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greatexpectations77's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I really didn't like this one much. I got it from a LFL, and I don't think that I had read the author's writing before. It very much seems like Ms. Oyler was trying to say something really ~deep~ about social media and politics and whatever. What's interesting is that the reviews by readers show that it didn't hit the mark at all. The reviews by papers and critics say she was "skewering" our world. But is it possible that they just didn't get it and thought that that made it brilliant? Like I already know that I spend too much time on social media and that a lot of social justice is performative. Telling me that doesn't mean you discovered anything new. It's just patting yourself on the back for being obvious. No thanks at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Abandonment, and Car accident
Minor: Grief, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Bullying
Just skip it.lattelibrarian's review
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
3.0
I find myself perplexed by this book. I knew it'd be a great book discussion pick, which is why I chose it. After discussing this title, I find myself liking it more as a piece of work rather than as a story. It isn't lost on me that our unnamed main character performs the same actions as her dead boyfriend (who was secretly a conspiracy theorist, she unfortunately is unable to break up with him before his premature death), such as moving to Germany, lying about herself on first dates, and being generally insufferable.
These two characters are perfect for each other when you think about how flawed they are--but, the point of this book does seem to beg the question of whether we truly know a person, whether their online and in-person personalities hold different weight, and whether you can believe any information presented to you at any given time. This book also brought up the question of immigration, language-learning, and the topic of Oyler's own profession, as she's a critic (and a rather insightful and inciteful one, at that). It does make us wonder how much of Oyler is in her unnamed character, but it must be remembered that this is a debut.
While critiques of other works are her job, this book seemed to subtly critique our main character's own sense of duty and being, which meant our main character is also just wish-washy and self-important in the way that many people leading their lives online tend to be. Definitely an interesting book, but I can't say whether I enjoyed it or not.
These two characters are perfect for each other when you think about how flawed they are--but, the point of this book does seem to beg the question of whether we truly know a person, whether their online and in-person personalities hold different weight, and whether you can believe any information presented to you at any given time. This book also brought up the question of immigration, language-learning, and the topic of Oyler's own profession, as she's a critic (and a rather insightful and inciteful one, at that). It does make us wonder how much of Oyler is in her unnamed character, but it must be remembered that this is a debut.
While critiques of other works are her job, this book seemed to subtly critique our main character's own sense of duty and being, which meant our main character is also just wish-washy and self-important in the way that many people leading their lives online tend to be. Definitely an interesting book, but I can't say whether I enjoyed it or not.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Alcohol
deamon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Drug use
morwenna's review
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death
orireading's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol
jenn_reads's review
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
1.5
I was honestly shocked when I came here to update my list and saw the page count on this book. I read it on my Kindle and didn't realize it was so short because it felt interminable. I'm not sure why I forced myself to whatever that nonsense of an ending was - the narrator was so unlikable and I really thought from the description that it was going to spend more time on the fallout from finding out about her boyfriend's secret online life.
Alas. Next time I'll trust my instincts and DNF the first (or second, or third) time it occurs to me.
Alas. Next time I'll trust my instincts and DNF the first (or second, or third) time it occurs to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
kayleyhyde's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Sexual content, and Cursing
Minor: Suicide and Sexual assault
sorrymom94's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sharp and funny
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Grief, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Sexual content
caseythereader's review
emotional
funny
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
4.5
Thanks to Catapult for the free copy of this book.
- FAKE ACCOUNTS is a book you're either going to love or hate, and I think where you fall likely hinges on how much time you've spent on Twitter in the last decade. It reads like a mashup of MY YEAR OF REST AND RELAXATION and TRICK MIRROR.
- The stream of consciousness writing can get a little overwhelming, but it also perfectly evokes how it feels to get tunnel vision into your phone while endlessly scrolling for no reason.
- The narrator is deeply unlikable and so are many of the people she meets throughout the book. Nearly everyone is terrible or insufferable for one reason or another.
- This all sounds like I hated the book, but I actually loved it pretty intensely. I was cackling every few pages as Oyler both skewers online cultures and treats them as an integral component of the lives of millennials.
- FAKE ACCOUNTS is a book you're either going to love or hate, and I think where you fall likely hinges on how much time you've spent on Twitter in the last decade. It reads like a mashup of MY YEAR OF REST AND RELAXATION and TRICK MIRROR.
- The stream of consciousness writing can get a little overwhelming, but it also perfectly evokes how it feels to get tunnel vision into your phone while endlessly scrolling for no reason.
- The narrator is deeply unlikable and so are many of the people she meets throughout the book. Nearly everyone is terrible or insufferable for one reason or another.
- This all sounds like I hated the book, but I actually loved it pretty intensely. I was cackling every few pages as Oyler both skewers online cultures and treats them as an integral component of the lives of millennials.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Cursing, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
questingnotcoasting's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
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
3.5
This turned out to be nothing like I was expecting but I mostly enjoyed it. It started as the story I imagined but soon changed into something quite different which can't really be described without spoilers. The unnamed protagonist is a compulsive liar, who is often irritating but somehow I never completely lost patience with her. It's mostly written in a conversational, stream of consciousness style but Oyler also plays around with structure. There's an amusing bit in the middle where she/the protagonist experiments with writing a fragmented novel.
It's definitely a strange book and I can understand the mixed reviews. For me there were some parts which dragged in the middle section, which to be fair is titled "Middle: (Nothing Happens)" but overall it was compelling enough that I read the second half in one sitting.
It's definitely a strange book and I can understand the mixed reviews. For me there were some parts which dragged in the middle section, which to be fair is titled "Middle: (Nothing Happens)" but overall it was compelling enough that I read the second half in one sitting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief