jobatabs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
irisameliareads's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing book. Kudos to Abrams and the production team for putting so much thought and care into the design of the book. The production quality for Red Wheelbarrow is very, very high. The die cuts and embossing for the cover are gorgeous; the fact the entire book is handwritten in three sets of handwriting is phenomenal; the inserts are fun, lend authenticity, and make the read less like a narrative and more like a journey—and then the content, Elliot's story during Season 2 and Carla's responses—everything is packaged together seamlessly. (Seriously, if someone at Abrams can reach out to me, I'd sincerely appreciate it because I have SO MANY QUESTIONS about how this book was produced.)
I love how this book filled in some gaps I had about the show. When I discovered the inserts were puzzles, I flipped out. This is a fantastic book for fans of Mr. Robot and a must-have for die-hards like myself. Please pick it up if you watch the show! I plan to revisit this book for more clues and possibly use it for cosplay in the future.
I love how this book filled in some gaps I had about the show. When I discovered the inserts were puzzles, I flipped out. This is a fantastic book for fans of Mr. Robot and a must-have for die-hards like myself. Please pick it up if you watch the show! I plan to revisit this book for more clues and possibly use it for cosplay in the future.
jhlopesalves's review against another edition
5.0
This is a mandatory read for any Mr Robot fan, it is absolutely astonishing.
Prepare yourself to immerse into Elliot like never before!
Prepare yourself to immerse into Elliot like never before!
lelelui's review against another edition
4.0
Everyone who loved Mr. Robot NEEDS TO READ THIS! It’s literally like a bonus episode where we even get more into Elliot’s head. I loved the realness of this book: The little extras, the way it was handwritten and the way it felt. Sooo detailed and fun. Just incredible!
purelynicole's review against another edition
5.0
Read this as an since that's what my library had. I was worried I'd miss something since it was full of drawings, but Eve Lindley's narration is wonderful and dashed that worry.
mayoroffailure's review against another edition
3.0
In universe novels are probably one of my biggest literary guilty pleasures. There is something about holding something that seems to, literally, be from another world that is just irresistible for me. Even better is when those books have inserts, it's like getting a small treat from the world your reading about.
Mr. Robot is probably the smartest, and overall best, TV show on right now. It's blend of actual technology, social commentary, psychological elements, and twists that all blend together for an hour of storytelling that is completely engrossing. If it hadn't been for USA releasing the pilot episode for free on YouTube I probably wouldn't be writing this review right now, and I certainly owe them a lot for that decision. It's a show that makes you think, and this world needs more and more of that type of content.
For much of the second season of the TV show the main character, Elliot,is in jail . There is a lot of lost time, however, as the viewers dont pick up until the tail end of Elliot's time there. To fill in those gaps Sam Esmail, the show's creator, decided to release the journal that Elliot kept while he was in jail .
The biggest issue this book has is that it doesn't necessarily provide any new information that is consequential to the overall narrative. It does, however, provide an interesting read to fans of the show. It really gives you a chance to see into Elliot's mental state far more than the show allows. Elliot is a character who is naturally reserved, and while his internal monologues in the show are speaking directly to the audience, this book would have you believe that he's holding a lot back.
Here in the journal, however, Elliot is free to say whatever he wants and there is a logical reason for him to do so. In attempt to keep his mortal enemy at bay,, Elliot establishes a routine to try and fill every moment of his time to keep his mind from wandering to the places that it shouldn't. Seeing the troubled mental state of one of my favorite TV characters was a really cool experience, and I can only imagine that it gives the second season of the show a fresh feeling and better context as the story moves into season three.
Additionally, the story itself isn't doesn't have much going on, its a lot of descriptions of eating, conversations about sitcoms, attempts to make friends, and attempts to stay away from enemies. I could very easily see someone setting the book down out of boredom, and it certainly doesn't provide the closure that a person who doesn't watch the show would need. I also had a hard time seeing Elliot speaking the way he does in his journal entries. When compared to the show he swears a lot more and speaks in a way that really seemed like it was coming from a different person, and that is probably the biggest issue I had with the book.
