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I started off on the fence with this one but I'm glad I stuck with it. A dystopic novel that doesn't feel or read like one. It reads like your everyday contemporary fiction, an enjoyable read that takes it time. There's a questioning underlying tone asking us about our screen and sharing habits while also showing us a future that is starting to look all too real.
We all talk about how we want privacy, but do we really?
We all talk about how we want privacy, but do we really?
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
I was surprised I liked this book this much. Starts to fall into my favoured genre but loved the way it was played out, how it evolves. Good book and would recommend!
Having read a lot of genre scifi that tackles many of the issues raised in this book, I was very curious to read more of a litfic take that centered on female relationships. Alas, this book was a deeply ambivalent read for me that felt rather derivative compared to much of the near future scifi I have read. If you mostly read literary fiction, this book will probably feel more "electrifying" as the blurb promises, but for me this felt like the book equivalent of week-old leftovers that have been warmed over too many times. The premise was great, but the execution was unoriginal — not to mention very longwinded, and I found myself rather bored by it. I quickly skimmed through the book so that I could put it down and move onto other things.
DNF. I consider this a dystopian novel and the author did a poor job of letting the reader know the lay of the land in an articulate and quick manner. I liked the 2015 story and characters but she lost me in the future. Not enough context to tie me in and I just didn't like it.
This book was heavy handed and ridiculous and annoying and interesting and engaging and I can tell I will remember it for awhile.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This didn't entirely work for me, but I don't regret reading it. I like speculative fiction with a dystopian bent, and I'm always up for commentary about the role of smartphones, social media, and the internet in our lives. I wish it had been a little more nuanced and less over-the-top; Angelo just crams in so much detail into two separate timelines that it's a bit overwhelming. But there are some truly great scenes, and I did enjoy Orla as a main character. I believe this is Angelo's first novel so I'm interested to see what her sophomore outing will be like.
4.5. I loved this book and the way the stories tie together. It's a really interesting concept and the author does a good job maintaining suspense throughout.