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setetres's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
caseybbz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
siglesias's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
lottie1803's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
buttercupita's review against another edition
2.0
I don't live deeply enough in the Twitterverse to understand what makes this book great. There were definitely lines that made me laugh out loud, and others that I appreciated for their insight, but many times I just felt disoriented. I forced myself to read to Part II, knowing there would be a turn as the narrator, deeply embedded in the world of "the Portal," would face a real life tragedy, and it was the grounding of a family crisis that pulled me to the end of the book. I wish there had been more of a break in the form as the plot developed, but I definitely found it more relatable and worthwhile. Again, this book was not written for the likes of me. I'm glad I read it, but not something I think I would return to.
shimmery's review against another edition
5.0
This book perfectly encapsulates the nauseating absurdity of social media (in particular twitter) that led me to delete my own account at the end of last year. Lockwood here articulates an uneasy feeling I’m sure many of us have — that the internet is shaping our perceptions, speech patterns, even thought patterns for the worse. This passage (about the internet, called the portal in the novel) particularly struck me:
‘It had also once been the place where you sounded like yourself. Gradually it had become the place where we sounded like each other, through some erosion of wind or water on a self not nearly as firm as stone.’
The first half of the book shows the total lack of sincerity and originality online and then the second half of the book serves as a contrast to that, with the main character’s sister born with a rare condition that means she is in constant need of intensive care. Yet even in this serious situation the main character finds herself processing what is happening in the bizarre language of the internet.
A very poignant read, and a thought provoking appraisal of the way many of us live now.
‘It had also once been the place where you sounded like yourself. Gradually it had become the place where we sounded like each other, through some erosion of wind or water on a self not nearly as firm as stone.’
The first half of the book shows the total lack of sincerity and originality online and then the second half of the book serves as a contrast to that, with the main character’s sister born with a rare condition that means she is in constant need of intensive care. Yet even in this serious situation the main character finds herself processing what is happening in the bizarre language of the internet.
A very poignant read, and a thought provoking appraisal of the way many of us live now.