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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
A big rambling opinion piece that beats you over the head with its message. There's no real gray area or nuance to any one in the book's opinions and really no redeeming qualities in any of the characters. I don't think I have ever read anything where I had so little connection with any of the characters. I was over it a quarter in but held out hope it was going somewhere. It didn't.
Entertaining and fast reading but nothing new and metaphors/analogies pretty ham-fisted
great ideas, easy read, dystopic future seems already a reality for some
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is one of those books that gets better after you finish reading it. I’ve never encountered a book like this before, but I’m considering looking for more like it. I initially thought the book was unremarkable. Simple writing, simple characters, intriguing plot, fast pace. I normally judge books on their ability to depict real, whole human beings in a world so articulately described I feel as though I could visit it. This book doesn’t achieve either of those goals, and while I didn’t like or truly “believe in” any of the characters, the plot is beyond-words relevant to our moral quarries with our blooming technology industry, specifically the line between knowledge and personal privacy. It has been so spooky to watch the technologies I deemed too invasive and futuristic in the book beginning to appear in real life.
This had a lot of "I hate that part" and "oh that's good!" Spread throughout. Some parts were sexually explicit and unnecessary, and at other times I thought that the world/logic/rhetoric by the characters was ridiculous, yet I'm sure there are some who would agree with them. I think there are better dystopian novels out there that address this message, but this one ended up doing it well. so yeah. 3 stars.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was terrifying. Normally I would've had an issue with how two-dimensional the characters felt, but I think that was part of the point, and ultimately part of what made the book so impactful. The writing is simple, making it a quick read despite its length, and I found the experience of reading it comparably stressful to when I spend too much time on Facebook. The irony of my giving this novel a rating online is not lost on me, but here we are.
Fast paced intriguing book with so much detail, but one of the most flat and unsatisfying endings ever. This was a book that I actually read after seeing the movie several months ago, and I have to say I really enjoyed the ending from the movie in comparison to the book. And I definitely see why they changed the ending for the movie. Probably would've done 4 stars if there was a good ending, but the ending was just so dissatisfying.
I wanted to like this a lot. The concept of an all-encompassing social media platform taking over everything was very appealing because it's so realistic. However, there was no real plot line or climax, and the ending was super disappointing. Definitely expected more. The "big reveal" (that the protagonist had been boning this mysterious guy who turned out to be one of the founders of the company) wasn't even that amazing or incredible. And the way the main character talked (someone: "Does that make sense?" Mae: "It does.". SHE NEVER JUST SAYS 'YES'. IT WAS ANNOYING.