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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
This satire, thriller, quasi-dystopian story tells the tale of two women, Orla and Floss, who become friends through a mutual desire for fame. Starting in the 20-teens, Orla is a writer, slaving away at a pop culture news site and waiting for her big break. Floss is a Kardashian wannabe: she wants to be an influencer, she wants followers, she wants insta-fame. She and Orla, her roommate, hatch a plan where Orla creates the Floss persona, and it works, to dizzying success. The story shifts between 2015-2016 and 2041, where society lives in the aftermath of an event that leaves those of us glued to our screens shadows of our former selves. Reality stars are moved to a government-run, enclosed village where they live their whole lives on camera, with implants that buzz to let them know when they've gained or lost followers, or if they've been off screen too long. Here, we meet Marlow, a 30-something who lives in the village, and dreams of a life off-screen. Discovering a long-held family secret gives her the courage to go on the run, where she heads to New York to get answers.
Followers is a realistic sci-fi thriller that posits an entirely plausible future. Social media-obsessed characters and a screen-consumed society are instantly recognizable - it does take place in 2016, after all - and the tempting mystery that unfolds through two timelines is fascinating and kept me turning pages, wanting to know what happens next. It's a good book to handsell/booktalk to teens, and let them work through the story by asking them what they think future social media and reality stars will look like. Put this on your "this could be our future" shelf with Vox by Christina Dalcher (another YA/Adult crossover), and Caragh O'Brien's Vault of Dreamers trilogy.
Followers is a realistic sci-fi thriller that posits an entirely plausible future. Social media-obsessed characters and a screen-consumed society are instantly recognizable - it does take place in 2016, after all - and the tempting mystery that unfolds through two timelines is fascinating and kept me turning pages, wanting to know what happens next. It's a good book to handsell/booktalk to teens, and let them work through the story by asking them what they think future social media and reality stars will look like. Put this on your "this could be our future" shelf with Vox by Christina Dalcher (another YA/Adult crossover), and Caragh O'Brien's Vault of Dreamers trilogy.
3.5 stars
I liked but didn’t love FOLLOWERS. I love the premise, which explores the way the internet and social media are affecting mental health, relationships, and data privacy in modern day (2015) and in the future (2050) with the help of some WILD characters. It was a fun, fictional companion to my recent(ish) reading of DIGITAL MINIMALISM. The story is fast paced and at times unputdownable, but I found the modern day storyline to be far more compelling than the future timeline and wished there was a bit more plot in that section.
I liked but didn’t love FOLLOWERS. I love the premise, which explores the way the internet and social media are affecting mental health, relationships, and data privacy in modern day (2015) and in the future (2050) with the help of some WILD characters. It was a fun, fictional companion to my recent(ish) reading of DIGITAL MINIMALISM. The story is fast paced and at times unputdownable, but I found the modern day storyline to be far more compelling than the future timeline and wished there was a bit more plot in that section.
Eerie, creepy, occasionally silly, sometimes too clever for it's own good and other times so mushy it's cringe. Otherwise a fully realized world and a lot of "makes you think" moments, for better or worse.
I REALLY wish I could rate this 3.5 stars, which I think is where I'm most comfortable putting it, but I'll round up for now!
I really enjoyed this, tbh. I thought it was a really interesting take on this particular idea, which has obviously been hugely informed by the Truman show, things like KUWTK, and the impact on culture. This book literally starts with a quote from Nietzsche and another from Kylie Jenner, which is INCREDIBLY funny, and I think sets the tone for the book! There's a lot of Big ideas here, but I don't think it ever takes itself too seriously. There's consideration, without pretension. It's extremely entertaining, too. I don't think it's hard to work out what twists are coming, tbqh, but I don't think the novel's that concerned with keeping secrets from the reader. Secrets, obviously, are a huge thing in this book, where one of the characters is literally a starring member on a futuristic Truman-esque show except they're all very aware of where they are.
