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The Social Circle: A Compelling Adult Fiction Drama of Friendship and Reunion Romance
"A beautiful exploration of the tangled dynamics of friendship, ambition, and the pressure of both failure and success. I adored it!”
—Natalie Sue, bestselling author of I Hope This Finds You Well
The Social Network meets Daisy Jones & The Six in this dual-narrative novel about a group of college friends who found a social media company in the early days of the internet, their scandalous falling out, and the 10-year anniversary exposé that forces them back together again.
When 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, and Hari, the friends with whom she’ll create Circle, the world’s first major social media platform. But navigating her ambitions alongside love and friendship isn’t so simple, and when they inevitably collide, Maggie exits Circle in dramatic fashion.
A decade later, Maggie is struggling with a new professional venture when she receives an invitation to celebrate Circle’s 10th anniversary on a private island in Norway, with the three people she has tried hardest to forget. 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 adventurous hikes, 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 fall-out all those years ago, Maggie will have to decide whether to run again or fight for a second chance with the people she once loved most.
—Natalie Sue, bestselling author of I Hope This Finds You Well
The Social Network meets Daisy Jones & The Six in this dual-narrative novel about a group of college friends who found a social media company in the early days of the internet, their scandalous falling out, and the 10-year anniversary exposé that forces them back together again.
When 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, and Hari, the friends with whom she’ll create Circle, the world’s first major social media platform. But navigating her ambitions alongside love and friendship isn’t so simple, and when they inevitably collide, Maggie exits Circle in dramatic fashion.
A decade later, Maggie is struggling with a new professional venture when she receives an invitation to celebrate Circle’s 10th anniversary on a private island in Norway, with the three people she has tried hardest to forget. 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 adventurous hikes, 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 fall-out all those years ago, Maggie will have to decide whether to run again or fight for a second chance with the people she once loved most.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2026
About the author
Sophie Wan
2 books204 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 - 30 of 85 reviews
2026
January 29, 2026ANHPI TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row
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 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.
March 13, 2026
I liked this book, but it’s very much a slow burn, and that might simply not be my style. I was expecting a bit more action, but the story unfolds quite slowly. It’s not meant to be a fast-paced thriller, so the slower pace makes sense to a degree, but at times it felt a little too detailed. At the same time, I can understand why the author chose that approach. The slower pace helps develop the character dynamics and the friendships between them, and stories built around these kinds of emotional relationships can be difficult to make convincing for the reader. That might have been the intention. Still, the pacing made it harder for me to stay fully engaged. It wasn’t a book I felt compelled to race through, but I did finish it because I genuinely like this type of theme.
February 28, 2026
I really wasn’t expecting to get so emotional while reading this book! A story of friendship that grows, evolves and eventually breaks down as four college students create and develop their own social media app. The two timelines were done SO WELL here. I loved seeing Maggie and the guys become so close during the past timeline and then seeing the reservations and hurts that came through in the present. I also really loved the tension between Maggie, Charles and Adam. Hari was such a fun character and I enjoyed him so much. I thought the book handled the topic of social media and tech ethics really well. If you like The Social Network, dual timelines and complicated friendships, The Social Circle will be right up your alley!
Thank you to HTP Hive for the digital reader’s copy!
Thank you to HTP Hive for the digital reader’s copy!
April 29, 2026
A very classic fun/easy read. 3.25 stars. Gets the job done. Was in the mood for something fun and interesting and this book gave me that. A very solid average read if you know what I mean
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to The Hive for the advanced listener copy of The Social Circle by Sophie Wan. The narration was clear and easy to understand. It is a single narrator.
The story focuses on a group of college students who create a social app that they spin into a tech start up. The company eventually causes a rift in their friendship and the novel focuses on that rift in dual timelines. The author uses these friendships to show how ambition, greed and insecurities can ruin relationships.
While there was drama, I was really expecting much more drama out of this plot line. It felt very tame for the amount of money involved.
Overall it was a quick enjoyable read, but nothing that made me say wow I wanna read more by this author. 🤷♀️
The story focuses on a group of college students who create a social app that they spin into a tech start up. The company eventually causes a rift in their friendship and the novel focuses on that rift in dual timelines. The author uses these friendships to show how ambition, greed and insecurities can ruin relationships.
While there was drama, I was really expecting much more drama out of this plot line. It felt very tame for the amount of money involved.
Overall it was a quick enjoyable read, but nothing that made me say wow I wanna read more by this author. 🤷♀️
February 9, 2026
I was drawn in by the cute cover. The first few chapters made me suspicious. I worried I was reading a Social Network or Facebook retelling. Then it quietly became something closer to Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.
I was surprised by how addictive this book is. Wan weaves past and present so smoothly. The writing flows. I kept reading because I needed to know what happened.
I appreciated the romance subplot, the reflections on parenthood, and the weight of Chinese cultural expectations. But at its core, this is a story about friendship.
Can true friendship really survive everything. This book made me miss my uni days. It stirred a small regret about not holding onto those relationships more tightly.
A quick and enjoyable read. Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC.
I was surprised by how addictive this book is. Wan weaves past and present so smoothly. The writing flows. I kept reading because I needed to know what happened.
I appreciated the romance subplot, the reflections on parenthood, and the weight of Chinese cultural expectations. But at its core, this is a story about friendship.
Can true friendship really survive everything. This book made me miss my uni days. It stirred a small regret about not holding onto those relationships more tightly.
A quick and enjoyable read. Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC.
March 7, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Park Row for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review
10 years ago Maggie transferred to Berkeley, meet Adam and Charles who gave her no choice but to be their friend and started a social media platform with them. In the early days hair joined the team and between the 4 of them they grew it from campus use to a world wide platform. 8 years ago Maggie was voted out of the company by the other 3 because her vision did not match the growth Circle was meant to have. 2 years ago Maggie started a new social media platform called OurSpot on her own following the vision she was pushing Circle to follow years ago. Now all 4 of them are on an island in Norway celebrating the 10th anniversary of Circle with a reporter writing a story on them. Adam wants to pretend everything is fine between them when in reality Maggie hasn’t seen or spoken to any of them in 8 years and being all together again will force them all to confront the mistakes they made that lead to everything between them falling apart.
This book was right up my alley, I loved it so so so so much. The choice to tell the story in 2 timelines felt so seamless. The characters were all so dynamic and relatable. The pacing was spot on and I didn’t want to put it down. Friendship is really the core of this story and how greed and the influence of others can destroy relationships between people. I have immediately put the authors debut novel on my TBR and will read any book they put out in the future.
