Member Reviews
Complex plot makes this an exciting mystery thriller relevant to current events.
Lou McCarthy is a reporter for the Bay Area Herald and has spent many thankless years covering Silicon Valley -- mostly to expose the sleazy executives at the top. Those "brociopaths", however, keep on doing their nasty things and nobody ever pays. Until two of those hideous men commit very public suicides on the night of a big announcement for the huge new conglomerate, Raum -- one of the hottest technology companies on the verge of a massive IPO. When she is accused of driving the men to their deaths and is doxed by a vengeful group of #MLM trolls intent on tracking her down, she finds that someone else is intervening and might be responsible for taking those rich and powerful men and their companies down. When Lou meets "Fate", she is drawn into a very complicated game involving the sick predators and their entitled methods. No spoilers.
Fast pace, interesting characters, and a timely plot combine to make an interesting cautionary tale about the dark side of technology and the damage inflicted by those at the top in Silicon Valley. He's definitely aware of the misogyny and exclusionary practices in the industry. In a season when many books have been published about the #metoo scandals and the headlines continue to reveal a lot of bad boy behavior at the top levels of society, this book will definitely leave readers with a lot to think about.
Thank you to NetGalley and Snafublishing LLC for this e-book ARC to read and review.
3.5 stars!
The book really grabbed me from the 2nd chapter for sure as that's when everything began to kick off as the beginning did start off a little slow.
It's a slow-burn yet fast paces thriller that really is full of tension about journalism and the corrupt big companies that hide the truth. The character Lou was brilliant and I really liked her as a character.
I gave it 3.5 stars and not 4 because at some point I did lose some interest in the story but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
DNF -did not finish. I decided not to keep reading this novel because I did not connect with the writing and plot. Thank you, netgalley and publisher for the early copy.
A disillusioned journalist fighting a seemingly almighty high tech corporation, a plot full of surprising twists, clearly defined characters. This book is a wild and fast ride through the modern world of Silicone Valley, a book that leaves the reader wondering about how much power today's real tech companies already have. Personally, I have read this book in a few days, the plot sucked me in right away and never let me out of its grip until I was done reading the last page. Five star rating well earned.
This book was pretty crazy. I highly recommend it. Our times of social media, smart watches, stock exchange and silicone valley really hits home reading this book and the sole control these companies can have on our lives. I currently only use one social media platform and have a regular analog watch, but this still makes me wonder about control they have on my life. As a smaller scale user of these technologies, I think we all should read this book. I know it's fiction, but it really can be eye opening. And with murder and mystery, it kept my attention when most tech stuff doesn't.
This is an intelligent, fun, fast paced thriller that will leave you thinking. However it is written so fast and with “industry jargon” I had trouble staying interested at times. Thank you Netgalley, Snafublishing LLC and Paul Bradley Carr for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
A Silicon Valley mystery/thriller with a big emphasis on taking down toxic masculinity. Lou McCarthy is working as a journalist to expose the misdeeds of high profile tech industry leaders, and it costs her almost everything. Just like a few other people have said; the first chapter is totally a drag but it picks up immediately and becomes incredibly enjoyable.
I am a bit late to the party as I had requested 1414 after the novel had been released. However, I am so glad that I was able to scoop it up in the nick of time. This was an incredible read!
I will say that 1414 takes a bit to pull you in but I knew from the start it would be worth the initial slow burn. This is a very detailed story and if you do not pay close attention, you will miss something.
This is a dark read with very complex characters. The story is narrated perfectly and will have you on the edge of your seat.
I highly recommend this book to all my fellow thrill lovers.
Ordering this book was a mistake. I really couldn't get into it. I didn't really understand the title. I don't read snoopy writer stories. I assumed this was like Fahrenheit 400, the scifi novel. I was wrong.
1414º will keep you on on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. As the story unfolds, you wonder whether the various characters are who they appear to be. In any event, it will keep you guessing at every turn.
There are so many layers to this story. They spread from how powerful men in Silicon Valley treat women personally and professionally, to gentrification of the S.F. Bay area, to manipulation of the public and the stock market to privacy issues.
According to author Paul Bradley Carr who spent twenty years covering Silicon Valley for various publications, this novel is based on a true story that affected him personally. One of the most powerful companies in the Bay area sought to spend a million dollars to target the families of certain journalists, including his own.
This is Carr’s first novel and with public concerns regarding social media issues that exploded into the news recently, 1414º is timely. Additionally, it is fast-paced and unpredictable.
