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caet's review against another edition
sad
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? It's complicated
The blurb is misleading, the book is in fact a millennial novel about American expats in Berlin. The writing is just ok and is full of terrible takes on current events and life in Germany. As an immigrant living in Berlin, I feel personally attacked by this book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Classism, Racism, Xenophobia, and Suicide
savvylit's review
dark
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
Fake Accounts is an expertly written critique of modern life. In this novel, Oyler lays bare the way that the Internet has infiltrated our daily lives and culture at large. Parasocial relationships in Fake Accounts aren't just limited to online communities. Rather, they have become the norm in all social settings. This is demonstrated not only by the narrator's interactions with secondary characters but also in the reader's relationship with the narrator. Despite spending 270+ pages mired in the narrator's wildly analytical stream-of-consciousness, readers never get to know her well at all. The narrator constantly edits not only others' perception of herself but her own self-perception, leaving the audience with a fuzzy and forgettable character outline.
Ultimately, Fake Accounts was both a frustrating and incredibly insightful read. Sometimes I had to step back from the novel because I found myself repeatedly feeling trapped in the neuroses of the narrator. Otherwise, I begrudgingly enjoyed this book. I really admire the way that Oyler has managed to reveal the shallow and performative nature of our every relationship in contemporary society.
Ultimately, Fake Accounts was both a frustrating and incredibly insightful read. Sometimes I had to step back from the novel because I found myself repeatedly feeling trapped in the neuroses of the narrator. Otherwise, I begrudgingly enjoyed this book. I really admire the way that Oyler has managed to reveal the shallow and performative nature of our every relationship in contemporary society.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Classism
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Suicidal thoughts
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