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Antisocial
What if your greatest secrets became public? For the students at Alexandria Prep, a series of hacks leads to a scandalous firestorm—and the students are left wondering whose private photos and messages will be exposed next. It’s Pretty Little Liars meets WikiLeaks.
ONE HACK. EVERY SECRET. EXPOSED.
Alexandria Prep is in total social chaos. Someone—no one knows who—has hacked into the phones of the school’s social royalty and leaked their personal messages and photos. At first it was funny—everyone loved watching the dirty private lives of those they envied become public. But when things escalate, the students realize anyone could be a target.
When Anna returns to school for senior spring, she’s initially grateful that all eyes are on everyone else’s problems...and not on her humiliating breakup with her basketball-star boyfriend. But as the hacks begin to shatter lives and threaten futures, Anna races to protect those she loves—as well as her own devastating secrets.
If only the students of Alexandria Prep could turn back the clock so they knew then what they know sometimes we share too much.
★ "This debut novel is timely, cautionary, and compelling." —VOYA, starred review
"In an age of adult anxieties over digital privacy, this book is #relevant." —Kirkus Reviews
ONE HACK. EVERY SECRET. EXPOSED.
Alexandria Prep is in total social chaos. Someone—no one knows who—has hacked into the phones of the school’s social royalty and leaked their personal messages and photos. At first it was funny—everyone loved watching the dirty private lives of those they envied become public. But when things escalate, the students realize anyone could be a target.
When Anna returns to school for senior spring, she’s initially grateful that all eyes are on everyone else’s problems...and not on her humiliating breakup with her basketball-star boyfriend. But as the hacks begin to shatter lives and threaten futures, Anna races to protect those she loves—as well as her own devastating secrets.
If only the students of Alexandria Prep could turn back the clock so they knew then what they know sometimes we share too much.
★ "This debut novel is timely, cautionary, and compelling." —VOYA, starred review
"In an age of adult anxieties over digital privacy, this book is #relevant." —Kirkus Reviews
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 16, 2017
About the author
Jillian Blake
1 book30 followersJILLIAN BLAKE grew up in New England, where she kept her deepest, darkest secrets password-protected. Antisocial is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews
February 8, 2017
I received this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Jillian Blake, and the publisher, Delacorte Press, for this opportunity.
The moment I received the email to inform me that I had been approved for this arc, I dropped everything and started reading it. The synopsis described this as "Pretty Little Liars meets WikiLeaks" and I was immediately intrigued.
Alexandria Prep is your typical, American high school where each student is defined by their online presence. When the school's web system is infiltrated and the students are targeted at random to have their entire online lives leaked, chaos ensues.
The high school setting and type cast characters were rather cliched. But cliched in a good way. It reminded me of Mean Girls in a literary format. But each of these tightly-formed cliques were detonated from the inside with the leakage of information, proving no one is really as they seem.
Whilst this provided an intriguing narrative, I found the intensity dropped around the midway point before picking back up towards the end. It was a fast-paced and thrilling read, for the most part, but I just wanted a little something more from this.
My main point of discord with this book was with protagonist, Anna. In particular, her anxiety disorder. I understand that no two cases of mental illness are the same, but I found hers to be a little unbelievable. Her social unease disappeared when it was convenient, rather than remaining a constant throughout the book. It wasn't that she was 'cured'; she seemed to exhibit the traits of two different characters as the book progressed. I don't think mental illness was purposefully misrepresented, it just seemed that it was added into the narrative without serving a purpose to the narrative and without perhaps enough research to make it believable.
My own struggle with anxiety makes me perhaps overly sensitive to characters I hope to see myself in. This also wasn't a prominent enough issue to ruin my enjoyment of the book but it did make me struggle to relate and engage with Anna, when I wasn't sure who she really was.
The moment I received the email to inform me that I had been approved for this arc, I dropped everything and started reading it. The synopsis described this as "Pretty Little Liars meets WikiLeaks" and I was immediately intrigued.
Alexandria Prep is your typical, American high school where each student is defined by their online presence. When the school's web system is infiltrated and the students are targeted at random to have their entire online lives leaked, chaos ensues.
The high school setting and type cast characters were rather cliched. But cliched in a good way. It reminded me of Mean Girls in a literary format. But each of these tightly-formed cliques were detonated from the inside with the leakage of information, proving no one is really as they seem.
Whilst this provided an intriguing narrative, I found the intensity dropped around the midway point before picking back up towards the end. It was a fast-paced and thrilling read, for the most part, but I just wanted a little something more from this.
My main point of discord with this book was with protagonist, Anna. In particular, her anxiety disorder. I understand that no two cases of mental illness are the same, but I found hers to be a little unbelievable. Her social unease disappeared when it was convenient, rather than remaining a constant throughout the book. It wasn't that she was 'cured'; she seemed to exhibit the traits of two different characters as the book progressed. I don't think mental illness was purposefully misrepresented, it just seemed that it was added into the narrative without serving a purpose to the narrative and without perhaps enough research to make it believable.
My own struggle with anxiety makes me perhaps overly sensitive to characters I hope to see myself in. This also wasn't a prominent enough issue to ruin my enjoyment of the book but it did make me struggle to relate and engage with Anna, when I wasn't sure who she really was.
August 4, 2017
I really didn't connect with any of the characters. I just felt everyone was very selfish throughout the book. But it was fun to read everyone's dirty secrets get out. & it was nicely wrapped up in the end, given every mean & selfish things that had happened .
June 19, 2017
"Basically, a good number of my social interactions, both online and IRL do bad, bad things to my nerves".
Antisocial by Jillian Blake
This was absolutely a great read. It is YA but very well written smart YA. I liked Antisocial very much.
There is a double message here, in that the book's focus is on, not just Bullying, but bullying by way of the internet which, in these times, is an important subject.
Our Heroine's name is Anna and she attends High school. When people' phones start getting broken into, and secrets exposed, she must unravel the mystery of what is going on all the while keeping herself and her friends out of Harm's way.
This was both a fun read and a cautionary tale. It was just the right length and I really got sucked into Anna's world. I liked this book very much.
If you like YA Fiction with a message, you should put this one at the top of your list.
Antisocial by Jillian Blake
This was absolutely a great read. It is YA but very well written smart YA. I liked Antisocial very much.
There is a double message here, in that the book's focus is on, not just Bullying, but bullying by way of the internet which, in these times, is an important subject.
Our Heroine's name is Anna and she attends High school. When people' phones start getting broken into, and secrets exposed, she must unravel the mystery of what is going on all the while keeping herself and her friends out of Harm's way.
This was both a fun read and a cautionary tale. It was just the right length and I really got sucked into Anna's world. I liked this book very much.
If you like YA Fiction with a message, you should put this one at the top of your list.
June 1, 2017
So what have I learned from this book? That pretty much every character is a liar.
I think only their parents and the principal were honest at this point, and Minna. That's it. And that woukd have been okay to read as a story, if there had been proper character development. Instead, we get the typical pathetic YA lead, Anna, as the main girl.
Would not reread nor reccommend to anyone. Anna was selfish and vapid as fuck. Her friends were either meek and boring (Minna) or overly bitchy to the point where you throw the book (Rad).
I think only their parents and the principal were honest at this point, and Minna. That's it. And that woukd have been okay to read as a story, if there had been proper character development. Instead, we get the typical pathetic YA lead, Anna, as the main girl.
Would not reread nor reccommend to anyone. Anna was selfish and vapid as fuck. Her friends were either meek and boring (Minna) or overly bitchy to the point where you throw the book (Rad).
May 25, 2017
2 1/2 really, there were some ok parts and some parts that i felt i wanted to kick them all and some parts that was like a bollywood movie, dramatic and unreal. though reading this after one of my favorite books probably didn't help.
June 21, 2017
What in the ever loving crap was this!? I cannot and will not read a book where the author cheaps out and refuses to TELL YOU A STORY. What do I mean? Instead of describing the hair of a boy she compares it to a Hollywood actor's hair. Uh.. Help a sister out and explain it to me. Don't expect me to get every one of your references because I won't. This book is so dated it's disturbing. You name the CURRENT hottie, actor, movie, or social media thing then it's in this story. It triggered me and that's never a good thing.
