Scan barcode
mollyss's review against another edition
4.0
Funny read, obvious satire in that it almost read like an airport read from a plot perspective but really well written and funny - lots of the dialogue was really clever - the characters were so overdramatised but in a good way
Felt like a different book than what I normally enjoy
Felt like a different book than what I normally enjoy
lbw's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I was hoping for laugh out loud funny, but this book is a black comedy and did not make me guffaw.
The Cleverley family members are awful people--out of touch and arrogant--but I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to see what was going to happen to them next. I believe they are each a combination of some of everyone's worst or most annoying traits and beliefs. Who doesn't know someone who has this blindspot or that bad habit? As a group, the Cleverleys have them all!
This book skewers social media, especially Twitter as it was known at the time of the book, and highlights all sorts of problems from phone addictions. Most importantly, I think it makes one realize how society doesn't let people have the benefit of the doubt anymore. We are quick to judge and "cancel" people. It would be easy to cancel all the Cleverleys, but after spending ~400 pages with them, it becomes kind of hard not to see how they are just stupid not evil, deserving of pity if not some compassion.
(A companion book to this one would be Jon Ronson's "So You've Been Publicly Shamed.")
The Cleverley family members are awful people--out of touch and arrogant--but I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to see what was going to happen to them next. I believe they are each a combination of some of everyone's worst or most annoying traits and beliefs. Who doesn't know someone who has this blindspot or that bad habit? As a group, the Cleverleys have them all!
This book skewers social media, especially Twitter as it was known at the time of the book, and highlights all sorts of problems from phone addictions. Most importantly, I think it makes one realize how society doesn't let people have the benefit of the doubt anymore. We are quick to judge and "cancel" people. It would be easy to cancel all the Cleverleys, but after spending ~400 pages with them, it becomes kind of hard not to see how they are just stupid not evil, deserving of pity if not some compassion.
(A companion book to this one would be Jon Ronson's "So You've Been Publicly Shamed.")
emmajane66's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
cassieb89's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Quirky 'Woke' satire, so lovely to see Boyne's funny side.
Usually when I read a Kindle book, I'll have a half dozen paragraphs highlighted as I go along, so I remember favourite quotes when it comes time to write down my thoughts.
This now looks like my GCSE copy of Mockingbird! More highlights than regular text. I chuckled throughout, even snorted a few times, and found this a total tonic.
I see the name 'Boyne' and these days brace for bittersweet pain and family tribulation, tears and toil and epic sagas. So to find myself embroiled in a ridiculous social-media satire, with authorial digs at Woke, at Twitter trolls, at celebrity, at almost all aspects of contemporary digital and consumer life, well, it was an absolute pleasure to relax and just laugh along.
The whole plot centres on one family, the Cleverleys (and you wouldn't believe my laugh when I realised the mum's name of Beverley was quite so amusing). Dad George is a long-standing BBC host, having an affair with a younger woman. Mum Beverley is a 'writer' (well, she comes up with the ideas, her ghosts do the actual writing), having an affair with her younger Strictly partner. Their three adult live-at-home children are various shades of weird-slash-entitled. Nelson is a teacher who likes to dress in uniforms, Elizabeth trolls Twitter personalities and dates the most Woke man in the Universe who 'appreciates' her and helps the homeless for likes. And young Achilles is saving up - by blackmailing older men for money.
They are a toxic bunch, yet they remain family. Boyne has a field day mocking them, mocking those they mock. Just spewing Mockery and Sarcasm on today's world in general, and being very much 'of the moment'. Eldest son Nelson exemplifies this in his therapy session:
"'Remember how we talked about not confusing real life and movies?' said Dr Oristo. 'Yes, but I thought this might be one of the occasions where films were based on true events. Like Titanic or Gandhi or Avengers: Endgame.'"
There is mockery at Republicans, Prince Andrew, Jesus. The young and the old are both shown in equally appalling, self-obsessed lights. We shake our heads at cancel culture and smack our foreheads at the calculation of appropriate Twitter like-to-post ratios.
Loved it all. No one character is completely sympathetic, and every one of them is a product of the modern world we've all fallen into.
One of the funniest books I've read in a while. Lovely to be reminded of Boyne's comic capabilities so strongly. And not to cry for a change!
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
Usually when I read a Kindle book, I'll have a half dozen paragraphs highlighted as I go along, so I remember favourite quotes when it comes time to write down my thoughts.
This now looks like my GCSE copy of Mockingbird! More highlights than regular text. I chuckled throughout, even snorted a few times, and found this a total tonic.
I see the name 'Boyne' and these days brace for bittersweet pain and family tribulation, tears and toil and epic sagas. So to find myself embroiled in a ridiculous social-media satire, with authorial digs at Woke, at Twitter trolls, at celebrity, at almost all aspects of contemporary digital and consumer life, well, it was an absolute pleasure to relax and just laugh along.
The whole plot centres on one family, the Cleverleys (and you wouldn't believe my laugh when I realised the mum's name of Beverley was quite so amusing). Dad George is a long-standing BBC host, having an affair with a younger woman. Mum Beverley is a 'writer' (well, she comes up with the ideas, her ghosts do the actual writing), having an affair with her younger Strictly partner. Their three adult live-at-home children are various shades of weird-slash-entitled. Nelson is a teacher who likes to dress in uniforms, Elizabeth trolls Twitter personalities and dates the most Woke man in the Universe who 'appreciates' her and helps the homeless for likes. And young Achilles is saving up - by blackmailing older men for money.
They are a toxic bunch, yet they remain family. Boyne has a field day mocking them, mocking those they mock. Just spewing Mockery and Sarcasm on today's world in general, and being very much 'of the moment'. Eldest son Nelson exemplifies this in his therapy session:
"'Remember how we talked about not confusing real life and movies?' said Dr Oristo. 'Yes, but I thought this might be one of the occasions where films were based on true events. Like Titanic or Gandhi or Avengers: Endgame.'"
There is mockery at Republicans, Prince Andrew, Jesus. The young and the old are both shown in equally appalling, self-obsessed lights. We shake our heads at cancel culture and smack our foreheads at the calculation of appropriate Twitter like-to-post ratios.
Loved it all. No one character is completely sympathetic, and every one of them is a product of the modern world we've all fallen into.
One of the funniest books I've read in a while. Lovely to be reminded of Boyne's comic capabilities so strongly. And not to cry for a change!
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
bookwormclare01's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
clairesquires's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
cahir's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
leannep's review against another edition
fast-paced
3.0
Disappointing. I found this heavy-handed in trying to connect to the social media world. I didn't like any of the main characters. The media presser dad, the dodgy writer wife, their 3 kids...all had few redeeming features.
At least it was quick to read.
At least it was quick to read.