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jenknox 's review for:

The Circle by Dave Eggers
4.0

The dialogue in this book is great, and the idea is, well, very relevant and almost creepy. I like the critique on social media dominating our lives and, at its extreme, taking over our lives and therefore replacing real life with a virtual reality. This story is about a cult-like company that is out to make the entire world "transparent" in order to increase accountability and eliminate secrets, thereby eliminating crime and all wrongdoings. I enjoyed the ideas explored: that a person would be on her best behavior at all times if she knew everything she did was monitored. At the same time, this constant monitoring allows no room for human flaws or shortcomings. The concept called to mind people who portray idealized versions of self on Facebook. Curious stuff.

What I enjoyed most about this story was Eggers' ability to make the company's argument convincing, so much so that I can imagine a lot of folks buying into such an argument for transparency. At the same time, I do wish our protagonist, Mae, had a tad more self-awareness so that readers could see more contrast between her true self and her monitored self. Good book. Recommended.