I began reading this book thinking the concept of studying six degrees of separation through social networking was simple enough. I looked forward to seeing what would happen, with the technology we have now and the speed at which it would work. I was looking to have a twist in the story but... I thought that it would be a straight forward read but it turned out to be daunting, very boring and annoying.
The story was over written with too many situations the author felt had to be explained in detail by either going back in memory sequences or by showing a different point of view from another character. An example is with the character Raj. You first see him having lunch with an actor named Matthew Boone. Well you go through several chapters with Raj and his family or Rachel and Jeremy and Antara and Marcus then all of a sudden you are back to that lunch table and now the point of view is from Matthew. Just way to much. By the way the chapters are not numbered just listed by location so it is hard for me to go back and say how many chapters occur between the two scenes.
It is hard to explain what annoyed me about this book without giving spoiler details and I do not wish to do that. So I will try to bullet point a few things without trying to give to much away.
- There was a love interest that made no since because the characters had no chemistry and the time frame at which this sudden love interest happen was too off.
- There is a business connection that is ridiculous and would never happen. No one would ever friend someone on their social network who is a bill collector, especially someone from another country.
- Another character looking up a past love from when she was a teenager. That in itself is not the problem but after finding out he is married with two children she pursues him trying to rekindle past feelings.
- When has anyone, from another country, working as a bill collector tried to help you improve your finances by contacting someone to help you remortgage your home.
- The time frame at which most of the situations happen is just to fast.
- This one I have to give a small spoiler. A local police officer who says he is from the cyber crime unit comes to Rachel's apartment. First off he never gives his name he just tells her he wants to talk to her down at the station with her laptop but she is not being arrested. Rachel goes with him without question and takes her laptop. He doesn't tell her his name until they are there at the station in a small room and then when he asks to see her computer she gladly shows him. Who does that?
The connections in this book: (these are the main characters, there are other minor characters)
Jeremy and Rachel - classmates who start the project
Rachel and Julia - Julia graduated from the school Rachel goes to - the connection is minor and brief
Julia and Marcus - former teen sweethearts
Marcus and Antara - debtor and bill collector
Antara and Raj - cousins
Raj and Matthew - producer and actor
Matthew and Julia - actor and writer
It felt like the connections were too forced to move the story along.
I do not recommend this book. Too long, too drawn out, too over written.
Until the next book
Yours truly,
The Reader