10 years ago Maggie transferred to Berkeley, meet Adam and Charles who gave her no choice but to be their friend and started a social media platform with them. In the early days hair joined the team and between the 4 of them they grew it from campus use to a world wide platform. 8 years ago Maggie was voted out of the company by the other 3 because her vision did not match the growth Circle was meant to have. 2 years ago Maggie started a new social media platform called OurSpot on her own following the vision she was pushing Circle to follow years ago. Now all 4 of them are on an island in Norway celebrating the 10th anniversary of Circle with a reporter writing a story on them. Adam wants to pretend everything is fine between them when in reality Maggie hasn’t seen or spoken to any of them in 8 years and being all together again will force them all to confront the mistakes they made that lead to everything between them falling apart.
This book was right up my alley, I loved it so so so so much. The choice to tell the story in 2 timelines felt so seamless. The characters were all so dynamic and relatable. The pacing was spot on and I didn’t want to put it down. Friendship is really the core of this story and how greed and the influence of others can destroy relationships between people. I have immediately put the authors debut novel on my TBR and will read any book they put out in the future.
May 1, 2026
Imagine the social network but make it kind of wholesome. While at points this book felt a little too cheesy or unrealistic, I really liked how strong the characterization was and found myself getting attached to all the characters
March 4, 2026
As a millennial who has grown up with Facebook and social media being such a prominent part of my life, I really enjoyed this story. Listening to Maggie and the gang come up with the idea of Circle was exactly how I imagine Facebook came to be. Their success was amazing. The drama was expected but still disappointing because I just wanted them to treat each other right the whole time. The story did feel slow in some parts, but overall I really enjoyed it.
Natalie Naudus was a great narrator that made Maggie’s story come to life.
Thank you Sophie Wan and Harlequin Audio for a gifted copy of the audiobook!
Natalie Naudus was a great narrator that made Maggie’s story come to life.
Thank you Sophie Wan and Harlequin Audio for a gifted copy of the audiobook!
March 25, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, author Sophie Wan, and Park Row for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
This was a nice read! It parallels greatly the creation of Facebook with a fictionalized group of friends and their journey together. I thought the dual timelines worked well to tell the story, and as a whole I was invested in Maggie, Adam, Charles, and Hari. The first half of the book had really drawn me in, but personally, it struggled a bit to keep my attention as the story went. I think it became a bit too predictable for me in terms of the "twist" why they fell out, and I was also a bit annoyed by Maggie totally accepting them as friends again once in person after so many years. I also could have done without any romance elements in the story. I think if you like friendship stories and stories about social media creation, it's worth a read, but it's not one that will personally stick with me.
This was a nice read! It parallels greatly the creation of Facebook with a fictionalized group of friends and their journey together. I thought the dual timelines worked well to tell the story, and as a whole I was invested in Maggie, Adam, Charles, and Hari. The first half of the book had really drawn me in, but personally, it struggled a bit to keep my attention as the story went. I think it became a bit too predictable for me in terms of the "twist" why they fell out, and I was also a bit annoyed by Maggie totally accepting them as friends again once in person after so many years. I also could have done without any romance elements in the story. I think if you like friendship stories and stories about social media creation, it's worth a read, but it's not one that will personally stick with me.
March 12, 2026
"Life has exerted its own pressure on her, molding her into who she is now. She has learned to ride the current alone, but just because she is capable of bearing loneliness, doesn't mean she is better this way."
Sophie Wan, it's always a pleasure reading your stories. Women of Good Fortune struck a balance between its thrilling Ocean's 8 plot and three complex love stories, resulting in the perfect chick lit read, but The Social Circle feels much more whole, touching on the real-life worries and obstacles in friendships, self-love and becoming a young adult, a path I resonate with all too well. Because Maggie circles around her college years with Adam, Charles and Hari and unintentionally builds a start-up in social media, the realistic setting felt reachable--easy to imagine and easier to feel. Everyone seems like real people I would encounter; settings so practical and vivid that I was reminiscing university and empty classrooms; situations and troubles too painful and experienced that I wanted to reach in and give Maggie a hug. As Charles puts it, "Simple is beautiful" and it seems that Wan takes her own words and translates them into the stories she crafts and how she writes.
The ensemble has the typical blend of weird, ambitious and unique individuals: Maggie, the girl genius; Adam, the golden boy; Charles, the designer; and Hari, the optimist (though I'm unsure if I would characterize Charles and Hari as such). These cookie cutter molds would usually throw me off, but I was pleasantly surprised at how complex they were, especially our protagonist. To fill the void left by her mother, a reserved father and a fascination for nerdy hobbies that didn't interest her peers as a child, Maggie seeks friendship and validation from the first two guys to take her under their wing at UC Berkeley. Unfortunately, her insecurities only fester as she opts for inclusion and belonging despite the risk towards her agency and self-respect. Maggie's people pleasing was so difficult to witness, but it's so painfully clear why she caves in; you can't help but empathize with someone like her, wanting the bare minimum only to not realize the harm it could do. As much as I quietly pleaded for her to make better decisions, to walk away with her head held high or be firm, I understood that she would only grow by making those mistakes. It's a relief to know what her future looks like following the last chapter. I'm almost certain that any reader can visualize these realistic people and places, and find parts of their past and current selves in Maggie.
I had many self-deliberations about my opinions of Adam. He reminds me of a pathetic, desperate version of Logan Huntzberger from Gilmore girls, and I say this as a compliment (people know how much I despise Logan, so). Adam checks off every item on the list of the typical Mr. Popular with the exception that he's not a douche bag or a gross womanizer. His drive to excel and bring his vision with Circle to life adds dimension, and I appreciate how consistent Wan writes in his desire to leave a legacy and speak romantically of the shortness of life: "This river is going to be flowing long after we're gone. We're so insignificant to the world, we might as well try to make our mark while we can!" As much as I didn't want Adam brought out the confidence and competitiveness in Maggie, and I suppose that's why I eventually appreciated his character more and disliked him less by the end.
