ABOUT THE BOOK
Two days after arriving in Iceland for a promotional trip, Instagram influencer Alabama Wood goes missing. With no leads, the Icelandic police start their investigation by focusing on the two influencers seemingly closest to Alabama on the trip: Celeste Reed, Alabama’s best friend of ten years, and Hollie Goodwin, fitness guru and Alabama’s unwilling idol.
Celeste and Alabama have grown apart recently because Celeste has been too distracted by her five-year-old’s behavioral issues and her husband’s refusal to admit that there’s a problem. What Celeste doesn’t tell them is how she has been coping with these worries and how it involves Alabama in ways no one would guess.
On the outside, Hollie appears to have everything—the husband, the body, and over one million Instagram followers. In reality, however, Hollie came to Iceland to escape the implosion of her life behind the screen. The only person who suspected something amiss behind Hollie’s precisely filtered pictures is Alabama.
As secrets are revealed and loyalties are tested, debut author Nicole Hackett asks a vital question: do we control our online image, or does it control us?
| Length | 9 hours and 31 minutes |
|---|---|
| Author | Nicole Hackett |
| Narrators | Patricia Santomasso, Jess Nahikian, Elise Arsenault |
| Audible.com Release Date | May 02, 2023 |
| Publisher | Dreamscape Media |
What’s Being Said About This Debut Novel
“[A] CLEVERLY CONSTRUCTED THRILLER … WITH MANY DETOURS AND SURPRISES.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“[A] THRILLING ROMP THROUGH ICELAND … WITH AN ENDING YOU WON’T SEE COMING.”
—Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, authors of How to Save a Life
“THIS RAZOR-SHARP DEBUT NOVEL IS UNPUTDOWNABLE.”
—Elissa R. Sloan, author of The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes
“[AN] UNFILTERED LENS ON SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS.”
—Emma Bamford, author of Deep Water
I have more tolerance for a slow-moving story when I’m listening to it, especially if it’s a well-narrated one. In the case of The Perfect Ones, I found it quite interesting, and it definitely offered food for thought, but would it have kept my interest if I’d been reading it? I’m not sure.
While the premise is quite unique, famous Instagram influencers meet in Iceland and one disappears, the feel was more of dissecting the lives of the influences, than that of a suspenseful thriller. However, I did enjoy discovering where the story was heading.
My Concerns
Multiple POVs with past and present timelines usually work for me, but this time it came across as somewhat disjointed.
While the idea of the characters being influencers felt very original, I would like to have known a bit more about that aspect of their lives. I learned some of their secrets and weaknesses but needed to feel more in tune with the social media part. And the disappearance/mystery felt more like a slow unraveling.
Final Thoughts
Despite my concerns, this is an audiobook that I’m not sorry I listened to. The narration was exceptionally well done, and I did get a glimpse into the lives of several women. Much of it was uncovered nicely. However, it felt more wrapped around relationships, the pressures that can be involved regarding social media, facing reality, and more, than a disappearance.
Even with my concerns, I have no trouble recommending this book. It still has plenty to offer as an audiobook, though you’re apt to be disappointed if you think it’s going to be a thriller or suspenseful.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook. I was under no obligation to post any particular type of review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicole is a reader, writer, and below-average toddler negotiator. Shes lives with her husband and two kids just outside Baltimore, Maryland, where she works as a biochemical patent agent. In addition to being an author, she is one of those annoying people who run on vacation.
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