Sociable

by Rebecca Harrington

The Assistants meets The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. in this exuberant comedy of manners set in the world of Internet media, a brilliantly irreverent novel about what it means to be young, broke, dumped, and scarily good at creating viral content.

When Elinor Tomlinson moved to New York with a degree in journalism she had visions of writing witty opinion pieces, marrying her journalist boyfriend, and attending glamorous parties with famously perverted writers. Instead, Elinor finds herself nannying for two small children who speak in short, high screams, sleeping on a foam pad in a weird apartment, and attending terrible parties with Harper's interns wearing shapeless smocks. So when Elinor is offered a job at Journalism.ly, the digital media brainchild of a Silicon Valley celebrity, she jumps at the chance. Sure, her boyfriend is writing long think pieces about the electoral college for a real website while Elinor writes lists about sneakers and people at parties give her pitying glances when she reveals her employer, but at Journalism.ly Elinor discovers her true gift: She has a preternatural ability for writing sharable content. She is an overnight viral sensation! But Elinor's success is not without cost. Elinor's boyfriend dumps her, two male colleagues insist on "mentoring" her, and a piece she writes about her personal life lands her on local television. Broke, single, and consigned to move to a fifth-floor walkup, Elinor must ask herself: Is this the creative life she dreamed of? Can new love be found on Coffee Meets Bagel? And should she start wearing a smock? With wry humor and sharp intelligence, Sociable is a hilarious tale of one young woman's search for happiness--and an inside look at life in the wild world of Internet media.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Adult Fiction, Audiobook, Adult, New York

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 27, 2018

About the author

Rebecca Harrington is a writer living in New York City.

Reviews

[Theresa Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel had some good writing, but it was difficult for me to identify with twenty-somethings who spend their lives on their phones tweeting and Facebooking and snapchatting, living for "likes" and comments. Also, the characters had been communications majors, and yet all of them in dialogue abuse the words "like" and "literally" and end sentences that should be statements with question marks. Example: "But like, then I was like, Why do you want to know! And he was like, Well what if I moved in? Kind of like a joke? But then we actually talked about it more and he was like . . ."

Elinor and her boyfriend Mike are trying to get their careers in journalism going in New York City in an era when most magazines and newspapers are dying. Elinor consistently says she's a feminist, but has almost no self-esteem when it comes to Mike or her new career trying to write things that go viral for a website that doesn't actually make money.

I'm also a feminist and many of my friends are, but never in my life have I had a conversation that goes something like, "That was not very faminist of you. What I did was feminist." "That was not feminist of you!" Is that how twenty-something feminists actually talk?

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.

For more of my reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sociable is an interesting and witty take on the social media age!

Elinor Tomlinson is living in New York with her recent journalist degree, hoping to one day put it to good use. Her boyfriend is also a journalist, and Elinor dreams of marrying him and living the high life of a famous journalist.

Instead, Elinor lives in a tiny apartment and is working as a nanny. The parties she attends are with interns and no one truly connected or famous. In short, not what she had in mind.

Elinor’s rise comes, however, in the form of a job at Journalism.ly, a digital media platform owned by a celebrity. Her boyfriend is writing serious pieces about politics, and she’s writing about inane celebrity fashion foibles, but she’s learning her talent is in social media with creating shareable content.

Unfortunately, her success at her new job comes with a price tag. Her boyfriend leaves her, and there are some other ramifications of living a life that’s overly “social.”

What will be next for Elinor, and will she ever be happy?

I don’t mind tough-to-like characters like Elinor. She’s a touch annoying, way overzealous, and gosh, the way she talks…with all the “likes.” On a personal note, my dad was an English major, and I received regular feedback from him at different points in my life for my own overuse of “like.” I’m sure I was also overly dramatic (occasionally!) in those days. So while it was exasperating at times to read, Elinor was being true to her personal early 20s experience, and it felt like a realistic portrayal.

Overall, Sociable was an interesting and sometimes satirical take on the social media age and how it may be affecting the work and romantic lives of Millennials. It offered insight into starting at ground zero in the newer field of social media journalism and explored some emotional topics like female friendship and big break-ups. Sociable was a quick read with witty banter, and it definitely held my interest and made me self-reflect.

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

[Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like reading about unlikeable characters and uncomfortable situations, these are some of the elements present in this novel and one of the reasons I really enjoyed it.

Elinor Tomlinson is a young journalist struggling to find a job in her field. She lives with her boyfriend in NY and works as a babysitter. One day, she returns home only to find out that the boyfriend of four years wants to break up with her, she is completely shocked and has no other option but to agree.

At the same time, she has recently started working on journalism.ly, a news website and is trying to perform well on her new job while coping with the sadness of the breakup.

It is hard to define the point of view of the narrator, at some points is Elinor, at other points J.W. (Elinor's boss) and at other times is an unknown narrator. At the beginning it confused me but at the end I had gotten used to it and did not distract me from the story.

The main characters work on startup companies where social media plays a relevant role. The novel not only describes Elinor's emotional journey after her breakup but also the current state of journalism, online dating, millennials' relationship to work, and female friendship.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and recommend it to lovers of contemporary fiction and/or new adult. It reminded me of the novel Startup by Doree Shafrir which is another book I enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really hated this book and found the ending deeply unsatisfying. The main character is vapid, shockingly immature even for 26 years old, and judgmental. I stuck with it because I thought the book would be about her eventual turnaround and what she learned through writing viral content, but neither really happened.

While she very briefly acknowledges that MAYBE feminism isn't being judgmental but supporting other women to do what makes them happy, there are several other unresolved plotlines that she doesn't appear to learn anything from - i.e. her relationship, her TV appearance, her dates. She's so clueless that doesn't even realize that her coworker isn't talking to her anymore because she's annoyed that she published an essay referencing her and her friends without asking.

Without any character development, this book just meanders along and doesn't go anywhere.

[AnisaAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded to 4

#notforeveryone #readitanyway

There is alway a gravitational pull that steers me towards books about social communication. And Sociable provides a juxtaposition of journalism with the social media platform.

The story is about a twenty something couple Mike and Elinor struggling in the world of journalistic unemployment. They met in a communications class during their undergraduate, and have forged a path of poverty and unfulfilling jobs. Both of them through connections receive jobs in their field, and it feels like things may turn around. While Mike is writing unappreciated scholastic essays of pertinent issues, Elinor is excelling at writing about viral subjects such as coffee, Vans sneakers, celebrities. Mike makes a break from Elinor as she climbs the social media train. As Elinor is negotiating her sadness between tweets, she wonders how and if she will ever find love again.

The novel carries a journalistic style, narrating the story of Elinor and Mike. At first, the third person story-telling was unexpected, but it creates a charming and humorous atmosphere. The novel is a quick, and easy read but it has some shortcomings that may put off the average reader. The first chapter negotiated my interest, and it was a hard sell. But I pushed through and there after the novel flowed more rhythmically. The two main characters themselves were not entirely developed, including their banter, which rendered them seemingly immature and naive. The conversations between characters are self-absorbed rants replete with word debauchery, acronyms, and hashtags. However, at that age twenty years ago, I shared Elinor and Mike's banalities and labile mood, and love of the word "like, " and therefore I found them quite relatable and amusing. In fact, I took a pause from reading to reflect if I was actually like that, #yesIwas and #notanymore? Between the conversations, the narrative is well-written and witty. Elinor did grow on me as she was finding her groove, while Mike just reeked of a neanderthal-ism. Being in your twenties is a time of being industrious in employment and love. It is a time replete with highs and lows, mistakes and tears. Harrington conveys this with humor and grace.

Sociable makes a commentary about Millenials and the trend of social media as a form of investigative "BuzzFeed" reporting. In our current mobile society, information is on a text alert basis, scrolling, and swiping right or left The author highlights our obsession with electronic communication as a vehicle to convey our deepest sentiments. And the physical and emotional reactions to the brevities: What did it mean? Why did he or she text? How many likes did I get? All those words are just floating out there randomly waiting to fall into a two-dimensional bubble. And when people are face to face, the art of conversation is lost.

Sociable is not the most sophisticated of stories, but it was a fun read and poignant. The novel almost reminds me of watching a television situation comedy with recurring characters involved in amusing situations. And you find yourself curious about the fate of Elinor. If you want a break from something heavy, I would recommend this book but with the above caveat.