Charles, my love, you are everything. Since his introduction in Chapter Three, I knew I would like Charles. While the guys were silly and a little reckless in their college years, I managed to like Charles throughout. Not only are he and Maggie like-minded often dancing in sync, but his calm, cool energy slips off the page seamlessly. Comfortable in his masculinity, composed on all fronts, but quietly paying attention, noting details and caring for Maggie, Charles is probably one of my favourite realistic portrayals of a good friend, man and person. Contrasting to Adam's view of Circle, I like how Charles attempts to separate himself as an individual and his relationships from the start-up. His interest in art, how he slowly drinks it in, aligns with who he is as a designer and paints a great contrast to the company they've created, one so full, fast-paced and overwhelming like the social media we have today. He isn't attached to it, not nearly as he is to the people around him. And Charles is Charles, with or without Circle; I find his perspective insightful and comforting.
I have little to say about Hari. He was funny though nothing about him really stood out. If anything, I found his obliviousness a bit annoying. He had a few nice moments with Maggie. That being said, I really liked Priya's character and wish we got a little more of her, it's rare to see South Asian representation that speaks to me <3
My only real criticism is the cover though that's a personal preference. I understands it's simple and fits the genre (a genre I've never explored until now, which was fun!), I just found it a bit too plain and Canva-esque.
Overall, what a relaxing, light read with good pacing, great complex characters and a familiar story just with new Hows and Whys. It's just what I needed, and I appreciate Wan for taking simple stories and giving them meaning, depth and relatability. I can't wait to see what she writes up next!
Sophie Wan, it's always a pleasure reading your stories. Women of Good Fortune struck a balance between its thrilling Ocean's 8 plot and three complex love stories, resulting in the perfect chick lit read, but The Social Circle feels much more whole, touching on the real-life worries and obstacles in friendships, self-love and becoming a young adult, a path I resonate with all too well. Because Maggie circles around her college years with Adam, Charles and Hari and unintentionally builds a start-up in social media, the realistic setting felt reachable--easy to imagine and easier to feel. Everyone seems like real people I would encounter; settings so practical and vivid that I was reminiscing university and empty classrooms; situations and troubles too painful and experienced that I wanted to reach in and give Maggie a hug. As Charles puts it, "Simple is beautiful" and it seems that Wan takes her own words and translates them into the stories she crafts and how she writes.
The ensemble has the typical blend of weird, ambitious and unique individuals: Maggie, the girl genius; Adam, the golden boy; Charles, the designer; and Hari, the optimist (though I'm unsure if I would characterize Charles and Hari as such). These cookie cutter molds would usually throw me off, but I was pleasantly surprised at how complex they were, especially our protagonist. To fill the void left by her mother, a reserved father and a fascination for nerdy hobbies that didn't interest her peers as a child, Maggie seeks friendship and validation from the first two guys to take her under their wing at UC Berkeley. Unfortunately, her insecurities only fester as she opts for inclusion and belonging despite the risk towards her agency and self-respect. Maggie's people pleasing was so difficult to witness, but it's so painfully clear why she caves in; you can't help but empathize with someone like her, wanting the bare minimum only to not realize the harm it could do. As much as I quietly pleaded for her to make better decisions, to walk away with her head held high or be firm, I understood that she would only grow by making those mistakes. It's a relief to know what her future looks like following the last chapter. I'm almost certain that any reader can visualize these realistic people and places, and find parts of their past and current selves in Maggie.
I had many self-deliberations about my opinions of Adam. He reminds me of a pathetic, desperate version of Logan Huntzberger from Gilmore girls, and I say this as a compliment (people know how much I despise Logan, so). Adam checks off every item on the list of the typical Mr. Popular with the exception that he's not a douche bag or a gross womanizer. His drive to excel and bring his vision with Circle to life adds dimension, and I appreciate how consistent Wan writes in his desire to leave a legacy and speak romantically of the shortness of life: "This river is going to be flowing long after we're gone. We're so insignificant to the world, we might as well try to make our mark while we can!" As much as I didn't want Adam brought out the confidence and competitiveness in Maggie, and I suppose that's why I eventually appreciated his character more and disliked him less by the end.
Charles, my love, you are everything. Since his introduction in Chapter Three, I knew I would like Charles. While the guys were silly and a little reckless in their college years, I managed to like Charles throughout. Not only are he and Maggie like-minded often dancing in sync, but his calm, cool energy slips off the page seamlessly. Comfortable in his masculinity, composed on all fronts, but quietly paying attention, noting details and caring for Maggie, Charles is probably one of my favourite realistic portrayals of a good friend, man and person. Contrasting to Adam's view of Circle, I like how Charles attempts to separate himself as an individual and his relationships from the start-up. His interest in art, how he slowly drinks it in, aligns with who he is as a designer and paints a great contrast to the company they've created, one so full, fast-paced and overwhelming like the social media we have today. He isn't attached to it, not nearly as he is to the people around him. And Charles is Charles, with or without Circle; I find his perspective insightful and comforting.
I have little to say about Hari. He was funny though nothing about him really stood out. If anything, I found his obliviousness a bit annoying. He had a few nice moments with Maggie. That being said, I really liked Priya's character and wish we got a little more of her, it's rare to see South Asian representation that speaks to me <3
My only real criticism is the cover though that's a personal preference. I understands it's simple and fits the genre (a genre I've never explored until now, which was fun!), I just found it a bit too plain and Canva-esque.
Overall, what a relaxing, light read with good pacing, great complex characters and a familiar story just with new Hows and Whys. It's just what I needed, and I appreciate Wan for taking simple stories and giving them meaning, depth and relatability. I can't wait to see what she writes up next!
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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
On Circle, a fictional social network created by friends Maggie, Adam, Hari and Charles, users can “circle” -in purple digital ink - content that is high-quality and engaging which will then be promoted on other’s feeds. I’m torn wether I would circle this novel - on one hand, as a millennial tech worker in the Bay Area, this content speaks to me and I enjoyed Wan’s ability and understanding of Berkeley, start-ups and tech bro culture. On the other hand the premise and plot are unoriginal and has been adapted before and in other mediums (Silicon Valley, The Social Network and The Circle predominantly come to mind) and the flashback plot and timelines are not interesting or unique enough to differentiate it from its peers.
At the heart of the novel and technology aside, is the friendship between Maggie Tang and her three friends Adam, Hari, and Charles. Maggie starts as a loner but through happenstance and the all to familiar Silicon Valley start-up story of building a company in a dorm room, she bonds with the charismatic Adam, the bombastic Hari, and the intelligent Charles. Through a falling out after 8 years, Maggie finds herself working on her own company, OurSpot before a sudden invitation to a Norwegian Island brings the 4 friends together.
