This dark, pitch-perfect novel about our dependence on technology for validation and human connection is as addictive as social media itself.” –People A TIME AND NPR BEST BOOK OF 2020 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY PEOPLE MAGAZINE · THESKIMM · KATIE COURIC’S “WAKE UP CALL” · ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY · VOGUE.COM · MARIE CLAIRE · PARADE.COM · BITCH MEDIA · HELLO GIGGLES · BUSTLE · BOOKLIST An … GIGGLES · BUSTLE · BOOKLIST
An electrifying story of two ambitious friends and the dark choices they make to become internet famous.
Orla Cadden is a budding novelist stuck in a dead-end job, writing clickbait about movie-star hookups and influencer yoga moves. Then Orla meets Floss–a striving, wannabe A-lister–who comes up with a plan for launching them both into the high-profile lives they dream about. So what if Orla and Floss’s methods are a little shady–and sometimes people get hurt? Their legions of followers can’t be wrong.
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 to keep her on-screen. When she learns that her whole family history is based on 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.
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You know that feeling you get on social media that yoy may be overexposed? Or how about that feeling you get on social media that you are shouting into a void? Are your kids concerned about how many followers they have? How weird would it be if the government took over all our accounts to protect us? This is creepy and interesting and fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And it made me a little sea sick, I have to admit – it’s like a future where social media and reality TV collide and explode all over us.
Excellent book. I loved every minute of it! What a fantastic commentary on social media and our “need” to be seen. I enjoyed how it alternated between the two characters and in their timeline. Highly recommended!
What a page turner! I read a sneak peak of this book and though it sounded good I wasn’t sure if I would like this book or not, and I ended up loving it! There’s so many things I liked about this book! I really liked the characters (well, not the bad guys, but they were good at being bad guys!)
I honestly wasn’t even in a hurry to read this book but I saw it new and available on Libby so I said what the heck and I borrowed it lol and it was totally worth it! I hope they get an audiobook of it soon :0 This turned out to be a great scifi/thriller! Hated having to put it down!
Also loved the part where the president was talking about the wall and crap that was hilarious and also terrifyingly realistic!
Thank you to Graydon House for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Followers
By: Megan Angelo
*REVIEW*
Welcome to the future, 2051, to be exact. You are in Constellation. Located in California, it’s a sort of social experiment community. Living here means that you don’t control your own life. Who does? Well, your followers, sponsors, major corporations and such. Take Marlow, for example. She is a major social influencer in Constellation with a gazillion followers and a sweet sponsorship with a pharma giant. Marlow takes their little pill every day to keep her steady and happy. Her followers see these results and take the pills themselves. Plus, Marlow is beginning to realize that she has no control over anything. The guy she married was put in her path on purpose. Everything he did led to a specific outcome. Marlow never had a chance at marrying anyone else, but she didn’t know that then. Now, her life script says it’s time to have a baby whether you want to or not-a genetically created in every way baby. What if Marlow doesn’t want this life? What if she leaves Constellation?
Now, step back to 2015. Meet Orla, an Instagram journalist type, living in a sad apartment with a terrible roommate, Floss. These two don’t know it, but their lives are about to change and get complicated. All three women, Marlow, Orla and Floss, share a connection. All will become clear soon enough when the past and the future intersect.
I liked Followers because it’s relevant in a scary way. Constellation could become a reality tomorrow. We are all, mostly, addicted in some way, big or small, to some type of social media. Admit it or don’t, but there’s a good chance that some app or other already controls a portion of your life, and mine. Take Followers as a warning or a lesson of our collective complacency about the dangers of social media influence on our culture. This story is well written and substantial, a little too long and slow going at the end, but a great read, nonetheless. I recommend for any fans of speculative or dystopian fiction.
This was the Black Mirror meets The Truman Show crossover of my dreams. Both laugh-out-loud funny and legit terrifying, it made me want to throw away my phone (but then I obviously didn’t). Set half in present day(ish) and half in 2051, Angelo just casually drops in so many future world-building details (the West Side Highway in Manhattan is now a canal and people commute by kayaking!) while developing flawed, complex characters, and I loved it all so much. Truly such a pleasant surprise – I’d heard good things, but it sat on my shelf for a little while, and then when I picked it up and started reading, I was like “WHY DID I WAIT??” and read it all in two days. Perfect if you’ve got a love/hate relationship with influencers and social media.
