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2.79 AVERAGE
2.79 AVERAGE
Highly readable and well-written, but conceptually I didn’t understand what the reader was meant to understand about the main character, Shelley. At times she is described as so robotic and corporate it feels almost misogynistic; at other times she is vulnerable and confused and kind of dopey. I do think that it’s a pretty perfect encapsulation of media coverage of tech culture and practices circa 2018.
This book resonated with me in a lot of ways. Shelley Stone is a CEO for a wearables company, a woman who likes to work and has made her name doing it. Her wry narration is at the heart of the novel; she must cope with unusual goings-on, very odd things that are outside the scope of her normal realm. She is powerful yet also slightly naive, and her journey of self-realization unfolds as she hunts for answers. I loved Shelley, the writing, her world - everything.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It looks like I might be in the minority here, but I really enjoyed this book. Shelley is rather unlikeable at times, but I’ve certainly had a boss like her before—pushing herself until her body broke down. I didn’t find the story predictable, and it was rather pleasant reading. I was satisfied by the ending.
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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
I didn’t hate this. I related to some of the internal dialogue that annoyed other people. But this book needs reorganization to make it work. The premise overall was interesting and I enjoyed the character transformation but it could’ve been so much more with some tweaking.
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
So weird. I don’t even know where to begin with this review. I’ve been trying to read funny/lighthearted books recently to help alleviate my anxiety about the state of the world, and this book just made me feel like I was losing my mind - not helpful. I got that it was satirical, but I didn’t find it funny at all. Just a really disorienting reading experience.
Interesting concept. But. Thought the characters were flat. Didn’t like the ending - wish we’d seen farther through it.
I found this in the "Satire" category in my library, and that's very correct. The resolve is kind of fuzzy, so it's more about the journey. Okay, there are a few points that are over the top -- Shelley, the protagonist schedules sex with her husband for when they're changing clothes, because that way, they're already naked -- but overall, it's a great skewer of the way corporations, especially tech companies, seem to be run. Shelley doesn't remember all the names of the several assistants she's had, but she tries to remember a few key facts about each one to keep handy. She named her son Blazer. She's perfected peeing silently so she can take phone calls in the bathroom.