Thank you, NetGalley and Doubleday books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Austen meets Snapchat!
It makes me sad that, based on the average star reviews at least, many people don’t seem to enjoy this particular author’s unique brand of dry, deadpan satire - or possibly even understand it as such, which I find mindboggling. I completely 100% get why people who think this is a straightforward, rather than satirical, coming of age novel would detest it; I just don’t understand, at all, how anyone could possibly mistake it as such. As for me, I relish it!
Other reviews have questioned if this is really meant to be a satire of millennials. For me, this is akin to asking if “A Modest Proposal” is really intended to be a satire of British policy. (And I also believe this book is much more warm-hearted and empathic/compassionate, not as Juvenalian; its characters are not monsters, but rather just fucking, and understandably, confused: for the fiftieth time I thank my lucky stars that I was born on the cusp...-ish...of Gen X and thus escaped much of this.) Yes, for instance, the characters say “like” a lot and end sentences with question marks... satire often employs hyperbole. I I spend a lot of time with individuals who inhabit the demographic depicted in this novel, and in my view the satire - the SATIRE, not the nuanced photorealistic depiction - is absolutely spot on, not to mention incredibly therapeutic. The main and many of the supporting characters are, in my opinion, best understood as unreliable narrators rather than unlikeable, as befitting a comedy that operates outside the arena of strict literary realism. Don’t take it personally! - this satire doesn’t so much savage actual individuals as it does a shared perplexing situation or cultural moment, while critiquing the limitations of commonly accessed options for contending with the confounding situation.
This is a delicious exploration of how Internet ubiquity has affected young adults’ development, self-concept, and ability to connect socially IRL, as well as a classic comedy of manners that skewers the conventions and affectations that hold sway at the intersection of social privilege and social media and commerce. I sincerely don’t think Jane Austen herself could have done any better with the material if she were around today to (screen?) capture it. Remember, Austen’s point was not to create beautifully costumed Masterpiece Theatre adaptations; it was to prompt readers to ask themselves what the hell are we doing!?
I found this elegantly written and, most importantly, funny and novel and FUN (taking stuff, particularly oneself, too fucking seriously is one of the satirical/hyperbolic targets in the novel), and I greatly enjoyed the voice and tone. Check out reviews at PW and Kirkus if you need endorsements better qualified than mine!

[Meghan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author has started to get people to put up fake 5-star reviews and I'm exhausted.
***
Thank you Netgalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for a review.

This book is marketed as a book that should hit so close to home for me - a millennial went to college for journalism and now works at a Buzzfeed like company. And you know what? She's really good at writing material that goes viral! Is she compromising her values by doing this?

The description of this book, particularly on Goodreads, is incredibly misleading. Is this book meant to be a satire of millennials and how they're viewed? This book is not about a woman who goes to work for a Buzzfeed like company - it's about a woman who cannot get over a breakup with her terrible ex, and who happens to get a job at a company.

So here are my thoughts laid out easily:
1. If you are going to have website addresses in your book, buy the domain and have them go to your book's site or author's site. It should be part of your marketing campaign.

2. I've never worked at a startup, though I do have friends that do, and for the most part, this "we aren't going to give you any guidelines, new person" seems to be satire in the book, but this book isn't advertised as a satire. The nepotism in this book I buy.

3. The mentorship plot line and the older journalist plotline could have had some depth. They felt flat and forced and absolutely ridiculous.

4. Pick a POV? The "perhaps the reader" thrown in occasionally is jarring and isn't earned.

5. There's no growth in the main character at all. I got to the end of the book, flipped the page expecting more, and was actually genuinely shocked that it was over. What was the major drama? What did she learn from it? What did she gain? The description makes it sound like she starts debating if NYC is worth it, but honestly, nothing in her life has value except her worthless ex. She doesn't even have the cliched growth of "I have found my path alone!" ......though I think that's the vibe we are supposed to get.

6. Female friendships. I am so sick of books portraying women as not being able to have female friendships with actual merit and depth. The main character only has faux friends, including her "best friend" who reminds me of friends I dropped in my early 20s for being fake as can be. None of the friendships felt real. Is it the fault of the MC who has no depth? IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE A SATIRE OF MILLENNIALS?

I genuinely do not get the point of this book and what it's trying to accomplish.

***
Netgalley arc. read for 24in48. Full review to come later this week.

[Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

After college, Elinor moves to New York with her journalism degree and dreams of writing pieces that mean something. She sees a future with her boyfriend, Mike, also a journalist. Instead, Elinor lives in a cramped apartment with no kitchen, sleeps on a foam pad, and nannies to two slightly whiny and obsessive children. She thinks her future is looking up when she's offered a position at Journalism.ly, a digital brand a la BuzzFeed. But soon Elinor learns that her sole function there is to produce pieces that go "viral" and then she and Mike break up, pushing her into a deeper depression. Is it even possible to have the creative and romantic life she dreamed of, Elinor wonders?

