We chat with debut author Olivia Worley about People To Follow, which follows ten teen influencers on a remote island to star in a reality show, but when one of them winds up dead, they realise that this time, the price of being “cancelled” could be their lives.
Hi, Olivia! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m an author and not-quite-recovered theatre kid who was born and raised in New Orleans. I studied musical theatre at Northwestern and now live in New York City, where I spend my time writing thrillers, working as a test prep tutor, and watching far too much reality TV.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Writing and stories have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember! Literally—I was recently home in New Orleans, and my mom and I went through some boxes she’d kept of my first “books” (all of which were basically just printer paper stapled together, including a “found document”-style murder mystery that I made when I was 10, which feels prophetic if mildly disturbing.)
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: I’ve been wracking my brain and honestly can’t remember the first novel I read, but as a little kid, I know I was a fiend for Bob Books—probably because I struck a deal with my parents where reading them would get me out of nap time.
- The one that made you want to become an author: I’m not sure if there was one specific book, but The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin was the first mystery that I ever became obsessed with, so that one is at least partially responsible for how much I love writing thrillers!
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie! People to Follow is sort of an homage to how much that book has haunted me since the seventh grade.
Your debut novel, People to Follow, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Fun, fast-paced, twisty, sharp, and funny!
What can readers expect?
People to Follow is a YA thriller about ten influencers who arrive on a remote island to film what they think is a new reality show about unplugging from their social media careers—until the producers leave them stranded, and one of the influencers meets a violent end. When their mysterious “Sponsor” starts threatening to expose their darkest secrets, the influencers realize they’ve been lured into a deadly game…and one of them might be pulling the strings. With the body count rising and cameras tracking their every move, the creators must figure out who is trying to get them canceled—like, literally—before their #1 follower strikes again.
Readers can expect a big cast of voicey, often unlikeable characters and plenty of twists, turns, and secrets. There’s also a healthy dose of dark humor, sharp commentary on influencer culture, a dash of romance, and an ending you won’t see coming.
Where did the inspiration for People to Follow come from?
I got the idea for People to Follow in late 2020, when I (like so many people) was coping with the pandemic by doing a deep, deep dive into reality TV and social media. At the same time, I was also rediscovering my love of Agatha Christie, particularly And Then There Were None. Combining the drama and juicy secrets of reality TV and influencer culture with the life-or-death stakes of an isolated murder mystery sounded too fun to pass up!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I had so much fun writing this book, especially since there were so many individual character voices to hone! People to Follow has four POV narrators: Kira, a child reality star turned fitness influencer; Elody, an Instagram model with an impulsive streak; Max, a documentary YouTuber set on filming an exposé of his fellow creators; and Logan, a TikToker with some skeletons in the closet. Of the four, Elody was probably my favorite to write because her voice is so specific—in her POV, everything is “literally” and everyone is “babe,” and her confidence borders on delusion, which was so fun to write as someone who can be more introverted.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I’ve always been a writer, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that I started seriously thinking about getting published. People to Follow is technically my second completed novel and the first I ever queried. I wrote it during my time in the Author Mentor Match program, which I’d actually applied for with a completely different book (the aforementioned first book, which thankfully will never see the light of day.) When I told my wonderful mentor, Alexa Donne, about my influencer murder mystery idea, she encouraged me to write that one first, and I’m so glad she did! From there, I drafted the book in a few months, worked on edits, and then, about a year after first starting, I queried literary agents, which is how I found my fantastic agent Claire Friedman and my equally fantastic editor Sarah Grill at Wednesday Books!
What’s next for you?
I have a second YA thriller with Wednesday slated for next year! I’m not sure how much I can say about it yet, but while this one isn’t related to People to Follow, it’s equally full of twists, turns, and privileged teens behaving badly 😉
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Some recent YA thrillers I’ve loved are The Rosewood Hunt by Mackenzie Reed and Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington! Outside of the YA thriller space, I’ve also recently loved The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore, Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.
