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midwichtriffid's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gaslighting, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Domestic abuse, Animal death, and Suicide attempt
samieron97's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I could not put this book down and I cannot stop thinking about it. I first read "The Circle" in college for an English class and decided to revisit the series when "The Every" was released. I will be thinking about this book frequently for a long time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Suicide attempt, and Child abuse
Minor: Murder
muffmacguff's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I thought a lot was great about this book but it also had some very notable flaws. It’s a solid expansion on what he started with The Circle, acknowledging how much worse tech companies are now than he saw then. I think telling the story through one character’s eyes is interesting because a lot of the story goes unexplained just because she (Delaney) doesn’t really know what happened - this sometimes works to the detriment of her character development, I think. I also thought the book was correctly alarmist about monopoly tech companies but conflating them with like cancel culture and stuff was a little silly and felt out of touch - as though a tech company would make any decision based on an apparent consensus of its employees? Idk.
The edition I read had discussion questions in the back which is a feature I often find worthwhile but in this case many were ridiculous. This book takes place in the near future and occasionally involves characters interacting with houseless people. One discussion question is like “If you lived in the time of this book would you be [one type of character], [another type of character], or an unhoused person?” Like guys homelessness is not a sci fi concept. It also literally asks “What kind of business model would truly minimize waste and wasteful shopping?” ⚒⚒⚒
This book reminded me in some chilling ways of Mother Night, I think it’s a reasonably good companion piece! Anyway I do recommend if you liked The Circle enough.
The edition I read had discussion questions in the back which is a feature I often find worthwhile but in this case many were ridiculous. This book takes place in the near future and occasionally involves characters interacting with houseless people. One discussion question is like “If you lived in the time of this book would you be [one type of character], [another type of character], or an unhoused person?” Like guys homelessness is not a sci fi concept. It also literally asks “What kind of business model would truly minimize waste and wasteful shopping?” ⚒⚒⚒
This book reminded me in some chilling ways of Mother Night, I think it’s a reasonably good companion piece! Anyway I do recommend if you liked The Circle enough.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Suicide attempt and Suicide
joshhornbeck's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
FIRST THOUGHTS:
A really compelling, fun, but incredibly dark read about the state of technology and our society’s desire to cede choice to algorithms and artificial intelligence out of a fear of making wrong or incorrect choices on our own. This definitely falls more on the mainstream side of Eggers’s writing, and you can palpably see his anger at the state of American society right now - the inability of even well-meaning individuals to understand nuance or complexity, the rapacious growth of tech companies and our increasing dependence on them for everything - this is a novel of warning and frustration. But it’s also refreshing to see that he also understands that these major corporations may be our only way out of the environmental catastrophe that lies ahead of us… they just also want the unfettered wealth and power they’re amassing along the way. It may not be his most masterful work, but it’s a solid work of (not so) speculative fiction that manages to hold on to the nuance that so many today are afraid to explore.
A really compelling, fun, but incredibly dark read about the state of technology and our society’s desire to cede choice to algorithms and artificial intelligence out of a fear of making wrong or incorrect choices on our own. This definitely falls more on the mainstream side of Eggers’s writing, and you can palpably see his anger at the state of American society right now - the inability of even well-meaning individuals to understand nuance or complexity, the rapacious growth of tech companies and our increasing dependence on them for everything - this is a novel of warning and frustration. But it’s also refreshing to see that he also understands that these major corporations may be our only way out of the environmental catastrophe that lies ahead of us… they just also want the unfettered wealth and power they’re amassing along the way. It may not be his most masterful work, but it’s a solid work of (not so) speculative fiction that manages to hold on to the nuance that so many today are afraid to explore.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Child abuse, Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
emmoben's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt
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