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When you’re a target of stalking, “Each day is a fight to stay alive. Even while sleeping, you must be ready.” So reveals Kathryn Caraway in Unfollow Me, a spine-tingling true crime novel tracing a life shattered by severe stalking.
Although the author uses the pseudonym “Kathryn Caraway” throughout this novel to protect her identity, her harrowing tales of being the target of a stalker and fighting for her rights to freedom and safety are a testament to the real danger she was exposed to. Caraway’s experience creates a compelling story of one woman’s brave quest for justice against her torturer.
Kathryn emotionally, mentally, and physically falls apart at the hands of a violent, ubiquitous presence. Despite the severity of the crimes committed against her, Kathryn’s concerns are routinely dismissed as irrational and hysterical by law enforcement officials, lawyers, and even long-time friends.
Before a malicious intruder targets her, Kathryn is a beloved mother, a wonderful friend, and a confident employee. But after she is introduced to Todd, he begins to slowly strip her life from her control.
Todd absorbs Kathryn’s routines and destroys any sense of safety. He starts hurtful rumors that damage her reputation and cause her to doubt herself and others around her. He invades an office space in her home, installs secret security cameras and listening devices, tracks her car, kidnaps her dog, clones her phone, and befriends her abusive ex-husbands, making her life a living nightmare.
His aggressive actions only increase in extremity and frequency.
Overtime, Kathryn’s circle of trusted people becomes smaller. Her sleep and mental health degrade as she spends every second aware of her vulnerability and Todd’s proximity. Any sense of normalcy is turned upside down as Kathryn is forced to become a ghost observing the shambles of her previous life.
An inspiring story of survival, Unfollow Me brings awareness to the horrors of stalking and its devastating effects on the mental health of those targeted.
Despite the seemingly endless suffering and anxiety, Kathryn remains steadfast in her commitment to defend her safety and punish Todd for his crimes against her and his other targets. Juggling hundreds of pages of documented incidents in a black binder, Kathryn assembles a case against Todd. Her sacrifices and bravery serve as an eye-opening lesson to readers on the lack of resources for those subjected to stalking and how to support those who are in danger.
Caraway’s true-to-life novel focuses much-needed attention on stalking as a crime, its consistent dismissal by law enforcement, and the suffering of those who have been targeted
Caraway not only shares her first-hand experience as a person who’s been the target of a sadistic stalker, but also the lack of compassion by those who are supposed to protect her. Left to fend for herself, Kathryn spends three years advocating for her own survival as any semblance of trust for others is demolished, which leads her to distrust her own mind. “My sole focus was on survival,” she writes. “Life, as I knew it, had become unbearable.”
Caraway’s diligent attention to detail, a practice learned from years of scrupulous incident documentation, allows her to craft a truly captivating story. Readers will find themselves clenching every muscle in anticipation as Unfollow Me unfolds, horrified and enraged, but ultimately inspired.
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