Having made many friends who went to UC Berkeley, I totally understand the cutthroat nature of school clubs there which grounds the origin of “Circle” in reality. In fact, I’ve heard rumors where joining a club at Berkeley is actually harder than getting into Berkeley itself! Although her setting is well researched, I did find Wan’s prose a little lacking describing both the plot and the technical aspects of building a start-up. I appreciated that through Maggie we can see the struggles of being a female co-founder in a male dominated industry, but other than a meeting and negative interaction with an Elon Musk-esque Venture Capitalist, her struggles are relegated to more advancing the plot rather than exploring the internality and psyche of her character. Speaking of internality, unlike the brilliant Social Network where we can see the maliciousness grow over-time of Jess Eisenberg’s Mark Zuckerberg, we don’t really see into the thoughts or have sufficient evidence that the characters are drifting apart due to the power-hungry nature of Adam. I wish more build-up was spent on Adam, as the new CEO of Circle, and his rise and the slow deterioration with his relationship with Maggie. The falling-out feels very sudden and didn’t have as much of a punchy, emotional weight that a scene like that would have created.
Wan includes a love triangle in this story which was believable and did have an emotional pay-off based on interactions in the earlier timeline once the confession actualizes itself in the future timeline.
The ending did feel rushed to me and the impetus for the sudden invitation for Maggie to join Adam and the others on the island is revealed but isn’t built up as well as I would have liked. Apologies and the rebuilding of friendships didn’t really feel authentic and the climax of the novel wasn’t strong enough to cause realistic change in the characters which makes the falling action of them having changed for the better and still be friends a bit of a stretch.
At the end of the day would I circle this novel? It was an enjoyable read and If you’re into looking at start-up and techbro type books I’m sure you’ll enjoy it - but I was hoping for so much more and for some of its concepts to be explored in more detail. Perhaps I will draw a very small circle around this book.
Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this advanced review copy for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
At the heart of the novel and technology aside, is the friendship between Maggie Tang and her three friends Adam, Hari, and Charles. Maggie starts as a loner but through happenstance and the all to familiar Silicon Valley start-up story of building a company in a dorm room, she bonds with the charismatic Adam, the bombastic Hari, and the intelligent Charles. Through a falling out after 8 years, Maggie finds herself working on her own company, OurSpot before a sudden invitation to a Norwegian Island brings the 4 friends together.
Having made many friends who went to UC Berkeley, I totally understand the cutthroat nature of school clubs there which grounds the origin of “Circle” in reality. In fact, I’ve heard rumors where joining a club at Berkeley is actually harder than getting into Berkeley itself! Although her setting is well researched, I did find Wan’s prose a little lacking describing both the plot and the technical aspects of building a start-up. I appreciated that through Maggie we can see the struggles of being a female co-founder in a male dominated industry, but other than a meeting and negative interaction with an Elon Musk-esque Venture Capitalist, her struggles are relegated to more advancing the plot rather than exploring the internality and psyche of her character. Speaking of internality, unlike the brilliant Social Network where we can see the maliciousness grow over-time of Jess Eisenberg’s Mark Zuckerberg, we don’t really see into the thoughts or have sufficient evidence that the characters are drifting apart due to the power-hungry nature of Adam. I wish more build-up was spent on Adam, as the new CEO of Circle, and his rise and the slow deterioration with his relationship with Maggie. The falling-out feels very sudden and didn’t have as much of a punchy, emotional weight that a scene like that would have created.
Wan includes a love triangle in this story which was believable and did have an emotional pay-off based on interactions in the earlier timeline once the confession actualizes itself in the future timeline.
The ending did feel rushed to me and the impetus for the sudden invitation for Maggie to join Adam and the others on the island is revealed but isn’t built up as well as I would have liked. Apologies and the rebuilding of friendships didn’t really feel authentic and the climax of the novel wasn’t strong enough to cause realistic change in the characters which makes the falling action of them having changed for the better and still be friends a bit of a stretch.
At the end of the day would I circle this novel? It was an enjoyable read and If you’re into looking at start-up and techbro type books I’m sure you’ll enjoy it - but I was hoping for so much more and for some of its concepts to be explored in more detail. Perhaps I will draw a very small circle around this book.
Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this advanced review copy for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Building Empires and Burning Bridges
Set in the mid-2000s, The Social Circle spins the tale of Maggie Tang, freshly arrived at UC Berkeley and on the edge of the rest of her life. She stumbles into a messy, old apartment and meets Adam, Charles, Hari, and Priya, a scrappy band of misfits who quickly become her inner circle and her partners in launching Circle, the internet's first true social media giant. The novel darts between the group's idealistic college days and a tense ten-year reunion, where old wounds are reopened, and the cost of dreams is impossible to ignore.
Maggie starts as the odd one out, but it isn’t long before she’s swept up in the rush of creativity and ruthlessness the tech world demands. The group's tight friendship is equal parts love, loyalty, rivalry, and betrayal, playing out against the backdrop of a start-up growing far bigger and scarier than any of them imagined. Wan nails the double-edged sword of viral success, showing how fame, ambition, and Silicon Valley glamour can remake bonds or destroy them.
Sophie Wan writes with a keen eye for social nuance, lacing warmth and wit through sharply observed relationships. Her characters don’t always get it right, and that’s exactly why they feel so real. Drawing on her own experiences as a Berkeley alum and Bay Area native, Wan sidesteps clichés with honesty and a flair for nailing the small, painful truths that shape both friendships and tech fortunes.
The book’s split timeline is clever, piecing the puzzle of the group’s downfall together with plenty of emotional payoff. It has the addictive rise-and-fall energy of The Social Network, but with the intricate, personal storytelling fans loved in Daisy Jones & The Six.
If there's a knock, it’s that the coding-and-startup scenes sometimes veer close to familiar territory, and a handful of secondary characters could be sharper. But the central cast more than makes up for it, pulling the reader into the beautiful, messy business of ambition, loyalty, and what it means to stick with your people, or walk away.
The Social Circle delivers a smart, moving look at how technology can both bind us together and tear us apart. For anyone eager for smart, contemporary fiction about the price of building something big with people you think you’ll never lose, this one’s absolutely worth your time.
Set in the mid-2000s, The Social Circle spins the tale of Maggie Tang, freshly arrived at UC Berkeley and on the edge of the rest of her life. She stumbles into a messy, old apartment and meets Adam, Charles, Hari, and Priya, a scrappy band of misfits who quickly become her inner circle and her partners in launching Circle, the internet's first true social media giant. The novel darts between the group's idealistic college days and a tense ten-year reunion, where old wounds are reopened, and the cost of dreams is impossible to ignore.