I was lucky to read an Advance Readers Copy of Followers as part of the Contributors program with BookTrib.com. Here is my review.
Followers Paints a Dark Picture of the internet’s future
Do you know how many social media followers you have? Do you care? Even if you do, I bet you’re not as obsessed as the central characters are in Followers by Megan Angelo (Graydon House).
Flipping back and forth between the years 2015 and 2051, Followers follows three women—Orla, Floss, and Marlow—in three locations—New York City, Constellation, and Atlantis—as they exploit the internet for fame and profit.
At the height of the social media explosion in 2015, with her novel stalled and frustrated by her meager influence as a blogger of dreary movie-star gossip, Orla takes a roommate—Floss, a celebrity wannabe. Hoping Floss has literary agent connections, Orla sits on the couch in her New York City rental creating a robust online presence and loyal audience primarily for Floss and her boyfriend, Aston.
To their surprise, they’re successful…with all three becoming famous overnight both online and on television where they create a docuseries about falling in love. Money flows in, along with the drugs, parties, shopping sprees, and an insatiable desire for it to never end.
Fast forward to 2051, Constellation, California, a manufactured “all-celebrity town where the people are always on camera” and wear devices on their wrists that track their actions and feelings. Just the sort of town Floss and Aston would sell their souls to get into. And indeed they do, raising their daughter, Marlow, there.
With more than twelve million followers, Marlow is a star on the Constellation Network where she promotes Hysterl, a pill to make people who feel “troubled” feel normal. But when Marlow stops taking the pill ahead of her “sowing,” she’s clear-eyed when she discovers something amiss with her DNA.
Seeking answers to the roots of her ancestry, Marlow escapes to New York City. There she discovers something devastating had happened in 2016. That was the year the government took control of social media. For their own protection and preservation, Americans stopped sharing, liking, pinning. Their “smartphones” sat idle and dark, whatever a smartphone was.
Ultimately, Marlow’s search takes her to Atlantis, a city purposefully walled in by the government to contain not just illegal immigrants, but also traitors who protest the government’s overreach and new internet. There she learns the number of followers she has means nothing. Rather, the truest and strongest link is the one she cultivates with family.
As I began to read Followers, I was skeptical as to whether this would be a good book for me to review. Was this a dystopian novel? Not generally my wheelhouse. Normally, I’m a commercial fiction, mystery, thriller, historical novel kind of gal. Nevertheless, I persisted and was quickly sucked into the two worlds Angelo masterfully creates—one as comfortable as my favorite pair of shoes, the other so frightening and dark I hope she’s not clairvoyant.
Chapter by chapter, as she switches decades, Angelo lures us in with familiar references to contemporary cultural trends and everyday gadgets and then throws down the gauntlet asking readers to envision what could happen if all that goes haywire.
To an extent, Angelo is an open book, sprinkling her political leanings judiciously through the plot. Suffice it to say, Followers will not be the first to incorporate current events into novels of this era. We need to get used to it no matter how we swing.
So, is Followers a dystopian novel? I’ll leave it to readers to decide. What I can say is that Angelo succeeded in one thing for sure: making me…a follower. Imagine that.
This was an engrossing read. The best dystopians are believable, and the trajectory of how this near-future world develops seems frighteningly possible.
It had so much potential. The ending was very disappointing.
Not very invested in the characters. Just didn’t work for me.
I wanted to read this book because it touches on social media and how some people get sucked in and obsessed when it comes to likes and followers. I feel like this book was fitting for this time as social media is such a big thing. I can’t tell you how many social media accounts that I follow and pretty much base their whole existence on how many likes their picture got. I kind of miss the old days when social media wasn’t around. Back on track. As much as I wanted to like this story it just didn’t workout in my favor. I had to stop and re read several times as I felt the writing was long and drawn out. The story telling seemed choppy as well and it was so hard for me to connect to the story and characters.
