What's going to happen if we continue to seek "influencer" status on our social media platforms?

This book explores that concept by alternating between two time periods - 2016 and 2051.

The first half of this book had me completely captured. The writing was methodical and pulled me right into the story, but the second half slowed way down and eventually lost my interest.

While I enjoyed this deep dive into speculative ficiton, overall, it wasn't executed as well as I had hoped!

The beginning of this book (and probably about 2/3rds of it) is amazing. It pulled me in immediately. I needed to know what was going on, tried to guess what was happening, and couldn't get enough. And then all of a sudden, not only did I not care, but the story seemed to go all over the place. I don't know if it was me, or the book, or what. But once that happened, I couldn't focus, and I found myself rereading passages.

I LOVED the premise of this book. But even though I felt that way, it still wasn't enough to keep me interested for the whole book. I wanted to like it.

2.5/5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the author told both the events leading up to The Spill and the impact of it in every other chapter. Going back and forth and just getting enough information in each chapter made me want to keep reading for more.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Multiple timelines are totally my jam, and this book clicked that box for me! I enjoyed this book a lot. It really makes you question having social media. It was so creepy and crazy at how quickly fans can turn into stalkeresque people! I love how creepy it was. It was WONDERFUL.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and netgalley for the review copy.

𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 is told in two different timelines with a cast of characters who make a train wreck of bad decisions. This book was a little crazy. By setting us in a dystopian society, the author takes a hard look at the impact of technology and the implications of a lack of privacy in our world. The world the story is set in is complex, creative and eerily familiar.⁣
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I do appreciate the ending and the way this book asks you to think through privacy issues, influencers, social media, etc. This is especially intriguing in a world where it is becoming increasingly common to be “internet famous”.⁣
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I don’t agree with everything said or implied in this book, but this was definitely a fast-paced, entertaining read. There were unexpected twists, and I never felt bored with the story. I think 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 would make a really great television series. I would categorize this as a dystopian thriller that was addictive and hard to put down

If 1984, I Am Pilgrim, and the Kardashians had a torrid affair, this book would be the love child of such a union.
Followers is a brilliant novel with darkly sharp commentary of social media's role in society, and what can happen when we share too much.
Floss, Orla, and Marlow are symptoms of the times they live in, rather than the cause of what's happening. But for the first 2/3 of the book, you'd think otherwise.
This book is brilliantly layered and seamlessly jumps between the future and present, and takes you on a roller coaster of emotions the entire book.
It's SO smart. It's darkly funny. It has twists you won't see coming (and some you will). And it will stick with you, long after you're done reading it.

I had high hopes for this book. But I guess it just wasn't the book for me. I ended up DNFing Followers by Megan Angelo at 15%.

3.75 Stars

<i>Followers</i> offers a satirical look at social media, fame, and society. It follows three different women in two timelines. In the late 2010s, we follow Orla Cadden, a literary wannabe who is stuck blogging about famous people like sad Sage Sterling for Lady-ish an online tabloid, and Floss Natuzzi, an A-List wannabe who is looking for her ticket to fame or infamy, whichever works out first. In the 2050s, we follow Marlow, daughter of Floss, and the singer Aston Clipp. Marlow is caught in a demimonde of reality TV in which her entire life is curated based on media follows and commentary. Right down to her future pregnancy with Ellis, a man she doesn't love and hopes the producers will have her divorce. Marlow's entire life has been given over to the decisions of others. She is a living, walking advertisement for a psychotropic drug, Hysteryl. At thirty-five, she isn't sure who she is exactly. That becomes even truer after some genetic testing for her pregnancy reveals questions about her parentage. But the only way Marlow is going to find answers is by breaking away from the show and everything she's ever known. By listening to the real voice in her head instead of a live stream courtesy of an implant that doubles as a GPS tracker.

Angelo has written an interesting piece of satire that is sometimes quite biting in its exploration of human nature's seeming love of outrage, cruelty, cyberbullying, and other bad behavior. While the novel is designed to be a takedown of our internet-obsessed culture, I felt that it seemed to waver in its goals of satire by getting bogged down in Marlow's origin story. The softening of a perspective on Floss left me dissatisfied, though I suppose one could argue that forgiveness is a thing. But to me, this character gave the reader a lot, a whole lot, to forgive. Still, it's an engaging read even though you kind of hate yourself for wanting to know what happens next with these mostly vile humans. In that respect, Angelo has made her point about fame and popular culture.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Jayme Mattler, whose narration captures the three women, and that of Aston, who has a speech impediment. (I should note Aston's disability is not central to the story though it has informed part of how he became famous initially.)

