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durukara's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
davidcottington's review against another edition
4.0
Black Mirror vibes - so creepy, but so believable.
I think it would be great to study this book in high school english - good exploration of the negative (and some positive) ways social media and the internet can have on us.
I wish I'd read this in 2013 when it came out because with technology moving so fast in the last 10 years or so, I'm unsure if this is a prediction of our future, if it's already happened or if it's ridiculous. to think this could happen in real life.
I think it would be great to study this book in high school english - good exploration of the negative (and some positive) ways social media and the internet can have on us.
I wish I'd read this in 2013 when it came out because with technology moving so fast in the last 10 years or so, I'm unsure if this is a prediction of our future, if it's already happened or if it's ridiculous. to think this could happen in real life.
nickscoby's review against another edition
4.0
I loved it and I hated it. I laughed out loud and shook my fist to the sky. I wanted to hug it and also throw it across the room. The characters are shallow, the plot is implausible and yet I want to discuss this book all of the time with everyone. It took me awhile to get past that this book is not Zeitoun or A Staggering. . . but that doesn't mean that The Circle doesn't have its own merits. It's all about modifying expectations. ANYWAY, I'm glad that I read this book and would definitely recommend that you read it with others so that you can have someone to discuss with later. Because "sharing is caring." Muahahahaha.
nicholasrozema's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
hazelnutperson's review
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
eachz's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
God I hated this so much that I finished it out of spite. And then the ending was worse than I could have imagined.
I'm pretty sure the author has a humiliation fetish and I say this both because of the EXTREMELY nauseating way every unnecessary sexual encounter was described AND the fact that he put his name on this book.
The whole thing was extremely 12-year-old-who-thinks-hes-deep. Imagine taking a really interesting, nuanced topic like internet privacy and then writing a one-note book with the most BASIC take and no grey area. So much of the time was spent explaining the new tech being developed in this hypothetical era -- which has, by the way, wildly inconsistent levels of ability, which is a pet peeve of mine -- and zero time bringing any dimension or sign of life to the cast of boring, unlikeable, flat characters. No one's motivations remotely make sense, and no one seems to have any thoughts or conversations that aren't a ham-fisted monologue on one end or the other of the ideological spectrum.
For a while I wondered if I was just bothered because it was written 11 years ago and hasn't aged well in terms of the conversation around tech and privacy. But no, I've read plenty of outdated science fiction that was still extremely enjoyable. This was just a terrible book.
I'm pretty sure the author has a humiliation fetish and I say this both because of the EXTREMELY nauseating way every unnecessary sexual encounter was described AND the fact that he put his name on this book.
The whole thing was extremely 12-year-old-who-thinks-hes-deep. Imagine taking a really interesting, nuanced topic like internet privacy and then writing a one-note book with the most BASIC take and no grey area. So much of the time was spent explaining the new tech being developed in this hypothetical era -- which has, by the way, wildly inconsistent levels of ability, which is a pet peeve of mine -- and zero time bringing any dimension or sign of life to the cast of boring, unlikeable, flat characters. No one's motivations remotely make sense, and no one seems to have any thoughts or conversations that aren't a ham-fisted monologue on one end or the other of the ideological spectrum.
For a while I wondered if I was just bothered because it was written 11 years ago and hasn't aged well in terms of the conversation around tech and privacy. But no, I've read plenty of outdated science fiction that was still extremely enjoyable. This was just a terrible book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Fatphobia, Suicide, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Alcohol
Minor: Police brutality, Slavery, Colonisation, and Misogyny
jackiesobota's review
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dembury's review against another edition
5.0
Actual Rating: 4.50
Yes, there were some cliché dystopian themes in here, and yes, I too found the main character to be quite flat...
HOWEVER:
I liked this book because of it's ability to keep me thinking. There were several passages in "The Circle" that made me stop reading and ponder my own views on a particular subject or argument, even ones I've already thought about.
This is a 500+ page book, and the fact that I finished it in under 3 days really said something to me about how much I was really interested in what would happen.
Also, between watching "Black Mirror" and reading this book, I'm 99% ready to delete every form of social media! :O
Yes, there were some cliché dystopian themes in here, and yes, I too found the main character to be quite flat...
HOWEVER:
I liked this book because of it's ability to keep me thinking. There were several passages in "The Circle" that made me stop reading and ponder my own views on a particular subject or argument, even ones I've already thought about.
This is a 500+ page book, and the fact that I finished it in under 3 days really said something to me about how much I was really interested in what would happen.
Also, between watching "Black Mirror" and reading this book, I'm 99% ready to delete every form of social media! :O
cordicrs's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
theinfamousj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Who wore it better? A Brave New World and 1984.
Sorry, this book tries to wow in the dystopian genre, but comes up bland. And please, Dave, don't try to write a horny woman's salacious thoughts ever again. That horror show is going to require brain bleach. #JustAskOneHeterosexualWoman
Sorry, this book tries to wow in the dystopian genre, but comes up bland. And please, Dave, don't try to write a horny woman's salacious thoughts ever again. That horror show is going to require brain bleach. #JustAskOneHeterosexualWoman