Maggie starts as the odd one out, but it isn’t long before she’s swept up in the rush of creativity and ruthlessness the tech world demands. The group's tight friendship is equal parts love, loyalty, rivalry, and betrayal, playing out against the backdrop of a start-up growing far bigger and scarier than any of them imagined. Wan nails the double-edged sword of viral success, showing how fame, ambition, and Silicon Valley glamour can remake bonds or destroy them.
Sophie Wan writes with a keen eye for social nuance, lacing warmth and wit through sharply observed relationships. Her characters don’t always get it right, and that’s exactly why they feel so real. Drawing on her own experiences as a Berkeley alum and Bay Area native, Wan sidesteps clichés with honesty and a flair for nailing the small, painful truths that shape both friendships and tech fortunes.
The book’s split timeline is clever, piecing the puzzle of the group’s downfall together with plenty of emotional payoff. It has the addictive rise-and-fall energy of The Social Network, but with the intricate, personal storytelling fans loved in Daisy Jones & The Six.
If there's a knock, it’s that the coding-and-startup scenes sometimes veer close to familiar territory, and a handful of secondary characters could be sharper. But the central cast more than makes up for it, pulling the reader into the beautiful, messy business of ambition, loyalty, and what it means to stick with your people, or walk away.
The Social Circle delivers a smart, moving look at how technology can both bind us together and tear us apart. For anyone eager for smart, contemporary fiction about the price of building something big with people you think you’ll never lose, this one’s absolutely worth your time.
April 17, 2026
this was definitely a fun and entertaining book. i was never bored, i love a story about a group of college friends it’s a classic. but, i guess i have some complaints
first, almost like no character growth shown in maggie. college maggie and adult maggie are the same person making the same mistakes.
drop out of college with only two semesters left just to pursue your start up?? what the hell??
and then reject adam’s offer to buy ourspot when she finally could have had financial stability with her company?? she’s spent 8 years working on her own company. it’s made to seem like she’s going broke and her employees hate her, yet when she’s given the option to get bought by circle and get some stability, she turns it down. then, magically, ourspot is successful. some movie magic right there
honorable mention: fall in love with both of her male friends? all within the same year basically back to back? girl pick one you can’t keep switching. even into her adult years she couldn’t decide (between the man who kicked her off her own company and the man who stood by and let it happen lmfao)
i understand that college maggie was deeply insecure, but adult maggie did not seem any different.
second, maggie and her friends seemed very close. all the boys cared very much about her and it was shown many times. i really liked this, i thought it was nice that she found a group of people who she could be real with. so why the hell did they kick her off the company (which she created) behind her back? i get it’s supposed to be hank’s idea, but no way could he have swayed the vote that much. that was the utmost of shitty things for them to do to maggie, and i would have never forgiven them for that. i think it was completely out of character. also, this day was talked about for the entire book, then the actual scene was a couple pages long with no real explanation as to why she had to be kicked off? i get she was busy with school so she was being a bad boss, but once she quit school she didn’t fix this? or nobody tried to help her before they fired her? i would’ve liked some more back story on that decision, just adds to my point that it didn’t make sense for the characters to do.
ok so i’m sorry that i’m a hater, i really did enjoy the book. i just had some things that were bothering me, maybe i just didn’t like maggie or adam. i kept picturing adam as jeremiah from TSITP bc his name is adam fink and jeremiah’s dad is adam finch
first, almost like no character growth shown in maggie. college maggie and adult maggie are the same person making the same mistakes.
drop out of college with only two semesters left just to pursue your start up?? what the hell??
and then reject adam’s offer to buy ourspot when she finally could have had financial stability with her company?? she’s spent 8 years working on her own company. it’s made to seem like she’s going broke and her employees hate her, yet when she’s given the option to get bought by circle and get some stability, she turns it down. then, magically, ourspot is successful. some movie magic right there
honorable mention: fall in love with both of her male friends? all within the same year basically back to back? girl pick one you can’t keep switching. even into her adult years she couldn’t decide (between the man who kicked her off her own company and the man who stood by and let it happen lmfao)
i understand that college maggie was deeply insecure, but adult maggie did not seem any different.
second, maggie and her friends seemed very close. all the boys cared very much about her and it was shown many times. i really liked this, i thought it was nice that she found a group of people who she could be real with. so why the hell did they kick her off the company (which she created) behind her back? i get it’s supposed to be hank’s idea, but no way could he have swayed the vote that much. that was the utmost of shitty things for them to do to maggie, and i would have never forgiven them for that. i think it was completely out of character. also, this day was talked about for the entire book, then the actual scene was a couple pages long with no real explanation as to why she had to be kicked off? i get she was busy with school so she was being a bad boss, but once she quit school she didn’t fix this? or nobody tried to help her before they fired her? i would’ve liked some more back story on that decision, just adds to my point that it didn’t make sense for the characters to do.
ok so i’m sorry that i’m a hater, i really did enjoy the book. i just had some things that were bothering me, maybe i just didn’t like maggie or adam. i kept picturing adam as jeremiah from TSITP bc his name is adam fink and jeremiah’s dad is adam finch
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Maggie Tang is a student at UC Berkeley in 2005, and has an idea for a social media platform, eventually called Circle. She teams up with some other students in her building: Adam, Charles, and Hari, and the four of them launch the most successful social media platform the world has seen. But just as the app is taking off, their friendship is tried in ways that ultimately lead to Maggie leaving Circle in one of the most dramatic ways possible. A decade later, she’s invited to Circle’s tenth anniversary celebration, but little does she know a journalist is there to document Circle’s past, and to get the scoop on where everything went wrong before. Will Maggie be able to reconnect with old friends, even when old wounds are reopened?
If you’re asking, yes, this is very much reminiscent of The Social Network all about the start of Facebook, but that did not make me enjoy it any less! It’s a coming of age novel set in the very specific moment at the turn of the millennium when social media was taking off. But what sets this apart is that it’s not about a privileged white guy (but don’t worry, I promise they’re well represented here), but instead about a third culture kid seeking approval from the parents, the friends, and the world that never quite seems to value her. The dual timeline aspect, and the integration of a journalist just looking for a scoop, really help to elevate the story in such a heartbreaking way. I can’t believe I’m saying that a book about social media was moving and evocative, but when you throw in the spellbinding narration of Natalie Naudus and the beauty of despair, Sophie Wan's storytelling really does come full circle. I can’t wait to read more by this author!
