Followers by Megan Angelo is a sci-fi book that will give the reader pause. The concept is shocking and addresses many issues in today’s society. It also contains characters that are spellbinding and interesting, yet all have something to hide. It really questions the way we live our lives attached to our online personas.
Author: Megan Angelo
Publisher: Graydon House
Genres: Adult Fiction, Sci-Fi
Publication Date: January 14, 2020
Rating:
An electrifying story of two ambitious friends, the dark choices they make and the profound moment that changes the meaning of privacy forever.
Orla Cadden dreams of literary success, but she’s stuck writing about movie-star hookups and influencer yoga moves. Orla has no idea how to change her life until her new roommate, Floss―a striving, wannabe A-lister―comes up with a plan for launching them both into the high-profile lives they so desperately crave. But it's only when Orla and Floss abandon all pretense of ethics that social media responds with the most terrifying feedback of all: overwhelming success.
Thirty-five years later, in a closed California village where government-appointed celebrities live every moment of the day on camera, a woman named Marlow discovers a shattering secret about her past. Despite her massive popularity―twelve million loyal followers―Marlow dreams of fleeing the corporate sponsors who would do anything, even horrible things, to keep her on-screen. When she learns that her whole family history is a lie, Marlow finally summons the courage to run in search of the truth, no matter the risks.
Followers traces the paths of Orla, Floss and Marlow as they wind through time toward each other, and toward a cataclysmic event that sends America into lasting upheaval. At turns wry and tender, bleak and hopeful, this darkly funny story reminds us that even if we obsess over famous people we’ll never meet, what we really crave is genuine human connection.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: Followers by Megan Angelo
The story is set in alternating timelines and is told in multiple perspectives. Followers takes a look at our world today and then imagines how the US would react after a technological “Spill.” As the timelines of 2015 and 2055 overlap and converge Orla, Marlow, and Floss discover each other and themselves in worlds that value its reality stars.
❀ Believable Nightmare
During the 2015 and onward timeline, Orla and Floss create online personalities that become famous overnight. Although, the price they pay for attracting their followers affects their lives and relationships. It is a very believable nightmare that turns uglier after the Spill. Then, in 2055, we find Floss and her daughter Marlow living in a so-called utopia called Constellation. This fictitious world created by writers and producers is similar to the film, The Truman Show. It is a life that continues to be measured by followers, even in this new age.
❀ Captivating
So many issues are brought to light in this novel, such as privacy, patriarchy, and technology. What would happen to a world that is so dependent on technology to have it suddenly yanked away from them? Is a hand held device really something to not live without? Megan Angelo will have readers captivated by the possibility with Followers.
❀ Thought-Provoking
Followers by Megan Angelo will be intrigue fans of the genre and those that question our dependency on technology. It is an engaging and thought-provoking read that will keep you turning pages.
About Megan Angelo
Megan has written about television, film, women and pop culture, and motherhood for publications including The New York Times (where she helped launch city comedy coverage), Glamour (where she was a contributing editor and wrote a column on women and television), Elle, The Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, and Slate. She is a native of Quakertown, Pennsylvania and a graduate of Villanova University. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her family. FOLLOWERS is her first novel.
About Lori
Avid reader. Contributor to The Candid Cover. Educator.