Made You Look by Tanya Grant turns influencer culture into a deadly game

A snowstorm, a retreat full of influencers, and a killer among them—Made You Look by Tanya Grant (on sale November 18, 2025) takes a sharp, unsettling look at what happens when image-driven lives collide with deadly reality.

Sydney Kent is the star of the show—the influencer everyone wants to be or be with. But her friends and colleagues—Caitlyn, Lucy, Jeff, Nash, and Brent—aren’t just background players. They’re the professionals who make her shine, whether as photographers, stylists, or managers. When the group travels to a secluded Catskills retreat, it’s supposed to be an opportunity for fresh content and brand partnerships. Instead, a snowstorm traps them without Wi-Fi, cell service, or an escape route. That’s when the murders begin, and the real cracks in their “team” are forced into the open.

This debut thriller feels perfectly timed for the cultural moment we’re in. Influencer culture often gets dismissed as shallow or frivolous, but really, how is it any different from the advertising we’ve always had? At least with influencers, there’s a human face—an aspirational one, sure, but still a real person—behind the pitch. If you’re not selling something and making money, then what’s the point? Who has time to influence others’ buying habits while working a full-time job? Honestly, if I had the knack for videos, I’d sign myself up in a heartbeat. Give me free books, a skincare collab for my aging skin, or even a steak-of-the-month club sponsorship, and I’d happily sell that juicy red meat on camera if it meant no more office grind.

And make no mistake: being an influencer is work. Serious work. Successful ones juggle photography, videography, storytelling, branding, marketing, analytics, and trend awareness. The characters in Made You Look embody these skills—you can see their creativity and professionalism shine through, even as they’re slowly unraveling. They may look effortless on a phone screen, but Tanya Grant makes sure you understand the grind behind the glamour.

The structure of the novel is clever, too. Most of the story unfolds through the perspectives of Lucy and Caitlyn, but Grant occasionally slips in second-person vignettes, written as if you’re the one watching Sydney’s latest video. At first, everything looks picture-perfect. But then the cracks show—little hints that something’s wrong. It’s a brilliant way to make the reader complicit, as if you’re just another fan glued to your screen.

I’ll admit as someone who doesn’t follow influencers closely, I find it hard to imagine being that invested in one person’s curated life. Then again, I once binged seventeen seasons of Sister Wives just to get to the drama-heavy episodes where everything starts falling apart! So maybe it’s not so different. Whether it’s reality TV or Instagram reels, our culture thrives on watching “ordinary” people rise, fall, and reveal what’s behind the curtain. Made You Look taps right into that obsession—and forces you to wonder whether it’s healthy, or just another flavor of spectacle.

One thing is clear: Sydney may sell her group as a “team,” but in reality, they’re far from it. From a business-school perspective, a team is defined as a group of people working together to achieve a common goal. In this case, every single person is out for themselves. And once the blood starts flowing, it’s every influencer for their own brand survival.

Tanya Grant’s Made You Look is not just a locked-room thriller; it’s a sharp, timely commentary on influencer culture, parasocial obsession, and the fine line between admiration and envy. If you’re a fan of fast-paced thrillers with a social edge—something in the vein of The Guest List or One by One—this one deserves a spot on your TBR.

What about you? Do you follow influencers regularly—or do you think the whole phenomenon is overhyped? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Are you looking for more novels featuring social media influencers? Check out this list on my online bookstore!

An advance reader copy of this book (ARC) was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Related Content

• Welcome, friend! – by Tanya Grant (Plot Twist)
• 7 books that turn social media into a plot twist (Electric Literature)
• Online influencers in fiction (CrimeReads)
• Social media stars in books (No Bookmarks Needed)
• InstaFiction: Stories of influencing and influencers (The Fiction Addiction)

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