I'll write a better and fuller review soon.
Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
What in the ever loving crap was this?! If you ever want to talk to me about a dated and disappointing book, you talk to me about this one.
Short recap: Anna is not socially rebounding well after the breakup from her basketball all-star boyfriend. She is forced to sit with her former friends who reminder her every chance they get about how she ditched them to hang out with the popular kids. Things get worse for everyone when someone anonymously sends an email to everyone with a list of Goggle searched words/phrases. Nobody knows who sent the email but it makes everyone wonder, is anything they do online really secret? Will everyone’s secrets become public?
Sounds like a gripping thriller, right? WRONG. There is so little mystery in this story it is almost a joke. I spent a good majority of this one reading about the insecurities of all the characters. Yawn. When the list with search results was sent to everyone, that was the most suspenseful thing that happened and even that was short lived. It was as if nobody cared who sent it. It seemed that the adults didn’t care who sent it either so that felt like a worthless threat. I wanted there to be so much more suspense in this story! Was someone hacking into their school system? Emails? Texts?
Let’s talk about the MC, Anna. Her character reminded me of a tiny meek mouse. She apparently had a severe social disorder but she chose not to mention that to anyone. Not even after she was admitted to a hospital for treatment. Uh… wha? Why wouldn’t you want your friends to help you with this? Idiot. On top of that, it was as if her mental illness seemed to ease up and almost disappear when it was convenient. She was by no means “cured” by the end of this book but it certainly did not add to the overall story. It felt like a bad representation of what could be a serious issue/illness for some people. That made it very unbelievable and therefore added no value to the story. This was supposed to tie into the leaked Google search list but it was a hell of a stretch. So much so that Evil Knievel could not have made that kind of leap. Also, she was not the most popular or the prettiest but she still attracted the attention of the star basketball player. Good for her! Only no, not good for her. Her friends were not supportive, nor were they sympathetic when they broke up. They were vicious and had claws extended to attack at all times. They made Anna feel like absolute crap because she had a boyfriend for a couple of months. Sorry, but I wouldn’t consider those people “friends”. They were jerks and a lot of other words I cannot say here. The rest of the characters were stereotypical so I won’t bore you with details. There was a Queen Bee with her minions, the group of Plastics (think Mean Girls), and her true friends. This is high school we are talking about and teens can be nasty at that age.
Would you like to know what really caused me to give this a 1 star rating and strongly dislike this story? It is heavily and badly dated. The references throughout this story made me want to pluck my eyes out. The references were done in lieu of the author actually describing anything. There was no world building and therefore no place for the reader (ME!) to visualize. Example: Instead of the author using the right words and phrases to describe a boy’s hair, she simply said it was “Heimsworthian hair”. What in the ever loving does that mean? What if I didn’t know a Heimsworth? What if I had no clue who they were? HELP ME BY PAINTING ME A PICTURE. I need you to properly explain it to me so I can sink into this story you’ve created. Don’t just throw out descriptions that reference a very specific person/place/thing and hope for the best. That’s not how you write a good book. It did not just stop there, it went on throughout the entire story. When the girls were trying to describe their first time having sex, they said, “It was like a Nicholas Sparks movie but without Zac Efron”. I’m sorry. What? Are you serious right now? Stop talking in hip terms that are going to heavily date this book and not age well. The author continued this path throughout the entire story only she started making references to people/places/things that I didn’t know. That’s when she really lost me and I gave up on this.
No big surprise but I did not like this book. It actually read like a first draft of a story. Someone should have marked it up with edits, told the author to take out anything referring to current trends/fads/hotties/movies/social media and try again. This was by no means a thriller. I’m not even sure what it was besides maddening for me to read. I would not recommend this to anyone.
Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
What in the ever loving crap was this?! If you ever want to talk to me about a dated and disappointing book, you talk to me about this one.
Short recap: Anna is not socially rebounding well after the breakup from her basketball all-star boyfriend. She is forced to sit with her former friends who reminder her every chance they get about how she ditched them to hang out with the popular kids. Things get worse for everyone when someone anonymously sends an email to everyone with a list of Goggle searched words/phrases. Nobody knows who sent the email but it makes everyone wonder, is anything they do online really secret? Will everyone’s secrets become public?
Sounds like a gripping thriller, right? WRONG. There is so little mystery in this story it is almost a joke. I spent a good majority of this one reading about the insecurities of all the characters. Yawn. When the list with search results was sent to everyone, that was the most suspenseful thing that happened and even that was short lived. It was as if nobody cared who sent it. It seemed that the adults didn’t care who sent it either so that felt like a worthless threat. I wanted there to be so much more suspense in this story! Was someone hacking into their school system? Emails? Texts?
Let’s talk about the MC, Anna. Her character reminded me of a tiny meek mouse. She apparently had a severe social disorder but she chose not to mention that to anyone. Not even after she was admitted to a hospital for treatment. Uh… wha? Why wouldn’t you want your friends to help you with this? Idiot. On top of that, it was as if her mental illness seemed to ease up and almost disappear when it was convenient. She was by no means “cured” by the end of this book but it certainly did not add to the overall story. It felt like a bad representation of what could be a serious issue/illness for some people. That made it very unbelievable and therefore added no value to the story. This was supposed to tie into the leaked Google search list but it was a hell of a stretch. So much so that Evil Knievel could not have made that kind of leap. Also, she was not the most popular or the prettiest but she still attracted the attention of the star basketball player. Good for her! Only no, not good for her. Her friends were not supportive, nor were they sympathetic when they broke up. They were vicious and had claws extended to attack at all times. They made Anna feel like absolute crap because she had a boyfriend for a couple of months. Sorry, but I wouldn’t consider those people “friends”. They were jerks and a lot of other words I cannot say here. The rest of the characters were stereotypical so I won’t bore you with details. There was a Queen Bee with her minions, the group of Plastics (think Mean Girls), and her true friends. This is high school we are talking about and teens can be nasty at that age.
Would you like to know what really caused me to give this a 1 star rating and strongly dislike this story? It is heavily and badly dated. The references throughout this story made me want to pluck my eyes out. The references were done in lieu of the author actually describing anything. There was no world building and therefore no place for the reader (ME!) to visualize. Example: Instead of the author using the right words and phrases to describe a boy’s hair, she simply said it was “Heimsworthian hair”. What in the ever loving does that mean? What if I didn’t know a Heimsworth? What if I had no clue who they were? HELP ME BY PAINTING ME A PICTURE. I need you to properly explain it to me so I can sink into this story you’ve created. Don’t just throw out descriptions that reference a very specific person/place/thing and hope for the best. That’s not how you write a good book. It did not just stop there, it went on throughout the entire story. When the girls were trying to describe their first time having sex, they said, “It was like a Nicholas Sparks movie but without Zac Efron”. I’m sorry. What? Are you serious right now? Stop talking in hip terms that are going to heavily date this book and not age well. The author continued this path throughout the entire story only she started making references to people/places/things that I didn’t know. That’s when she really lost me and I gave up on this.
No big surprise but I did not like this book. It actually read like a first draft of a story. Someone should have marked it up with edits, told the author to take out anything referring to current trends/fads/hotties/movies/social media and try again. This was by no means a thriller. I’m not even sure what it was besides maddening for me to read. I would not recommend this to anyone.
Read
April 16, 2017At first I wasn't sure about this one. The idea of the students at a tony private high school being terrorized by a teenage hacktivist who has infiltrated their phones and is spilling all their darkest secrets isn't exactly the most original idea out there. (For example Pretty Little Liars and Get Even.)
The book's protagonist, Anna, suffers from social anxiety. I thought it was interesting that the story was told through that lens -- from the point of view of someone to whom social interaction in general and social media in particular feels fraught with peril. The depiction of social anxiety felt uneven to me. Yes, Anna was seeing a therapist and taking medication, but at times her anxiety felt more like a convenient plot device meant to up the stakes.
One thing I didn't love was that the way Anna describes all the groups in her school feels ripped from Clueless circa 1995: jocks, cheerleaders, drama kids, student council, techies, etc. There's also an inherent pitfall in using texting slang -- or any kind of slang -- which is that even before the book is published, the words feel out of date. The other was that at times the book felt preachy, like a PSA to teenagers from a well-meaning adult.
In any case, as the story opens, Anna has crossed social lines by dating a basketball player. The two have already broken up, but she's not completely over him. Then she secretly hooks up with a close friend of hers, an event that gave the book a slightly triangle-y feel. Yes, she and the new guy have a lot in common, but she also worries that he's a rebound fling.
When the book finally got going, it got better. As mentioned above, someone starts hacking the students' phones and spilling their darkest secrets. This causes Anna social anxiety to ratchet up at a time when her romantic life is complicated. She has two best friends and the hacking also puts a hug strain on their relationship.
In the end, I didn't find this nearly as interesting as a similar book published a few weeks earlier, Takedown but I enjoyed it in the end.
Read more of my reviews on YA Romantics or follow me on Bloglovin
The FTC would like you to know that the publisher provided me a free advance copy of this book, that free books can be enjoyable or not, and other readers may disagree with my opinion.
The book's protagonist, Anna, suffers from social anxiety. I thought it was interesting that the story was told through that lens -- from the point of view of someone to whom social interaction in general and social media in particular feels fraught with peril. The depiction of social anxiety felt uneven to me. Yes, Anna was seeing a therapist and taking medication, but at times her anxiety felt more like a convenient plot device meant to up the stakes.
One thing I didn't love was that the way Anna describes all the groups in her school feels ripped from Clueless circa 1995: jocks, cheerleaders, drama kids, student council, techies, etc. There's also an inherent pitfall in using texting slang -- or any kind of slang -- which is that even before the book is published, the words feel out of date. The other was that at times the book felt preachy, like a PSA to teenagers from a well-meaning adult.
In any case, as the story opens, Anna has crossed social lines by dating a basketball player. The two have already broken up, but she's not completely over him. Then she secretly hooks up with a close friend of hers, an event that gave the book a slightly triangle-y feel. Yes, she and the new guy have a lot in common, but she also worries that he's a rebound fling.
When the book finally got going, it got better. As mentioned above, someone starts hacking the students' phones and spilling their darkest secrets. This causes Anna social anxiety to ratchet up at a time when her romantic life is complicated. She has two best friends and the hacking also puts a hug strain on their relationship.
In the end, I didn't find this nearly as interesting as a similar book published a few weeks earlier, Takedown but I enjoyed it in the end.
Read more of my reviews on YA Romantics or follow me on Bloglovin
The FTC would like you to know that the publisher provided me a free advance copy of this book, that free books can be enjoyable or not, and other readers may disagree with my opinion.
September 20, 2017
MY OPINION: ***
So I completely forgot about this book review...
This is going to be really short, as well as really poorly written. This is mainly because it's late and I have homework but I've forgotten about this for so long that I had to do it now. Also, I read it a few days ago, meaning that there are some things that I wanted to say that I will forget to say.
So this book was strange. I didn't LOVE it, I didn't HATE it. I honestly don't know how I felt about it. It was kind of an "on the side" book for me... I read it while reading more serious books.
I mean, the characters didn't seem very real to me and the plot wasn't all that interesting.
Actually, TBH all of the characters were kind of annoying but maybe that's just me.
This book was about secrets being revealed. Someone hacked into the school's program server and revealed data from someone's phone. EVERYTHING: text, DM, Snapchat, pictures, etc
So basically everyone's phone gets revealed and friendships break and relationships end and all hell breaks loose.
I really wish that this book could have been more interesting in terms of plotline. Also, Jethro seemed like an unnecessary character.
I would recommend this book to realistic fiction readers.
Main Character: Anna
Sidekick(s): Rad, Nikki, Jethro, Haven, Palmer, etc
Villain(s): Hacking, suicide, computers, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: All of this could happen in real life but I really hope it doesn't.
So I completely forgot about this book review...
This is going to be really short, as well as really poorly written. This is mainly because it's late and I have homework but I've forgotten about this for so long that I had to do it now. Also, I read it a few days ago, meaning that there are some things that I wanted to say that I will forget to say.
So this book was strange. I didn't LOVE it, I didn't HATE it. I honestly don't know how I felt about it. It was kind of an "on the side" book for me... I read it while reading more serious books.
I mean, the characters didn't seem very real to me and the plot wasn't all that interesting.
Actually, TBH all of the characters were kind of annoying but maybe that's just me.
This book was about secrets being revealed. Someone hacked into the school's program server and revealed data from someone's phone. EVERYTHING: text, DM, Snapchat, pictures, etc
So basically everyone's phone gets revealed and friendships break and relationships end and all hell breaks loose.
I really wish that this book could have been more interesting in terms of plotline. Also, Jethro seemed like an unnecessary character.
I would recommend this book to realistic fiction readers.
Main Character: Anna
Sidekick(s): Rad, Nikki, Jethro, Haven, Palmer, etc
Villain(s): Hacking, suicide, computers, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: All of this could happen in real life but I really hope it doesn't.
April 6, 2017
Loved it.
Speaks a lot about how dishonest we can be, even with those we love & care about.
Speaks a lot about how important honesty is, even if it hurts the ones you love. I mean, would you rather just get it offa your chest? Instead of holding of in or talking behind their back? I would, hurtful or not.
It also speaks about an important issue everyone loves to sweep under the rug: Mental Illness of all flavors. We shouldn't have to fear talking about what's dwelling in our heads. How & what we're feeling. It's so sad that we can't talk about certain things cuz it makes us appear weak or crazy.
We should show & teach our children that it's OK to talk about how & what you're feeling. That it's OK to talk. We need to show & teach our children that we won't "freak out" or judge them. Which is what every teen (and adults, even) feel. I know that's how I felt & felt like I didn't have someone to talk to. Not even my own patents. Which is also why I remind my brats every day that they can come & talk to me about ANY thing, no matter what it is, w/o judgement.
I can relate abit when it comes to Anna & her anxiety, cuz I'm the same way. Been there, done that, still dealing with it. *sigh*
I feel so bad about what happened to all those kids. I feel has for the kid who pretty much opened Pandora's Box.
But I bet of taught all those kids & adults a good lesson.
Could you imagine a world where people say what they really meant, felt thought, in complete honesty?
An excellent book.
Highly recommend.
Received as a Gr giveaway.
Speaks a lot about how dishonest we can be, even with those we love & care about.
Speaks a lot about how important honesty is, even if it hurts the ones you love. I mean, would you rather just get it offa your chest? Instead of holding of in or talking behind their back? I would, hurtful or not.
It also speaks about an important issue everyone loves to sweep under the rug: Mental Illness of all flavors. We shouldn't have to fear talking about what's dwelling in our heads. How & what we're feeling. It's so sad that we can't talk about certain things cuz it makes us appear weak or crazy.
We should show & teach our children that it's OK to talk about how & what you're feeling. That it's OK to talk. We need to show & teach our children that we won't "freak out" or judge them. Which is what every teen (and adults, even) feel. I know that's how I felt & felt like I didn't have someone to talk to. Not even my own patents. Which is also why I remind my brats every day that they can come & talk to me about ANY thing, no matter what it is, w/o judgement.
I can relate abit when it comes to Anna & her anxiety, cuz I'm the same way. Been there, done that, still dealing with it. *sigh*
I feel so bad about what happened to all those kids. I feel has for the kid who pretty much opened Pandora's Box.
But I bet of taught all those kids & adults a good lesson.
Could you imagine a world where people say what they really meant, felt thought, in complete honesty?
An excellent book.
Highly recommend.
Received as a Gr giveaway.
August 31, 2019
Antisocial follows Anna Soler, who has just been dumped by her boyfriend and whose life gets worse when her phone, and all of the phones of her classmates, are hacked and personal messages and photos are leaked.
This book really had the potential to be a fast-paced, exciting thriller but it was actually a slow, boring book. The author really had an opportunity to use the idea of every phone being hacked to create an interesting story but the hacks were so boring and childish that it just didn’t really seem to matter at all. The plot didn’t really feel like it was going anywhere and it just dragged and that’s saying something considering this book isn’t even that long to begin with.
