I went into Esther Is Now Following You expecting something light and entertaining, maybe even a little silly. What I got instead was a far more layered and unsettling story that kept me reading long after I should have gone to bed. Tanya Sweeney takes what could have been a simple satire about celebrity obsession and turns it into something sharper, sadder, and surprisingly compassionate.
The novel follows Esther, who is grieving the loss of her pregnancy and drifting through a marriage that feels more like habit than partnership. Her life is small and numb until she fixates on Ted, a minor actor whose online presence becomes her escape hatch. Watching her slip into this fantasy world is both fascinating and uncomfortable. She creates a new identity, Essie, and convinces herself that moving to Canada will bring her closer to the happiness she believes Ted represents. It is delusional, yes, but it is also rooted in a very human desire to outrun pain.
The slow reveal of Esther’s past is one of the strongest parts of the book. I found myself wanting to dislike her more than I actually did. She is obsessive and morally questionable, yet there is a fragility to her that makes it difficult to write her off completely. One moment I felt protective of her, the next I was horrified by her choices. That tension kept me hooked. Sweeney never excuses Esther’s behaviour, but she does show how trauma can warp someone’s sense of reality when left unaddressed.
The novel also digs into the darker side of social media. The way Esther uncovers personal details about Ted and his family is disturbingly easy, and the online fan group she joins is chaotic in a way that feels uncomfortably familiar. The Tedettes are vicious, gleeful, and completely unhinged, and the book captures the way fandoms can spiral into something feral. Even though the story is set more than a decade ago, it still feels painfully relevant.
What worked best for me was the balance between humour and discomfort. There are moments that made me laugh, usually at Esther’s earnestness, but the humour never undermines the seriousness of what she is going through. The writing is sharp and observant, and the emotional beats land with real weight. My only frustration was that I sometimes wanted Esther to be more unlikeable. I kept waiting for the moment I would fully turn on her, yet Sweeney always pulled me back with another glimpse of her vulnerability.
Readers who enjoy character driven stories with a psychological edge will find a lot to unpack here. It is messy, tense, and at times deeply sad, but it is also compelling in a way that made it impossible for me to look away.
Esther Is Now Following You is a smart and uncomfortable exploration of obsession, identity, and the ways grief can twist a person’s sense of self.
What I also appreciated is the fact that the trigger warnings are clearly specified in the book, and it also includes questions for book discussions!
Thank you to Penguin Random House SA for the opportunity to read this book.
