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The Social Circle
Not yet published
Expected 3 Mar 26When Maggie Tang arrives as a transfer student at UC Berkeley in 2005, she has no idea how her life is about to change. In the hallway of her dingy apartment building, she meets Adam, Charles, Hari, and Priya, the friends with whom she’ll create Circle, the world’s first major social media platform. But navigating her creative ambitions alongside love and friendship isn’t so simple, and when they inevitably collide, Maggie exitsCircle in dramatic fashion.
A decade later, Maggie is struggling with a new venture when she receives an invitation to celebrate Circle’s tenth anniversary on a private European island, everyone back together again. While she’s still bitter about how things ended, her company desperately needs the publicity, and deep down, Maggie can’t resist the handwritten plea at the bottom—Come, please.
Between boat rides and beach days, bit by bit the reunion begins to feel like old times. But the journalist writing a retrospective on Circle is eager for a scoop, which means they can’t tiptoe around the past forever. And when a new truth is revealed about their fallout all those years ago, Maggie will have to decide whether to run again or fight for this second chance with the people she once loved most.
A decade later, Maggie is struggling with a new venture when she receives an invitation to celebrate Circle’s tenth anniversary on a private European island, everyone back together again. While she’s still bitter about how things ended, her company desperately needs the publicity, and deep down, Maggie can’t resist the handwritten plea at the bottom—Come, please.
Between boat rides and beach days, bit by bit the reunion begins to feel like old times. But the journalist writing a retrospective on Circle is eager for a scoop, which means they can’t tiptoe around the past forever. And when a new truth is revealed about their fallout all those years ago, Maggie will have to decide whether to run again or fight for this second chance with the people she once loved most.
- GenresFictionContemporary
336 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 3, 2026
1 person is currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Wan
2 books172 followersSophie Wan graduated from UC Berkeley and spent too long writing emails before she picked up writing fiction.
As a Bay Area native, she has no choice but to enjoy outdoor activities, but prefers those where her feet remain firmly on the ground. She's currently shivering her way through grad school in Philadelphia.
As a Bay Area native, she has no choice but to enjoy outdoor activities, but prefers those where her feet remain firmly on the ground. She's currently shivering her way through grad school in Philadelphia.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
2026
November 10, 2025📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row
November 29, 2025
3.5 stars (Truly on the border of 3 and 4 here: a true 3.5)
As an undergrad at UC Berkeley, Maggie has a lot of learning to do and confidence to build. She at times notices the absence of her mother in her life through certain things other women are attuned to that are just not part of her daily reality. She's a bit of a late bloomer romantically, so anyone who's been to college or watched _Animal House_ or anything related knows that there will be a whole element of her life that unfurls here and changes her. Also, Maggie doesn't have a close social circle when she arrives. She's in a discipline that is not always particularly open to women or respectful of us, and that was even more prominent at the time when this was all occurring. So, when Maggie connects with a small circle of folks who share similar goals and ideals and they create The Circle together, her life completely and indelibly shifts. That's why when things blow up between all of them, the pain is also so great.
The novel is told in the undergrad timeline and the present day, and this works well. I particularly liked that while I'm certain Wan thoroughly considered the where of the when (as in the placement of past and present sections), there's a less structured feel to that as a reader. So much of this novel - maybe the central focus even - is about processing: understanding what happened to grasp where and who you are NOW. The tinge of stream-of-consciousness that goes into that past/present flow really appealed to me. When the memories surface for Maggie, they surface for readers, too.. That's almost never a linear adventure.
Another element of the settings I enjoyed is the use of place (along with the timelines). I love Berkeley and spend as much time there as possible, and there's a certain quality beyond college town that's specific to the area. The locations, the way parties happen there, the way students experience the campus...it all adds to the authenticity of Maggie's experience. Also, the beauty, isolation, and harshness of the cold in the present day location really highlight a lot of the motifs that ground the novel across timelines. I very much appreciated the aesthetic quality of this book for these and more reasons.
Where I struggled with this book was in the pacing. This is a very slow burn. These characters - Maggie but not only her - are really trying to come to grips with some complicated past relationships, mutual explosions and disappointments, and current possibilities. That takes time. No one suggested a quick lunch to catch up; there's a reason they all need to go into seclusion on the opposite side of the world to even scratch the surface. Their processing requires their patience, and I felt that pull and responsibility as a reader, too. I expect that when I do recommend this book - and there are some folks I know will love it - part of my pitch will include something along the lines of 'you need to be patient and focused and ready for more relationship and self-exploration than fireworks and action.'
