Book Review: I Will Follow (2024)

I Will Follow (2024) by Eireann Corrigan is a thriller about Shea Davison, a popular 15-year-old dancing TikTok influencer, who is kidnapped by Nora, a 17-year-old crazed fan. At such a young age, Nora has devised a plan to hold Shea against her will at her stepfather’s remote cabin in the woods of Tacoma, Washington. Reading this book reminded me of Stephen King’s Misery (1987) and the 1990 film version of the story, directed by Rob Reiner and starring Kathy Bates and James Caan. In Misery, a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan who, similar to Nora, is obsessed with him, deranged, and keeps him against his will while torturing him. In I Will Follow, Shea thinks of ways to escape and tries to find Nora’s weakness to manipulate her to let her go. At the same time, Nora’s demented actions and personality are further explored.

Nora thinks that her taking Shea is beneficial for both of them. In the book, she says, “One day, you and I will both look back on this time and think of it as a rescue, Shea. I truly believe that.” (Corrigan 162). Nora thinks she can help Shea improve her dance moves and that they will be bosom buddies. This reminds me of how some pathological liars actually believe their own lies. Nora tells Shea, “But you know, there are dangerous people roaming around.” (Corrigan 159). Shea had to have been thinking the same as me, “Like you, Nora.”

Not only did Nora plan this entire scheme, but she has also built an apparatus to keep Shea bound while also allowing her to be able to do her dance moves on her TikTok channel to make viewers think that all is well and that she is not being kept against her will. In reading this book, I found that the teenagers were more intelligent than the adults. Though what Nora did was cruel, how she planned it, and the skill she applied in creating the apparatus and the backdrops for the dance videos, in which she was also in while disguised, were impressive. If only she had channeled that energy into something positive. It was also smart of Shea to think of subtle, yet effective clues, like selecting songs by Alice In Chains, to include in the videos that would lead her followers and her best friend to find out what was really happening to her. Too bad for Nora that the followers who nicknamed her “Othergirl” were not as impressed with her as they were with Shea. This further lowers Nora’s self-esteem, pushes her over the edge, and makes her jealous of Shea, which makes her hurt her even more.

Corrigan not only tells an interesting story in this novel, but she also exposes how much social media can have an effect on people and their mental health, especially the youth. We currently live in a social media-driven society where both dreams and nightmares can exist. Some people are addicted to engaging in social media so much that they forget the real world exists. They don’t know how to put their devices down and enjoy nature or the company of someone else while at dinner. In some cases, social media has been a place where children, even adults, have experienced bullying and other attacks that have led some to depression, violence, suicide, and other harmful things. I’m not speaking against social media because I engage in it, I enjoy it, and it is a great resource. However, I also know that it should be used for positivity, and there should be a healthy balance.

Shea does get out alive, but I can’t say the same for Nora. Also noteworthy is Corrigan’s reference to Go Ask Alice (Anonymous, 1971), one of my favorite books. I Will Follow was an enjoyable, quick read. I rate it a 4 out of 5.

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