I won't lie; this was a strange book. Even the narration style is odd. While it's told mostly from Elinor's point of view, we get this peculiar device thrown in at times (e.g., "the reader should know"). You get used to it eventually, but still.

In fact, the whole novel can be very awkward at times and after a while, I lost the thread on whether it was because the book was well-done (she's so well-written!) or just awkward and painful. A lot of the book features much melodrama between the characters, most of whom always seemed to be having bad days. Really, was life so terrible? There is much angst, a lot of social media usage, lots of happy hours and supposed networking, and not a lot of people to care about.

For indeed, a lot of the characters are not likable, and I found myself vacillating in my feelings for Elinor. I didn't grow up in the social media world, like she, but am immersed in it enough now that I could empathize with her--to a point. At some stages, the novel really captured some painful situations. There were some funny points, and places where Elinor could be helpless yet sympathetic. At other points, Elinor was just hapless and unable to take charge of her life in any capacity and filled me with abject terror for the future of the nation.

I was honestly baffled at times on whether the book was satiric, or a commentary on social media and journalism, or taking itself too seriously. Elinor winds up working for Journalism.ly, which is said to be similar to BuzzFeed (and many other sites), and she's told to make things go viral, which, funnily enough, she has a bit of a knack for, despite her own inability to make friends or succeed in social situations (or life, in general). Whether all of this is ironic or not, I'll never quite know.

So, in the end, I'm at a loss with this one. I really don't know how I feel. Satire? A look at a generation? A bunch of hapless unlikable people prattling on? All three combined? I can say that this was a fast read--the author drew me in, as I read it in about a day. I was left with a weird feeling when I finished. I can't say I really recommend it, but it was an interesting read at times. 2.5 stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 03/27/2018.

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[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

A companion book of sorts to STARTUP, but with even fewer likable characters. And I don't mean likable in the way we often use when discussing women in books. Not aggressive or abrasive, I mean vapid and ignorant. The protagonist, an aspiring journalist in her mid-20's named Elinor, isn't unlikable because she's ambitious or mean, it's because she uses hashtags like #lovethisguy. It almost feels like a vendetta, there's so much unspoken dislike for Elinor (and everyone else) in this book.

Not much really happens here. The stakes could be high, since there's jobs and livelihoods and relationships involved, and yet it never seems to matter much if Elinor gets that job or if Elinor stays with her boyfriend. Neither makes much of a change in Elinor.

I am used to novels that try to open up a character, to make us see them more fully and understand their flaws. The only times I felt warmly about Elinor was when her terrible bosses gave her their post ideas and she recognized them (correctly) as terrible ideas. But Elinor doesn't speak up, only thinks to herself that this is a bad idea, so even my warm feelings were limited. She doesn't think about her bosses and why they're ineffective, she doesn't try to make change, she doesn't use her knowledge to improve everything. She just nods and goes along with it. Which is how she does basically everything. I can't tell if we just don't get far enough inside Elinor's head, or if there's just nothing in Elinor's head to go deeper into.

There is a lot here about new journalism, social media, and more, but it's hard to know what the point of view is because we're completely grounded in Elinor and Elinor doesn't seem to have a point of view at all. On anything. It's hard to see what Elinor loves so much about journalism (especially after going to school for it) when she doesn't seem to pay much attention to what's happening in the world. It's unclear if this book is actually anti-social media or just anti-Elinor. (I suspect it's the latter because there were a few places when Elinor's horrible boyfriend makes statements about Twitter that made me want to smack him, but I can't say for certain.) The only thing Elinor cares about is Elinor, and her view of herself is limited almost entirely to what other people think about her.

But I will give this book a lot of credit in the "too real" category for portraying the meaningless conversations of the modern age. The way Elinor talks to her friends, her coworkers, and her boyfriend about things will sound a lot like people you know and conversations you've overheard (and probably try to extricate yourself from as quickly as possible if you're ever roped into one). In that sense it's so accurate it hurts and may actually feel a little too much like a horror novel.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley. It does not impact my review.