Also, Anna’s ‘anxiety’ was so pathetic. I really, really dislike when books use mental health as a prop that disappears and reappears whenever it is convenient for the storyline. Throughout the whole story, Anna struggles with social anxiety and it doesn’t really show any sign of easing up throughout any of the book but suddenly, at the end, she’s able to talk to a whole audience of people whereas earlier in the novel she couldn’t cope with a crowded party. It just seemed really cheap and unrealistic and I wasn’t a fan of it at all. I also really disliked Anna as a character. This girl ditches all of her friends the minute she gets a boyfriend and then when she's dumped, she comes crawling back and had the audacity to act like a victim when some of her friends don't immediately accept her apology. This is literally the worst kind of friend to have. Anna was trash.
Overall, Antisocial had the potential to be a good book but it was let down by the slow plot, the unrealistic depiction of mental health, and the lack of anything interesting happening… ever. The only plus side to this book is that it has a pretty cover.
This book really had the potential to be a fast-paced, exciting thriller but it was actually a slow, boring book. The author really had an opportunity to use the idea of every phone being hacked to create an interesting story but the hacks were so boring and childish that it just didn’t really seem to matter at all. The plot didn’t really feel like it was going anywhere and it just dragged and that’s saying something considering this book isn’t even that long to begin with.
Also, Anna’s ‘anxiety’ was so pathetic. I really, really dislike when books use mental health as a prop that disappears and reappears whenever it is convenient for the storyline. Throughout the whole story, Anna struggles with social anxiety and it doesn’t really show any sign of easing up throughout any of the book but suddenly, at the end, she’s able to talk to a whole audience of people whereas earlier in the novel she couldn’t cope with a crowded party. It just seemed really cheap and unrealistic and I wasn’t a fan of it at all. I also really disliked Anna as a character. This girl ditches all of her friends the minute she gets a boyfriend and then when she's dumped, she comes crawling back and had the audacity to act like a victim when some of her friends don't immediately accept her apology. This is literally the worst kind of friend to have. Anna was trash.
Overall, Antisocial had the potential to be a good book but it was let down by the slow plot, the unrealistic depiction of mental health, and the lack of anything interesting happening… ever. The only plus side to this book is that it has a pretty cover.
August 2, 2019
Amazingly fast read, such a deep dive into what social media is all about - secrets and truths that hurt people.
February 21, 2017
First things first. Trigger warnings for suicide, doxing, and a short self-harm scene. None of it was promoted as positive or romanticized--it was just there.
This book was fantastic. High school can be a really tough place for many people. I know it was tough for me, and I went to high school before the age of social media, where any rumor can be spread with the click of a button faster than a bully can trip a kid in the hallway, sending their books flying.
In an internet age, when almost our entire life history can be found online, it's easy to fear being hacked. Heck, I bet every single person reading this review at least knows OF someone that has had their personal information hacked. I, myself, had my checking account information stolen due to malware on my husband's computer. Well, that's what happens in Antisocial. It starts out with just the popular kids being hacked, but then it starts to spread to the entire student body. All their text messages and photos are posted online for the entire school to see.
It wasn't a perfect book, and some stuff bothered me, (the way Anna's character was written didn't feel genuine to me) but there has to be something said for compulsive readability and the fact that I read this in less than a day. I don't know how long it's been since I finished a book that fast.
Also, bonus points for covering many difficult topics that are relevant to teenagers, and covering them in a tactful and educational way without coming off preachy or like the book has a moral message to impart.
Edited to add: One of the things that bothered me was Anna's social anxiety. It's not that it wasn't handled well--it was, and I can say that with confidence because I am a sufferer of SAD. But there were times that I felt like the author was bringing up Anna's social anxiety in a way that felt forced and didn't fit with her character. It was mentioned SO often that it started to feel a bit unnatural. Social anxiety affects a lot of things in a person's life, but it is not the ONLY thing that Anna is, and it sort of came off that way to me.
This book was fantastic. High school can be a really tough place for many people. I know it was tough for me, and I went to high school before the age of social media, where any rumor can be spread with the click of a button faster than a bully can trip a kid in the hallway, sending their books flying.
In an internet age, when almost our entire life history can be found online, it's easy to fear being hacked. Heck, I bet every single person reading this review at least knows OF someone that has had their personal information hacked. I, myself, had my checking account information stolen due to malware on my husband's computer. Well, that's what happens in Antisocial. It starts out with just the popular kids being hacked, but then it starts to spread to the entire student body. All their text messages and photos are posted online for the entire school to see.
It wasn't a perfect book, and some stuff bothered me, (the way Anna's character was written didn't feel genuine to me) but there has to be something said for compulsive readability and the fact that I read this in less than a day. I don't know how long it's been since I finished a book that fast.
Also, bonus points for covering many difficult topics that are relevant to teenagers, and covering them in a tactful and educational way without coming off preachy or like the book has a moral message to impart.
Edited to add: One of the things that bothered me was Anna's social anxiety. It's not that it wasn't handled well--it was, and I can say that with confidence because I am a sufferer of SAD. But there were times that I felt like the author was bringing up Anna's social anxiety in a way that felt forced and didn't fit with her character. It was mentioned SO often that it started to feel a bit unnatural. Social anxiety affects a lot of things in a person's life, but it is not the ONLY thing that Anna is, and it sort of came off that way to me.
March 10, 2017
*Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest book review!*
This book is essentially about the effects of social media when taken to the extremes. I immediately requested this because the premise seemed interesting. The mere mention of Pretty Little Liars was enough to keep me intrigued. I liked the author's writing and I could immediately distinguish the different voices of the characters.
I just wished there was more character development, specifically with Anna, because I wasn't satisfied with her character development. Anna, like her ex Palmer, are both suffering from anxiety. They bonded because of it. However, it wasn't exactly a healthy relationship. It even went to a point where Anna ignored her friends and paid the most attention to Palmer. Close to the end of the story, she seemed different. I don't know how she went from point A to point B? I'm not an expert, nor do I claim I know a lot about mental illness. But it just seemed too fast or some issues have been glossed over. After a while, it was as though she was a different person. It was as if she was cured-I don't think I understand her character at all.
The novel wasn't difficult to get into. In fact, I was immediately sucked in the story. There were a few (high school) clichés here and there. The popular kids are known as the 'instas,'AKA instagram. They always post pics on instagram, etc. And unfortunately, the twist in the story did not seem like a 'twist' to me. Like who was A, for instance... I was hoping for something more and it felt short at some point.
Regardless, the book is still worth the read because of the lesson in the story. I knew what the author was trying to convey in her novel, but the lesson felt 'forced' in the end. Still, it's educational so I highly recommend this for teens!
2.5/5
This book is essentially about the effects of social media when taken to the extremes. I immediately requested this because the premise seemed interesting. The mere mention of Pretty Little Liars was enough to keep me intrigued. I liked the author's writing and I could immediately distinguish the different voices of the characters.
I just wished there was more character development, specifically with Anna, because I wasn't satisfied with her character development. Anna, like her ex Palmer, are both suffering from anxiety. They bonded because of it. However, it wasn't exactly a healthy relationship. It even went to a point where Anna ignored her friends and paid the most attention to Palmer. Close to the end of the story, she seemed different. I don't know how she went from point A to point B? I'm not an expert, nor do I claim I know a lot about mental illness. But it just seemed too fast or some issues have been glossed over. After a while, it was as though she was a different person. It was as if she was cured-I don't think I understand her character at all.
The novel wasn't difficult to get into. In fact, I was immediately sucked in the story. There were a few (high school) clichés here and there. The popular kids are known as the 'instas,'
Regardless, the book is still worth the read because of the lesson in the story. I knew what the author was trying to convey in her novel, but the lesson felt 'forced' in the end. Still, it's educational so I highly recommend this for teens!
2.5/5
January 5, 2019
Antisocial was...a read.
