Followers

Book excerpt: “This dark, pitch-perfect novel about our dependence on technology for validation and human connection is as addictive as social media itself.” —People Magazine Orla Cadden is stuck in a dead-end job, writing clickbait about movie-star hookups and influencer yoga moves. Then Orla meets Floss, who has a plan for launching them both into the high-profile lives they dream about. So what if Orla and Floss’s methods are shady—and sometimes people get hurt? Their legions of followers can’t be wrong. Thirty-five years later, in a closed California village where government-appointed celebrities live every moment of the day on camera, a woman named Marlow dreams of fleeing the corporate sponsors who would do anything to keep her on-screen. Despite her massive popularity—twelve million loyal followers—when Marlow discovers that her whole family history is based on a lie, she summons the courage to run in search of the truth. Followers traces the paths of Orla, Floss and Marlow as they wind through time toward a cataclysmic event that sends America into upheaval. This darkly funny story reminds us that even if we obsess over famous people we’ll never meet, what we really crave is genuine human connection. “Terrific writing about terrifying ideas.” —Washington Post “An engaging confection wrapped around a thoughtful critique.” —USA Today “Dazzling.” —Time “Razor-sharp.” —Entertainment Weekly “Big Brother meets Ingrid Goes West.” —theSkimm “[An] intelligent page-turner.” —Wall Street Journal “Dark, witty, astute.” —Slate “Black Mirror fans are going to love Megan Angelo’s Followers.” —PopSugar “Engrossing.” —NPR “Fascinating.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Intricate and brave.” —Booklist (starred review) “Addictive.” —KirkusReviews (starred review)