I received a Digital Review Copy and paper review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

<blockquote>"But fame was not enough, you know? I wanted something else. I couldn't have come up with the word, back then, but I'm big-time now, I have a good vocab." She smiled. "Influence. That's what I wanted."</blockquote>

Whew, it's been a while since I was so entertained by a book, that I read it within a 24-hour time span! It's weird how talking shit about my aimless scrolling tendencies inspired me to actually focus on the book and <I>not</i> pick up my phone every minute, huh?

<I>Followers</i> is like if <I>Black Mirror</i> did an episode based on <I>The Truman Show</i>, and I found it so intriguing.

I really enjoyed the satirical commentary provided by the author over social media, immigration, politics, and life in this generation as a whole. The Instagram influencer lifestyle has blown up in recent years, with people sharing almost every aspect of their life online. What happens when the bubble bursts? How does being an influencer translate into "real life"? The absolutely science fictional 2051 timeline in Constellation, California still managed to feel weirdly familiar to me, as a millennial who spends too much time pointlessly scrolling through social media. If this is where our society is heading, I'm terrified while also finding it a little thrilling.

The book kept me on edge with about 2-3 major events I was dying to know the details of. The ending chapter was a bit too over the top tied together for me, but overall, I am really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Thank you Netgalley and Graydon House publishing for the ARC!

This was an INTENSE read which was made even more intense by the fact that although it was futuristic, everything that was occurring in the future seemed realistic and plausible.

Without a word of a lie, this novel is enough to make you want to delete all of your social media and get rid of all of the technology that you so heavily rely on. With that being said, will I delete or get rid of any of mine? No, I will not. Again, this makes the message of this novel that much scarier.

This novel is definitely one that is thought provoking and will make you think about society. Whether it be society in the past, present, or future. Some of the events in the novel would have me shaking my head but at the same time, what seems laughable in the story is also occurring in real life.

When it comes to the ending, I was able to predict what had happened but I think that was mostly due to the foreshadowing and hints left throughout the story. It was not a blatantly obvious ending but it also did not come out of nowhere.

This book would be great for a book club or even just to create a discussion. This novel combines both fiction and non-fiction which makes me think it would be interesting to read this novel years from now to see how it compares to the future.

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

I really wanted to like <i>Followers</i> because the Bad on Paper Podcast hosts Grace Atwood and Becca Freeman spoke highly of it. However, I had a really hard time getting through the book. The novel follows two characters Orla, a young woman in the present timeline living in New York City, and Marlow, a young woman living in the 2050s in a town set up as a Truman Show-type Influencer town.

The idea is really interesting, but I did not like the execution of it. The book is painfully long and neither Orla or Marlow have enough personality to really get the reader invested in their lives (with Marlow that's at least understandable in the beginning, but she never develops). Full disclosure, I kept picturing Orla as Lena Dunham, and I think that probably contributed to my intense dislike of her. There was also just too much commentary on different trends. It's a commentary on social media, influencer cultural, advertistments, Caroline Calloway type of people, BuzzFeed, the publishing industry, Aaron Paul type characters, etc. It was just so much commentary on those different aspects of media now, that it all gets lost in the noise.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

3.5. A novel told in two timelines (2015 & 2051) about technology, the internet, and social media addiction and the effect on the lives of two friends. It takes the reality of the social media of today to an extreme degree in the future where some entire lives are lived on line with the world watching. Eventually, a major terrorist disaster called the Spill takes everything offline for a time and then starts exposing everyone’s secrets. The characters use each other mercilessly for fame. They aren’t particularly likeable but definitely hold your attention. The ending is pretty far out there . . . the president builds a wall around Atlantic City and deports illegal immigrants to it? Still, overall, an intriguing premise of what the future might hold.