(The complete review will be posted on UnderratedReads on Nov.1, 2021
Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this Silicon Valley technothriller. It had a bit of a dystopian aura but felt a little too real. The author spent a lot of time in Silicon Valley, and although the names and certain details are thinly disguised to protect the guilty, he probably knows where the bodies are buried.
The protagonist, Lou McCarthy, is a journalist who has angered the corporate elite by exposing corruption and sexual misconduct. But the powers-that-be have the upper hand and succeed in destroying her career. Until she finds allies in unexpected places...
The fast-paced plot at times was a little hard to follow, and I found the characterizations mainly stereotypical. White males = bad, sexist, racist, unable to succeed on their own merits. Women and people of color = moral, oppressed, deprived of what they deserve by the white male chauvinist pigs.
Several seemingly disconnected plotlines tie up at the end for a clever and exciting finale.
The cover both freaked me out but also drew me in! I went in with no expectations and no clues on what the book was about, just the cover. This is a true page turner which is something I have had a hard time finding this year. Modern, thrilling, relevant, exciting, brilliant, and impossible to put down. Character development is stellar, takes place in (Big Tech) Silicon Valley setting, so it’s not only modern but relevant. Honestly, this will be a top book of the year no doubt. This book is so well written I haven’t even been able to get attached to any other story.
An old fashioned page turner with thoroughly modern plots ands twists, Excellent!! I'm recommending it very highly!
Smartly written modern thriller. I couldn't believe this the author's first work of fiction... or perhaps it's because it's probably closer to the truth than most would realize.. As a former "Corporate Mom" (I'd now be called a "Sharyl"), with an MBA and MSEE, I cheered on the dream team bringing down the brosciopaths (what a perfect word to describe them)!
Everything from the chapter headers (% left in book), the tech, investors, to the back stories of the brosciopaths, was written very cleverly to not only develop our understanding of the plot and characters but also to immerse you in a world that most people are fortunate enough to never see. I eagerly await the next book!
To say this book exceeded my expectations is a severe understatement. I enjoyed this book so much, found it so difficult to put down, and absolutely LOVED the writing style and pace. Lou and Charity make an amazing duo, and I’d love to see them take down more bad guys in the future. I will say there were a few loose ends toward the end (what officially happened to Raum, Helen, and a few others), but the climax at the end was well worth it, and I absolutely squealed with joy at the slight Ray Bradbury-esq 1414° reference. What a cool touch. Highly highly recommend!
The pages just keep turning. You find yourself hanging on trying to piece it all together. Everything you think you’ve figured out, forget it.
A very intriguing read!
The author did a fantastic job with the characters, the setting of silicone valley and keeping you on the edge of your seat with all the twists and turns.
I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and snafublishing for providing me a copy of this book for my honest opinion.
Great mystery/thriller type novel about the Big Tech type companies in Silicon Valley. So relevant with how fast our technology is advancing and almost a little scary considering how much we allow the internet to know about us!
Lou McCarthy is a truth chasing reporter who wants to expose all of the corrupt billionaires behind these companies. When she accidentally gets herself involved in the deaths of these 2 high profile founders, she gets pulled deeper and deeper into finding out the truth of what is really going on in Silicon Valley. She has to make decisions on what she is willing to do to expose the “brociopaghs”. Lou is a great main character who you are rooting for the entire time. And when you find out who is behind the take down you really want to see the good side win.
This normally wouldn’t be my type of book but the more I read the more I couldn’t put it down. The author did a great job of showing how powerful people can cover up just about anything.
I really this book. I caught me right from the beginning. Great story and good characters. It keeps you guessing and really make you think if the possibilities of our future.
A horror novel about Silicone Valley. This is not about how bad the working conditions are, or how tech is failing us. No, this is about murders, a journalist, trolls, and physical attacks on the people trying to stop those at the top from getting away with horrible crimes and the journalist staying alive.
Lou McCarthy is a journalist who is constantly trying to expose corruption of the elite in Silicon Valley (job security, right?). She's discredited, and then pulled into a much bigger plot, with people who have the same agenda -- or do they?
This a fast paced story with lots of twists and turns. There are ambiguous questions, although it certainly doesn't spend time sitting around being philosophical. And it's also timely - the actions of the various powers could have been ripped right from the headlines.
Thanks to netgalley and the author and publisher for an ARC of the book. It was an exciting read!