I am usually a sucker for books that deal with journalists or authors. It’s just one of those topics that will make me automatically want to read something. Unfortunately, it was not enough to save this book for me.

The synopsis describes the tone as “irreverent”, but it fell short on that front for me. There were a few humorous moments, but I felt like things should have been a little more exaggerated. I get what the author was trying to do in poking fun at Millennial culture and could appreciate the effort, but it didn’t take it nearly far enough to make any sort of impact. Elinor just ended up coming across as insufferable and not in a funny way. All of the other characters were just as unlikable, especially her boyfriend Mike. No one really grew and there wasn’t really anyone I wanted to root for. JW, the one “real” journalist at Journalism.ly, was the only character I really enjoyed reading about, but we saw less and less of him as the story went on.

There was one thing in the writing style that really bothered me. The story starts out with kind of a 1st Person Plural POV. “It was midway through the party…when we saw Elinor.” and “We were in a small backyard…” (quotes taken from ARC). Then it completely abandons that style and seemingly goes to straight 3rd Person POV, with one exception. “Perhaps, the reader might be questioning…Reader, I don’t even know what to tell you.” (quotes taken from ARC). That is the only short part the reader is addressed and then the narrator uses “I” instead of “We” like in the beginning. If there is a purpose for those style choices, I did not understand it.

Overall, Sociable was just not for me. I think it had a relevant and interesting concept, but it wasn’t executed well. I’m giving it two stars instead of one because it was a quick, easy read and there were a few humorous moments I enjoyed.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 2 Stars

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made me depressed. Maybe it's because it's been a really long time since I was a 20-something, but all the characters were so superficial and ridiculous, and their lives seemed so sad. I have browsed websites like Journalism.ly (where the mc works) and, again, maybe I'm just too old for them, but the articles were so... self-involved, maybe? One of the articles that I read on one of these sites was all about the writer's nightime skin care regime. I kept reading it because I was waiting to see if it would end up with some kind of philosophical meaning, but no, it was just a blow-by-blow account of all the stuff she uses on her face every night. It was a lot of stuff.
I really hope that this was meant to be satirical, because if this is what it's actually like to be in your mid-20s in NYC (or anywhere, really), then I weep for the future.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me at an advance copy of this book.

[Lianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

** A copy of Sociable was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

Oof.

I take no pleasure in bashing books at all, but this was just….not good. In fact, if it wasn’t such a short and easy read, I’m not sure I could have made it all the way through. I'm not sure if this was the entire point of the narrative, but the characters were so unlikable to the point of being painful. I get making a point or over-exaggerating the stereotype of the millennial but there were points when even the way they spoke (If they started one more sentence with “Like” or ended a statement with a question mark, I was going to lose it) was terribly childish and annoying. The story meandered around without really going anywhere or bringing about any sort of resolution...and the ending was abrupt with no lessons learned and no growth achieved.

[AJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book was difficult to review. I think the author may have been trying to poke fun at millennials, but it wasn't clear. If taken seriously then this book was a bit too vapid and superficial. It was a fast read, though, and provided some all too real moments about breakups and figuring out life after college.

The relationship parts were cringeworthy and too real, unfortunately. Most girls I know have dated an asshole like Mike and still been devastated when that asshole ended things. Elinor will look back years later and wonder 'What was I thinking?' Her dating experiences are also way too relatable, especially how she falls in love so easily with the guys who aren't interested. She feels like it will be worth more if she "proves" herself worthy and "wins" their attention. That's not how love works, but I understand the feeling.

Also, her career envy is very real right after college. At that point you really have nothing else to base your life on, so falling behind others with your lackluster job can feel like it is the end of the world.

One of my biggest problems with the book is how Elinor acted with her bosses. Her interactions with them were unrealistic and extremely unprofessional. She flat out told one of her bosses that she hated him, and resented the fact that he was her superior even though he was her age. I'm sorry, but that's how the working world goes sometimes. I know people at my office that are being managed by someone 10 years younger than them, but they still act professional.

Overall, I would recommend this book for someone looking to poke fun at the extremes of millennial culture. Its a quick read that will keep you entertained.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought how can there be a book devoted to one young woman, her boyfriend, their breakup, their momentary jobs on social media and the potential of reconciliation without them ever speaking. Then I realized that's exactly how my twenty-something daughter and all her friends, regardless of genders, communicate with each other. Even the rare dialogue sounded so familiar. And, may I note, the young adults of who / whom ugh, refer, are well educated, college graduates. Obviously smarter than me. This is just the
World now, sometimes. Not everywhere, not all the time, but whenever they feel like it. "They," those damn millennials; sigh; and I have two I happen to love. Decent book, check it out.

