Four Reasons You Should Read “Followers”

Oh man. FOLLOWERS by Megan Angelo was exactly the type of book I needed. I read it on the recommendation of my lovely friend and fellow blogger, Casey Rose, and it did not disappoint. If you like BLACK MIRROR (the Netflix series) and eerie alternate realities that hit a little too close to home, you’ll love FOLLOWERS.

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.

Four Reasons You Should Read FOLLOWERS:

1. This is a sharp look at modern society and our attachment to and dependence on our devices. If you already see it and are creeped out by it, you’ll love Angelo’s commentary. If you don’t see the problem or it doesn’t bother you, you’ll appreciate the subtlety of Angelo’s message.
2. The story goes deeper than social media and technology. It’s about family and friends, flaws and weaknesses. It peels back those ugly characteristics and is a good reminder that even the most heinous person you know may not be all that bad. There’s some deeper vulnerability there, and it’s probably something you can relate to.
3. There is a dual POV that makes the story extremely fast-paced. Though at first the POVs don’t seem to be related, they each have extremely compelling storylines that makes it okay.
4. Angelo’s creates a great voice for her characters. Even if it wasn’t labeled at the beginning of the chapter, I’d know when I was reading Marlow’s sections and when I was reading Orla’s. Bonus: there’s quite a bit of humor laced through there. Despite the darkness, you’ll find yourself occasionally laughing out loud.

Bottom line: this is a fast-paced, eerie read. It will hit quite close to home and unsettle you just enough to make this story stick in your mind long after you’ve closed the book.

What’s the last unsettling book you read?

A.S. Thornton

A.S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. When not writing, she’s caring for dogs and cats as a veterinarian. You’ll never find animals at the center of her writing, though, because those fictional worlds don’t have veterinarians and her literal brain can’t accept that the poor critters would be without parasite prevention. Thornton’s debut, DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING is available wherever books are sold.