thompsonisreading's review against another edition
2.0
The third to last chapter should have been the whole book. Barely made it through any of the rest.
brothena's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A friend recommended this to me... 3 years ago. Reading now as I have been trying to chip away at reading books I added a while ago and not just NEW HOTTT READZ. Plus, it's been a bit since I've read sci-fi, a genre I've only recently started reading, but have found I enjoy a lot, consumed on kindle.
This is pretty well reviewed, but didn't sing for me. I found the concept stronger than the execution, and had trouble staying engaged past about 70% in (when the connection between the two timelines comes together).
Overall, wouldn't recommend-- there's a Black Mirror episode that's pretty similar to this that I think executes this concept more poignantly.
This is pretty well reviewed, but didn't sing for me. I found the concept stronger than the execution, and had trouble staying engaged past about 70% in (when the connection between the two timelines comes together).
Overall, wouldn't recommend-- there's a Black Mirror episode that's pretty similar to this that I think executes this concept more poignantly.
ynadavis's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
thegeekybibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
Followers is a dystopia quite unlike anything I’ve read up until now. Half the book is set in 2051, mostly in the closed town of Constellation, California. Government-appointed celebrities live 99% of their lives in front of a camera, for the viewing pleasure of the rest of the country. Corporate sponsors dictate what happens in their lives, and the stars have zero input. No one is allowed to leave. Despite having millions of followers, that is precisely what Marlow wants to do when she learns her life is based on a lie.
The other half of the story is set from 2015 to 2016. In this portion of the story, you meet two women who share a singular goal. Orla Cadden is a blogger on a celebrity-gossip site, rather than the serious writer she wants to be. Floss Natuzzi, the wannabe star no one ever heard of, wants to be famous. Orla helps manipulate Floss onto the road of fame, and together, they become household names… all thanks to social media.
Then the Spill happened, plunging an entire generation into devastation and chaos. Things had to change, and they did—which eventually led to the creation of Constellation.
I liked the premise of this book, despite being initially puzzled about certain connections and events. Everything is explained, but there were times I felt impatient about how long it took to get there. In time, I could see why certain answers weren’t given sooner… and yet, the frustration lingered.
The tech used made sense in the story, but it didn’t have the wow factor for me. That probably has more than a little to do with the fact that I’m a HUGE fan of Star Trek and various other sci-fi, so I’m accustomed to more sophisticated sort of technology than the type described in this novel. The device (as it is referred to) was just fine for this story, but I didn’t finish the novel wishing I had one of my own. (A transporter or a holodeck, on the other hand… those fire up the imagination with possibilities!)
The characters were interesting, but I didn’t really feel a connection with them most of the time. Towards the end that changed somewhat, but it was late in the game for it to have any meaningful impact.
This all sounds incredibly negative, but it isn’t meant to be. With privacy being a constant concern in our digital lives, the premise of this book is not only unique, but relevant. Within the framework of this world, the cost of fame is the complete loss of privacy, raising the stakes even higher when someone attempts to regain what they (willingly) gave up. It also serves as commentary on the preoccupation with social media by the population at large, and invents a terrible consequence for it in this fictional setting… which can’t help but make the reader think about how much of their own time is spent on social media sites.
Most of the people who read advance copies of this book gave it four or five stars, but for me, three stars felt right. I enjoyed the book, but wasn’t moved to give it a high rating. Perhaps this is because I started reading Followers soon after I finished reading The Testaments by Margaret Atwood—a book I felt was exceptionally well done. Did my enthusiastic response to Atwood’s book color my perceptions of Angelo’s book? It’s definitely possible.
I’ll be curious to see what Angelo’s next book will be about, and I’ll be watching for it. I’m definitely willing to read more of her work in the future.
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Graydon House via Netgalley.
The other half of the story is set from 2015 to 2016. In this portion of the story, you meet two women who share a singular goal. Orla Cadden is a blogger on a celebrity-gossip site, rather than the serious writer she wants to be. Floss Natuzzi, the wannabe star no one ever heard of, wants to be famous. Orla helps manipulate Floss onto the road of fame, and together, they become household names… all thanks to social media.
Then the Spill happened, plunging an entire generation into devastation and chaos. Things had to change, and they did—which eventually led to the creation of Constellation.
I liked the premise of this book, despite being initially puzzled about certain connections and events. Everything is explained, but there were times I felt impatient about how long it took to get there. In time, I could see why certain answers weren’t given sooner… and yet, the frustration lingered.
The tech used made sense in the story, but it didn’t have the wow factor for me. That probably has more than a little to do with the fact that I’m a HUGE fan of Star Trek and various other sci-fi, so I’m accustomed to more sophisticated sort of technology than the type described in this novel. The device (as it is referred to) was just fine for this story, but I didn’t finish the novel wishing I had one of my own. (A transporter or a holodeck, on the other hand… those fire up the imagination with possibilities!)
The characters were interesting, but I didn’t really feel a connection with them most of the time. Towards the end that changed somewhat, but it was late in the game for it to have any meaningful impact.
This all sounds incredibly negative, but it isn’t meant to be. With privacy being a constant concern in our digital lives, the premise of this book is not only unique, but relevant. Within the framework of this world, the cost of fame is the complete loss of privacy, raising the stakes even higher when someone attempts to regain what they (willingly) gave up. It also serves as commentary on the preoccupation with social media by the population at large, and invents a terrible consequence for it in this fictional setting… which can’t help but make the reader think about how much of their own time is spent on social media sites.
Most of the people who read advance copies of this book gave it four or five stars, but for me, three stars felt right. I enjoyed the book, but wasn’t moved to give it a high rating. Perhaps this is because I started reading Followers soon after I finished reading The Testaments by Margaret Atwood—a book I felt was exceptionally well done. Did my enthusiastic response to Atwood’s book color my perceptions of Angelo’s book? It’s definitely possible.
I’ll be curious to see what Angelo’s next book will be about, and I’ll be watching for it. I’m definitely willing to read more of her work in the future.
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Graydon House via Netgalley.
connieaw's review against another edition
4.0
This is a really interesting and intriguing (hopefully) fiction story that will make you question your internet and social media behavior!!
siobhanward's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I get what Angelo was trying to do with this book and while it was cool, I don't think it was successful. While I understand how the plots were tied together, they often felt disjointed. It felt like there was a great deal of potential but the book was just too long and it felt more repetitive than it needed to be.
ruthlessly's review against another edition
4.0
I REALLY wish I could rate this 3.5 stars, which I think is where I'm most comfortable putting it, but I'll round up for now!
I really enjoyed this, tbh. I thought it was a really interesting take on this particular idea, which has obviously been hugely informed by the Truman show, things like KUWTK, and the impact on culture. This book literally starts with a quote from Nietzsche and another from Kylie Jenner, which is INCREDIBLY funny, and I think sets the tone for the book! There's a lot of Big ideas here, but I don't think it ever takes itself too seriously. There's consideration, without pretension. It's extremely entertaining, too. I don't think it's hard to work out what twists are coming, tbqh, but I don't think the novel's that concerned with keeping secrets from the reader. Secrets, obviously, are a huge thing in this book, where one of the characters is literally a starring member on a futuristic Truman-esque show except they're all very aware of where they are.
It's a smart book, about consumerism and consumption of self. Naturally there's a lot about the construction of the self and the distorted images we present to the world. I think there's some really nice brushes here -- for e.g. the 'villainous' people are nearly always given something, there's a motivation or a moment where their humanity is affirmed.
Sometimes I think this book didn't dig deep enough for me, personally, but I still thought it was a lot of fun to read and I liked spending time in this world and with these characters.
I really enjoyed this, tbh. I thought it was a really interesting take on this particular idea, which has obviously been hugely informed by the Truman show, things like KUWTK, and the impact on culture. This book literally starts with a quote from Nietzsche and another from Kylie Jenner, which is INCREDIBLY funny, and I think sets the tone for the book! There's a lot of Big ideas here, but I don't think it ever takes itself too seriously. There's consideration, without pretension. It's extremely entertaining, too. I don't think it's hard to work out what twists are coming, tbqh, but I don't think the novel's that concerned with keeping secrets from the reader. Secrets, obviously, are a huge thing in this book, where one of the characters is literally a starring member on a futuristic Truman-esque show except they're all very aware of where they are.
It's a smart book, about consumerism and consumption of self. Naturally there's a lot about the construction of the self and the distorted images we present to the world. I think there's some really nice brushes here -- for e.g. the 'villainous' people are nearly always given something, there's a motivation or a moment where their humanity is affirmed.
Sometimes I think this book didn't dig deep enough for me, personally, but I still thought it was a lot of fun to read and I liked spending time in this world and with these characters.
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
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