Shame on You: The addictive psychological thriller that will make you question everything you read online

Holly is an Instagrammer who has become famous for her healthy lifestyle that she claims cleared her of cancer. Her attacker is keen to destroy her, he has lost dearly because of her posts. He wants the whole world to know the truth about Holly. But what is the truth? Is he quite right in the head? Is he imagining all these terrible things because he’s hurting so bad? Well if I told you, I’d be spoiling the entire plot of this addictive read, so I’ll stop and just let you know that it’s BLIMMING GOOD. Heydenrych utilises two unreliable characters to be the stars of her story, making it a guessing game throughout of who to trust and who is lying. Holly’s heartbreaking past is dredged up allowing the reader to see the bumpy and lonely journey she had been on to get to this point, and honestly my heart went out to her. The attacker’s story is also built up simultaneously alongside Holly’s. Heydenrych has this incredible way of presenting these two characters to the reader, in a way that you see both their honourable aspects and their darkest aspects. It was like being the jury in a courtroom with Heydenrych presenting both the prosecutor and the defendant arguments at the same time, bouncing from one side to the other… really making the reader be involved in the story and question the numerous twisted events throughout the plot. Now, you all know I’m not the biggest fan of Instagram so when I first started this, I was concerned the link to the app would take over the plot (which I’ve seen happen in quite a few books), but not in this one. Heydenrych only utilities the app to help her argument on the dangers and trickery that can happen on social media… this plot would have worked with any social media platform, and indeed it hit home to me the power of the words we use online. With the chapters being reasonably short and the POV changing between Holly and her attacker, I was hooked on turning these pages all afternoon and finished it in one sitting. Gripping, relevant and capable of changing your mind multiple times, this story instantly draws you in.

A dark thriller concerning an Internet blogger and how her possible lies could come back to bite her. It was a slowish start in that I took a while to get into the writing style. The use of first person, present tense is always a challenge for me - but it was worth sticking with it. It became a kind of terrifying story of being stalked by someone insane whilst dealing with severe personal issues. I am someone who is mindful of how much story I have left by the remaining pages. I decided to leave the end as it looked like it was quite a chunk of reading. Instead the end was abrupt and the final chunk of pages was acknowledgements and an interview with the author followed by an extract from her new book. I felt a bit conned as I’d have finished the last bit the night before had I known it was just a few pages. I hate when publishers do this. But this apart - and perhaps the disappointment of a rushed and ambiguous end - it’s a very good read that I would recommend.

I read this in 10 daily instalments via Pigeonhole (alongside other readers & the author herself) ... with daily cliffhangers which certainly helped build the tension, although there is no denying the compelling elements which do drive the story on, fluctuating between two narrative strands: one that of Social Media darling Holly with her clean living approach to not just living well but surviving cancer and the other of Tyler a guy with a personal grievance with Holly’s methods and seeks revenge. Both characters are deeply flawed but with complex backgrounds slowly revealed making the unlikeable, well maybe not likeable, it’ll test your empathy... but which, if either, will garner your support... or get you clicking like? Regarding the storyline & plot there is a sense of mystery too which had quite a few of us speculating various who, what, where scenarios... but I don’t think any of us predicted the powerful end! It’s a very topical story about the use of & hang-ups with social media & the behaviour of characters in the public domain and indeed the reactions & behaviour of the audience; Heydenrych makes some very astute observations about both the psyche of her characters & general psychological & social elements that certainly create plenty opportunities for discussion and even debates which makes this a good choice for book clubs.

A slow starter, but very very interesting. I not only loved the story but I learned so much about myself whilst reading. The whole Internet party, of how it can make and break you in a very small amount of time. This story is absolutely a true version of what happens if you want/need to be loved, so much so, it becomes painful. A very clever and real account of love and abuse to oneself, that can either end good or really bad. Thank you Amy. I have learned a whole lot about myself and the world today. I know just by reading this story I want to, and hope to, become a better person. Fab!

Slow start to this book and I very nearly gave up but as it went on the plot got more interesting, really enjoyed it and I learnt a lot about the pros and cons of social media which is thought provoking, however as much as I enjoyed it the ending was a little disappointing and was a did she, didn't she moment. Well worth a read.

A well written book that really gets underneath the feelings of the individual. Today's yearning for wanting to be famous, the veneer of being perfect when the reality is so removed from the life projected through social media. A contemporary book that really gets to the heart of the modern craze to open your life for all to view and the desire to be loved by people you will never meet. Good ending that left a choice hanging up in the air but still a good conclusion.

I suppose it is not my type of book. I guessed the plot if that is what you might call it straight away, and I disliked the characters. I think it captures the zeitgeist of social media but having to drag through the minutiae of the main character's life was tedious and did not engage my sympathy. The writing style is not bad, but not good to keep me going when the "plot" did not hold my interest. The ending is a cliché and irritating.

A gritty, sometimes unnerving piece of fiction taken from the very real and valid concerns of soci media and the extremes at which it can direct our decisions and our lifestyles. It's difficult to write a protagonist that the reader isn't really supposed to like, but is still in their corner cheering them on - Amy Heydenrych nails it!

We've all experienced that high when our post is getting lots of likes. Holly's obsession of her Instagram account is something most of us can relate to, even just a little bit. When she is attacked because of her fame, the reader feels immediately sorry for her, but there is something sinister about her too, something she is hiding from everyone else. The book's chapters alternate between the victim and the attacker, making us see both of their perspectives. At times we feel sympathy for both characters yet they are not particularly likeable either. This book is a real character study into why people do what they do - how does someone become a liar? Why would someone enjoy hurting another person? What would motivate someone to attack another person? The tension mounts as the attacker keeps taunting Holly. Holly starts to spiral out of control. And all the while the public watch her downfall with glee. But isn't a victim, she fights back. This book is the perfect thriller - it's a psychological study of our obsession with social media. It looks at the stars of social media but also at the fickle fans who both admire the stars and revel in the stars downfall, all the while trying to become stars themselves. This is an exciting thriller which makes some incisive points about our obsession with social media. The ending is gripping, it kept me on the edge of my seat, and there is a real and unexpected twist. I can't wait to see what the author writes next.

Loved this book . The characters are real . The story unusual. Hope to read more from this author. Thanks

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One of the best books I have read in a long time. It was totally different and i couldn't put it down. I would like to read more or this type of book. Excellent.

This book is fast-paced, well put together and a very easy read. Character development is good and the topic is very relevant in a world dominated by social media. Great work from a new author