I think that Mr. Esmail fell into a little bit of a trap here, he had an opportunity to really dive deep into a character he had created, it was a creative space that wasn't restricted by air time or censorship, and he wandered a bit too far from the trail. With the ability to write anything he wanted and explore areas of Elliot that he couldn't in the show I think he ended up writing a version of Elliot that is little too different, and it isn't necessarily a bad version. I just had a hard time linking the Elliot of the show to the Elliot of the journal, and some of it is justified by the situation Elliot is in but I certainly can't explain other aspects of his decisions, they just seem too alien to his character.
I did ultimately enjoy reading an artifact from the world of my favorite TV show, but I also acknowledge that this book fails when it comes to providing a similar experience to someone that either has never seen the show, or has only passively watched it. If your a fan of the show then this is probably something that you would really enjoy reading. If you haven't seen the show then watch the pilot, you'll probably get sucked in.
Mr. Robot is probably the smartest, and overall best, TV show on right now. It's blend of actual technology, social commentary, psychological elements, and twists that all blend together for an hour of storytelling that is completely engrossing. If it hadn't been for USA releasing the pilot episode for free on YouTube I probably wouldn't be writing this review right now, and I certainly owe them a lot for that decision. It's a show that makes you think, and this world needs more and more of that type of content.
For much of the second season of the TV show the main character, Elliot,
The biggest issue this book has is that it doesn't necessarily provide any new information that is consequential to the overall narrative. It does, however, provide an interesting read to fans of the show. It really gives you a chance to see into Elliot's mental state far more than the show allows. Elliot is a character who is naturally reserved, and while his internal monologues in the show are speaking directly to the audience, this book would have you believe that he's holding a lot back.
Here in the journal, however, Elliot is free to say whatever he wants and there is a logical reason for him to do so. In attempt to keep his mortal enemy at bay,
Spoiler
who happens to be a mental projection of his dead father who can take over his body ala Tyler DurdenAdditionally, the story itself isn't doesn't have much going on, its a lot of descriptions of eating, conversations about sitcoms, attempts to make friends, and attempts to stay away from enemies. I could very easily see someone setting the book down out of boredom, and it certainly doesn't provide the closure that a person who doesn't watch the show would need. I also had a hard time seeing Elliot speaking the way he does in his journal entries. When compared to the show he swears a lot more and speaks in a way that really seemed like it was coming from a different person, and that is probably the biggest issue I had with the book.
I think that Mr. Esmail fell into a little bit of a trap here, he had an opportunity to really dive deep into a character he had created, it was a creative space that wasn't restricted by air time or censorship, and he wandered a bit too far from the trail. With the ability to write anything he wanted and explore areas of Elliot that he couldn't in the show I think he ended up writing a version of Elliot that is little too different, and it isn't necessarily a bad version. I just had a hard time linking the Elliot of the show to the Elliot of the journal, and some of it is justified by the situation Elliot is in but I certainly can't explain other aspects of his decisions, they just seem too alien to his character.
I did ultimately enjoy reading an artifact from the world of my favorite TV show, but I also acknowledge that this book fails when it comes to providing a similar experience to someone that either has never seen the show, or has only passively watched it. If your a fan of the show then this is probably something that you would really enjoy reading. If you haven't seen the show then watch the pilot, you'll probably get sucked in.
bolognio108's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-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
1.5
keytonarmstrong's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely adored this. It is so detailed and it just incredible. Definitely the best tie in book of all time. Mr. Robot is a true masterpiece and this work added a great deal to my understanding and enjoyment of the show. Definitely made me go rewatch season 2
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Mental illness
Moderate: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Vomit, Confinement, Blood, Animal death, and Drug abuse
noitasapatti's review against another edition
5.0
This was so bloody good. Usually these kind of books are made just to get more money from fans, but this book was so good, it gave so much insight to Elliot's mind. I feel like I understand the season 2 so much better after reading this. Fantastic.
jdhauk's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0