This is not an easy book, and I do think the pacing will not gel with some folks. However, I really enjoyed the experience and will recommend this one to the right readers with a couple of notes.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Park Row for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
As an undergrad at UC Berkeley, Maggie has a lot of learning to do and confidence to build. She at times notices the absence of her mother in her life through certain things other women are attuned to that are just not part of her daily reality. She's a bit of a late bloomer romantically, so anyone who's been to college or watched _Animal House_ or anything related knows that there will be a whole element of her life that unfurls here and changes her. Also, Maggie doesn't have a close social circle when she arrives. She's in a discipline that is not always particularly open to women or respectful of us, and that was even more prominent at the time when this was all occurring. So, when Maggie connects with a small circle of folks who share similar goals and ideals and they create The Circle together, her life completely and indelibly shifts. That's why when things blow up between all of them, the pain is also so great.
The novel is told in the undergrad timeline and the present day, and this works well. I particularly liked that while I'm certain Wan thoroughly considered the where of the when (as in the placement of past and present sections), there's a less structured feel to that as a reader. So much of this novel - maybe the central focus even - is about processing: understanding what happened to grasp where and who you are NOW. The tinge of stream-of-consciousness that goes into that past/present flow really appealed to me. When the memories surface for Maggie, they surface for readers, too.. That's almost never a linear adventure.
Another element of the settings I enjoyed is the use of place (along with the timelines). I love Berkeley and spend as much time there as possible, and there's a certain quality beyond college town that's specific to the area. The locations, the way parties happen there, the way students experience the campus...it all adds to the authenticity of Maggie's experience. Also, the beauty, isolation, and harshness of the cold in the present day location really highlight a lot of the motifs that ground the novel across timelines. I very much appreciated the aesthetic quality of this book for these and more reasons.
Where I struggled with this book was in the pacing. This is a very slow burn. These characters - Maggie but not only her - are really trying to come to grips with some complicated past relationships, mutual explosions and disappointments, and current possibilities. That takes time. No one suggested a quick lunch to catch up; there's a reason they all need to go into seclusion on the opposite side of the world to even scratch the surface. Their processing requires their patience, and I felt that pull and responsibility as a reader, too. I expect that when I do recommend this book - and there are some folks I know will love it - part of my pitch will include something along the lines of 'you need to be patient and focused and ready for more relationship and self-exploration than fireworks and action.'
This is not an easy book, and I do think the pacing will not gel with some folks. However, I really enjoyed the experience and will recommend this one to the right readers with a couple of notes.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Park Row for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
November 14, 2025
Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley in exchange for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm on two minds on this book -- on one hand, it did make me cry like a little baby about the importance of friendship and being connected with other people. In that camp, the squishy emotional bit of my brain is happy to give it five stars. However, there's a part of my brain that a) just watched The Social Network and b) thinks a lot about a tech ethics and that's the bit that's not as big of a fan. I felt weird about how the first half of this book was basically all of the plot beats of The Social Network reworked. Additionally, as we got to the end, I was disconcerted about how quickly everyone forgot about data privacy issues and the potential of media manipulation, especially around forgetting it for the sake of a friendship. While it might be realist for Silicon Valley, it didn't click with the values placed around that question/concern near the start of the book.
And maybe I'm making it too deep, but when you write about the tech industry, you DO need to reckon with that as well!
Anyway, on an emotional level I was charmed, but on a level of logical thinking, it really did fall apart for me.
I'm on two minds on this book -- on one hand, it did make me cry like a little baby about the importance of friendship and being connected with other people. In that camp, the squishy emotional bit of my brain is happy to give it five stars. However, there's a part of my brain that a) just watched The Social Network and b) thinks a lot about a tech ethics and that's the bit that's not as big of a fan. I felt weird about how the first half of this book was basically all of the plot beats of The Social Network reworked. Additionally, as we got to the end, I was disconcerted about how quickly everyone forgot about data privacy issues and the potential of media manipulation, especially around forgetting it for the sake of a friendship. While it might be realist for Silicon Valley, it didn't click with the values placed around that question/concern near the start of the book.
