Scan barcode
claireescott's review against another edition
5.0
Yet another book with a shitty alcoholic narrator with an inferiority complex who I can relate to! Stagg is amazing in her philosophizing on social media and making humor out of the tediousness of a mall job.
"I assumed... that something about my disposition, my own interest in romantic literature, heavy drinking and other obsessive tendencies showed like an aura to those who could read it. I wanted passionate affairs more than I wanted casual sex or comfortable relationships. I wanted someone to worship me."
"I assumed... that something about my disposition, my own interest in romantic literature, heavy drinking and other obsessive tendencies showed like an aura to those who could read it. I wanted passionate affairs more than I wanted casual sex or comfortable relationships. I wanted someone to worship me."
literarycrushes's review against another edition
4.0
Surveys by Natasha Stagg is solipsistic in the best way. It reminded me a lot of Halle Butler’s The New Me, but with faster pacing and more of (or any existence of) an actual plot. It’s a quick read that can be read in one or two sittings, but the narrator’s voice is likely to stick with you long after you put it down. I was also interested in reading this one because the author used to work at my old job right before me and I was getting her mail for a solid six months so I was curious (nosy) about her.
I know the 20-something, listless, attractive woman with some sort of substance issue and a bad relationship has been done to death, but this felt fresh (though it was published in 2016). It is about a woman with all those descriptors – in this case, Colleen, a 23-year-old woman working a 9-5 at a mall survey center in Tucson, AZ. It did take me a while to get into this book, and I worried it was going to be another whiney millennial story (my favorite genre, lol), BUT it takes a turn just past the halfway point when Colleen becomes internet famous. The reason for her media stardom centers around her relationship with Jim, whom she meets online and the whole internet watches as they fall in love (kind of Black Mirror-y vibes) and become America’s overnight sweethearts. This book is not for everyone as it’s difficult to engage with, but I enjoyed it and you might too if you liked The New Me / My Year of Rest and Relaxation.
I know the 20-something, listless, attractive woman with some sort of substance issue and a bad relationship has been done to death, but this felt fresh (though it was published in 2016). It is about a woman with all those descriptors – in this case, Colleen, a 23-year-old woman working a 9-5 at a mall survey center in Tucson, AZ. It did take me a while to get into this book, and I worried it was going to be another whiney millennial story (my favorite genre, lol), BUT it takes a turn just past the halfway point when Colleen becomes internet famous. The reason for her media stardom centers around her relationship with Jim, whom she meets online and the whole internet watches as they fall in love (kind of Black Mirror-y vibes) and become America’s overnight sweethearts. This book is not for everyone as it’s difficult to engage with, but I enjoyed it and you might too if you liked The New Me / My Year of Rest and Relaxation.
lindy_b's review against another edition
4.0
My opinion of this book changed every twenty pages. If nothing else, it is very smartly written, not so much in what it says, but in what is left unsaid between the lines.
So it's set in the American southwest in 2011 and that's important because in 2011 there are no non-minimum wage jobs for recent college graduates, the word 'hipster' has just lost all meaning, and the term 'social media influencer' has just started being something people aspire to. The plot is that a young woman attempts to navigate this.
Often I read an article, or watch a video, or see references to, about some Drama (TM) that's happening between internet celebrities, and after reading the article or watching the video, I know all about their drama but I'm typically left with three burning questions: Who tf are these people? What do they do/why are they famous? And who tf are their legions of fans? It's also bizarre in that everyone assumes the consumer of the article/video/whatever already knows the life history, biases, and general unreliability of everyone involved. Through short (blog post-esque?) chapters, lies by omission, and shifting timelines Surveys conveys the strangeness of this. In other words, the narrator might be shallow but the text is rather complex.
So it's set in the American southwest in 2011 and that's important because in 2011 there are no non-minimum wage jobs for recent college graduates, the word 'hipster' has just lost all meaning, and the term 'social media influencer' has just started being something people aspire to. The plot is that a young woman attempts to navigate this.