I really appreciate that the MC has social anxiety disorder; I am happy to see someone like me in a book. Representation, I mean. I have generalized anxiety. I have panic attacks. I am terrible at making friends in real life (I do better online where I can think about what I’m going to say for longer). The very first paragraph of this book was nearly half a page long and composed of one long run-on sentence. I vibed so well with that...my brain tends to process things in long, convoluted ways. The paragraph made me feel like someone else understands.
Things kind of went downhill from there. Secrets were leaked, which helped to move the story along, but things took so long to come to a head that I’d almost stopped being invested in the story.
This is the first book for Jillian Blake, and it shows. There are some things that don’t flow well and loopholes that weren’t closed properly.
I really appreciate that the MC has social anxiety disorder; I am happy to see someone like me in a book. Representation, I mean. I have generalized anxiety. I have panic attacks. I am terrible at making friends in real life (I do better online where I can think about what I’m going to say for longer). The very first paragraph of this book was nearly half a page long and composed of one long run-on sentence. I vibed so well with that...my brain tends to process things in long, convoluted ways. The paragraph made me feel like someone else understands.
Things kind of went downhill from there. Secrets were leaked, which helped to move the story along, but things took so long to come to a head that I’d almost stopped being invested in the story.
This is the first book for Jillian Blake, and it shows. There are some things that don’t flow well and loopholes that weren’t closed properly.
May 24, 2017
I thought the mystery aspect of the book was interesting and the ending was pretty cool...but I don't understand how they are connected. I felt like this went from suspense/thriller to cheesy teen after school special.
The main character is diverse - she is Latina and struggles with anxiety. But like another reviewer said, it seemed like her anxiety was only apparent when it was convenient, as if it were merely a tool for building tension. Her mental illness didn't seem consistent throughout the book.
The main character is diverse - she is Latina and struggles with anxiety. But like another reviewer said, it seemed like her anxiety was only apparent when it was convenient, as if it were merely a tool for building tension. Her mental illness didn't seem consistent throughout the book.
September 3, 2017
GRADE: B-
3.5 STARS
Someone hacked the cell phones at Anna's elite prep school, revealing the students' crimes and misdemeanors, everything from steroids to outing gay students to mean texts about friends. College offers are rescinded, friendships shattered and not everyone will survive.
Although Anna is a senior in high school, #ANTISOCIAL feels like more of a middle school cautionary tale about the dangers of what we do and say online and being kind to peers. The Disneyesque ending will probably feel corny and unrealistic to older readers.
Jillian Blake created a diverse cast of characters. Anna has both positive and negative qualities. She and another character have anxiety disorders. Anna has been hospitalized, has a therapist and is on meds. Her anxiety is a small part of who she is and she has control over her condition most of the time. Blake's handling of Anna's mental illness is particularly nuanced. YA literature needs more characters living with, rather than suffering from, psychiatric disorders.
3.5 STARS
Someone hacked the cell phones at Anna's elite prep school, revealing the students' crimes and misdemeanors, everything from steroids to outing gay students to mean texts about friends. College offers are rescinded, friendships shattered and not everyone will survive.
Although Anna is a senior in high school, #ANTISOCIAL feels like more of a middle school cautionary tale about the dangers of what we do and say online and being kind to peers. The Disneyesque ending will probably feel corny and unrealistic to older readers.
Jillian Blake created a diverse cast of characters. Anna has both positive and negative qualities. She and another character have anxiety disorders. Anna has been hospitalized, has a therapist and is on meds. Her anxiety is a small part of who she is and she has control over her condition most of the time. Blake's handling of Anna's mental illness is particularly nuanced. YA literature needs more characters living with, rather than suffering from, psychiatric disorders.
January 28, 2019
3.5 since I was very torn between 3 and 4 stars. I enjoyed this book a lot! The drama was interesting the romance was good and the secrets were tea! This wasn’t mind blowing and didn’t have many twists but it’s a short read that I’m happy I got my hands on. I do wish that the SAD was represented better, at times the main characters social anxiety just disappeared and that’s not how It works in real life. But other then that, this was an interesting read that if you have the time, is worth taking a day or two to read!
May 6, 2017
Antisocial is reminiscent of "Mean Girls" with an updated premise and vocabulary. Anna's school has been the target of a hack that has affected everyone in the student body (and even a teacher). Everyone's secrets are being revealed and the consequences include ruined friendships, lost college admissions, and broken dreams. More than just a cautionary tale on the dangers of the internet, Antisocial is realistic in its premise and execution.
August 9, 2022
Ok I was really excited at first because I didn’t care about any of the chars so I could enjoy the chaos but by the end I just hated everyone which was annoying.
ALSO no teenager talks like they do in the book and I’m kind of mad about it
ALSO no teenager talks like they do in the book and I’m kind of mad about it
November 7, 2017
A great one sitting read, that had me up until the early hours desperate to know what happened next.
The writing is good, and is does pack quite a punch in regards to the subject matter and the speed in which those punches keep coming at you in the later part of the book.
I’m glad that this book has been written and hope that it reaches a lot of its target audience.
A great debut novel. Would like to read more by this rather unknown author.
The writing is good, and is does pack quite a punch in regards to the subject matter and the speed in which those punches keep coming at you in the later part of the book.
I’m glad that this book has been written and hope that it reaches a lot of its target audience.
A great debut novel. Would like to read more by this rather unknown author.
April 17, 2018
I enjoyed this book the characters were realistic and Flawn 3/4 of the way through there was a twist I did not see coming wasn’t a fan of the ending but you cannot have everything always kind of in a meeting but I would recommend
May 14, 2018
okay, well this was...not what i was expecting? and not in a good way. none of the characters are likable. seriously, they’re all the worst. and they get away with it. the ending and it’s supposed “message” are crap (more on that at the end). other than who hacked the very first person, we don’t find out who the hackers were. there was on page asian, indian, and colombian rep, but as i said, the characters aren’t...great? they’re either awful people or lack any kind of personality. they definitely don’t have development. i just...i don’t even know what this book is, honestly.
this book should come with a content warning for just about everything. slut shaming, racism, outing, anti-gay slurs, ace/aromisia, self harm, suicide, sexism, misogyny, hacking/violation of privacy, swatting, taking naked photos without consent, sharing and leaking naked photos of teens, panic attacks, ableism, death threats, mentions of abortion, mentions of rape threats, mentions of eating disorders, mentions of alcoholism, mentions of drug addiction.
whew.
the (on page) social anxiety rep is iffy. there were aspects i related to, but overall, it seemed like anna’s anxiety is more for plot convenience, than anything else. her anxiety is supposed to be really bad, but half the time i forgot she’s extremely socially anxious until an “i have sad” comment is randomly thrown in. it didn’t feel very consistent or genuine, more like a plot device.
i’m conflicted on the ending. no one’s behavior was checked. the end message was, “it doesn’t matter what horrible things you do or say about anyone, even your closest friends, because you say and do more positive things,” and that’s...not a good message. it doesn’t matter how many nice, lovely things a person says or does, they still have to make amends and take responsibility for their shitty behavior and check themselves and do better. like, in the art show anna put on with all the negative things the students said, it was mentioned that there was rape and death threats and racist slurs in there, too. those aren’t things you can just, “well, you’ve said more nice things” wave away. the fuck? you can’t just ignore the bad to focus on the good. that’s not how it works.
i think this book could have been really good, but it just lacked a lot of things (enjoyable characters, any sort of development, a proper resolution to the entire book’s plot, a decent execution of what i assume the message of this book was supposed to be) and had a lot of things i just couldn’t get behind, even in this hacker leaks the contents of students’ phones context (gay character being outed and then outing other gay kids, claiming it’s important, so much slut shaming and girls hating girls, what was basically the distribution of child pornography, and pretty much just throwing every single issue into the book without the care or time each serious topic deserves; abortion, self harm, suicide, mental illness in general, addiction, being outed).
this book should come with a content warning for just about everything. slut shaming, racism, outing, anti-gay slurs, ace/aromisia, self harm, suicide, sexism, misogyny, hacking/violation of privacy, swatting, taking naked photos without consent, sharing and leaking naked photos of teens, panic attacks, ableism, death threats, mentions of abortion, mentions of rape threats, mentions of eating disorders, mentions of alcoholism, mentions of drug addiction.
whew.