It's a smart book, about consumerism and consumption of self. Naturally there's a lot about the construction of the self and the distorted images we present to the world. I think there's some really nice brushes here -- for e.g. the 'villainous' people are nearly always given something, there's a motivation or a moment where their humanity is affirmed.
Sometimes I think this book didn't dig deep enough for me, personally, but I still thought it was a lot of fun to read and I liked spending time in this world and with these characters.
I really enjoyed this, tbh. I thought it was a really interesting take on this particular idea, which has obviously been hugely informed by the Truman show, things like KUWTK, and the impact on culture. This book literally starts with a quote from Nietzsche and another from Kylie Jenner, which is INCREDIBLY funny, and I think sets the tone for the book! There's a lot of Big ideas here, but I don't think it ever takes itself too seriously. There's consideration, without pretension. It's extremely entertaining, too. I don't think it's hard to work out what twists are coming, tbqh, but I don't think the novel's that concerned with keeping secrets from the reader. Secrets, obviously, are a huge thing in this book, where one of the characters is literally a starring member on a futuristic Truman-esque show except they're all very aware of where they are.
It's a smart book, about consumerism and consumption of self. Naturally there's a lot about the construction of the self and the distorted images we present to the world. I think there's some really nice brushes here -- for e.g. the 'villainous' people are nearly always given something, there's a motivation or a moment where their humanity is affirmed.
Sometimes I think this book didn't dig deep enough for me, personally, but I still thought it was a lot of fun to read and I liked spending time in this world and with these characters.
3.5 stars The premise of this book is interesting and the book could have been amazing. The first quarter of the book was hard to get into and the last quarter dragged. I loved the middle and the two story lines kept me going. There were parts of the book that were thought provoking but ultimately I didn’t love any of the characters so it was hard to root for any of them to come out on top at the end of the novel. Definitely at interesting read given our current circumstances.
Rating: 2.5 stars
This book started out good, and I'm so disappointed to be giving this lower rating because the premise was so fascinating to me. Constellation, a reality tv world were people's entire lives are filmed felt so real and near-future that I got the shivers. The intersecting timelines drew me in and I couldn't wait to see how they would influence each other.
And yet, the book fell so, so, so short. There was something incredibly boring about it, though I couldn't quite place my finger on why. The author was unable to lace tension into her writing. I think the book was 100 pages too long and could have been more effective as a novella or a short story.
Although Orla was an interesting character, all the other characters fell flat, especially Marlow. Marlow could have been such an interesting case, a psychotic girl smoothed over with emotional correction pills, and yet she was so boring and far too virtuous. Angelo should have leaned into the psychotic-ness of this character, instead she shied away from it, desperately holding onto "My character is a good person!" There should have been no villains and no heroes in this story, but the author so obviously tries to make Marlow a hero, which felt at odds with the plot she was going for, it was painful. What she did with Orla was amazing in terms of shades-of-gray, and she should have done the same with Marlow.
I neither loved nor hated this book, but I could not imagine recommending it.
This book started out good, and I'm so disappointed to be giving this lower rating because the premise was so fascinating to me. Constellation, a reality tv world were people's entire lives are filmed felt so real and near-future that I got the shivers. The intersecting timelines drew me in and I couldn't wait to see how they would influence each other.
And yet, the book fell so, so, so short. There was something incredibly boring about it, though I couldn't quite place my finger on why. The author was unable to lace tension into her writing. I think the book was 100 pages too long and could have been more effective as a novella or a short story.
Although Orla was an interesting character, all the other characters fell flat, especially Marlow. Marlow could have been such an interesting case, a psychotic girl smoothed over with emotional correction pills, and yet she was so boring and far too virtuous. Angelo should have leaned into the psychotic-ness of this character, instead she shied away from it, desperately holding onto "My character is a good person!" There should have been no villains and no heroes in this story, but the author so obviously tries to make Marlow a hero, which felt at odds with the plot she was going for, it was painful. What she did with Orla was amazing in terms of shades-of-gray, and she should have done the same with Marlow.
I neither loved nor hated this book, but I could not imagine recommending it.
I absolutely devoured this book, and loved every second of it. Do not wait to read this!