Reviewed as part of an #ARC from #NetGalley. Many thanks to Park Row Books / Harlequin Audio for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. #HarlequinBooks #hiveinfluencer
Read this book if you:
🗡️ want a mashup of The Social Network movie with Lily King’s Heart the Lover
🌉 love a good reference to Berkeley, Palo Alto, and the Bay Area in general
🛒 have ever been to Ranch 99
Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews!
Maggie Tang is a student at UC Berkeley in 2005, and has an idea for a social media platform, eventually called Circle. She teams up with some other students in her building: Adam, Charles, and Hari, and the four of them launch the most successful social media platform the world has seen. But just as the app is taking off, their friendship is tried in ways that ultimately lead to Maggie leaving Circle in one of the most dramatic ways possible. A decade later, she’s invited to Circle’s tenth anniversary celebration, but little does she know a journalist is there to document Circle’s past, and to get the scoop on where everything went wrong before. Will Maggie be able to reconnect with old friends, even when old wounds are reopened?
If you’re asking, yes, this is very much reminiscent of The Social Network all about the start of Facebook, but that did not make me enjoy it any less! It’s a coming of age novel set in the very specific moment at the turn of the millennium when social media was taking off. But what sets this apart is that it’s not about a privileged white guy (but don’t worry, I promise they’re well represented here), but instead about a third culture kid seeking approval from the parents, the friends, and the world that never quite seems to value her. The dual timeline aspect, and the integration of a journalist just looking for a scoop, really help to elevate the story in such a heartbreaking way. I can’t believe I’m saying that a book about social media was moving and evocative, but when you throw in the spellbinding narration of Natalie Naudus and the beauty of despair, Sophie Wan's storytelling really does come full circle. I can’t wait to read more by this author!
Reviewed as part of an #ARC from #NetGalley. Many thanks to Park Row Books / Harlequin Audio for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. #HarlequinBooks #hiveinfluencer
Read this book if you:
🗡️ want a mashup of The Social Network movie with Lily King’s Heart the Lover
🌉 love a good reference to Berkeley, Palo Alto, and the Bay Area in general
🛒 have ever been to Ranch 99
Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews!
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.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The Social Circle
Thank you to @htp_hive and @htpbooks for the free advanced copy!
I love reading books about complex and tragic friendship dynamics. The book takes you through the origins of a Silicon Valley tech start-up, with a tragic friendship at its core.
The main character, Maggie, was betrayed by her closest friends/company cofounders and never knew why. When she gets a mysterious and ambiguous invitation to Norway for her former company’s 10 year anniversary, she takes up the offer and gets answers to a chapter of her life she thought had concluded years ago. Each of the friends has very different relationships with each other and I loved getting to dissect the how’s and why’s of it all.
The story is reminiscent of Mark Zuckerberg and the early day of Facebook. If you’ve ever seen The Social Network, this book follows a similar story. I recently read Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, which went into even more detail about exponential growth of a tech company, privacy issues, and questionable ethics throughout Facebook’s history. I noticed some parallels in The Social Circle as well.
I felt bittersweet about the ending. I felt so bad for Maggie who had to endure so much and was betrayed by her former friends. The story brings up very relevant issues in the business world, which I found interesting (i.e. abuse of power by higher ups, ethical values in tech, how friendships affect being business partners, etc.) .
I felt that certain characters should not have been forgiven, and got off with a tap on the wrist? The book values friendship over business transactions. However, in stakes THIS high — where she trusted them with equal shares of the company and they used that footnote to vote her off the board and she ended up broke while the rest became millionaires — I feel like grudges would be justified.
Overall, I couldn’t put the book down and found myself digging for answers as well. Would recommend!
Thank you to @htp_hive and @htpbooks for the free advanced copy!
I love reading books about complex and tragic friendship dynamics. The book takes you through the origins of a Silicon Valley tech start-up, with a tragic friendship at its core.
The main character, Maggie, was betrayed by her closest friends/company cofounders and never knew why. When she gets a mysterious and ambiguous invitation to Norway for her former company’s 10 year anniversary, she takes up the offer and gets answers to a chapter of her life she thought had concluded years ago. Each of the friends has very different relationships with each other and I loved getting to dissect the how’s and why’s of it all.
The story is reminiscent of Mark Zuckerberg and the early day of Facebook. If you’ve ever seen The Social Network, this book follows a similar story. I recently read Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, which went into even more detail about exponential growth of a tech company, privacy issues, and questionable ethics throughout Facebook’s history. I noticed some parallels in The Social Circle as well.
I felt bittersweet about the ending. I felt so bad for Maggie who had to endure so much and was betrayed by her former friends. The story brings up very relevant issues in the business world, which I found interesting (i.e. abuse of power by higher ups, ethical values in tech, how friendships affect being business partners, etc.) .
I felt that certain characters should not have been forgiven, and got off with a tap on the wrist? The book values friendship over business transactions. However, in stakes THIS high — where she trusted them with equal shares of the company and they used that footnote to vote her off the board and she ended up broke while the rest became millionaires — I feel like grudges would be justified.
Overall, I couldn’t put the book down and found myself digging for answers as well. Would recommend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to HTP Books for early NetGalley access to this title, especially the Harlequin Audio narrated by Natalie Naudus - a narrator I love but haven’t listened to in a little while! I finished this book while reading outside at a brewery, shown here, before finally flying home, after an extended stay in Austin due to the northeast blizzard-related flight cancellations. At least the weather was great while I was stuck there! All opinions are my own.
The Social Circle is about the development of a social network in the mid-aughts and its ten year anniversary, but more than that it’s about the friendship of the founders and how friendships can change over time, especially when business, ambition, and romance become involved. I thought the dual timeline, jumping between the anniversary reunion on a small island in Norway and ten years prior, developing the app while in college at Berkeley, was a great way to structure the novel. While it’s a slow burn to find out what really happened in the past, I was invested in the plot and read this pretty quickly. I first picked this one up because I thought the cover was gorgeous and I was intrigued that it was described as The Social Network meets Daisy Jones, and while I do see that analysis, I think there could have been a bit less of The Social Network (at times I felt like it was like the movie) and even more around the friendship and group dynamics - the “feels,” if you will, which is also the name of a funny part of the company. I’ve seen some reviews that say it’s similar to Tomorrow x3, but I haven’t read that (I know!), so I can’t substantiate those. It will be available Tuesday, and I think it’s an interesting read about friendship, technology, and ethnicity which I recommend checking out. I thought the audiobook was particularly compelling!
The Social Circle is about the development of a social network in the mid-aughts and its ten year anniversary, but more than that it’s about the friendship of the founders and how friendships can change over time, especially when business, ambition, and romance become involved. I thought the dual timeline, jumping between the anniversary reunion on a small island in Norway and ten years prior, developing the app while in college at Berkeley, was a great way to structure the novel. While it’s a slow burn to find out what really happened in the past, I was invested in the plot and read this pretty quickly. I first picked this one up because I thought the cover was gorgeous and I was intrigued that it was described as The Social Network meets Daisy Jones, and while I do see that analysis, I think there could have been a bit less of The Social Network (at times I felt like it was like the movie) and even more around the friendship and group dynamics - the “feels,” if you will, which is also the name of a funny part of the company. I’ve seen some reviews that say it’s similar to Tomorrow x3, but I haven’t read that (I know!), so I can’t substantiate those. It will be available Tuesday, and I think it’s an interesting read about friendship, technology, and ethnicity which I recommend checking out. I thought the audiobook was particularly compelling!
April 1, 2026
I actually really enjoyed this one! Maybe it’s because I’m a millennial who grew up during this exact years that Facebook blew up across all college campuses, but this felt too nostalgic and relatable. It also brought me back to my entrepreneurial/startup days so I understood the struggle of starting a company and making all of the earlier decisions to see if your idea could thrive and if you have the right team to execute.
The novel starts while protagonist and “girl genius” Maggie Tang transfer to UC Berkeley and she meets Adam and Charles. When she decides what club she wants to join, she identifies a problem that it’s hard to determine if a club is worth a student’s time and uses that to birth the idea of “Circle.” It then flashes back and forth to a decade later when Maggie is no longer at Circle and she’s forced to reunite with her previous cofounders, who are being interviewed for a feature about the success of the company. In one weekend, she’s forced to face her fears and reconcile her entangled past that she’s tried her hardest to forget.
I saw somewhere that this book is “The Social Network” meets “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” and I think that’s pretty accurate. Despite the fairly tame corporate drama, this novel reveals itself to be more about friendship and what we all do to belong. I actually appreciated Wan’s storytelling and felt this was a refreshing, heartwarming read filled with rich characters. And the fact that it highlights a strong AAPI female lead that is easy to root for is always a 👍 in my mind. Recommended if you’re looking for a breezy, smart, yet emotionally charged read that allows you a bit of BTS of the early days of Silicon Valley and if you like supporting Asian-American diaspora like I do.
The novel starts while protagonist and “girl genius” Maggie Tang transfer to UC Berkeley and she meets Adam and Charles. When she decides what club she wants to join, she identifies a problem that it’s hard to determine if a club is worth a student’s time and uses that to birth the idea of “Circle.” It then flashes back and forth to a decade later when Maggie is no longer at Circle and she’s forced to reunite with her previous cofounders, who are being interviewed for a feature about the success of the company. In one weekend, she’s forced to face her fears and reconcile her entangled past that she’s tried her hardest to forget.
I saw somewhere that this book is “The Social Network” meets “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” and I think that’s pretty accurate. Despite the fairly tame corporate drama, this novel reveals itself to be more about friendship and what we all do to belong. I actually appreciated Wan’s storytelling and felt this was a refreshing, heartwarming read filled with rich characters. And the fact that it highlights a strong AAPI female lead that is easy to root for is always a 👍 in my mind. Recommended if you’re looking for a breezy, smart, yet emotionally charged read that allows you a bit of BTS of the early days of Silicon Valley and if you like supporting Asian-American diaspora like I do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2026
The Social Circle is a story of friendship and ambition, featuring a young Chinese American woman, Maggie, who casually conceptualizes a (fictitious) website that becomes the first major social media platform. I found myself thinking back to Careless People, the (nonfiction) insider takedown of Facebook, though this novel focuses more on the friendship between the founders as well as social and cultural expectations and experiences relating to race/ethnicity, sex, class, etc. I didn't have a dorm/apartment experience in college, but my daughter is finishing up her first year living in on-campus housing, and I kept thinking about her and the people she will meet, wondering which friendships will have a lasting (hopefully only positive) impact on her life.
Maggie makes some missteps in the beginning of what becomes a very lucrative business for her male counterparts, but not for her. It seems clear that her outcomes could have been so much different had she had access to the social and cultural capital that her colleagues had, especially the ones relating to financial vision and protection - for example, when one character suggests that she should have a controlling share of a company that was her idea, she immediately demands an even split instead (allowing some else's lawyer to make recommendations and decisions without for a second thinking she might benefit from having her own representation). The book also explores sexual harassment and the consequences faced by the victims as opposed to the perpetrators.
I enjoyed the book and I think it's a good cautionary tale for people thinking about entering into business partnerships. I do wish that the author had left out the love triangle.
Maggie makes some missteps in the beginning of what becomes a very lucrative business for her male counterparts, but not for her. It seems clear that her outcomes could have been so much different had she had access to the social and cultural capital that her colleagues had, especially the ones relating to financial vision and protection - for example, when one character suggests that she should have a controlling share of a company that was her idea, she immediately demands an even split instead (allowing some else's lawyer to make recommendations and decisions without for a second thinking she might benefit from having her own representation). The book also explores sexual harassment and the consequences faced by the victims as opposed to the perpetrators.
I enjoyed the book and I think it's a good cautionary tale for people thinking about entering into business partnerships. I do wish that the author had left out the love triangle.
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!
March 9, 2026
I feel like I have to give the disclaimer first that I have not watched The Social Network so I really can't draw any comparisons there!
I went into this mostly blind and so I wasn't expecting the love triangle aspect of it, but I liked how it was done! I also thought the pacing and execution of the flashback style was handled super well. There were lots of easter eggs and "if you know, you know" type of references to UC Berkeley - I am in the know, but I found myself wondering if it would be confusing at all for someone unfamiliar with Cal. I found Maggie to be an extremely relatable character - not that I could start a social media business, but if I were somehow in her shoes I'd be having a lot of the same struggles, emotions, and reactions. The only thing I didn't like was the romanticizing of her friendships with the guys - especially as the more we learn throughout the story, the more two of them just kind of seem like assholes. I was SO relieved that at the end I kind of wish that instead of
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy!
