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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I liked parts of it a lot but couldn’t stay focused.
Unexpectedly relevant, with a whole lot of heart. I really liked this, and found it very thought-provoking! How much do we share with people, and what does it say about us?
This was a great story-- I would have loved more information and clarity on the actual Event that caused the world to change
Followers tracks two women, one in 2015, one in 2051 and the role social media and the internet plays in their lives. It's bleak and it's hard not to wonder if this is where we're headed. This is a book that made me think and while it's uncomfortable to face the truth of how technology and social media might affect us, I highly recommend it. It's not all bleak, though. There's humor and light-heartedness threaded throughout. There's a lot of ridiculous in this book, but the darkness comes in how that ridiculousness mirrors our current and possibly future world.
I read this book on a whim from an Instagram post suggestion. I believe this is a debut novel from this author. Lately, I've been fascinated with social media, influencers, and the whole internet, so I thought this thriller would be all about that.
And it was.
The story is divided into two parts, present-day and the near future after a tragedy called The Spill. We follow Orla and her roommate, Floss, in present-day as they chase after the ideas of fame and influence. Floss wants to be known and Orla is willing to help her reach that goal, but the cost may become a little too steep for both of them. In the future, Marlow is a girl who lives in a Truman Show kind of city, where everything depends on the number of followers watching your life. But she is growing a little weary of having every choice made for her and attempts to escape this life and find out who she really is and what she is really made of.
The writing was pretty fluid. Even though the chapters went back and forth from now to the future, it was really easy to follow. There were a few misdirections to help with the surprise of the plot twists, but some of it was predictable, just because there was some obvious foreshadowing which I think helped build narrative, not take away from the fun of the journey. I didn't think some of the ending was realistic which kind of took me out of the book. I had to suspend reality for that moment, but overall it was a good look at how vulnerable our sharing of our lives on the internet really is.
I didn't find incredible depth with the characters. The plot moved pretty quickly, though, for there to be a huge amount of character development. I felt like there wasn't a whole lot of transformation in these characters, probably Marlow as the most, but instead, the characters just had to fit their circumstances, even if it was just giving up to those circumstances.
There was profanity, some sexual content and a little violent content. The violence was only on the periphery but there is a suicide that's discussed but not in detail. The sexual content was not explicit, just mentioned that it happened because it kind of had to for the plot work. And the profanity I suppose helped build characters' emotions but I don't know if it was totally necessary.
It was an okay book. Good for a debut novel. I liked how much she addresses our need to share and how vulnerable we are in that sharing, even now. It's good to address these issues, and frankly, I don't think our society has even stopped to think about it. I also liked, as a side note, the unfortunate outcome of the use of smartphones, which addressed early and is not a spoiler. As I type this on my computer, I wonder how all these screens will affect our generation in the future. I don't know if it will turn out like this book thinks it will, but it is important to stay awake and moderate. Good read!
And it was.
The story is divided into two parts, present-day and the near future after a tragedy called The Spill. We follow Orla and her roommate, Floss, in present-day as they chase after the ideas of fame and influence. Floss wants to be known and Orla is willing to help her reach that goal, but the cost may become a little too steep for both of them. In the future, Marlow is a girl who lives in a Truman Show kind of city, where everything depends on the number of followers watching your life. But she is growing a little weary of having every choice made for her and attempts to escape this life and find out who she really is and what she is really made of.
The writing was pretty fluid. Even though the chapters went back and forth from now to the future, it was really easy to follow. There were a few misdirections to help with the surprise of the plot twists, but some of it was predictable, just because there was some obvious foreshadowing which I think helped build narrative, not take away from the fun of the journey. I didn't think some of the ending was realistic which kind of took me out of the book. I had to suspend reality for that moment, but overall it was a good look at how vulnerable our sharing of our lives on the internet really is.
I didn't find incredible depth with the characters. The plot moved pretty quickly, though, for there to be a huge amount of character development. I felt like there wasn't a whole lot of transformation in these characters, probably Marlow as the most, but instead, the characters just had to fit their circumstances, even if it was just giving up to those circumstances.
There was profanity, some sexual content and a little violent content. The violence was only on the periphery but there is a suicide that's discussed but not in detail. The sexual content was not explicit, just mentioned that it happened because it kind of had to for the plot work. And the profanity I suppose helped build characters' emotions but I don't know if it was totally necessary.
It was an okay book. Good for a debut novel. I liked how much she addresses our need to share and how vulnerable we are in that sharing, even now. It's good to address these issues, and frankly, I don't think our society has even stopped to think about it. I also liked, as a side note, the unfortunate outcome of the use of smartphones, which addressed early and is not a spoiler. As I type this on my computer, I wonder how all these screens will affect our generation in the future. I don't know if it will turn out like this book thinks it will, but it is important to stay awake and moderate. Good read!
This felt like an episode of Black Mirror. It sort of fell flat for me at the end, but I still enjoyed the whole ride.
Ooof, I’m not sure why I stuck with this one. I think overall premise was a good one, but the storyline just didn’t capture me.
I loved loved the bulk of this book and its thought-provoking and relevant message on social media. The characters were engrossing, Constellation was mystifying, and I couldn’t get enough. The only thing that fell a bit flat for me, personally, was the ending, but that’s just my take. After the events that built up to the final pages, I just wanted… selfishly… a bit more.
Hoopla audio. Tracking the timeline on audio could be a little difficult at times if I wasn’t paying attention. As could keeping the characters apart, especially Orla and Marlowe. Overall the premise to the story was weird for me and it took a while for me to get into. More sci-fi than fiction. And maybe eerily prophetic.
Interesting concept but not well-executed. This book attempted to take in the current mainstream culture in America and predict where it would take us 30 years from now. Parts were tedious, the characters were unlikable (purposefully so, I'm sure), and overall bleak outlook. 2 stars for concept.