Rather dystopian but eye opening about our possible future if we continue sharing our lives with our phones and other devices. Very interesting characters.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai
Followers is a debut novel by Megan Angelo and wow! It was really stunning and the perfect read for our current social climate plus the COVID-19 pandemic we are currently experiencing.
I think the scariest thing about Followers is that it is so realistic, and completely something I could see happening in the real world. It is all about social media and privacy and it was very thought-provoking. I think it brings up some hard questions and definitely makes for a great discussion book. It was the very first pick for the BookClubbish #ReadWithBookClubbish book club and a great choice indeed.
A lot of the characters verge on unlikable, but I really liked Marlow and Orla plus how they both changed throughout the novel. Followers is set in two time periods – 2015 and 2051, and both of them had me completely fascinated. I loved how Angelo tied the two together at the end, and I especially enjoyed all the mystery surrounding ‘The Spill’ and what it was. It was shrouded in secrecy until almost the very end of the book and it really built up the suspense for me about what exactly the event was and why it had led to certain things in 2051.
Followers is SO SMART, and I am incredibly impressed with this debut. Angelo’s writing is bonkers and crazy good. There were plenty of characters but never so many that I was lost, and even a little jab at Trump. If you like books set in the future that are compelling and thought-provoking plus incredibly timely, then do yourself a favor and pick this up!
In 2015, Orla Cadden struggles to pursue her aspiration of becoming a writer while she works as a gossip writer for a New York City magazine. Her days are spent following the frivolous activities of movie-stars and society’s big shots. Orla is stuck on the outside of celebrity until her new roommate – the boisterous and ambitious Floss Natuzzi – hatches a plan to that will bring them both into the limelight. However, neither of these women realize how fame will shape their lives, or how high on the social ladder they will climb.
In 2051, Marlow is under constant observation: she lives in Constellation, California, the city for stars. Marlow wakes up every day to her twelve million followers and her corporate sponsors from the Network. Despite her huge following, Marlow feels trapped and wonders what her life would be like without sharing every moment. After an upsetting discovery about her family history, Marlow will find out what that life could be.
A look into the possible dark future of social media, Followers by Megan Angelo weaves a narrative through time about three women and a catastrophic social media event. Through it all, this book shows that no matter how much emphasis we place on our electronic world, the most important type of connection is between real human beings.
How can I explain how much I love this book? Followers is an inventive, addictive and perfectly constructed novel… a sharp look at social media, friendship and the lengths we’ll go to in order to feel seen… It’s also the best book I’ve read in years.
Megan Angelo has crafted an eerie masterpiece about the world we live in and the world we don’t want to live in. Followers will make you reconsider whether you really want your fifteen minutes of fame.
A frolicking dystopia: smart, terrifying and addictively fun. Orla and Floss have stolen my heart emoji, and I will read anything Megan Angelo writes.
If anyone is going to explore a terrifying, future version of our high-tech, internet-obsessed culture, please let it be Megan Angelo. She’s one of the freshest, funniest new voices on the scene — and Followers, her debut novel, is pure gold.
An internet obsessed culture, trading a meaningful life for “likes”!
I was immediately pulled into this original and intriguing story about an internet obsessed culture and how real life, it’s dreams and desires, are sacrificed for social media popularity. Megan Angelo in her debut novel “Followers” gives the reader a realistic glimpse into the future of social media, how it controls the decisions of the celebrities and how it influences its viewers. This debut novel is a unique, and truly fascinating futuristic, dystopian fiction story about a civilization that has lost its reality as well as its direction and meaning and warns about the cost of fame and the resulting loss of privacy. “Followers” takes the reader on a journey where people crave human connection in an internet obsessed culture and explains that “some things aren’t meant to be shared”. I found this book to be thoroughly entertaining, thought provoking and extremely relevant to today’s technology and social media obsessed society.
This story is written with alternating time lines and switches between New York in 2015 and the future in California, 2051. The story begins in New York City in 2015 and follows two ambitious young women, Orla and Florence. Orla is a struggling novelist who has worked as a blogger for the past six years. Her new roommate Florence (Floss) dreams of being a singer. Despite their best efforts neither woman is close to achieving their goals. One night when Floss confronts Orla about the realities of what it takes to make their dreams come true, “anything and everything”, Floss hatches a plan. That plan will require Orla to become a different person, a person who’s no longer concerned about doing the right thing. Will Orla live to regret the deal she made with Floss that night? What will they have to sacrifice personally to become social media celebrities?