Thanks Netgalley.

[Jessica C · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, um, this was a thing I read.

I'm really trying to think of the best way to express my opinions on this book, but the only word that comes to mind is just...bad.

The characters were absolutely awful, like they were such horrible people, every single one of them. And the main character, too. There was girl hate, anti-feminism (even though the MC claimed to be a feminist??), a super toxic relationship, and more. They were absolutely no character arc, which could have redeemed this book a little bit. The main character was also super immature, it felt like I was reading about a middle-schooler. It just felt super off for me.

I honestly don't even understand what the plot was??? The ending went nowhere, really. Which is so disappointing because I was so excited to be reading about journalists, considering that is my major.

And the writing was...so mediocre. Actually, below mediocre, if I'm being honest. It felt like I was reading a first draft rather than a fully edited and ready to be published book.

I don't normally write bad reviews and I try not to be too harsh when talking about books I didn't enjoy (because everyone has their own opinions), but I just simply could not get behind any part of this book.

If it hadn't been super quick to fly through (and my TBR jar pick), I would have DNF'd it.

[Emily // Mixed Margins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't believe I made it to the end of this book. The whole thing was incredibly annoying, especially the writing.

Things I didn't like about the writing:
--third person omniscient narration
--exclamation points
--breaking the 4th wall and addressing the reader
--statements ending in questions
--"super" used as a prefix (e.g., the bar was supercrowded)

The dialogue was so painful to read. I couldn't tell if it was poorly executed satire or just poorly written. It seemed so over-the-top that part of me figured the intention must have been to make fun of millennials, but if that was the case, I'm not sure what the real goal was. Either way, it was extremely annoying.

The one thing that could have saved this for me was focusing more on the journalism aspect and the men in the office trying to take credit for Elinor's success. Instead, the focus was on Elinor's dating life.

The ending was entirely anticlimactic. I honestly kept looking to see if something was missing because it seemed to just stop rather than form a conclusion.

Overall, very disappointed, and amazed that I made it through.


I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

the author isn’t untalented on a prose level and this was quite witty at points but it’s just soooo much nothing. no character growth no narrative structure only vibes (and the vibes are rancid)! every single character is horrible except for the protagonist who is merely insipid. an argument could be made for this being a kind of nihilist satire like american psycho for instagram girlies but as much as i hate american psycho (i really hate american psycho) i started to genuinely wish elinor would go sicko mode with a kitchen knife by about the halfway point of this book. and sadly she never does

[Y. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am too old for this book. One star. #sorrynotsorry

P.S. Thanks to NetGalley and DoubleDay Books. I'll give this book one thing - I did finish it, despite hating almost every single interaction. Too much dialogue featuring "literally," and "hashtag." (Once is already too much!!)

[Miguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review.

She wanted people to see her as beautiful and moral, warmhearted and historically correct, extremely tolerant but able to call out wrongdoing when she saw it, aware of all possible holes in her thinking, not defensive except when provoked, mildly irreverent but then unexpectedly sincere about the possibility of the American experiment. In short, she wanted to be perceived how everyone else wanted to be perceived in her small circle of digital friends. Luckily, this is one of the easier personalities in the world to pretend that you have.

When one reads a comedy of manners from days past, it is easy to sit on the outside and laugh at the conventions of yesteryear. It is another sensation entirely when one experiences the vague, unsettling discomfort of reading such a comedy about the contemporary moment. But Sociable inspires that feeling. Rebecca Harrington’s clinical gaze gets to the core of precisely what behaviors recur almost pathologically and offers some compelling explanations as to why. Of course, the social commentary is just a side-effect of the genuine hilarity Harrington captures. Though as I laughed I occasionally found myself uncomfortably wondering, “is this me…?” Harrington’s near-naturalism shows neither contempt nor love for her subjects. They are treated tenderly, but their faults are exposed clearly for the reader’s own enjoyment and, perhaps, introspection.

Harrington goes beyond incisive commentary on modern friendship and romance. She demonstrates an unparalleled prescience about the state of journalism. Harrington's fictional Memo Points Daily and Journalism.ly capture the spirit of MTV News's restructuring. The beginning scene of the novel, with the closing of the (also fictional) Newr Report, echoed social media sentiments after the infamous "pivot to video." This clear vision grants credibility and verisimilitude to Harrington's novel.

Beyond that, Harrington shows a close attention to literary form. Her references to Madame Bovary and Virginia Woolf do more than demonstrate her literary bonafides. They establish Sociable and its characters firmly in a literary tradition of social commentary without judgment. And Harrington earns the comparisons! Her authorial interventions are brilliant. The sparse narrator who addresses the reader in a Victorian fashion ("dear reader...") is the most likable character in the novel. The voice of the narrator captures the essence of the novel in a brief monologue about Elinor's breakup, "Rapidly, the whole thing had dissolved into boring societal and symbolic forces that went well beyond Mike, but somehow applied to him, like most affairs of the heart."

But, luckily for Harrington, this is a story one can love without a single likable (or even dynamic) character in the bunch. While Mike is clearly contemptible, the reader is invited to identify with Elinor even as Harrington lays bare Elinor's worst nature. Harrington cleverly uses social types to play out something bigger with an eye for unfiltered inner-monologue. This is a story that feels real, genuinely in touch with the culture and identity of young people today. But above and beyond all that, it manages to be hilarious.

[Trin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rebecca Harrington is hilarious, and this is a very entertaining (and in general, not too obvious) send-up of all the ways in which social media, the modern workplace, 21st century romance, and sensitive "feminist" dudes can be terrible.

However, it's also a really cynical take on female friendships. Aside from (and really, along with) my family, these are the most valuable and vital relationships in my life -- even when we're just texting each other emojis and gifs of Chris Evans. Every book doesn't have to be every thing, or reflect every truth, and it's possible that I'm just so hungry to see these types of relationships portrayed that I'm bitter over every missed opportunity. Harrington's protagonist Elinor is obviously, and intentionally, not a role model, but I couldn't help thinking that she'd be much better off -- and maybe even a much better person -- if she had even one good friend to support her, and send her gifs of Chris Evans when she needed them.

[laura (bookies & cookies) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book definitely won't appeal to everyone. You definitely have to read between the lines to get at what the author is saying about social media & connections... by not having any of that message explicitly in the text.

The main characters are unlikeable, annoying, and say a whole not about absolutely nothing.

Which is why it's brilliant???

Sociable is about he social media journalistic landscape and how everything is valued by "clicks" and "likes." By having the characters do a whole lotta nothing and make very few decisions in their own lives, it's ironic the "effect" they have on viral content.

I wish more of the book had been like the first few pages, where the narrator breaks the 4th wall and discusses the events with the reader., instead, that only happened 3 or 4 more times.

I'm not sure if I'd ever re-read this, but it was an interesting time.

[Ravenclaw251 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is a little difficult to review. It was an okay read. It was quick and entertaining, but something just felt off. It might have been the writing style that I couldn't really get into, or maybe the character of Elinor who at times just came off as unlikable. I related to the break - up though. I also did laugh a couple of times. Overall though, it wasn't really my cup of hot chocolate, but maybe it's someone else's cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Carrie Templeton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like so many things about this book, but it all fell flat for me. The tone and structure was all trying a bit to hard to be #millenial with a result that was just ok. I definitely didn’t get the ending 🤷‍♀️

[arianne 🩶 · Rating 2 out of 5]

i felt like i was losing brain cells as i was reading this.
dnf and will probably never pick up again

[Big Time Book Junkie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sociable by Rebecca Harrington would get a 2.5 rating from me, if that was possible. I kept waiting for this book to actually mean something, but it just didn't. Maybe I was the wrong audience for this, but it left me wondering what happened to the rest of the book. Maybe it's set up to be a series and it just leaves off like this to segue into the next book? If so, I wish I'd known because I usually don't read books that do that.

The primary character, Elinor, and her "friends" were very shallow and completely concerned with ridiculousness. It felt like high school in a way - Should I hook up with him? Did he think that was dumb? Should I text him now?

I must have missed the point completely because even her "job" at Journalism.ly was similar. This guy's mentoring her, that guy is mentoring her, no one tells her what to do....it's just pointless.

The best part for me were the social media updates at the beginning of the chapters.

If someone else gets this book please explain to me how I so completely missed it. Thanks!
Netgalley, the publishers and the author - thanks for allowing me to read an ARC. I just wish I'd enjoyed it and could leave a better review.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley and Doubleday Books in exchange for my honest review.

