kpeerman1's review against another edition
2.0
It certainly made you think. I felt the author kind of petered out the ending a bit. I mean, I like the way the story ended. I was just hoping for a little more detail. I don't think the author's Kalden mystery was as clever as he was hoping it to be.
I thought the main character was stupid and selfish and terrible. I had a little trouble feeling bad for her in the moments I was meant to. I think it's weird that she was so numb to life that she wasn't phased by being with a dude who splooged before they even started having sex... Every. Time.
I know I rated this 2 stars but I want to be clear: I really enjoyed the concept of the book and I actually enjoy the path he had Mae take in the end because it wasn't a normal cookie-cutter ending. I just don't understand why the author stopped detailing what happened next when the climax finally arrived. It was such a steep drop-off.
So... basically, I didn't like the characters or some of how the story was written. I did really like the idea of the story and I think the movie will be great.
I thought the main character was stupid and selfish and terrible. I had a little trouble feeling bad for her in the moments I was meant to. I think it's weird that she was so numb to life that she wasn't phased by being with a dude who splooged before they even started having sex... Every. Time.
I know I rated this 2 stars but I want to be clear: I really enjoyed the concept of the book and I actually enjoy the path he had Mae take in the end because it wasn't a normal cookie-cutter ending. I just don't understand why the author stopped detailing what happened next when the climax finally arrived. It was such a steep drop-off.
So... basically, I didn't like the characters or some of how the story was written. I did really like the idea of the story and I think the movie will be great.
flubbinit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
Didn't scratch the itch I hoped it would as a dystopia. I was shocked to learn after finishing the book that it was written in 2013, because he so accurately predicted quite a lot of the direction that tech would go just ten years later. I think that may be part of why it didn't give such an emotional blow as it probably would have if I had read it when it came out; it wasn't overtly shocking how things developed. A lot of the plot was predictable, and the main character was unlikable. She was given a sympathetic backstory, but she squandered it by having absolutely no self awareness or conscience. Which like, yeah, most recent college grads are self absorbed by necessity as they figure out their roles in their new lives, being outside of school for the first time, but there was nothing to redeem Mae. A generous read of her apathy and the downward descent of her character would be that 'anyone can fall victim to an exploitative system if you're not careful, so stay critical of the world around you,' but I wasn't given any reason to like her in the first place, so it was just an achingly slow burn of a vapid person transforming into a repugnant person. The plot could have been so much more interesting, the characters so much deeper. It was just blah and wasted potential.
lisa11111's review against another edition
3.0
It's a well written book, but I didn't enjoy the subject matter. I kept wanting to shake some sense in to the main character and never could warm to her either. I waffled between a two and three star rating but because of the writing it got the higher one.
whitmc's review against another edition
5.0
Yikes. Like science fiction, yet a quickly approaching reality. Well-done and a very quick read. Perfect to spark lots of discussion!
lexbrunov's review against another edition
2.0
Idea - fine. Execution - debatable. I haven't finished, I was just done with it. Regret even trying to read it and torturing my mind.
cheyenneisreading's review against another edition
3.0
I have so many mixed feelings about this book!
First off, I was such an easy read and I was drawn to that aspect of it. However the main character, Mae, was completely self-absorbed and self-entitled. For example, she was only employed at the Circle for a short time and still excepted higher duties and praises than Annie, who not only has been working there WAY longer than Mae but GOT Mae the job and was her best friend!!!. Overall this book was twisted, awful and left me shaking my head with almost every page. The ending was predictable given how horrible and self-absorbed Mae is. Gosh, I hate Mae.
First off, I was such an easy read and I was drawn to that aspect of it. However the main character, Mae, was completely self-absorbed and self-entitled. For example, she was only employed at the Circle for a short time and still excepted higher duties and praises than Annie, who not only has been working there WAY longer than Mae but GOT Mae the job and was her best friend!!!. Overall this book was twisted, awful and left me shaking my head with almost every page. The ending was predictable given how horrible and self-absorbed Mae is. Gosh, I hate Mae.
grid's review against another edition
2.0
I will say this. It's a page turner. I read this in essentially two days. I started it in the library with a copy I couldn't check out, so I was already "sucked in", but it still went faster than expected.
At over 100 pages before there is really any conflict to speak of, it went incredibly fast for having so little to say.
Anyway, I more or less agree with the few other one-star reviews I've read on here. Lots of plot holes, lots of beating the reader over the head with primitive (simplified) concepts and too-obvious symbolism. The main character is annoying and makes poor decisions.
In addition to what has been said better by others, I think there are some really important privacy and security issues and arguments that get completely ignored by this novel, which made it particularly hard for me to read. All the arguments against the circle, when they are made by opposing forces in the narrative (and there are a few "lectures" in there) make all the issues out to be incredibly black and white. It's as if we are seeing the issues in the book from the far right and far left of the political spectrum, and incredibly, there are no other viewpoints. I think some research on the author's part maybe would have made for a better novel.
I can't bring myself to rate it one star, because frankly, I enjoyed reading it. But equally, I couldn't allow myself to rate it a four or five with all the problems it has, and their obviousness.
At over 100 pages before there is really any conflict to speak of, it went incredibly fast for having so little to say.
Anyway, I more or less agree with the few other one-star reviews I've read on here. Lots of plot holes, lots of beating the reader over the head with primitive (simplified) concepts and too-obvious symbolism. The main character is annoying and makes poor decisions.
In addition to what has been said better by others, I think there are some really important privacy and security issues and arguments that get completely ignored by this novel, which made it particularly hard for me to read. All the arguments against the circle, when they are made by opposing forces in the narrative (and there are a few "lectures" in there) make all the issues out to be incredibly black and white. It's as if we are seeing the issues in the book from the far right and far left of the political spectrum, and incredibly, there are no other viewpoints. I think some research on the author's part maybe would have made for a better novel.
I can't bring myself to rate it one star, because frankly, I enjoyed reading it. But equally, I couldn't allow myself to rate it a four or five with all the problems it has, and their obviousness.
xxxladystardust's review against another edition
1.0
Disappointed - ”Brave New World for our brave new world“?
Don‘t get me wrong, the idea was interesting and it made me contemplate my social media usage but Mae as a protagonist is just boring. She doesn’t question and she only lives for people pleasing. The only interesting characters were the ones that only had minor appearance like Annie or Kalden/Ty. Their PoVs would have been very appreciated.
Don‘t get me wrong, the idea was interesting and it made me contemplate my social media usage but Mae as a protagonist is just boring. She doesn’t question and she only lives for people pleasing. The only interesting characters were the ones that only had minor appearance like Annie or Kalden/Ty. Their PoVs would have been very appreciated.
zorya04's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
bullm1980's review against another edition
3.0
So so
The story was a little boring. The Characters were too one dimensional and quite frankly too dimwitted in my opinion.
The story was a little boring. The Characters were too one dimensional and quite frankly too dimwitted in my opinion.