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.

Jessica's mother was murdered 10 years ago by a serial killer given the name of the Magpie Man, who has murdered more since.

Jess is chosen along with 5 other people to film a vlog over four weeks with the one who has the most viewers to carry on for another 2/3 months.

It was a really interesting premise, with good characters, though Jess got a little annoying, there were some interesting touches, including the gathering of the victim's families.

What I could not stand was the typos and missing letters which made the book hard to read in sections, sometimes lost the thread of the story while I was trying to work out what was being said.

On the whole a good read,

I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review, and I'm so glad I was. I couldn't put this down!! I had to tear myself away a few times. It really kept my interest and I thought it was a really good story. Can't wait to read Vincent Ralph's next book.

#AreYouWatching #MagpieMan #NetGalley

I was quite intrigued by this book as it has a similar vibe to Black Mirror. This is a fast paced psychological thriller and quite unique as social media is used to try and catch the killer. It is aimed at teens/yound adults but I still enjoyed it. The only thing that put me off is that the ARC was full of typos and missing letters, otherwise I would have enjoyed it alot more. But all in all, it is a great debut novel.

An interesting idea, the use of social media to generate interest in the murder of her mother so many years before.  Enjoyed it as a holiday read, some of the characters felt a little under developed as far as their relationship to the main character.  A nice couple of twists in the story line kept my interest to know how it all panned out.  Would read other books by Vincent Ralph as they are published

Are You Watching? Takes an interesting concept of viral Big Brother style ‘show’ and blends it with a crime thriller. It hooks you in, much in the same way Jeanne Ryan’s Nerve did in 2012.
It provides you with plenty of time to get to know the protagonist before the fear pulls you further in and keeps you awake until the last page is read.

Jess’s mother was killed by a serial killer 10 years ago when Jess is 7.  The killer is nicknamed the Magpie Man, so called as he steels beautiful things.  However, he has never been caught, so Jess decides to feature on a YouTube reality series to try and identify and finally capture the killer.  

This is a really accomplished debut novel.  It is a fast paced psychological thriller that has plenty of twists and turns to keep your heart racing until the end.  I didn’t realise that this book had been pitched as a YA book, and I am certainly not the target audience but I’m pretty certain this book will be a hit with all fans of psychological thrillers not just YA.

I really thought i’d like this, what with the genius idea to weave social media into the act of catching a killer. I thought i’d be screaming and rooting for the MC all the way through but instead I... didn’t. 

This fell flat for me but I can definitely see the appeal for others. Full RTC.

Are you Watching is a very addictive, well written YA thriller with a modern day take as one young girl joins a reality t.v. show to try and catch her mother’s killer. But baiting a serial killer may not be the best idea ever….

Vincent Ralph manages to get the emotion v the thrills bang on target – this is a serial killer thriller and works well on that level but it is also a tale of grief, loss and trying to move forward. I related very much to both Jess and her Dad, whilst you do have to occasionally suspend disbelief as to what he lets her get up to, their family unit is intriguing and melancholy.

With plenty of twists to keep mystery fans happy and an ending that works, Are You Watching is a great addition to the YA genre.

Recommended.

Fast paced and thrilling  I think this would appeal to older teenagers and it is one I would definitely recommend to them

17 year old Jess, like many other teenagers is desperate to be the star of a reality show. However she doesn't want fame for the sake of it but to try to find out who the Magpie Man is. Ten years earlier her mother was the first victim of the Magpie Man, a serial killer. Jess is selected for the YouTube series and soon she is receiving messages from someone purporting to be her mother's killer. As the series goes on she taunts him, hoping to draw him out but has she gone too far?

This is an entertaining young adult book which I imagine will appeal to teenagers. Jess is a sympathetic protagonist and develops throughout the process of searching for the man who took her mother away from her at the age of 7. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was fast paced and thrilling and I managed to read this in one sitting! I liked Jessica as a character as she had the right balance going on as it made her seem realistic due to her flaws. The Magpie Murder was not who I was expecting and I wished it had been a figure who was more prominent in the story as the killer just appears in the last third and the build up of who it is was kind of "oh it's that person who we don't really know anything about". 
The premise and tone was interesting and that was what made me want to read it so quickly. There were a few moments when Jessica was talking about her mum that really touched and I felt tears welling up in my eyes.