Viral

Recommended by D. I was terribly disappointed by this novel, which I found juvenile, trite, hackneyed and implausible. Sure, I get the satirisation of start-up culture and the (negatively) disruptive power of social media. I can also appreciate the beauty and energy of a city such as Berlin (where the action is set). It's further not unfair of Sperling to depict the arrogant folly of youth. However, it's all done in such a heavy-handed fashion where much of the sex and violence appears totally gratuitous. At least the font size was large and I finished this work in only two sessions! 3/10.

By Matthew Sperling