And maybe I'm making it too deep, but when you write about the tech industry, you DO need to reckon with that as well!
Anyway, on an emotional level I was charmed, but on a level of logical thinking, it really did fall apart for me.
November 17, 2025
There is so much I want to gush about here. First of all, the author's voice is so distinct and assured; there is a minimalist elegance to the prose that I found deeply satisfying (as Charles says: simple is beautiful). I also thought she did an excellent job in grounding both timelines in different ways. The 2006 storyline evoked a deep sense of nostalgia, capturing incisively the optimism and naivete that defined the time period, as well as Maggie's insecurities and contradictions as she comes of age as a traumatized young woman. Meanwhile, the island setting of the present timeline felt evocative and cinematic. I especially enjoyed the scene with Maggie and Charles in the sauna, as the buildup of tension there was so palpable, and the history and emotions between them are delightfully complex. It would have been so easy for the romantic triangle storyline to take a more soapy direction, but instead it was one of my favorite parts of the book. The tenderness between Maggie and Charles flowed throughout the narrative like a gentle river, supporting rather than overshadowing Maggie's struggle to define her identity and self-worth on the basis of conventional success.
I was shocked by the revelations in Careless People when it came out earlier this year, and as I was reading The Social Circle, the parallels kept jumping out at me as being brilliantly in conversation with that book. Adam ultimately read as quite a tragic figure to me: a wounded and insecure person who sought comfort in profit and ego at the cost of his own humanity. Though the story ends with the potential of reconciliation and healing through friendship, it's also clear that Circle, much like Facebook, has grown into a monster that can no longer be reined in or reversed. I definitely breathed a sigh of relief when Maggie turned down the acquisition offer, though of course that did not come as a surprise - her personal growth and evolution are chronicled so subtly but beautifully throughout the book.
I was shocked by the revelations in Careless People when it came out earlier this year, and as I was reading The Social Circle, the parallels kept jumping out at me as being brilliantly in conversation with that book. Adam ultimately read as quite a tragic figure to me: a wounded and insecure person who sought comfort in profit and ego at the cost of his own humanity. Though the story ends with the potential of reconciliation and healing through friendship, it's also clear that Circle, much like Facebook, has grown into a monster that can no longer be reined in or reversed. I definitely breathed a sigh of relief when Maggie turned down the acquisition offer, though of course that did not come as a surprise - her personal growth and evolution are chronicled so subtly but beautifully throughout the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2025
This book was very well written, I loved the transition between the past, present, and Sylvia's article. It felt seamless and captured the narrative very well. However, I just couldn't get myself to be invested in the characters. I was more so in it for the tea and the drama, something that helped me pass time rather than something that thoroughly engaged my brain.
I will say, the book captured friendships made in a competitive school very well. You can form deep connections but there's always that inkling that someone will "betray" you or try to one up you in some way. I felt like this book captures that kind of friendship really well. It also explores what it means to stay true to yourself and your beliefs. I think in university, and also especially at UC Berkeley where the novel is set, its very easy to give into what society deems is the best or the most conventional way to act. Although Berkeley is known for its free speech, critical thinking, and progressive voice, it's also so, so easy to give into conventional ways of acting, like choosing the most logical and high value job over your passion project that actually helps the community. That struggle is introduced very well in this novel.
I honestly just and a fun time reading this book. I admire the author's style of writing and her craft for narrative, it's overall very well done and I think anyone who is interested in the tech space, Silicon Valley, startup culture, social media, and competitive university environments would really enjoy this book!
Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I will say, the book captured friendships made in a competitive school very well. You can form deep connections but there's always that inkling that someone will "betray" you or try to one up you in some way. I felt like this book captures that kind of friendship really well. It also explores what it means to stay true to yourself and your beliefs. I think in university, and also especially at UC Berkeley where the novel is set, its very easy to give into what society deems is the best or the most conventional way to act. Although Berkeley is known for its free speech, critical thinking, and progressive voice, it's also so, so easy to give into conventional ways of acting, like choosing the most logical and high value job over your passion project that actually helps the community. That struggle is introduced very well in this novel.
I honestly just and a fun time reading this book. I admire the author's style of writing and her craft for narrative, it's overall very well done and I think anyone who is interested in the tech space, Silicon Valley, startup culture, social media, and competitive university environments would really enjoy this book!
Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
November 28, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.
