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georgiesutton's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.5
This was really pacy but I found the plot a lot less compelling than The Circle and I feel like it finished quickly and obviously after 500 pages.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Classism, and Death
Minor: Gaslighting, Terminal illness, Vomit, Suicide, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Medical content
joshhornbeck's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
FIRST THOUGHTS:
A really compelling, fun, but incredibly dark read about the state of technology and our society’s desire to cede choice to algorithms and artificial intelligence out of a fear of making wrong or incorrect choices on our own. This definitely falls more on the mainstream side of Eggers’s writing, and you can palpably see his anger at the state of American society right now - the inability of even well-meaning individuals to understand nuance or complexity, the rapacious growth of tech companies and our increasing dependence on them for everything - this is a novel of warning and frustration. But it’s also refreshing to see that he also understands that these major corporations may be our only way out of the environmental catastrophe that lies ahead of us… they just also want the unfettered wealth and power they’re amassing along the way. It may not be his most masterful work, but it’s a solid work of (not so) speculative fiction that manages to hold on to the nuance that so many today are afraid to explore.
A really compelling, fun, but incredibly dark read about the state of technology and our society’s desire to cede choice to algorithms and artificial intelligence out of a fear of making wrong or incorrect choices on our own. This definitely falls more on the mainstream side of Eggers’s writing, and you can palpably see his anger at the state of American society right now - the inability of even well-meaning individuals to understand nuance or complexity, the rapacious growth of tech companies and our increasing dependence on them for everything - this is a novel of warning and frustration. But it’s also refreshing to see that he also understands that these major corporations may be our only way out of the environmental catastrophe that lies ahead of us… they just also want the unfettered wealth and power they’re amassing along the way. It may not be his most masterful work, but it’s a solid work of (not so) speculative fiction that manages to hold on to the nuance that so many today are afraid to explore.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Child abuse, Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
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