Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Followers by Megan Angelo

5 reviews

cheye13's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

2.0

For a book set 30 years in the future, it's very strangely of its time (and more circa 2016-18, rather than its publishing date). And tbh maybe also it's place (NYC)? While I agree with what the book is trying to say to a point, It offers a strangely reserved viewpoint, lacking any real nuance. It hinges on the ideals of Phone Bad and "everyone wants to be famous" which are just. not believable blanket statements.

There's also a serious lack of followthrough on the science fiction elements. The origins of "The Spill" are never addressed; an internet-based attack only severely impacts the U.S.; people who continue to use screens after "The Spill" end up with some new kind of dementia for some unknown, uninvestigated reason. And I found it hard to believe that "The Spill" would be that destructive; while I don't doubt revealing certain figures' online activity would be an upset, I do believe the majority of people live an average, mediocre life, even on the internet.

That being said, I found the concept of Constellation and the seceded island interesting, and I enjoyed following these women's stories. This is one of those books where the promise of the premise exceeds the execution.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Abortion, Body shaming, Violence, Bullying, Alcohol, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide

Minor: Racism, Dementia, Xenophobia, Cancer, Animal death, Child abuse, and Confinement

The catastrophic event referred to as "the spill" involves everyone's darkest internet secrets coming to public light, which entails a number of crimes and possible triggers mentioned in briefest of detail. While the act of suicide itself is never described in detail, the event is talked about at length.

chandlerwood's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Grief, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Dementia

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Deportation, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Infertility

keijiwolf's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Misogyny, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Racism, and Pregnancy

Minor: Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Infidelity, Abortion, Cancer, and Fire/Fire injury

clawrence345's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Sexual assault

Moderate: Dementia and Drug use

cursedepub's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A much, much richer and more emotionally hard-hitting book than I expected, with a very relevant exploration of the issues of commodified self-image, age of aesthetics, and the culture of internet celebrity and social panopticon. I thought I knew exactly how this book would go - how many times can we do "internet age celebrity dystopia," right? But while I wouldn't say Followers is full of plot twists, I was pleasantly surprised more and more as I kept on reading and found that I couldn't predict what would happen next, what characters would do, or what connections would be revealed. This isn't just cookie-cutter or trend-following; there's real depth. 

The story balances the large-scale movements of past and future (connecting two settings, 35 years apart, with events in one directly causing events in the other) very well with the personal journeys of the main characters. Everyone in this book is very real. Most of the time they aren't likeable - many times they are petty and small-minded, hypocritical, self-centered, and ruthless (in ugly, unglamorous ways), but I found myself rooting for them all the same. 

The book isn't perfect - some of it is over-the-top, sensational, or overwrought, and the ending is a little too sentimental for my taste. I'm not sure I agree with how things were resolved. But I got way more than I bargained for in this, which I was very happy to discover.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Medical content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Body shaming, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Fatphobia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship