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A review by lattelibrarian
Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I find myself perplexed by this book. I knew it'd be a great book discussion pick, which is why I chose it. After discussing this title, I find myself liking it more as a piece of work rather than as a story. It isn't lost on me that our unnamed main character performs the same actions as her dead boyfriend (who was secretly a conspiracy theorist, she unfortunately is unable to break up with him before his premature death), such as moving to Germany, lying about herself on first dates, and being generally insufferable.
These two characters are perfect for each other when you think about how flawed they are--but, the point of this book does seem to beg the question of whether we truly know a person, whether their online and in-person personalities hold different weight, and whether you can believe any information presented to you at any given time. This book also brought up the question of immigration, language-learning, and the topic of Oyler's own profession, as she's a critic (and a rather insightful and inciteful one, at that). It does make us wonder how much of Oyler is in her unnamed character, but it must be remembered that this is a debut.
While critiques of other works are her job, this book seemed to subtly critique our main character's own sense of duty and being, which meant our main character is also just wish-washy and self-important in the way that many people leading their lives online tend to be. Definitely an interesting book, but I can't say whether I enjoyed it or not.
These two characters are perfect for each other when you think about how flawed they are--but, the point of this book does seem to beg the question of whether we truly know a person, whether their online and in-person personalities hold different weight, and whether you can believe any information presented to you at any given time. This book also brought up the question of immigration, language-learning, and the topic of Oyler's own profession, as she's a critic (and a rather insightful and inciteful one, at that). It does make us wonder how much of Oyler is in her unnamed character, but it must be remembered that this is a debut.
While critiques of other works are her job, this book seemed to subtly critique our main character's own sense of duty and being, which meant our main character is also just wish-washy and self-important in the way that many people leading their lives online tend to be. Definitely an interesting book, but I can't say whether I enjoyed it or not.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Alcohol