Often I read an article, or watch a video, or see references to, about some Drama (TM) that's happening between internet celebrities, and after reading the article or watching the video, I know all about their drama but I'm typically left with three burning questions: Who tf are these people? What do they do/why are they famous? And who tf are their legions of fans? It's also bizarre in that everyone assumes the consumer of the article/video/whatever already knows the life history, biases, and general unreliability of everyone involved. Through short (blog post-esque?) chapters, lies by omission, and shifting timelines Surveys conveys the strangeness of this. In other words, the narrator might be shallow but the text is rather complex.
sarahshaiman's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
nelyarosa's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
bluestraveler's review against another edition
3.0
this would be more believable if it was about a mormon girl
petersonline's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book a lot less than I thought I would. I think it's a novel that I would have been thrilled by if I had read it a few years ago, but I felt that it didn't really say anything new that I didn't already know. This isn't even necessarily the author's fault. Natasha Stagg published this book in 2016, and in that year there weren't many novels for adults that explored the topics presented in Surveys. Now, I've read so many other books that I feel better articulate these topics and feel a bit more relatable in this current moment. I'm looking forward to hearing Stagg reflect more on the current cultural moment in her other book Sleeveless, which I plan on reading soon.
Surveys is essentially a dispatch on "influencer" culture and how people can become famous for no reason, just based off of the fact that they are pretty or interesting online. The main character/narrator of Surveys, Colleen, works a dull job at a mall in Arizona, helping to conduct surveys. I found the first part of this book incredibly boring and confusing, much like Colleen's occupation. Several chapters of talking about surveys just didn't do it for me, but I suppose it was meant to capture the monotony of Colleen's life working at the mall.
Then, the novel switches into something else entirely. Colleen becomes internet famous, turning into a character that reminded me of a Lana Del Rey/Slayyyter hybrid (Natasha Stagg has stated, in interviews, that she is a huge LDR fan). She meets an internet boyfriend named Jim, meets up with him in person, moves to LA, and the pair begin throwing parties together. Thus begins a whirlwind tour around the country of various little vignettes taking place in a bunch of different American cities. Some of these vignettes were interesting, and contained poignant commentary on fame. Others were confusing, completely missing the mark.
The plot in Surveys is like a piece of cardboard. Completely one-dimensional with barely any depth at all. The writing wasn't fabulous either, it often felt like something I would write for my creative fiction class. I never felt fully immersed in the setting, which was a shame for a book that could have pulled the reader into the various cities where these parties were taking place. From a writer as talented and well-traveled as Natasha Stagg, I expected more.
However, part of me wonders if this was all intentional. Maybe Stagg wanted her commentary on instafame to be convoluted, flat, much like scrolling through the feed of one of the most annoying influencers on Instagram. It's a catchy idea, but doesn't make for interesting reading. For a book that could have been so much more, I found that I was left cold by the end.
Surveys feels like a long, monotonous scroll through 2014 Tumblr. Which, in all honesty, was what Natasha Stagg was probably going for. I'm sad that this book didn't really grab me, but am still a huge fan of Natasha Stagg, as well as her nonfiction writing and opinions. Looking forward to diving into Sleeveless this spring/early summer.
Surveys is essentially a dispatch on "influencer" culture and how people can become famous for no reason, just based off of the fact that they are pretty or interesting online. The main character/narrator of Surveys, Colleen, works a dull job at a mall in Arizona, helping to conduct surveys. I found the first part of this book incredibly boring and confusing, much like Colleen's occupation. Several chapters of talking about surveys just didn't do it for me, but I suppose it was meant to capture the monotony of Colleen's life working at the mall.
Then, the novel switches into something else entirely. Colleen becomes internet famous, turning into a character that reminded me of a Lana Del Rey/Slayyyter hybrid (Natasha Stagg has stated, in interviews, that she is a huge LDR fan). She meets an internet boyfriend named Jim, meets up with him in person, moves to LA, and the pair begin throwing parties together. Thus begins a whirlwind tour around the country of various little vignettes taking place in a bunch of different American cities. Some of these vignettes were interesting, and contained poignant commentary on fame. Others were confusing, completely missing the mark.
The plot in Surveys is like a piece of cardboard. Completely one-dimensional with barely any depth at all. The writing wasn't fabulous either, it often felt like something I would write for my creative fiction class. I never felt fully immersed in the setting, which was a shame for a book that could have pulled the reader into the various cities where these parties were taking place. From a writer as talented and well-traveled as Natasha Stagg, I expected more.
However, part of me wonders if this was all intentional. Maybe Stagg wanted her commentary on instafame to be convoluted, flat, much like scrolling through the feed of one of the most annoying influencers on Instagram. It's a catchy idea, but doesn't make for interesting reading. For a book that could have been so much more, I found that I was left cold by the end.
Surveys feels like a long, monotonous scroll through 2014 Tumblr. Which, in all honesty, was what Natasha Stagg was probably going for. I'm sad that this book didn't really grab me, but am still a huge fan of Natasha Stagg, as well as her nonfiction writing and opinions. Looking forward to diving into Sleeveless this spring/early summer.
lmrising's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75