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mxpringle's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Chronic illness and Sexual content
Minor: Slavery, Death, and Suicide
theyellowbrickreader's review
- 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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Chronic illness
pumpkinbisque's review
- 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? It's complicated
2.5
i don’t think it’s fair to reduce this book to “ooga booga technology bad” because there were several points in which i found myself thinking “okay, that *could* work, but…” and i got the impression that was the point. i think this book could be more accurately described as a “technology dangerous” book; we are (obviously) not at the level of surveillance and control that is described here, but it’s clear that eggers has feelings about how social media and technology in general are beginning to get a little scary.
i found mae relatable for the first half of the first book. i just graduated from college myself, and i empathized with her desperation to not get stuck in the first job available to her. however, the longer i spent with mae, the more irritating i found her. she resented her ex-boyfriend for acting “morally superior” to her by caring about privacy and helping her parents to the hospital, so she retaliated with some pretty nasty fatphobia whenever she got upset with him. even though she never directly spoke these thoughts to him, it was a little grating to read her calling him “fat” and “an ugly moose” and allowing other people around her to call him “Sasquatch”. i don’t know. that felt like the turning point to me where i really started to hate mae.
as the novel progressed, i predicted how things would have turned out (
i think eggers has a lot to say about the work/life balance, as i found that aspect most appealing. the campus itself brought to mind companies like google and apple who have these incredible (free) amenities offered to their employees in order to ensure they spend as much time as possible at work and therefore are more likely to work around the clock (or close to it). i enjoyed annie’s character for a while, and i found bailey to be convincingly convicted about his moral ideals. most of the other characters fell super flat for me. the sex scenes were weird and unnecessary, mae’s relationship with her parents felt off, and the kayaking thing was also one of the more compelling aspects of the book which eventually disappeared.
i’m giving it a 2.5 because i read it quickly and mostly had a good time. mr. eggers, please consider writing some creative nonfiction on the topics of work/life balance and of surveillance. i liked what you were saying, i just wished it wasn’t filtered through fiction.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Suicide, Violence, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Murder
ladyzbyrd's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Typical dystopian horror story with recycled tropes, high predictability, and superficial characters.
I would not recommend this unless you’re deep into conspiracy theories about how technology is sooooooo incredibly evil. There’s interestingly a heavily biased “warning” against evil technology (read: power-hungry people) that you just can’t miss.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Animal death, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
norwegianforestreader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Car accident, Chronic illness, Grief, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Suicide, Classism, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
greatexpectations77's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Graphic: Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Alcohol, and Child abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Murder
If you enjoy books where you like to root for the main character, pass.iridaceae's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Cursing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide, Terminal illness, and War
Minor: Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia
elodie_melodie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Animal death, Car accident, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Kidnapping, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
charlynlynlyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Suicide, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking
Minor: Slavery, War, Violence, Stalking, and Police brutality
morganperks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Sexual content, and Suicide
Minor: Child death and Kidnapping