the (on page) social anxiety rep is iffy. there were aspects i related to, but overall, it seemed like anna’s anxiety is more for plot convenience, than anything else. her anxiety is supposed to be really bad, but half the time i forgot she’s extremely socially anxious until an “i have sad” comment is randomly thrown in. it didn’t feel very consistent or genuine, more like a plot device.
i’m conflicted on the ending. no one’s behavior was checked. the end message was, “it doesn’t matter what horrible things you do or say about anyone, even your closest friends, because you say and do more positive things,” and that’s...not a good message. it doesn’t matter how many nice, lovely things a person says or does, they still have to make amends and take responsibility for their shitty behavior and check themselves and do better. like, in the art show anna put on with all the negative things the students said, it was mentioned that there was rape and death threats and racist slurs in there, too. those aren’t things you can just, “well, you’ve said more nice things” wave away. the fuck? you can’t just ignore the bad to focus on the good. that’s not how it works.
i think this book could have been really good, but it just lacked a lot of things (enjoyable characters, any sort of development, a proper resolution to the entire book’s plot, a decent execution of what i assume the message of this book was supposed to be) and had a lot of things i just couldn’t get behind, even in this hacker leaks the contents of students’ phones context (gay character being outed and then outing other gay kids, claiming it’s important, so much slut shaming and girls hating girls, what was basically the distribution of child pornography, and pretty much just throwing every single issue into the book without the care or time each serious topic deserves; abortion, self harm, suicide, mental illness in general, addiction, being outed).
February 10, 2017
First I have to give a big thumbs up to Jillian Blake for how well she handled the issue of anxiety in her main character. I felt she accurately portrayed this mental health condition particularly as it relates to teens and their particular psychological development.
It was nice to read a book that had such a diverse group of characters with different sexual orientations, cultures, skin colors, etc instead of the normal group of white girls who are all blonde or brunette. There was some of the stereotypes often found in the YA genre but I’m not sure that can be entirely escaped when writing books like these particularly when it’s billed as a mix of Pretty Little Liars meets Wikileaks so expect lots of drama.
Overall the plot line was well written and felt credible as she did a wonderful job creating realistic feeling scenes, true-to-life characters and her dialogue actually read like human conversation.
I liked the intensity she created in her story so it kept my interest. Having such a positive message pouring forth from her words and concluding it on a high note made it worth my time. Due to the increased lack of privacy which has been normalized over this generation, the mirror held up by this book towards social media and the amplified love of gossip that is permeating American culture made for a whole other layer on top of the expected teen drama.
The truly heartbreaking thing about this book is you could very well see this happening in reality due to the issue of cyber bullying becoming so ingrained and nearly as much a part of kids and teens lives as puberty.
It was nice to read a book that had such a diverse group of characters with different sexual orientations, cultures, skin colors, etc instead of the normal group of white girls who are all blonde or brunette. There was some of the stereotypes often found in the YA genre but I’m not sure that can be entirely escaped when writing books like these particularly when it’s billed as a mix of Pretty Little Liars meets Wikileaks so expect lots of drama.
Overall the plot line was well written and felt credible as she did a wonderful job creating realistic feeling scenes, true-to-life characters and her dialogue actually read like human conversation.
I liked the intensity she created in her story so it kept my interest. Having such a positive message pouring forth from her words and concluding it on a high note made it worth my time. Due to the increased lack of privacy which has been normalized over this generation, the mirror held up by this book towards social media and the amplified love of gossip that is permeating American culture made for a whole other layer on top of the expected teen drama.
The truly heartbreaking thing about this book is you could very well see this happening in reality due to the issue of cyber bullying becoming so ingrained and nearly as much a part of kids and teens lives as puberty.
February 11, 2018
1 🌟 rating because it's impossible to give a book 0*
I don't even know where to start with this. The stereotypical setting of all American high schools in YA, the cliche cliques, the horrible representation of Social Anxiety Disorder, the characters who don't stick to character or the fact that this book is nothing like the summary.
I don't even know where to start with this. The stereotypical setting of all American high schools in YA, the cliche cliques, the horrible representation of Social Anxiety Disorder, the characters who don't stick to character or the fact that this book is nothing like the summary.
February 15, 2020
Interesting and super breezy read. But honestly? Every single one of these characters sucked. They all had pretty terrible personalities and were super difficult to like, especially Anna.
May 21, 2017
This is probably closer to 3.5 stars
I was totally intrigued by the idea of this books. Mean Girls meets Wikileaks sounds amazing. And it also sounded like an intriguing mystery/ And while it was engaging and interesting, it didn't quite live up to my hopes.
One of the things that I did like about this book was the characters. This is a book full of unlikable characters who felt like realistic teenagers. I think the Mean Girls comparison here was about the characters. Firstly because there was a huge emphasis on the different cliches in the school as well as the idea of popularity. But there was also this whole frenemies thing in the book with the characters not being honest with each other about their thoughts and feelings. But that is kind of one of the things that made them feel realistic.
Much of the book focused on the characters and their interaction and development. There were two interesting narratives here when it came to the characterizations. The first was around your public versus private image. As the hack occurred and people found out the truth of their classmates these two things came into question and made for the drama. I really love books that explore this theme and this one did it pretty well. It didn't have quite the depth that I hope for but I it definitely was interesting.
I think it was also supposed to be a subtle story of friendship. I really like books that have themes of friendship so I was excited about that here. It's a book with quirky kind of nerdy types who make up a group of friends. When the hack came through, their friendships and relationships were tested. Again I think it did an okay job of creating drama and establishing interest while making the friendships stronger for the truth. But for some reason it didn't quite have the heart that books about friendships usually have. Maybe because it spent so long tearing things down it was hard to bring them back together, or maybe it just was just a different kind of friendship story.
I think the biggest thing that held me back from really loving this book however was the mystery, or lack thereof. By the sounds of the synopsis you would think that this is more of a mystery and thriller but it definitely isn't. The mystery, like a lot of this book, was kind of subtle. There wasn't much of an attempt to solve the mystery or even really much of a reveal. I wasn't even all that surprised when they told you who was responsible. But maybe that was because they just moved on from there and there was still a ton of loose ends. The disappointing thing is that there was a lot promise. This could have been a really interesting book with a crazy twist, but it wasn't. The hack was just a means to an end and frankly that disappointed me.
I also feel like I didn't quite love the pacing here. This was a pretty short read and it didn't take me very long to get through but it still felt a little slow. I mean I read an e-ARC and I only looked at how many pages it was when I finished it and to be honest I was kind of surprised it was under 300 pages. It didn't read like a fast and short read. It's not that it was slow, it just chugged along with only basic plot development. Then when it reached it's climax it just sort of moved on. There was some interest and drama but it just hit those points and kept going. When the book was over it didn't have the impact I was hoping for.
Antisocial was an okay read with a lot of promise that it didn't quite follow through on. Yes, it jad unlikable but interesting characters and some intriguing themes, but it was just a little basic and slow despite not being very long.
I was totally intrigued by the idea of this books. Mean Girls meets Wikileaks sounds amazing. And it also sounded like an intriguing mystery/ And while it was engaging and interesting, it didn't quite live up to my hopes.
One of the things that I did like about this book was the characters. This is a book full of unlikable characters who felt like realistic teenagers. I think the Mean Girls comparison here was about the characters. Firstly because there was a huge emphasis on the different cliches in the school as well as the idea of popularity. But there was also this whole frenemies thing in the book with the characters not being honest with each other about their thoughts and feelings. But that is kind of one of the things that made them feel realistic.
Much of the book focused on the characters and their interaction and development. There were two interesting narratives here when it came to the characterizations. The first was around your public versus private image. As the hack occurred and people found out the truth of their classmates these two things came into question and made for the drama. I really love books that explore this theme and this one did it pretty well. It didn't have quite the depth that I hope for but I it definitely was interesting.
I think it was also supposed to be a subtle story of friendship. I really like books that have themes of friendship so I was excited about that here. It's a book with quirky kind of nerdy types who make up a group of friends. When the hack came through, their friendships and relationships were tested. Again I think it did an okay job of creating drama and establishing interest while making the friendships stronger for the truth. But for some reason it didn't quite have the heart that books about friendships usually have. Maybe because it spent so long tearing things down it was hard to bring them back together, or maybe it just was just a different kind of friendship story.
I think the biggest thing that held me back from really loving this book however was the mystery, or lack thereof. By the sounds of the synopsis you would think that this is more of a mystery and thriller but it definitely isn't. The mystery, like a lot of this book, was kind of subtle. There wasn't much of an attempt to solve the mystery or even really much of a reveal. I wasn't even all that surprised when they told you who was responsible. But maybe that was because they just moved on from there and there was still a ton of loose ends. The disappointing thing is that there was a lot promise. This could have been a really interesting book with a crazy twist, but it wasn't. The hack was just a means to an end and frankly that disappointed me.
I also feel like I didn't quite love the pacing here. This was a pretty short read and it didn't take me very long to get through but it still felt a little slow. I mean I read an e-ARC and I only looked at how many pages it was when I finished it and to be honest I was kind of surprised it was under 300 pages. It didn't read like a fast and short read. It's not that it was slow, it just chugged along with only basic plot development. Then when it reached it's climax it just sort of moved on. There was some interest and drama but it just hit those points and kept going. When the book was over it didn't have the impact I was hoping for.
Antisocial was an okay read with a lot of promise that it didn't quite follow through on. Yes, it jad unlikable but interesting characters and some intriguing themes, but it was just a little basic and slow despite not being very long.
August 5, 2018
I don't know what to think about this book.
Antisocial is a contemporary YA in which the main character Anna has social anxiety and suffers of panic attacks. To make matters worse her boyfriend, thanks to which she became popular, dumped her and now she's alone, trying to regain her previous friendships.
But things have a twist when all the cellphones are hacked and everyone secrets are exposed.
Antisocial premises were fantastic.
The plot reminded me of Gossip Girl and because I am the biggest fan of books and tv series in which secrets became public I’ve read this book in a bunch of hours.
The problem is that there isn’t as much action as it should be.
Come on, everyone secrets aren’t secrets anymore (and don’t tell me this isn’t your worse nightmare) but anyone asks about how things like this keep happening in the school or why. Neither a possible guilty is searched, everyone just live all the shitstorm and whatever.
So this book it isn’t about secrets… It’s more about Anna problems and this would have been okay if just it had been handled well, with awareness. And that didn’t happen.
Furthermore, there are so much characters and unfortunately no one has enough space in the story, so every personality, alone or with their interaction with Anna aren’t well characterized.
Anna, as a character, has the problem of a real human being, but it isn’t a very good main character because she is passive and doesn’t interact much with all the things happens around her.
Anyway the story isn’t bad.
Has for sure some problems, but it is well written, so fluent and absolutely perfect for the summer. It can be read easily in one day and it’s light.
It’s a cute read, not perfect but okay, even tho I was expecting something better!
*
Non so bene cosa pensare di questo libro.
Antisocial è un contemporary YA in cui la protagonista 18enne, Anna, soffre di ansia sociale ed attacchi di panico e, come se non bastasse, viene bidonata dal suo ragazzo, grazie al quale era diventata popolare. Questa situazione le consentirà di recuperare le amicizie che aveva trascurato nel periodo di relazione ma le cose si fanno incredibilmente complicate quando tutti i telefoni della scuola vengono hackerati e i segreti di ogni studente diventano di dominio pubblico.
Le premesse di Antisocial erano fantastiche.
Dal plot ricordava un po' Gossip Girl e da grande fan di serie tv e libri in cui i segreti vengono a galla non ho potuto fare a meno di divorare anche questa storia.
Il problema, però, è la troppa poca azione rispetto a ciò che succede.
Insomma, i segreti -più o meno gravi- di tutti vengono a galla (e non ditemi che già questo non è il vostro incubo peggiore) ma nessuno fa granchè o si sforza di cercare per davvero il colpevole e di capire il motivo per cui tutto ciò accade.
Più che essere un libro sui segreti, risulta essere un libro sulle problematiche di Anna, e anche questo sarebbe andato benissimo se solo il tutto fosse stato trattato con serietà e cognizione di causa, cosa che non è avvenuta.
Inoltre, ci sono davvero troppi personaggi che, purtroppo, non vengono caratterizzati bene nè singolarmente nè nelle loro interazioni con Anna stessa la quale, come protagonista, è un po' deboluccia e passiva.
Ciò che ha salvato la storia e la rende una lettura adatta a questo periodo estivo è il modo in cui è scritta, poichè scorrevole, leggero e facilmente divorabile in un giorno solo.
È comunque una lettura carina, rientra nella sufficienza, ma mi aspettavo di meglio!
Antisocial is a contemporary YA in which the main character Anna has social anxiety and suffers of panic attacks. To make matters worse her boyfriend, thanks to which she became popular, dumped her and now she's alone, trying to regain her previous friendships.
But things have a twist when all the cellphones are hacked and everyone secrets are exposed.
Antisocial premises were fantastic.
The plot reminded me of Gossip Girl and because I am the biggest fan of books and tv series in which secrets became public I’ve read this book in a bunch of hours.
The problem is that there isn’t as much action as it should be.
Come on, everyone secrets aren’t secrets anymore (and don’t tell me this isn’t your worse nightmare) but anyone asks about how things like this keep happening in the school or why. Neither a possible guilty is searched, everyone just live all the shitstorm and whatever.
So this book it isn’t about secrets… It’s more about Anna problems and this would have been okay if just it had been handled well, with awareness. And that didn’t happen.
Furthermore, there are so much characters and unfortunately no one has enough space in the story, so every personality, alone or with their interaction with Anna aren’t well characterized.
Anna, as a character, has the problem of a real human being, but it isn’t a very good main character because she is passive and doesn’t interact much with all the things happens around her.
Anyway the story isn’t bad.
Has for sure some problems, but it is well written, so fluent and absolutely perfect for the summer. It can be read easily in one day and it’s light.
It’s a cute read, not perfect but okay, even tho I was expecting something better!
*
Non so bene cosa pensare di questo libro.
Antisocial è un contemporary YA in cui la protagonista 18enne, Anna, soffre di ansia sociale ed attacchi di panico e, come se non bastasse, viene bidonata dal suo ragazzo, grazie al quale era diventata popolare. Questa situazione le consentirà di recuperare le amicizie che aveva trascurato nel periodo di relazione ma le cose si fanno incredibilmente complicate quando tutti i telefoni della scuola vengono hackerati e i segreti di ogni studente diventano di dominio pubblico.
Le premesse di Antisocial erano fantastiche.
Dal plot ricordava un po' Gossip Girl e da grande fan di serie tv e libri in cui i segreti vengono a galla non ho potuto fare a meno di divorare anche questa storia.
Il problema, però, è la troppa poca azione rispetto a ciò che succede.
Insomma, i segreti -più o meno gravi- di tutti vengono a galla (e non ditemi che già questo non è il vostro incubo peggiore) ma nessuno fa granchè o si sforza di cercare per davvero il colpevole e di capire il motivo per cui tutto ciò accade.
Più che essere un libro sui segreti, risulta essere un libro sulle problematiche di Anna, e anche questo sarebbe andato benissimo se solo il tutto fosse stato trattato con serietà e cognizione di causa, cosa che non è avvenuta.
Inoltre, ci sono davvero troppi personaggi che, purtroppo, non vengono caratterizzati bene nè singolarmente nè nelle loro interazioni con Anna stessa la quale, come protagonista, è un po' deboluccia e passiva.
Ciò che ha salvato la storia e la rende una lettura adatta a questo periodo estivo è il modo in cui è scritta, poichè scorrevole, leggero e facilmente divorabile in un giorno solo.
È comunque una lettura carina, rientra nella sufficienza, ma mi aspettavo di meglio!
June 20, 2017
Review can also be found at Snow White Hates Apples.
Reading Antisocial is like watching a soap opera. And while this book is an incredibly addictive read—a huge pro, there’s a bunch of cons as well.
First of all, this book has some terrible dialogue. I’m aware that realistic dialogue can be difficult to write, but the first 20-odd pages were very much cringe to me. Though, I could overlook the terrible dialogue when the plot started heating up. The narration on the other hand, tells too much and shows too little. I understand that it’s First POV, but it’ll be nice to have an emotion shown more than stated. Furthermore, while I love how entrenched the social media terms, modern slang and all are, it can be excessive at times and because of this excess, the story strongly felt like it’s removed from reality. I can see Antisocial happening in real life but I don’t believe it can. In other words, I’m sitting here, watching this soap opera on TV but what separates my reality from that soap opera’s realty is the presence of the TV that needs to be turned on for the soap opera to exist. There’s a barrier between fictional and believable in Antisocial , and when this barrier is overcome, I believe that it’ll be a way better read.
Besides that, Antisocial , unfortunately has a lot of incredibly flat characters. No matter which way I turn them, they’re just two-dimensional. Despite my being able to relate to Anna for certain parts and my liking her decision to show her true self to her friends, she’s still a basic YA main character whose social anxiety disorder feels more like a convenient plot device instead of something that makes her more human. There’s more than just seeing a therapist, taking medication and the occasional panic attacks. There’s a human being and this human being has emotions which I firmly believe should be shown more in the book. The same goes to the rest of the characters too, because what’s the point of having so many if less than a three are going to be well developed? What’s the point of having so many characters if their ‘depth’ is simply used as a shock factor or some plot device?
Some of the events in this book are too coincidental as well, particularly the moments when Jethro conveniently shows up whenever Anna has/is on the verge of a panic attack. Like, does he have a tracker on her or something? Moreover, despite Jethro and Anna being friends for years and his crushing on her for years too, their romance still feels like insta-love. I get Jethro’s side of the romance, but Anna’s side just feels superficial.
Also, that twist? I saw it coming from miles away. It’s too obvious when two guys in a clique are aiming to go to MIT together (anyone else getting Tony Stark vibes by the MIT and genius/hacker thing?). As for the ending, my cynical side think it’s a little too happy—a little too far-fetched, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad either.
Antisocial is a cautionary tale, focusing on the possible effects of (in a warped way) bullying, today’s cyber age and the invasion of privacy. There’s always more than what meets the eye, and the internet is not wholly good. Overall, this is a novel isn’t as solid as I hoped for it to be since it has a intriguing premise, but it’s a good debut novel.
Reading Antisocial is like watching a soap opera. And while this book is an incredibly addictive read—a huge pro, there’s a bunch of cons as well.
First of all, this book has some terrible dialogue. I’m aware that realistic dialogue can be difficult to write, but the first 20-odd pages were very much cringe to me. Though, I could overlook the terrible dialogue when the plot started heating up. The narration on the other hand, tells too much and shows too little. I understand that it’s First POV, but it’ll be nice to have an emotion shown more than stated. Furthermore, while I love how entrenched the social media terms, modern slang and all are, it can be excessive at times and because of this excess, the story strongly felt like it’s removed from reality. I can see Antisocial happening in real life but I don’t believe it can. In other words, I’m sitting here, watching this soap opera on TV but what separates my reality from that soap opera’s realty is the presence of the TV that needs to be turned on for the soap opera to exist. There’s a barrier between fictional and believable in Antisocial , and when this barrier is overcome, I believe that it’ll be a way better read.
Besides that, Antisocial , unfortunately has a lot of incredibly flat characters. No matter which way I turn them, they’re just two-dimensional. Despite my being able to relate to Anna for certain parts and my liking her decision to show her true self to her friends, she’s still a basic YA main character whose social anxiety disorder feels more like a convenient plot device instead of something that makes her more human. There’s more than just seeing a therapist, taking medication and the occasional panic attacks. There’s a human being and this human being has emotions which I firmly believe should be shown more in the book. The same goes to the rest of the characters too, because what’s the point of having so many if less than a three are going to be well developed? What’s the point of having so many characters if their ‘depth’ is simply used as a shock factor or some plot device?
Some of the events in this book are too coincidental as well, particularly the moments when Jethro conveniently shows up whenever Anna has/is on the verge of a panic attack. Like, does he have a tracker on her or something? Moreover, despite Jethro and Anna being friends for years and his crushing on her for years too, their romance still feels like insta-love. I get Jethro’s side of the romance, but Anna’s side just feels superficial.
Also, that twist? I saw it coming from miles away. It’s too obvious when two guys in a clique are aiming to go to MIT together (anyone else getting Tony Stark vibes by the MIT and genius/hacker thing?). As for the ending, my cynical side think it’s a little too happy—a little too far-fetched, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad either.
Antisocial is a cautionary tale, focusing on the possible effects of (in a warped way) bullying, today’s cyber age and the invasion of privacy. There’s always more than what meets the eye, and the internet is not wholly good. Overall, this is a novel isn’t as solid as I hoped for it to be since it has a intriguing premise, but it’s a good debut novel.
May 21, 2017
ANTISOCIAL is a fascinating and compelling and unputdownable read that sheds light on what can happen to friendships and to lives when “private” data becomes public. It shows just how hungry for gossip everyone is, how quick to spread the word, how riveted to the scandal, how hasty to point fingers, and how vicious we can become. But it also reminds us that not everyone is all good or all bad, that we are more than the negative things we say or that are said about us, and that for most of us the positive outweighs the negative. It is a riveting, addictive, at times chilling, a little bit heartbreaking, and absolutely thrilling debut.
The unraveling of Alexandria Prep is shown from Anna Soler’s point of view. Her world had already come undone when her boyfriend dumped her and she lost her connection to the elite in his world. Having ditched her friends for him and his during the three months they’d gone out, she didn’t think things could get much worse for her.
But when a vulnerability in a school scheduling app causes search data to be leaked, the information goes viral and soon hackers are accessing and revealing more personal and harmful information. Chaos ensues. Friendships are destroyed. Futures are ruined.
And through it all, Anna can’t help but watch, read, listen, and wait. Because while she might not be one of Prep’s most envied or be the most social online, it’s only a matter of time before her secrets are exposed - the things she’s done that she can’t take back and the things she’s said that can’t remotely be called nice.
Jillian Blake did a fantastic job at showing the many facets of this complicated issue. She gave readers a lot to think about and a different way of looking at a situation that might appear to be only negative. She alerts people to the danger of saying and sharing too much, she points out that it’s a problem that doesn’t just affect those who overshare, and she reminds us that no one is perfect, that everyone is flawed.
ANTISOCIAL is more than just a wickedly scandalous story, though the dirt that is revealed about the many students at Alexandria Prep will make readers feel as voyeuristic as the characters as they devour each shocking piece of news. It has substance. It has a bit of a mystery. It has a fast-pace, entertaining if not entirely likable characters, and a positive message. It is an exciting story that is not to be missed.
The unraveling of Alexandria Prep is shown from Anna Soler’s point of view. Her world had already come undone when her boyfriend dumped her and she lost her connection to the elite in his world. Having ditched her friends for him and his during the three months they’d gone out, she didn’t think things could get much worse for her.
But when a vulnerability in a school scheduling app causes search data to be leaked, the information goes viral and soon hackers are accessing and revealing more personal and harmful information. Chaos ensues. Friendships are destroyed. Futures are ruined.
And through it all, Anna can’t help but watch, read, listen, and wait. Because while she might not be one of Prep’s most envied or be the most social online, it’s only a matter of time before her secrets are exposed - the things she’s done that she can’t take back and the things she’s said that can’t remotely be called nice.
Jillian Blake did a fantastic job at showing the many facets of this complicated issue. She gave readers a lot to think about and a different way of looking at a situation that might appear to be only negative. She alerts people to the danger of saying and sharing too much, she points out that it’s a problem that doesn’t just affect those who overshare, and she reminds us that no one is perfect, that everyone is flawed.
ANTISOCIAL is more than just a wickedly scandalous story, though the dirt that is revealed about the many students at Alexandria Prep will make readers feel as voyeuristic as the characters as they devour each shocking piece of news. It has substance. It has a bit of a mystery. It has a fast-pace, entertaining if not entirely likable characters, and a positive message. It is an exciting story that is not to be missed.
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