Oh, I wish I had something nice to say about this book but it really didn't have any redeeming qualities.

Every character was painfully unlikable. They were all whiney and self centered and would get mad at all the other self centered people. The word "Like" was over used, like so much. It was pitched as a book with humor but I never found it. Feminism is brought up serval times but they never really seem to understand what it means to be a feminist. You can tell that Elinor and Mark want to be feminist but they just can't get it. Is that what is supposed to be funny??? Eh...

The "To the reader" portions of the book felt very unnatural, like an afterthought. Oh hey, by the way, this is why Elinor is acting this way because otherwise it wouldn't makes sense. :/

The plot never really went anywhere. I kept hoping that something, anything would happen to make it interesting. It really could have been a lot better if something would have happened.

[kb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tried to power through this for a few times, but I wasn't into the writing style, the POV used, the character development (if there was any? The characters sounded a little too obnoxious and immature for what they were posing to be). Made it almost halfway through the book but because I felt like I was already forcing myself to finish it, I decided to ~give up. I would have enjoyed this because journalists and social media and finding one's self, etc. but all in all, this book and I were not fit for each other.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun read. I find that I really enjoy just reading books that are about people in their twenties who are smart and dealing with life. It's kind of like a soap opera, and yet I bet this kind of stuff actually happens to people all the time.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and Doubleday Books for giving me an ebook copy of Sociable in return for an honest review.

I don’t know where to begin. I can’t tell if the Rebecca Harrington was trying to write a satire about millennials or was simply trying to write a romantic comedy about the effects of social media, and that’s a problem for me. I’m not expecting the writer to explicitly state what they trying to convey, but I do expect to come out of a book with a pretty solid idea of what I think the author meant to achieve. Unfortunately, for this book, I have no clue.

I thought all the characters are poorly written. Everyone had a horrible and bland personality, just letting things happen to them rather than make any decisions. We don’t know anything about the characters and everyone seems oblivious to the world around them, which I’m not sure was intentional. I was hoping that there would be some growth, especially with our main character, Elinor, but she learns nothing by the end of the book.

Additionally, I didn't connect with the story. A lot of that had to do with the way this story was written. It was like the author didn’t know what POV to use. In the beginning, the story is told through third-person omniscient. While we mainly follow Elinor, we do get to see the perspective of an older journalist that works for Journalism.ly, the startup that Elinor is hired to work at. However, the POV switches to mainly following Elinor. The bits we do get from the journalist's POV don’t add anything to the story (except to offer some comedic relief). Finally, towards the end, the narrator starts to address the reader which instantly drew me out of the story because it wasn’t consistent throughout the book.

And any asides we did get from the other characters POVs didn’t add anything to the story. In fact, most of the events seemed very random and didn’t add up to anything.

I thought this book would focus more on her career and the new job but really this book is about her break up.

The characters never develop true connections and the plot was boring. There was no tension or growth. Even if the main character decided to act the same way that would have been better than not deciding to do anything at all. That author never gives the characters anytime to reflect.

Honestly, this book was really depressing. To think that this how millennials are viewed is kind of sad because while I realize that there are people like these characters, the majority of us aren’t like this. It would have been nice to see at least one redeeming character or at least a better portrayal of writers.

The only reason why I'm not giving this book a one star is because there were some parts of the book I did relate to. I thought that Rebecca Harrington was able to capture the difficulty of building relationships in our digital age. Elinor tries to put herself out there and date new people and make new friends, and Rebecca does portray how awkward that can be when people are so focused on social media.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read Sociable in a matter of hours last weekend, it's a quick easy read. Elinor is a millennial who went to school for journalism. She now works as a nanny and is trying to break into the journalism world. She catches a break and accepts a job as an online writer, creating material meant to go viral. This should be an exciting time for her, yet as her journalism career is finally starting to take off her personal life is falling apart. This book had great promise but unfortunately, it was not for me. The characters were superficial and narcissistic, the dialogue eye roll worthy, and the plot just kind of meanders along. There is zero character growth, I was really hoping Elinor would snap out of it and have an "aha" moment. I think the author wrote this with the intention of poking fun at Millennials but it missed the mark for me. If you are looking for an easy, light, palate cleanser type of book then pick this one up.Thank you @doubledaybooks for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.