Followers is told in two time periods: 2015/16 and 2051. The book follows three women and their relationships with internet/social media fame. In 2015, Orla is writing for a celebrity gossip blog but longs to publish a novel and her roommate, Floss (I know, I know -- these names!) is in desperate pursuit of notoriety. Orla and Floss team up to try and further each other and in the process, sort of stumble into social media stardom. Thirty-six years in the future (2051), Marlow lives in Constellation, California which is a giant social media stage. The entire town exists for exposure on social media -- sunsets are projected onto an enormous screen so they're always perfect and tree leaves are controlled so that the change of seasons can occur at just the right time. People in Constellation are given plots, sponsors, storylines, and wardrobes -- their entire life exists to be consumed by their followers 24 hours a day. Marlow struggles to be content in the limelight that Orla and Floss were so obsessed with.
Followers was a completely unique read for me. While I'm new to the dystopian/sci-fi genre, I'm not entirely sure that Followers falls solidly into that category, which was a large part of its charisma. I enjoyed that the main characters are women and because the book occurs within a span of 36 years we see multiple stages of these women's lives. I found this book very thought provoking regarding our use of technology, our dependence on technology, and society's fascination with social media influencers, instafame, and "reality-based" celebrities. Followers was entertaining, deeply thoughtful, thoroughly compelling, and at times dark and terrifying -- it will definitely strike a chord with readers of our technological, social media rich age.

Followers is such a character driven and thought-provoking book that seems extra relevant in our current era of social media. I quite enjoyed it, and am going to tell you why (and yeah, the one thing that's holding me back from five stars)!

What I Loved:

• The world-building kept me guessing throughout. Funny, but in this book the world kind of is the mystery/plot. How did we get to the point where the book takes place? The slow build of secrets made me want to keep reading, as I was excited for the next tidbit to unfurl.

• The character development is constant and fabulous. Because they don't just change in terms of betterment and growth. No, there's plenty of backsliding, which totally feels authentic (because don't we all go through such periods?). They're beyond flawed, and at times you may flat out not like some of them (or all of them). But then they'll do something to showcase their humanity, and it all fits into place.

• The relationships ebb and flow as well, and they play such a huge role in the characters' stories. The characters' connections to one another also come into focus as the story moves along. Though you know they're connected, you don't figure out how and why until much later. But everyone indeed has something to contribute, a reason for their story being told.

• It's definitely thought provoking. Basically, if you had to choose all-or-nothing with social media/internet, which would you choose? Could you have your life dictated by it? Could you live completely without that connection? Does it have to be so absolute? So many questions arise about how and why we connect with each other, and some glaring problems with today's interactions.

What I Didn't:

• It starts off kind of slow. If you're the kind of person who is hoping to dive into some action, hope again. It's a very character driven book overall, which I generally love, but it starts off a bit too slow. I think the major thing was, it took me some time to invest in the characters. When I did, I was all in, and loved reading. So if you are iffy, give it time, because it was wholly worth it by the end.

Bottom Line: Fabulous character development in a very timely plot and setting makes the slower start and pace completely worth it.

Followers is a futuristic & disturbing look at how social media & influencers evolve from 2015 to 2051. In 2015 we meet Orla & Floss, one the face, the other the brains. Together they plot their way using technology & the internet to become famous. In 2051 we meet Marlow, living a Truman-like life on a set in Constellation, CA, where Pitt & Lohan are now street names. The United States is basically divided between the talent & the voyeurs. One obsessed with being seen & the other obsessed with watching. Stories or arcs are created for all the talent, who are essentially walking advertisements, with their every move live streamed for the rest of the world to consume. The book is told in dual timelines & the best part for me was the way the 3 women’s stories come together. While it does have sci-fi elements to it, it’s more women’s fiction/cautionary tale, so if you’re looking for some action or a murder mystery, this isn’t it. I think the reason I found this so eerie is because it seems somewhat plausible. I also found it difficult not to cringe at the behaviors explored.
The level of writing we’re getting from some of these debut authors lately has seriously raised the bar for everyone coming behind them. Megan Angelo deserves all the accolades she’s receiving for Followers & I’m excited to see what she explores next. *** Thank you NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Influencers.  YouTube stars.  Likes.  People sit next to each other but text instead of speaking to each other.  Social media is King.  One comment can make you the darling of the internet or drop you into oblivion.

Followers – so titled because your life depends on ever-increasing the number of followers higher and higher.  The story is given to us in the “present” which is 2055 and flashbacks to 2015.  The crème de la crème of society live in a town called Constellation.  How it came to exist and how the characters got there is the thread that weaves Orla, Marlow, and Floss together.

Cellphones as we know them today mostly exist through a device on the writs that are connected to people’s brains.  Screens long gone, blamed for an Alzheimer like disease that turned people catatonic.

