I'll Follow You

A Novel

By: Charlene Wang, Mindy Kaling - introduction

Narrated by: Jess Moran

“Reading this made me want to text my best friend. And then block her. And then text her again. It was a wild ride!”—Mindy Kaling

For two best friends desperate to escape their dead-end town, a viral online persona becomes a dangerous game of control in a twisting psychological thriller about class, power, and identity.

Faith and her charismatic best friend, Kayla, always vowed to escape their trailer park together. After their social media persona, Hannah Primrose, goes viral, their fates seem more entwined than ever. But when Faith is accepted into prestigious Harkness College, she must decide whether to keep her promise to Kayla or learn to tell her own story.

By the time Faith arrives on campus, Kayla is no longer speaking with her. Struggling to fit in with her wealthy classmates, Faith reinvents herself, drawing the attention of her enigmatic art history professor. Then Kayla shows up outside her dormitory one night. I need to stay with you.

Having Kayla on campus is thrilling—and dangerous. Posing as a student, Kayla charms everyone she encounters, and soon enough they’re posting together again. Hannah Primrose, after all, is perfect for a place like Harkness. But as Faith risks her future for the persona she helped create, she begins to realize that Kayla is playing a deadly game…and it may be too late to regain control of the narrative.

©2025 by Charlene Wang. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Taut and fast-paced, I’ll Follow You is a cunning novel about virality and friendships that derail. A triumphant addition to the genre of books I love and call ‘women at the edge,’ Charlene Wang’s debut is one to savor.”—Ingrid Rojas Contreras, author of Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist The Man Who Could Move Clouds

“I’ll Follow You is a dark and twisty story of female friendship, belonging, and betrayal. Charlene Wang deftly explores the complicated power dynamics between women and the way we see ourselves and each other. This haunting and addictive page-turner will keep you guessing until the very end!”—Jennifer Close, bestselling author of Girls in White Dresses

“A deeply satisfying campus novel about the allure of social media, the power of reclaiming your narrative, and what happens when you go poking around in places you don’t belong. In Faith and Kayla, Charlene Wang has written one of the most toxic female friendships in recent memory.”—Daisy Alpert Florin, author of My Last Innocent Year

Wow... That's messed up. Not cool😮

It is wild how reliant this book is for today's society. I can't tell if I am in love with Faith or if I kinda hate her...

Interesting storyline and characters

Really enjoyed this book. At times it felt a bit long, but was entertaining and felt very, very real.

What our world is these days.

I’ll Follow You” is a powerful story about two best friends and how deeply our lives can be shaped by the people we let in. From a young age, we see how influence, loyalty, and trust can guide our choices—sometimes blinding us to the red flags that come with new friendships. The author tells this story beautifully, and it feels both real and relevant to the world we live in today.
The narration was wonderful—easy to follow, emotionally engaging, and delivered with a voice that draws you in. What stood out most to me was how the story reflects the reality of social media and the hidden dangers that come with the digital world—where everything looks perfect, but not everything is real.
This book is a reminder that not all friendships are what they appear to be, and sometimes the scariest stories are the ones that could happen in real life.

Wish I didn't waste a credit

This story was a very slow burn of drama and teenage girl drama, that I am very much aware of... this was long and drawn out for no reason, the last 20% of the book you get a whole summary of the story, you can start there and you won't miss anything... a hard pass for me!