Review: The Circle
Set in a time not too far in the future, a company named The Circle has gobbled up Facebook, Google, Twitter, and pretty much any other company you can think of. Being an employee - a Circler - is the dream of many, including Mae Holland. When her friend Annie gets Mae a job in Customer Experience, we're dropped straight into the crazy world on the Circle Campus.
The Circle seems to be a great company to work for at first. With a fun, laid-back atmosphere, free food, music, and surrounded by some of the most brilliant minds around, it seems like a dream come true.
The truth starts creeping in. Not only is Mae required to answer customer questions, but she is also required to have a social media presence, promote products and convince people to buy them, and is she misses one of the many company events and parties, even for a family emergency, her dedication to the company is questioned.
Things soon escalate, and soon having a private life is not only scorned, but may become illegal.
This is a fascinating book; watching the loss of individual freedom start slowly before quickly landsliding into a world where secrets are lies. The downside of the book lies in the characters themselves. Mae is so brainwashed that she's unable to see the consequences of her actions. Annie is great... But then she just kinda drops off the map, becoming an afterthought... It seemed apparent that the author used her as a plot device to introduce Mar into the world but didn't really know how to complete her story... The ending for Annie just seems a little lazy. The three "Wise Men" fascinated me, and in some cases their actions and reactions saved a scene. Mae's parents and Mercer were just too extreme in their reactions... Especially Mercer. There was no middle ground, with all of the characters either enthralled by or horrified with the Circle.
Overall, the plot was interesting and I'm glad I read it, but the characters were the weakest part of the story.
*Library Copy *
5