Marlow is a superstar.  Her entire life orchestrated, plotted and scripted by the powers that be for maximum consumption by her viewers.  You too can be as beautiful as Marlow by purchasing her entire ensemble right now!  Her personality is medicated.  Her life is fake.  Her marriage is fake.  Even the fate of her ovaries is debatable for the sake of increasing her followers.

Orla bides her time at a blog called Lady-ish while promising herself that she’ll write the great American novel.  She is smart but timid and does not speak up for herself.  Of course, this makes her a pushover for the users around her.  Especially her own roommates.

Floss is the skim milk of the trio.  Desperately wants to be relevant, rich and famous.  The problem is she has no talent to speak of that could set her apart.  However, she is cunning.  She knows exactly what button to push to get what she wants from people.

Chapter by chapter we're given a picture of a future that is very plausible considering we are already in that matrix so to speak.  Then Marlow ditches her meds and shit gets real!  She starts digging and digging and all their lives change in a way that I never imagined when I started this book.

This happens to be the author’s debut novel.  Seriously?!  OMG, this freaking book!  Followers is a smart, mind-blowing Trumanesque commentary on life lived through the lens of social media.  As is many times the case, these characters exist in a world based on appearances and perception instead of truth and reality.  Megan Angelo had me from get-go.  I want to meet her, take her to lunch, buy her a drink and then pick her brain after we order every dessert on the menu.

Bravo Megan!  Bravo!

I wanted to like Followers by Megan Angelo. I really did.

When I read the summary of the book, I immediately thought: Is this The Truman Show of the future? This sounds like Truman Show meets the Kardashians with a bit of Black Mirror sprinkled in. And I was right. This book is all that, and it’s just as all over the place as my description.

What’s Followers actually about?
Followers is the story of three women whose lives are connected.

Orla and Floss are two twenty-somethings living in New York City around 2015. Orla works for a celebrity-news online publication but dreams of writing a book. Floss, who’s more simple-minded, wants to be famous.

Fast forward to 2050, we meet Marlow from a town called Constellation, which is basically a gigantic and secluded movie set. In it, its inhabitants are all social media stars whose lives are livecasted 23/7 (they get one hour a day offline) and dictated by storylines that are decided by the production company that runs the town.

After growing up in the limelight, Marlow is assigned a story arch that puts her at a fork on the road. Does she want this? Will this make her happy? How does she feel about her life? As she confronts these questions, she learns some family secrets that force her to veer off her path and go in search of the truth.

But finding information that can lead to the truth seems impossible in the 2050 world Megan Angelo lays out for us. Smart devices have been replaced by some sort of chip device (think an Amazon Alexa or Google Home attached to the brain), and information is controlled by studio executives inside Constellation or by the government anywhere else. Why? Because there was some sort of disastrous event caused by the overuse of social media and the internet that caused chaos and calamity.

Sounds complicated, right?
Yeah. Complicated is a compliment. A good complicated story is sometimes chicken soup for the soul. It can take you through emotions and end in wisdom. Life is complicated, and that’s ok in a book too. But when you add way too many characters and just as many tragic subplots, it gets messy, convoluted, and it’s hard to follow.

And, just like an infomercial, that’s not all! The book is an obvious social commentary. A critique of our era of smart devices and digital isolation. Followers also tries to address the complexity of motherhood, and sometimes it nails it, but unfortunately, in an effort to cover all the bases, some of the situations feel forced and come off as an afterthought.

That said, Megan Angelo’s descriptions of feelings and spaces are masterful. The way she laid out the story alternating between 2015 and 2050 rarely failed to leave me curious to read more. Some of the characters she brought to life grew up in the 90s just like me, and I loved how she brought me back to my childhood with references that included the video request channel The Box and stalking somebody over instant messenger or MySpace.

Followers should be adapted for TV
Orla, Floss, and Marlow are complex and interesting. I really liked meeting these characters and would’ve loved for this story to have played out at a slower pace, and a bit more streamlined. I think this would make a fantastic TV series! (Pay attention, Netflix & Hulu!) But the bottom line is Followers, as a book, was overambitious.

I loved this book & shared it on my Instagram. I really enjoy when a novel takes on a serious topic in a light way.

I wanted to love this one so much because it sounded like such a fun concept, but it just felt "eh" to me. I think some people will enjoy it but I was frankly a little bored with it. So I'll say it's a "read at your own risk" and it's not one I'd recommend as a "must read" to my followers!

When social media goes too far, it ruins lives. This cautionary tale illustrates what happens when people get more invested in their online persona than living a real life and the effect it has on the people in their lives.