Do You Follow?

hmm i can't say i particularly liked this book. the main character, alexa, gets a job in NYC at a marketing agency. after years of being estranged with her twin sister, beth, she shows up at alexa's doorstep and re enters her life. all the while, alexa finally falls in love with her food vlogger client, curt. but ofc there is something suspicious about alexa's new boyfriend and unstable twin sister.

the most important part of a psychological thriller is the plot twist and the ending. the main plot twist was very predictable to me... i think it was quite cliche and i predicted it early on. the other plot points that accompanied the plot twist (sorry to be vague but i don't want to include spoilers) were honestly just absurd to me. the ending felt like there were many events added to liven up the story but they just left me rolling my eyes. it seems to me that the ‘evil twin' trope is pretty hard to get right, and unfortunately, this book didn't satisfy my thriller itch.

what i found unique in this book were the references to the covid-19 pandemic. i think this is the first book i've read that was sent in the current post-pandemic era. BUT i do think the pandemic was over referenced and overall, didn't really add anything to the story. the multiple POVs were a great addition to further the plot, but i noticed some unexplained plot holes/points mentioned towards the beginning of the book.

**also NOTE: in the audiobook the mention that the company ‘FLLW' is pronounced ‘follow', but they keep pronouncing it as an ‘F-L-L-W' throughout the book. this really bugged me.

3.75
Ok so this book, I was so bored abt 25% in and I started reading reviews of it and almost all the reviews I saw gave the book 4 to 5 stars and I was so confused and kinda mad coz the book was SO boring and confusing!!! But then continued it anyway and when I hit the 52% mark I was considering dnfing it but since I was halfway done decided to power through and then when I hit the 68% a major twist was revealed and I was MIND BLOWN! Like Im not even kidding, I should have figured it out with the clues throughout the book. All the confusions and questions I had throughout most of the book was solved and answered and after that it was so gripping. I am still thinking abt that twist coz it was so SHOCKING and, wow I have seen this twist being done before in other books but not as good as this.
I feel like the did was done better in this than in another book I read which has did(I dont want to put it here coz I might spoil it for those who haven't read that book) and it was again really shocking.The book has all the things I love reading about: twins,did,sibling dynamics,etc and it explored so many things and I feel like I have learnt so much from the book..

Only reason I didn't give it a 5 star was coz of the parts before the twist. If it weren't for that I would have def given this a 5 star!! Cant wait to read more from the author:))

Sister Dear






I am loving the thrillers I am picking up this year. Three days in and I have picked up two books that are solid four-star reads. After suffering a tragic loss, Alexa finally decides to leave the home of her overprotective father and make her own start. With a new apartment and a job, she loves, Alexa finally feels like she is moving on with her life. When she starts dating a new client, Curt, Alexa slowly starts to find her footing, until her estranged twin sister, Beth, shows up on Alexa's doorstep. Alexa has promised her father, and her therapist, that she would keep Beth out of her life, but soon Beth is living with Alexa, and Alexa is keeping her sister's presence secret from everyone. True to form, Beth starts interfering in Alexa's life in every way, and the twins' relationship takes a dark turn when Curt ends up dead and Alexa is charged for his murder.


Soon, the dark past of both Alexa and Beth starts to surface, and Alexa realizes she must separate herself from Beth permanently, once and for all. This is a twin sega with a 2022 media twist. What I loved is the duel perspective chapters from both Beth and Alexa's point of view. I liked how it showed the dynamic of their relationship. The twists and turns are sprinkled in at all the right places making this a fast-paced joy to read. If you read enough thrillers as I do you will expect a few of the twists but some of the others you are not going to see coming at all. This speaks volumes to this author's ability to craft a good story. Both characters are reliable and relatable. The only thing I was sad about is that it was over.

As a debut novel, I have to say this was impressive. The author writes beautifully and kept me engaged the whole way through making me want to find out how the story ends. J.C. Bidonde is officially on my radar as a thriller writer. Four solid stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.