Followers by Megan Angelo

cover art from GoodReads

*I was given an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own* 

Well. This was. A. Ride. I haven't read a book that I just couldn't put down and didn't want to end in a while, but Angelo NAILED it. I am very picky about the Dystopian types of literature that I read because it really just isn't my genre, but this was in the same vein as "Bumped" and "Pretties/Uglies" in that technology has taken over and made life "better", rather than the end of the world dystopia like "Hunger Games' (though I did enjoy those-- just using it as a comparison point). 

"Followers" switches between the POV of Orla, a writer in 2016, and Marlowe, a reality celebrity from the 2050s. Orla and her friend Floss do some questionable things to make Floss "famous" and she is stuck facing the consequences of those actions. Meanwhile Marlowe lives in a town where everything she does is broadcast to the rest of the world, and they follow her every move. She (like everyone else in the town) was implanted with a computer that does all of the googling through her brain, instead of using a screen. Marlowe eventually has to decide if the life she lives is one she wants to continue to live. There is a connection between the two women that the reader learns about later on in the book. 

I read this in a matter of a few hours. I couldn't put it down because I just had to find out what else was going to happen. Reading how easy it was for this one random woman to become "internet famous" struck a cord with me, because we as a society give so much credence to these random things, and that sort of fame can become all encompassing. I was thoroughly interested in how oversharing on the internet can lead to a downfall of sorts. We use technology for almost everything we do, and even though we think no one is watching, "Followers" brings up the point that just because you don't think anyone is recording whatever you're searching for, or texting, Google is always there :) What would we do as a society if an event such as "The Spill" happened? It's terrifying because it could EASILY happen. And honestly, could I be okay with having my every move scripted and followed? We see that as odd now, but frankly I could see how it could happen. Ahhhh. So many thoughts. 

If you were considering reading this one, DO IT! It was publsihed in January of 2020 so it's available at your local library or most bookstores.