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keijiwolf's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
cursedepub's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A much, much richer and more emotionally hard-hitting book than I expected, with a very relevant exploration of the issues of commodified self-image, age of aesthetics, and the culture of internet celebrity and social panopticon. I thought I knew exactly how this book would go - how many times can we do "internet age celebrity dystopia," right? But while I wouldn't say Followers is full of plot twists, I was pleasantly surprised more and more as I kept on reading and found that I couldn't predict what would happen next, what characters would do, or what connections would be revealed. This isn't just cookie-cutter or trend-following; there's real depth.
The story balances the large-scale movements of past and future (connecting two settings, 35 years apart, with events in one directly causing events in the other) very well with the personal journeys of the main characters. Everyone in this book is very real. Most of the time they aren't likeable - many times they are petty and small-minded, hypocritical, self-centered, and ruthless (in ugly, unglamorous ways), but I found myself rooting for them all the same.
The book isn't perfect - some of it is over-the-top, sensational, or overwrought, and the ending is a little too sentimental for my taste. I'm not sure I agree with how things were resolved. But I got way more than I bargained for in this, which I was very happy to discover.
The story balances the large-scale movements of past and future (connecting two settings, 35 years apart, with events in one directly causing events in the other) very well with the personal journeys of the main characters. Everyone in this book is very real. Most of the time they aren't likeable - many times they are petty and small-minded, hypocritical, self-centered, and ruthless (in ugly, unglamorous ways), but I found myself rooting for them all the same.
The book isn't perfect - some of it is over-the-top, sensational, or overwrought, and the ending is a little too sentimental for my taste. I'm not sure I agree with how things were resolved. But I got way more than I bargained for in this, which I was very happy to discover.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Sexual assault
Minor: Adult/minor relationship