Follow Me

Follow Me
~Rachel Graham

Follow Me by Rachel Graham is a trip to the house of mirrors at the local carnival, except this one is built inside a psych ward. Every reflection looks like the truth until you reach out to touch it and run smack-dab into the mirror. Graham hands you a flashlight, points you down a hallway lined with voices, needles, and scripture, and says, “Follow me.” And you will. Just don't expect her to show you the direct path out.

Lena has lived in the mental hospital long enough to know the rules: take the meds, smile at the doctors, and don't mention the voices. She's heard them her entire life, and all that's left of her family is her brother, Aidan. Each day mirrors the one before it: drugs, the fog they bring, nurses who couldn't care less, and doctors who treat freedom like a prize dangled just out of reach.

Then a stranger shows up with a religious group and a very tempting idea: Lena isn't sick. She's gifted. The voices aren't symptoms. They're divine.

For a girl who has prayed for a way out, this sounds like the answer she's been searching for. But sometimes something that sounds too good to be true really is. Lena's road to freedom leads her to a family that looks at her with worship in their eyes, and suddenly the question isn't whether she'll ever get out. It's what the heck did she just get herself into?

Graham makes this book Lena. She writes her with the steady hand of someone who knows these hallways. Lena is stubborn, desperate, humorous when she needs to be, and heartbreaking when she doesn't intend to be. She's plagued by the pain of a childhood filled with voices, a life run by locked doors and needles, and the slow erosion of her sense of identity. Then a promise of being “chosen” lands, and does it land!

Aidan is her one anchor to the outside world, and his dedication to his sister gives the story some much-needed warmth. I would have loved more of him and a deeper look at their relationship because that connection had plenty of emotional potential. As for the strange woman and her religious group...well, you'll have to read it to find out more.

Honestly, being dropped so deeply into Lena's psyche makes you start questioning your own grip on reality. The supporting cast is there to serve Lena's story, and for the most part, they do that well. Still, I wanted more from Aidan simply because I wanted to feel that bond as strongly as Lena does.

The setup hits the mark. Imagine a roller coaster slowly dragging you up the first incline, building the scene with trauma, routine, and an ever-present sense that something isn't quite right. Then comes the descent, arms flapping, screams disappearing into the wind. Graham creates a mood that is sad and tense without allowing it to become overwhelmingly heavy, sprinkling in just enough humor to give you a breath between the darker moments.

I spit my tea when I hit the Chapter 39 nod. IYKYK.

And just when you think you've figured out which reflection is real, Graham pulls the rug out from under you again. And again. Reality remains just out of reach, and every time you think you've got your footing, the floor shifts.

Then comes the twist.

Can I just say...my jaw is still collecting dog hair as it sits on the floor refusing to be picked up.

Follow Me by Rachel Graham is a bold, thought-provoking psychological thriller that explores faith, mental illness, manipulation, and the thin line between miracle and madness. Released June 4, 2024, and available on Amazon, Audible, and Kindle.

As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition, Karen Brooks aka The Tx Lit Chic. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher for a fair and honest review of Follow Me.

Ok Ms. Graham, maybe this wasn’t the best read for me when I’m having a rough week mentally 🤣 ok kidding. Or am I? Because this book definitely got inside my head.

This was the type of book that you could never trust what you were reading. The combination of mental illness, manipulation and religion that this psychological thriller portrayed was the perfect cocktail that kept me glued to the pages. So many moments I thought I had things figured out, just to realize I was only questioning things some more.

Creepy, unsettling and psychologically twisted. With an ending that leaves you asking “wth just happened?”

This was a triller about a teenage girl who's magical powers were overlooked and written off as mental issues . Lena was locked away in a mental hospital because she heard voices . All that changes once she meets Rose and Leroy .

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. I didn't know if Lena had powers or if this was just a crazy cult. I thought I had it all figured out until the end and now I'm confused again (which is why I deducted from my rating. I like a clear cut ending.) Overall this book really held my attention and I'd definitely recommend it!

This book had me hooked from the very beginning! The storyline has you following Lena a teenage girl who's whole life has been stuck in a mental hospital and told shes crazy. But not everything is what it seems and trust me the plot twist hits hard and has you questioning everything you read and trying to decipher what was reality and what was all made up! I loved the narration told from Lena's perspective and her personality throughout the book ! I definitely didn't see the ending coming or how it was going to have me questioning the whole book!

I absolutely loved this book! Loved the cult aspect of it and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Being inside Lena's head was equal parts heartbreaking and unsettling. The psych ward setting, the voices, the religious group, the constant uncertainty. It all came together to create a story that kept me guessing from beginning to end.

Not every twist landed perfectly for me, but I was completely invested and couldn't stop turning the pages