered by the serial killer who is referred to as The Magpie Man. She was his first victim and he has killed twelve other women since then. With the help of the internet and the audience that the show grants her, Jess aims to increase awareness about the case and find clues to catch the man who murdered her mother and finally deliver justice.

It has been so long since I read a YA book, I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed reading them. I couldn't put this one down! The mysterious environment created by Ralph keeps you guessing constantly. The characters are realistic but a few things about the story just seemed far-fetched to me—how willing everyone, including Jess' school is with the filming of their lives; how the police don't take a lot of things that Jess says seriously which was really frustrating because she was forced to take things into her own hands. A lot of her decisions were reckless and questionable but I guess that is what YA is—a bunch of teenage bad decisions and the enjoyable (for us, not for the characters) consequences.

Overall, I'd say I enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced and a fun read. It's a book that I wouldn't recommend if you have other books on your TBR but if you're looking to read something just to pass time, this one would work well.

[I'd like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK and Vincent Ralph for this ARC.]

Fast paced thriller with twists that I didn’t see coming!
I really enjoyed the incorporation of social media into the story.

Received ARC from Penguin and Netgalley for honest read and review.

I don't use Social Media that much but I can why it is useful if you want to get someone's attention.
This sort centres around Jess,who has had to grow up without her mother after she was murdered by The Magpie Man. This tells us of her wish to get justice for the murder.

A gritty and enjoyable read that flowed quite well.

I am a bit old to read YA books in General,but this was really entertaining

This was an interesting mystery/thriller.
Jess's quest to find her mother's murderer begins on an online TV series called 'the Eye', this was quite an original idea and jess being alone but not really alone added a lot to the drama and tension in the early stages of the book. That being said, the online aspect falls to the wayside about half way through (when no longer useful in creating suspense).
The pace was good with lots of twists and turns, some more predictable than others and Jess's journey felt relatable and honest. I think fans of murder mysteries would really enjoy this technological update on catching a killer.

Fast paced thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed,

The modern social media aspect makes it different and played on my fears well.

Well written and easy to read.

Jess’s mother was the first victim of a serial killer, nicknamed the Magpie Man, when Jess is 7. At 17, he remains at large and has killed 12 more women. Jess uses a chance on a new YouTube reality series to try and find the killer.

The story is told in the first person and follows Jess as she signs up to the reality show and her life at home and school as she tries to flush out something that will catch the killer.

While the premise was novel and the storyline well written, I didn't quite share the feeling of tension experienced by the main character. This may just be that I am a bit older than the target audience. That aside, the final reveal of the killer was a surprise.

Ten years ago Jess’ mother was brutally murdered when she was just seven years old and the suspect was never caught. Subsequently there were many more victims and the murderer, who has not even been close to getting caught, has become known as the magpie man.
Jess is determined to put things right and when the opportunity arises to appear on a social media programme she plans to use it as a platform to entice and catch him.
This is a very credible and engaging thriller. The characters are sympathetic and engaging. I enjoyed this to the end not guessing everything correctly along the way.