of Illinois and Northwestern University School of Law. She now lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and son. Her first novel, Truth Be Told (2017, originally published as Are You Sleeping), has been adapted as a series for Apple TV+ by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine media company.Barber applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, Follow Me, and reported the following:
Follow Me is about a woman named Audrey who shares every aspect of her life with her more than one million followers on Instagram, and who unwittingly attracts the attention of someone more interested in following her offline than online. I applied the Page 69 Test and discovered that, while the main suspense element—the steps Audrey’s stalker takes to get close to her and the mystery of his identity—isn’t present on that page, the page passes the test because it reveals a couple of important aspects of Audrey’s character. The page opens with Audrey reflecting on strangers recognizing her from her Instagram presence and noting that “[b]eing recognized like some sort of celebrity was the best high I’d ever experienced.” Knowing this about Audrey helps explain why she’s compelled to share so much of herself online. The rest of the page shows Audrey in conversation with her best friend’s love interest, and, although Audrey intends to build inroads for her friend, she can’t help but flirt with him a little. Audrey’s impulsive, wanton flirting is an ingrained part of her personality and something that plays a role later in the book.Visit Kathleen Barber's website.
--Marshal Zeringue
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