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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
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
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