I thought this was a pretty good novel, and though I had some issues with it, I found myself pretty engaged throughout.
Things I liked:
- In general, the characters and their ARCs; some of the realizations that came out in the end were definitely hinted at earlier, so it felt like those developments were earned.
- The writing style was very accessible and these people felt like people I knew in college.
- The plot was good, though touched on some subjects like data privacy and capitalism but didn't necessarily explore those in lieu of focusing on the friendship element of the story (which was the point, so I don't begrudge it). I like the ending of the plot (minus the ambiguity of the last few paragraphs - I prefer a solid ending, personally).
Things I didn't like:
- The amount of specific Berkeley/Bay Area references. I understand that grounding it in reality makes it easier for people to digest, but every time I read the name of a place that I've actually been or know of, I was taken out of the fictional world of the story and started associating it with those real places.
- The jumping back and forth POV, but not consistently, didn't always work for me. I did appreciate the difference in verb tense between the present and the past.
I thought this was a pretty good novel, and though I had some issues with it, I found myself pretty engaged throughout.
Things I liked:
- In general, the characters and their ARCs; some of the realizations that came out in the end were definitely hinted at earlier, so it felt like those developments were earned.
- The writing style was very accessible and these people felt like people I knew in college.
- The plot was good, though touched on some subjects like data privacy and capitalism but didn't necessarily explore those in lieu of focusing on the friendship element of the story (which was the point, so I don't begrudge it). I like the ending of the plot (minus the ambiguity of the last few paragraphs - I prefer a solid ending, personally).
Things I didn't like:
- The amount of specific Berkeley/Bay Area references. I understand that grounding it in reality makes it easier for people to digest, but every time I read the name of a place that I've actually been or know of, I was taken out of the fictional world of the story and started associating it with those real places.
- The jumping back and forth POV, but not consistently, didn't always work for me. I did appreciate the difference in verb tense between the present and the past.
October 27, 2025
I enjoyed this book for the most part but I did think some parts were repetive and/or slow with the pacing.
I like the premise of a bunch of kids starting up a social media app in college that becomes hugely successful. However, with success, the friends break apart. At the ten year anniversary of Circle, the friends all get back together, however, unbeknownst to Maggie, it's with strings attached.
Maggie has to work through her past with Circle, friends, and lovers. There is a lot for her to unpack over a weekend stay in Norway on an isolated island.
Overall, I liked it but I did want more action and a faster pace at certain points during the story.
I'd still recommend this book!
Thanks to the publishers for sending me an eARC copy of this book!
I like the premise of a bunch of kids starting up a social media app in college that becomes hugely successful. However, with success, the friends break apart. At the ten year anniversary of Circle, the friends all get back together, however, unbeknownst to Maggie, it's with strings attached.
Maggie has to work through her past with Circle, friends, and lovers. There is a lot for her to unpack over a weekend stay in Norway on an isolated island.
Overall, I liked it but I did want more action and a faster pace at certain points during the story.
I'd still recommend this book!
Thanks to the publishers for sending me an eARC copy of this book!
November 12, 2025
⭐️3.5⭐️
Three guys and a girl create F*cebook and although I love a good tech start up story, this one just didn’t land for me. It was well written enough, and the flashbacks served its purpose to showcase how these close friends quietly fell apart prior to their insta reunion after a decade. Maggie was obviously the most fleshed out character while the three other men just came off as…awful? A hidden romantic infatuation wasn’t enough to make me swoon because when it mattered most, Maggie was pushed out of the business she created by the family she also created. I kept waiting for a big emotional punch, but it just never came.
Three guys and a girl create F*cebook and although I love a good tech start up story, this one just didn’t land for me. It was well written enough, and the flashbacks served its purpose to showcase how these close friends quietly fell apart prior to their insta reunion after a decade. Maggie was obviously the most fleshed out character while the three other men just came off as…awful? A hidden romantic infatuation wasn’t enough to make me swoon because when it mattered most, Maggie was pushed out of the business she created by the family she also created. I kept waiting for a big emotional punch, but it just never came.
November 12, 2025
I really wanted to love this, but it just was really hard for me to get into and ultimately I didn't finish it. I think that the dual perspectives were often confusing, but I think the drama didn't seem realistic. I'm not involved in the tech world and so I'm not sure if it was that or my age that made it hard for me to relate to this book, but it's not for me.
Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews