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Book Summary and Reviews of You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

You Will Never Be Me

by Jesse Q. Sutanto

  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Published:
  • Aug 2024, 336 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

When cracks start forming in an influencer's curated life, she finds out that jealousy is just as viral as a video in this riveting suspense novel by bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Influencer Meredith Lee didn't teach Aspen Palmer how to blossom on social media just to be ditched as soon as Aspen became big. So can anyone really blame Mer for doing a little stalking? Nothing serious, more like Stalking Lite. Then, Mer gets lucky; she finds one of Aspen's kids' iPads and swipes it. Now, she has access to everything: the family calendar and Aspen's social media accounts. Would anyone else be able to resist tweaking things a little here and there, showing up in Aspen's place for meetings with potential sponsors? Mer's only taking back what she deserves—what should have been hers. 

Meanwhile, Aspen doesn't understand why her perfectly filtered life is falling apart. Sponsors are dropping her, fellow influencers are ghosting her, and even her own husband seems to find her repulsive. If she doesn't find out who's behind everything, she might just lose it all. What everyone seems to forget is that Aspen didn't become one of TikTok's biggest momfluencers by being naive. When Meredith suddenly goes missing, Aspen's world is upended and mysterious threats begin to arrive—but she won't let anything get in the way of her perfect life again.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. Aspen mentions she always felt like Meredith's sidekick in the past, which contributed to their eventual falling out. Have you ever had a rift with a friend? How did it happen, and what is your relationship like now?
  2. Are you familiar with "momfluencers"? What kind of content do you see online? How do you feel when you see content about "mom life"?
  3. Aspen mentioned that no one is interested in the real Aspen—the sweaty, messy mom that she really is, and that people only want to see Aspirational Aspen. Do you think this is true?
  4. Have you ever wanted to be an influencer? If so, in what category?
  5. What role has social media played in your life? Do you think it's been a positive or negative experience ...
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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Having established her credentials in YA fiction and gentle, albeit often manic comedy, Sutanto spins on a dime to show Meredith and Aspen dishing on each other with sublime and incandescent hatred... Social media mavens will nod in recognition; everyone else will come away relieved that this could never happen to them." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Sutanto has devilish fun with her premise, lacquering the story's well-executed twists with a satirical sheen that pokes wicked fun at internet celebrity. The result is a near-perfect beach read." —Publishers Weekly

"Sutanto expertly traps willing readers into an over-the-top chaotic vacuum with surprisingly satiating results." —Booklist

"Once best friends, the two momfluencers in this searing black comedy compete so greedily for sponsors and popularity that they destroy their relationship — and may stop at nothing to stay on top. Read this instead of doomscrolling." —People

"A juicy, electric thriller about a pair of warring momfluencers—just imagine the drama—You Will Never Be Me is the kind of read-in-one-sitting story tailor-made for a summer weekend… Hilariously wicked, this is a book social media addicts will relish." —Elle

"You Will Never Be Me is an ultra twisty, unpredictable, and devilishly fun thrill ride, exploring the dark side of influencer culture. Prepare to be shocked and wildly entertained by this gripping and addictive thriller. Jesse Sutanto is a true talent!" —Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author of Home is Where the Bodies Are

"If you've ever scrolled and judged, you must read the stunning suspense novel, You Will Never Be Me, a deliciously dark tale of two influencers turned best friends turned enemies willing to pay any price to keep the perfect life projected on social media. Heavy is the head that wears the mom-fluencer crown, and you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough to see whose heads will roll in this deliciously twisted book." —Vanessa Lillie, USA Today bestselling author of Blood Sisters

"Prepare to put everything else on hold, because this is one wildly twisty, ridiculously entertaining thrill ride of a book that you won't be able to put down. You Will Never Be Me is both a deep dive into the world of influencers, and a careful examination of how female friendships can irreparably fracture over time. Readers will love (and love to hate) Aspen and Meredith, and jaws will drop as the story unfolds and secrets are revealed. This is Jesse Q. Sutanto at her masterful, devious best." —Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, bestselling author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here

This information about You Will Never Be Me was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Jesse Q. Sutanto

Jesse Q. Sutanto is the author of the bestselling Aunties series, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, and I'm Not Done With You Yet. Her young adult titles include The Obsession; Well, That Was Unexpected; and Didn't See That Coming, and her children's fantasy series is Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit. She has a master's degree from Oxford University and a bachelor's from the University of California, Berkeley. She currently lives in Jakarta with her husband and two young daughters.

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