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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
An overt scathing commentary on our current sociopolitical and economic culture that showcases what we could very easily be. The world both fascinated and horrified me as well as leaving me with many questions about why things were the way they were. Truly recommend to anyone looking to put our current state into perspective.
Disclosure: I love dystopians.
I'm feeling both impressed and slightly unnerved. The fact that this book was written in 2002 and still reads like it could’ve dropped in 2022? Wild. The tech, the slang, the social commentary: it all works. Cue the existential dread.
WHILE READING THIS, my friend sent an article into our unhingedly-named group chat (I don't trust a group chat without a feral name) about Meta's new AI glasses, and the timing could not have been creepier. The glasses, with camera, mic, internet access and AI interface immediately evoked Violet's dad's glasses/backpack feed. So chilling. Like, we are ACTIVELY BETA TESTING this dystopia.
I'm feeling both impressed and slightly unnerved. The fact that this book was written in 2002 and still reads like it could’ve dropped in 2022? Wild. The tech, the slang, the social commentary: it all works. Cue the existential dread.
WHILE READING THIS, my friend sent an article into our unhingedly-named group chat (I don't trust a group chat without a feral name) about Meta's new AI glasses, and the timing could not have been creepier. The glasses, with camera, mic, internet access and AI interface immediately evoked Violet's dad's glasses/backpack feed. So chilling. Like, we are ACTIVELY BETA TESTING this dystopia.
It’s terrifying and awe-inspiring at the same time. Real-time translation, overlays, tracking, suggestions... the line between utility and surveillance has never been blurrier. Honestly, this made Feed feel prophetic. M.T. Anderson basically described a future where people are walking around with AI constantly feeding them (BOMBARDING THEM WITH, REALLY) curated information, advertising, media, mood analysis, all without even realizing the cost. The loss of privacy, autonomy, independent thought. And now? We’re RIGHT HERE. Strapping that future on our faces.
Plus, I recently read The Anxious Generation and the parallels are right there. Violet’s dad agonizes over when to introduce the feed to his daughter (which he was against until he struggled to secure a job without a feed himself). It mirrors the modern parental struggle around when to give a kid a smartphone. It’s all connected: the tech, the social norms, the dread.
I liked the idea of the Feed (an internet chip in the brain that essentially connects you to a smartphone 24/7) is genuinely chilling and compelling. It reflects our current society's obsession with connectivity, consumption, and distraction in such a raw, exaggerated way that it circles right back to feeling real. This leads me to my appreciation the social commentary on consumerism, media saturation, language decay, and intellectual apathy. Even if it felt heavy-handed at times, the critique resonated. So, while the slang could feel overdone or annoying, it also felt extremely realistic and drove the point home.
And I appreciated how the horror isn’t just in the world’s collapse but in the characters’ ignorance of it. It strikes a chord with me and makes a powerful and frightening point. That blind complicity, that DEEP apathy? It’s chilling. The fact that corporations essentially run America (see: School(TM).) and the lesions caused by either environmental factors or combination with the feed itself are rebranded as DESIRABLE, kept me hooked. The "background noise" with the Moon as America's 51st state, the president being kind of wild, and seemingly attacking South America adds additional depth right next to the chosen ignorance of the characters.
I liked the idea of the Feed (an internet chip in the brain that essentially connects you to a smartphone 24/7) is genuinely chilling and compelling. It reflects our current society's obsession with connectivity, consumption, and distraction in such a raw, exaggerated way that it circles right back to feeling real. This leads me to my appreciation the social commentary on consumerism, media saturation, language decay, and intellectual apathy. Even if it felt heavy-handed at times, the critique resonated. So, while the slang could feel overdone or annoying, it also felt extremely realistic and drove the point home.
And I appreciated how the horror isn’t just in the world’s collapse but in the characters’ ignorance of it. It strikes a chord with me and makes a powerful and frightening point. That blind complicity, that DEEP apathy? It’s chilling. The fact that corporations essentially run America (see: School(TM).) and the lesions caused by either environmental factors or combination with the feed itself are rebranded as DESIRABLE, kept me hooked. The "background noise" with the Moon as America's 51st state, the president being kind of wild, and seemingly attacking South America adds additional depth right next to the chosen ignorance of the characters.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
The writing style was so obnoxious that the point was lost a lot of the time, and the characters were largely forgettable. I'm pretty disappointed because this was a very intriguing premise.
Awful. If you are eccentric enough to understand the lingo used in the book-I, for one, had NO CLUE-to focus on the story, you might come to realize the plot is awful as well. My opinion, that is.
dark
emotional
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think it should be illegal for authors to jumpscare readers with fictional language/slang and not give us a glossary to figure out what's being said.
All that aside, the book was conceptually interesting. Kind of annoying to read and found myself more interested in the wider world than the characters, but it is what it is.
All that aside, the book was conceptually interesting. Kind of annoying to read and found myself more interested in the wider world than the characters, but it is what it is.
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Structure made it difficult for me to read, but that was probably intentional. Over all, good book. Makes you think.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
This book had some interesting concepts, but overall, the plot was non-existent.
The science-fiction aspects of the text drew me in completely, drawing parallels from modern corporate advertising incentives. I felt this was a reality that could emerge within a few generations.
The characters were a little bland, to be honest. I didn't really feel a connection to any of them, other than to highlight the reality they were living in. Perhaps this is intentional, perhaps not.
The science-fiction aspects of the text drew me in completely, drawing parallels from modern corporate advertising incentives. I felt this was a reality that could emerge within a few generations.
The characters were a little bland, to be honest. I didn't really feel a connection to any of them, other than to highlight the reality they were living in. Perhaps this is intentional, perhaps not.