kmehrenfeld's review against another edition
5.0
Loved how the chapters jumped back and forth between storylines and met in the middle. I know social media and technology is having a big influence on our culture, but I sure hope this isn't where we are headed!
serii's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, I just realized I forgot to write a review for this which is surprising because this was one of my favourite reads of 2020 (in my defence I finished this in the middle of the night because it was just too good to put down). I have to say, this book was a whole journey for me. I felt like I was watching a TV show (in a good way). The plot kept on escalating throughout the book and I couldn’t put it down.
If you’re a fan of black mirror, this might be the book for you! It’s an interesting take on how society could be in the future if the obsession with social media, reality tv, and over-sharing continues.
—————-
It’s super late right now to right a review but wow, wow, wow. RTC.
✔️2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge
If you’re a fan of black mirror, this might be the book for you! It’s an interesting take on how society could be in the future if the obsession with social media, reality tv, and over-sharing continues.
—————-
It’s super late right now to right a review but wow, wow, wow. RTC.
✔️2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge
paigedc's review against another edition
4.0
A gripping, uncomfortable, and prescient story about fame, social media usage, and predictions of its impact on our future. I couldn't put it down!
Orla lives in NYC in 2015 and works as a writer at a celebrity website. She and her roommate concoct a plot to help make her roommate famous, and it's surprisingly easy, knowing how fame works in this day and age. Her chapters deal with the rise and fall of tangential fame (red carpets, reality TV deals, "keyboard warriors", network management, lackeys) and the ways she changes in relation.
Marlow lives in 2051 in Constellation, a private town where residents are filmed all the time, like The Truman Show. She is the star, and with 12 million followers, she must provide quality content to them and do whatever the network demands. No longer beholden to her phone, she listens to her "device", a chip implanted in her wrist that intuits with her brain. When Marlow finds out that some secrets from her past have been kept from her, she must decide to go off-script or stay in the limelight. Orla's and Marlow's stories converge eventually in a not-so-surprising way.
The twists in this story are not hard to see coming, but the statement the book makes is where the impact hits hardest. It is so timely and relevant and truly makes you think about the ideas of sharing online, chasing fame, and seeking approval.
"And she missed, sometimes, the power she had felt when she was young, with a phone in her hand, pretending. Pretending Floss was famous, pretending Danny was important, pretending her skin glowed golden tan with the help of a button on Instagram. Pretending followers meant something. Once in a while, she still got phantom urges: to look down at something in her hand when she found herself alone at a table, to fix her face in a way that would work for a photograph taken at arm's length, to conjure a stream of updates on how other people were doing. But every time she remembered her phone wasn't there, she felt relieved and free all over again. Like she'd been given more life to live."
Orla lives in NYC in 2015 and works as a writer at a celebrity website. She and her roommate concoct a plot to help make her roommate famous, and it's surprisingly easy, knowing how fame works in this day and age. Her chapters deal with the rise and fall of tangential fame (red carpets, reality TV deals, "keyboard warriors", network management, lackeys) and the ways she changes in relation.
Marlow lives in 2051 in Constellation, a private town where residents are filmed all the time, like The Truman Show. She is the star, and with 12 million followers, she must provide quality content to them and do whatever the network demands. No longer beholden to her phone, she listens to her "device", a chip implanted in her wrist that intuits with her brain. When Marlow finds out that some secrets from her past have been kept from her, she must decide to go off-script or stay in the limelight. Orla's and Marlow's stories converge eventually in a not-so-surprising way.
The twists in this story are not hard to see coming, but the statement the book makes is where the impact hits hardest. It is so timely and relevant and truly makes you think about the ideas of sharing online, chasing fame, and seeking approval.
"And she missed, sometimes, the power she had felt when she was young, with a phone in her hand, pretending. Pretending Floss was famous, pretending Danny was important, pretending her skin glowed golden tan with the help of a button on Instagram. Pretending followers meant something. Once in a while, she still got phantom urges: to look down at something in her hand when she found herself alone at a table, to fix her face in a way that would work for a photograph taken at arm's length, to conjure a stream of updates on how other people were doing. But every time she remembered her phone wasn't there, she felt relieved and free all over again. Like she'd been given more life to live."
jlinvill1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book seemed to drag on.
I found it hard to like any of the main characters. The anti-screen message was very strong and a little too in your face.
I found it hard to like any of the main characters. The anti-screen message was very strong and a little too in your face.
nicky_p's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
epubprincess's review against another edition
4.0
Wow! This is a very ambitious book and I really enjoyed reading it. It was surprisingly long, slow at parts, but ultimately very readable.
First, the good: This has one of the most interesting concepts I've come across in a while. A story centered on our cultural addiction to social media and sharing and an imagining of what this could lead to in the future. It's witty and funny, and I often found myself smiling and thinking "I could see that happening." It starts off interesting (although the prologue doesn't make any sense at all and could honestly be skipped).
Now, the bad: this book is entirely too long and really drags at points. A lot of time is spent on the Honey backstory and it's really not necessary. There is so much build up to "the spill" that when it actually happens, it's not as interesting as it could have been. A lot of time is spent on side characters that don't add much to the plot. There's a journey to "Atlantis" that's also too long and a strange Trump cameo that really wasn't necessary. The second half is not as interesting as the first, but it ends nicely with most loose ends tied up neatly.
First, the good: This has one of the most interesting concepts I've come across in a while. A story centered on our cultural addiction to social media and sharing and an imagining of what this could lead to in the future. It's witty and funny, and I often found myself smiling and thinking "I could see that happening." It starts off interesting (although the prologue doesn't make any sense at all and could honestly be skipped).
Now, the bad: this book is entirely too long and really drags at points. A lot of time is spent on the Honey backstory and it's really not necessary. There is so much build up to "the spill" that when it actually happens, it's not as interesting as it could have been. A lot of time is spent on side characters that don't add much to the plot. There's a journey to "Atlantis" that's also too long and a strange Trump cameo that really wasn't necessary. The second half is not as interesting as the first, but it ends nicely with most loose ends tied up neatly.
djkern's review against another edition
4.0
I received this ARC at BookExpo and couldn’t wait to dive in! An entertaining read that made me feel like I was inside an episode of Black Mirror. The author has a gift for metaphors that I really admired and appreciated. The story is as creative as it is a warning for what could be, and it developed at a thorough and detailed pace. I do wish the climax and resolution/ending was as in depth as the rest, but still really enjoyed it and can’t wait to pass along to my friends to read next!
elle12's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
brookeralys's review against another edition
3.0
While this book was good, it was nothing like I had expected it to be! It felt like it was a lot of context that didn’t really lead up to anything big! The whole book was before this big incident and I would’ve liked to see more after! Similarly, there were some plot lines that were never resolved / revisited in the end . It was a cool concept, and I would recommend it!