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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Covering the issue of our addiction to technology and social media, and the implications of sharing all of our most personal details with corporations who don't hold our privacy in their best interests, [a:Megan Angelo|18044292|Megan Angelo|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565558563p2/18044292.jpg] imagines a catastrophic privacy breach that results in the collapse of the internet as we know it today. The resulting dystopia brings a government-controlled internet and a Truman Show-style media outlet that encourages Americans to resume their habit of following social influencers and oversharing their own details--all for their own protection, of course. It's an enjoyably ambitious story that makes some very good points, but it was flawed enough on execution to break my suspension of disbelief and keep me from loving this book. P.S. That's just not how the 404 error works.
Alternating narrators and timelines, Followers is told by Orla in 2015/2016 and Marlow in 2051. Flossy is the tie between the two storylines - Orla's best friend in present-day and Marlow's mom in the future.
Flossy has an insatiable appetite for fame. She enlists her roommate Orla, a blogger, to help make her internet famous. In a time when your Instagram and online profiles define your true self, Flossy will be whoever will gain her the most followers.
Flash forward to 2051, after the Fog and after the world has dramatically shifted, Flossy still seeks the limelight. But times have changed and now Flossy is willing to even sell out her daughter, Marlow, in order to achieve the fame she seeks. Set in a "Truman-like" setting, almost every move Marlow makes is broadcast 24/7 for followers all around the world to watch, judge, comment, buy products, hate, and worship.
But within these fabricated worlds, there are secrets waiting to be exposed and no matter how many followers or how popular you are, the secrets can ruin you.
I loved the present-day storyline to which we can all relate in part. I particularly liked the future world and the detail Angelo wove to enhance the narrative - for example, creating a world to push a brand or market a product, designing and essentially manufacturing children, the advancements of technology to read our minds and persuade our thinking. This book was incredibly relevant and very unique...and maybe even a little frightening! Now... FOLLOW ME FOREVER!!
Flossy has an insatiable appetite for fame. She enlists her roommate Orla, a blogger, to help make her internet famous. In a time when your Instagram and online profiles define your true self, Flossy will be whoever will gain her the most followers.
Flash forward to 2051, after the Fog and after the world has dramatically shifted, Flossy still seeks the limelight. But times have changed and now Flossy is willing to even sell out her daughter, Marlow, in order to achieve the fame she seeks. Set in a "Truman-like" setting, almost every move Marlow makes is broadcast 24/7 for followers all around the world to watch, judge, comment, buy products, hate, and worship.
But within these fabricated worlds, there are secrets waiting to be exposed and no matter how many followers or how popular you are, the secrets can ruin you.
I loved the present-day storyline to which we can all relate in part. I particularly liked the future world and the detail Angelo wove to enhance the narrative - for example, creating a world to push a brand or market a product, designing and essentially manufacturing children, the advancements of technology to read our minds and persuade our thinking. This book was incredibly relevant and very unique...and maybe even a little frightening! Now... FOLLOW ME FOREVER!!
I really loved this book...in theory. It grabbed my attention quickly, the plot line was incredibly creative and it was thick with rich character development. But there was something about it that just didn't resonate with me, something that just kind of let me down.
The novel follows two main characters, Orla Cadden, a culture blogger plagued with a fame-chasing roommate who has a plan to launch of them both into notoriety, and Marlow, an already notorious government-sanctioned influencer with millions of followers struggling to find independence. The novel bounces between these two women, who are living 35 years apart, as they struggle to find what the other has.
I really enjoyed the contrast of the two plot lines and the two women. I enjoyed the gentle teases that there was some kind of connection between Orla and Marlow. I was incredibly curious about the "big event" that happened in between 2015 and 2051, resulting in a complete disruption of how American's viewed the internet. I was driven by my curiosity of why the government of all things created an influencer program. The story, to me, was so intriguing.
The dystopian setting really hooked me, so for most of the book, I was willing to ignore how some of the writing felt forced and longwinded. I was willing to ignore that there were some melodramatic moments that we're clearly cliffhangers for the sake of being cliffhangers. But then I got closer and closer to the end and...wow. What a let down. The weak ended ruined things for me; it felt like the author had a great idea for a story (which is true) but somehow forgot to figure out what caused the main conflict.
So, while I enjoyed about 80% of the book, the ending really took it from a great read to a let down. I wish it had stayed strong through the end, but it seems like a lot of readers were a-okay with how things wrapped up, so I guess to each their own!
The novel follows two main characters, Orla Cadden, a culture blogger plagued with a fame-chasing roommate who has a plan to launch of them both into notoriety, and Marlow, an already notorious government-sanctioned influencer with millions of followers struggling to find independence. The novel bounces between these two women, who are living 35 years apart, as they struggle to find what the other has.
I really enjoyed the contrast of the two plot lines and the two women. I enjoyed the gentle teases that there was some kind of connection between Orla and Marlow. I was incredibly curious about the "big event" that happened in between 2015 and 2051, resulting in a complete disruption of how American's viewed the internet. I was driven by my curiosity of why the government of all things created an influencer program. The story, to me, was so intriguing.
The dystopian setting really hooked me, so for most of the book, I was willing to ignore how some of the writing felt forced and longwinded. I was willing to ignore that there were some melodramatic moments that we're clearly cliffhangers for the sake of being cliffhangers. But then I got closer and closer to the end and...wow. What a let down. The weak ended ruined things for me; it felt like the author had a great idea for a story (which is true) but somehow forgot to figure out what caused the main conflict.
So, while I enjoyed about 80% of the book, the ending really took it from a great read to a let down. I wish it had stayed strong through the end, but it seems like a lot of readers were a-okay with how things wrapped up, so I guess to each their own!
This book was so good - and so creepy and unsettling! It feels like we are collectively a deep breath away from the 2051 reality depicted here, which makes it all the more interesting to follow along with the then and now. I also really appreciate the author's inclusion of the President (without making names) and the brilliant writing of and commentary on his speech.
4.5 stars that I'm rounding up.
Take celebrity culture, phone addictions, Instagram "fame", and mash it up with a tinge of a dystopian government state.
Very fun, very thought-provoking.
Take celebrity culture, phone addictions, Instagram "fame", and mash it up with a tinge of a dystopian government state.
Very fun, very thought-provoking.
THIS. It had me hooked from the first page, and I’m a sucker for books with time jumps! I’ve not read dystopia for save my own mental well-being for the first half of the year so although it’s a favourite genre it’s the first I’ve read in 2020 and it’s absolutely amazing. Although I guessed some of the plot reveals and I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the ending, it was so complex and well written that I honestly didn’t mind. I’m not usually a fan of tech based stories but this was really a special one.
I loved the points this book made about the internet and how open it is. It also brings to light certain aspects of a celebrity's life that aren't usually shown.
I think this was a well written dystopian that seems far more possible than many others I’ve read. The beginning was a tad confusing but once I understood how the world functioned, it was easy to follow. Definitely an interesting on what we broadcast of our lives to the masses and the importance of having some parts of life remain private. It’s also an interesting look at how people can learn to derive some form of meaning from broadcasting their entire life but being unsatisfied in life overall. I do find the ending a bit odd with Floss, Orla, and Marlo all living in Atlantis with each other given that Floss stole Orla’s child and lied to Marlo her entire life. I will say, it is well established that Floss is an extreme example of a person being of their environment, she was thoroughly entrenched in that lifestyle so her actions, while awful, are understandable to an extent.