In a world in which stardom and fame are a tweet, a post, or a video away, Megan Angelo’s “Followers” is a reminder of how dangerous, destructive and fragile that sudden fame can be and how important true connection can really be.
Orla is just looking for an opportunity to get out of the rut of an endless series of web articles on celebrities eating habits and fashions and finally write and publish her novel. Floss is looking to break into the class of A-list celebrities and forget her small-town Ohio roots. Marlow, in 2051, lives a “Truman Show existence where people follow her every move and each life decision decided by network executives. Each of these will mix in ways that turn what starts as a simple morality tale of the highs and lows of celebrity into something much darker and deeper.
There is so much to take out of this story, with its ability to combine thriller, mystery, and dystopia elements together into a moving and real examination of the tendrils of social media that fill most of our lives. This novel has a lot to say about life right now, but what could have ventured too far into anti-technology screed instead is more cautionary and gentler in its approach. There are no real enemies or heroes in this story, and in doing so, Megan’s is able to convey truly authentic characters and situations, even when time ventures into the future none of us have lived yet, but is so close to now that it feels like it’s just around the corner.
If you loved Emily St John Mandel’s “Station Eleven”, you are going to be as equally impressed by “Followers” mix of somber and hopeful writing that will leave you troubled over what we could become but hopeful that we might yet not be so far over the precipice that we can’t rescue ourselves before it is too late. Powerful writing and story make this a true must-read in 2020.
Orla is just looking for an opportunity to get out of the rut of an endless series of web articles on celebrities eating habits and fashions and finally write and publish her novel. Floss is looking to break into the class of A-list celebrities and forget her small-town Ohio roots. Marlow, in 2051, lives a “Truman Show existence where people follow her every move and each life decision decided by network executives. Each of these will mix in ways that turn what starts as a simple morality tale of the highs and lows of celebrity into something much darker and deeper.
There is so much to take out of this story, with its ability to combine thriller, mystery, and dystopia elements together into a moving and real examination of the tendrils of social media that fill most of our lives. This novel has a lot to say about life right now, but what could have ventured too far into anti-technology screed instead is more cautionary and gentler in its approach. There are no real enemies or heroes in this story, and in doing so, Megan’s is able to convey truly authentic characters and situations, even when time ventures into the future none of us have lived yet, but is so close to now that it feels like it’s just around the corner.
If you loved Emily St John Mandel’s “Station Eleven”, you are going to be as equally impressed by “Followers” mix of somber and hopeful writing that will leave you troubled over what we could become but hopeful that we might yet not be so far over the precipice that we can’t rescue ourselves before it is too late. Powerful writing and story make this a true must-read in 2020.