This was the first book I've read from this author and it was just okay. It was hard for me to get into and the characters didn't keep my attention.

The description made this book sound really interesting, but I could not get into it. Unfortunately, it was a struggle to read.

I really, really liked the blurb for this book, but the book itself was a DNF for me. It was so slow moving, and I just couldn't get into it.

I found this book difficult to read. It seemed to be stream of consciousness monologues that were sort of tied together with a loose storyline. Didn’t enjoy it.

It's science fiction without the science. In a world where the internet never existed, Bubblegum traces another type of technology and its hold on the world. This is a very dense read and not recommended for the casual reader. Great for those who love speculation.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

I think there is definitely an audience for this book, I am just not it.
Full disclosure that I did not finish this 700+ page book, but read enough to know that it would be an endeavor to make it through the entirety. The concept of a world where another technology exists instead of the Internet is fascinating to me, and what drew me in. However, from the beginning portion I did read, I don't see how this story is going to take up such a large quantity of pages.
I may give this a chance again in the future, and if you are someone who can slog through 700+ pages of a fictional memoir, I encourage you to give it a shot.

One of the quirkiest protagonists I've ever run into. "Belt Magnet" as he is called has a psychotic disorder, but despite hearing voices from inanimate objects, being incompetent at managing his own affairs, and dependent upon his father although he is already 38 years old, most of his observations of himself and the world around him seem spot on—and hilarious. He has severe logorrhea, as do several other characters in the book although it is difficult to tell if they really do or that is just how he describes them. The book is a fictional memoir. I found myself laughing out loud, even when I was reading it in public places. It's pure entertainment!

I am sure that there are people who will love this novel set in an alternate America, but I found it tedious. The narrator, a schizophrenic, details his life in a very meta memoir filled with fantasy, memories, rants, and pithy commentary, but it's a slog to read and not terribly original.

I had to abandon this book at about 4%. I know that may be a bit too soon to stop reading, but my head was spinning from all of the dialog. I could not continue on knowing that this book was over 700 pages. I will you lots of success, but this book wasn't for me.