Read this one for the:
- dual timelines
- love triangle
- focus on friendship
- silicon valley tech setting
- uc berkeley easter eggs
I went into this mostly blind and so I wasn't expecting the love triangle aspect of it, but I liked how it was done! I also thought the pacing and execution of the flashback style was handled super well. There were lots of easter eggs and "if you know, you know" type of references to UC Berkeley - I am in the know, but I found myself wondering if it would be confusing at all for someone unfamiliar with Cal. I found Maggie to be an extremely relatable character - not that I could start a social media business, but if I were somehow in her shoes I'd be having a lot of the same struggles, emotions, and reactions. The only thing I didn't like was the romanticizing of her friendships with the guys - especially as the more we learn throughout the story, the more two of them just kind of seem like assholes. I was SO relieved that at the end I kind of wish that instead of
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy!
Read this one for the:
- dual timelines
- love triangle
- focus on friendship
- silicon valley tech setting
- uc berkeley easter eggs
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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
tw: mentions of sexual harassment
This book reads like a different version of The Social Network but with more focus on the personal relationships between the founders. Told from Maggie's third person POV, and alternating between 2016 and the present; Sophie Wan's The Social Circle is a poignant story that amplifies the struggles of being a woman of color in tech, all the while juggling Asian stereotypes and familial expectations.
I enjoyed the flashback scenes which did a good job depicting the closeness between the four friends as they build this app out. There were small sub-plots involving romance, immigrant struggles, and other such relatable experiences that every 20 year old goes through. The pacing of the book however was quite slow, so I found myself waiting for something bigger quite a bit. While we saw Maggie go through the most character growth (considering the book is from her pov), I actually did not like any of the other three guys and found them to be quite selfish, even after the flashback scenes revealed everything that had happened eight years ago.
Ultimately, this will probably be a bit more relatable if you are a woman in the tech industry, and enjoy heartfelt stories that are perhaps a bit slow moving.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the netgalley eARC!
This book reads like a different version of The Social Network but with more focus on the personal relationships between the founders. Told from Maggie's third person POV, and alternating between 2016 and the present; Sophie Wan's The Social Circle is a poignant story that amplifies the struggles of being a woman of color in tech, all the while juggling Asian stereotypes and familial expectations.
I enjoyed the flashback scenes which did a good job depicting the closeness between the four friends as they build this app out. There were small sub-plots involving romance, immigrant struggles, and other such relatable experiences that every 20 year old goes through. The pacing of the book however was quite slow, so I found myself waiting for something bigger quite a bit. While we saw Maggie go through the most character growth (considering the book is from her pov), I actually did not like any of the other three guys and found them to be quite selfish, even after the flashback scenes revealed everything that had happened eight years ago.
Ultimately, this will probably be a bit more relatable if you are a woman in the tech industry, and enjoy heartfelt stories that are perhaps a bit slow moving.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the netgalley eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was just the book I needed to pull me out of a reading rut. I enjoyed the author's style of writing and the way she crafted a robust narrative by weaving together past and present timelines. The writing is to the point, but I kept reading because I needed to know what happened. There is also the added perspective of an interviewer who is trying to get the scoop on what happened to everyone involved in the Circle. Natalie Naudus’s narration really elevates this aspect of the story, pushing the tension and making it feel more evocative. I appreciated the light romance subplot, Maggie’s desire to fit in socially, and the weight of Chinese cultural expectations. But at its core, this is a story about those formative university friendships and whether they can really survive adulthood. As someone who went to a fine arts magnet school for years, the author captures the complexities of friendships in a competitive school setting realistically. You can form deep connections, but in the back of your mind, there's always some doubt that your friends will try to outdo you. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the book Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, read Careless People last year, or watched The Social Network.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This one felt a bit like The Social Network meets Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, blending nostalgia for the early days of tech with the messier reality of startup culture. It doesn’t shy away from the ego, ambition, and toxicity baked into the industry, with clear parallels to the rise of Facebook.
I really enjoyed the dual timelines, which move between the fictional “Circle’s” early founding days and the present, when the former founders reunite off-grid and begin to unpack what went wrong. The characters fall into recognizable workplace archetypes in a way that feels believable and engaging. I especially liked Maggie’s storyline, though I found myself wanting more from her past. Some key emotional moments, including the climax, felt a bit underwhelming. Overall, it’s an engaging story about friendship, ambition, and how success can slowly reshape both people and relationships over time.
3.5/5
Thank you to Netgalley and Park Row for the earc, thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed the dual timelines, which move between the fictional “Circle’s” early founding days and the present, when the former founders reunite off-grid and begin to unpack what went wrong. The characters fall into recognizable workplace archetypes in a way that feels believable and engaging. I especially liked Maggie’s storyline, though I found myself wanting more from her past. Some key emotional moments, including the climax, felt a bit underwhelming. Overall, it’s an engaging story about friendship, ambition, and how success can slowly reshape both people and relationships over time.
3.5/5
Thank you to Netgalley and Park Row for the earc, thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 13, 2026
This book has me a little stumped. I love a college 'found family' aspect and the inside look at an early days founding of a social media company, had me very intrigued.
But honestly the story, while engaging, was SO chaotic. I think this story would have worked better with a more chronological telling rather than flashbacks. The author played up the drama, and peaks of a romantic entanglement, rather than adding any depth to the story or characters when there was plenty of opportuntiy to show more to some of the issues addressed or even juat simply to add to the plot. And to top it all off. There was no resolution in the end. The book quite literally ended on a cliffhanger.
Overall a solid 3 star story from this reader's perspective. But the absolutely abrupt ending kind ruined it for me a bit (I'm someone who loves an epilogue) and I wanted more resolution in how the group was moving forward.
Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for the ARC in exchange for my review!
But honestly the story, while engaging, was SO chaotic. I think this story would have worked better with a more chronological telling rather than flashbacks. The author played up the drama, and peaks of a romantic entanglement, rather than adding any depth to the story or characters when there was plenty of opportuntiy to show more to some of the issues addressed or even juat simply to add to the plot. And to top it all off. There was no resolution in the end. The book quite literally ended on a cliffhanger.
Overall a solid 3 star story from this reader's perspective. But the absolutely abrupt ending kind ruined it for me a bit (I'm someone who loves an epilogue) and I wanted more resolution in how the group was moving forward.
Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for the ARC in exchange for my review!
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