Megan Angelo's "Followers," Like! Questioning the price we pay for

Marie Claire's February Book Club pick, Megan Angelo's "Followers," is sure to make you feel uncomfortable. The story alternates between 2015 and 2051, where Aura and Marlow each seek success and fame and achieve it thanks to the help of Aura's roommate, Floss; fast forward to 2051, where there are government-appointed celebrities and the world is watching their every move on a live stream on a live stream. Suddenly, success and fame seem ideal for every character.

"It's a cautionary tale about what happens when you try to be famous, but also about what happens when you share too much," Angelo told Marie Claire (opens in new tab).

"These days, people seem to be presenting themselves in a way that makes you want to be famous, even if you don't want to be famous. Everything that is shared on social media is sure to be timely.

Overall, Angelo's debut novel reminded the #ReadWithMC community of an episode of Black Mirror (in a good way), and I enjoyed the way Angelo portrayed the relationship between social media and privacy through complex female relationships. Readers recommend this book for the following reasons.

"Followers and "Likes!" A timely book about what happens when our desire for "like" takes over civilization as we know it. An entertaining and interesting premise, ruthless and flawed protagonists, and a frightening look at what our future could look like. The story is divided into two main characters separated by 30 years. This variety and intrigue works wonders for the flow of the book; one timeline is the present day, and does a good job of setting the mood for the changing world and technological atmosphere in which we live. I mentioned that the book is an episode of Black Mirror, and that is definitely true. It's a good book for those who like dystopian literature and are interested in the impact of social media on humans. -The premise of the book is very interesting and the author did not disappoint. She divided the book into two time periods (before and after the "internet spill" - 2015 and 2051) and provided an interesting story that followed the lives of two girls in search of fame and success. In post-Internet leak America, no one wants to share anything online anymore. So entire communities have been established to live-stream the daily lives of government-appointed celebrities, including product placement and brand "endorsements. This book is about technology and how it shapes society, but it is equally about relationships, family, and the choices we make to get where we want to go. I found myself empathizing with each of the characters, and I highly recommend this book for its topicality. -I'm behind on my February reading, but I finished listening to "Followers". I like dystopias, but this one was light-hearted. While there are incidents that lead to mass deaths, the plot focuses on a handful of women who are not in imminent danger. I liked that it read like a mystery novel about technology, social media, and privacy." [email protected]

"The book is told from the perspective of two women - Aura and Marlow - who alternate between two timelines, 2015 and 2051. Aura dreams of becoming a writer, but is stuck and exhausted writing for a celebrity gossip blog. So when her new roommate Floss, a hardworking aspiring celebrity, comes up with a plan to propel them both to coveted stardom, she agrees: 35 years in the future, Marlow is one of the government-appointed celebrities living in a closed-off California village. Marlow was not happy, but he didn't have the courage to leave until he learned something shocking about his past.

What I liked most about this book were the characters. Even though a lot of things happened from time to time, the characters were so real and relatable that I was able to get into the story without getting too confused. Ora, Floss, and Marlow are very flawed. Floss is a terrible person in some ways and Ora seems to know what she wants in life but doesn't seem to take any action. I loved watching them both grow up, especially Marlow, who realized how strong and independent he was when given the freedom to make choices.

And the book talks a lot about freedom, choice, and self-worth. It is thought-provoking and makes the reader think about issues such as privacy and the importance of freedom. It constantly reminds readers to pay attention to what is truly important in life: the things and people that make them happy. The book also touches a bit on cyber bullying and the horrific impact it has on the lives of others. People need to be more compassionate because you never know what is happening to someone on the other end of a cell phone. I really enjoyed Megan Angelo's debut novel. -because one of the themes of the book is about society and social media. It makes you think about how social media will be a part of our lives in the future. It's kind of a mix of Big Brother reality shows and social media like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I really liked the extreme all or nothing scenario regarding technology. What would you choose?" The characterization was a bit lacking for me, and the dual timelines were not always easy to follow. It took a bit of concentration to maintain focus because of the characters in both the past and present. As a way to justify the experience, more likes and in a culture that constantly seeks followers, the book was a "like" I liked that it raised the question of what price we pay for the -I will never look at "Error 404" the same way again. This tongue-in-cheek tale depicts the lives of Aura and Marlow in 2016 and 2051, both of whom are involved in reality TV, but in different ways and with different freedoms. Bots are everywhere and learning well from us. I hope you will heed the warning we issued today about giving our lives over to the airwaves.

The author does an excellent job of referencing current events in a casual way that makes the book even better. With a little more nuance, the book could have been a little more literary. -This is a very timely book. Social media has permeated our lives. This novel explores some interesting ideas about where social media is going and the downfall that will come from it. I thought it was a good debut novel and would like to read more by this author. I wasn't sure for a long time how the timelines were connected." - "Here fame comes from just being seen, but there is no real influence through intelligence or value. Followers' is a story focused on women and a warning of a possible future." -In March, we will be reading Jenny Lee's YA novel Anna K (opens in a new tab). Read an exclusive excerpt from the book here (opens in new tab).

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