The year is 2051 and the place is Constellation, California. Marlow, a famous and successful celebrity, is living in a fake world. She lives her life on screen 24/7 where everything she does is closely watched by her 12 million online followers. Her life, daily activities, food choices and clothing are determined by her viewers “likes” and comments. Every move she makes is celebrated, scrutinized or criticized! When one of her cast members hastily leaves, Marlow begins to wonder what life would be like for her if she left, too. When Marlow is faced with the next big step in pleasing her followers she realizes that she’s more than just a brand. As she begins to distinguish the difference between friends and followers, she desires to find fulfillment and happiness. She thinks about escaping but she fears that her popularity, and the constant tracking by bots and her sponsors would make an escape impossible. However, when Marlow discovers a secret about her past, she’s determined to escape her prison to discover the truth. Will Marlow discover the truth about her past? What will she have to risk to find it?
As the two stories and timelines progress you learn about a cataclysmic event that took place in 2016 known as the Spill which is responsible for bringing down the power grid and the internet. After the Spill the government controls the internet. However, all too soon people forget why being irresponsible with data and sharing is dangerous. How is the Spill responsible for changing the future of technology and social media? How does the Spill connect and divide both timelines. How are these three women in this story connected?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! The author’s descriptive writing style immediately captured my attention. The title is perfect for today’s social media obsessed world. The futuristic setting was intriguing and entertaining and the story was timely, complex, impressive and dramatic. It accurately reflected today’s social media addicted world and the power of social media. The transition between timelines was seamless and kept my full attention. The three main characters were all well developed. Although the three women were very different, their struggles were realistic. They were all flawed and had misdirected goals and passions. I was definitely more sympathetic to Marlow because she was born into fame and never had a choice while Orla and Floss often made bad choices in their pursuit of celebrity status. The secondary characters were also well developed, real and memorable. I particularly appreciated the mystery of how the three women were connected and how the two timelines would finally interact. I was definitely surprised by the emotional ending! Although I thought the story was a little long with some unnecessary subplots, I found it to be a well paced, pleasurable read that was often difficult to put down! I highly recommend this book! “Followers” was an excellent debut novel for Megan Angelo and I look forward to seeing where she takes us next!
I received an advanced reader’s copy from Graydon House through BookishFirst in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
A large number of people today are attached to their devices from the moment they wake up in the morning until they go to bed at night. They judge themselves, and others, based on followers, likes, and the attention they get through social media. People are famous for being famous. Megan Angelo, in Followers, takes the reader on a journey depicting where we may be if our addiction to social media and celebrities continues, both today and in the future.
Orla is a blogger with hopes of becoming a novelist. Her roommate, Floss, just wants to be famous. When they decide to work together, throwing out all the rules, their lives will be forever changed as they run blindly towards success.
Fast forward thirty five years. Marlow, an employee of the Constellation Network, can’t get away from the public eye. Everything she does is watched by others. Her success is determined by her number of followers. She is allowed to make very few decisions about her own life. When she discovers certain truths, she learns that being famous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Followers is a cautionary tale about where our obsession with “likes” will get us. It was an enjoyable read, with realistic characters. Marlow was my favorite character, probably because she showed the most strength, but I did not like Orla, which took away from the book for me; I felt she was too weak and easily manipulated. I like the how it is set up, jumping from the present to the future and setting things up well for some big reveals. It is an easy, quick read that many young adults will enjoy.
Thank you to Graydon House and BookishFirst for an ARC of Followers by Megan Angelo, given in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but was hooked from the moment I started reading it. The main characters are Orla, Floss and Marlow and how their lives are driven and interconnected by social media. The characters are initially, not that likeable, but they do have some waking up and growing up to do. There are two time periods: 2016 and 2051. It is a disturbing and interesting story, as all we have to do is look around us at people glued to their phones, counting their followers and watching ridiculous reality tv shows, to realize that the future in Followers is eerily possible. The dystopian future portrayed is quite chilling. I enjoyed the conclusion as the characters connected at the end. Very difficult to put down and highly readable.