The Circle is about a small-town girl called Mae, and how she gets a job at a world-renowned internet company called “The Circle.” The Circle is paradise, with kind employees, an incredible campus, free food and board, and bountiful opportunities. Mae thinks she has found her calling in Customer Experience (HR) with the incredible company, but Dave Eggers weaves a frightening story about human nature as Mae unwittingly delves deeper into the ‘incredible things’ Circlers are creating, including code, worldwide initiatives, inventions, and more. As Mae is drawn into her new lifestyle, her family past friends find that she has changed—for better or for worse, no one can tell. This is a gripping novel that makes you cringe with fear, suspense, and bitter discomfort. Eggers can bring emotions out from you effortlessly, to give the reader an unforgettable experience, and warning, about life.

I think the book was a grand success, for its purpose. The novel was Animal Farm-esque, a terrifyingly beautiful life lesson, that makes the reader uncomfortable on occasion, but that is exactly what it was meant to do. I found the writing adequate, not enough to make it stand out, but very suitable for the purpose. The story was gripping, and painful to watch, as the reader gets a deeper understanding of the line of humanity that the Circle is so clearly toeing.

I found the book excellent for its purpose, although it was never something I would pick up under ordinary circumstances—I  found it on a high school reading list. The characters were wel-developed, and the plot was gripping, but rather than a cliff hanger, the book left you on a cliff, wondering whether or not you should pull someone up. The Circle was extremely uncomfortable to read, so if you do not like books like that, with a clear, but uncomfortable life lesson, I would not suggest it. But if you can suffer through it to find the excellence in it, like me; or if you enjoy psychological thrillers, I would strongly recommend The Circle.

The book is good for teens, young adults, and adults alike, although here are some strong sexual scenes. A death could be deemed disturbing. The overall concept of the book is the frightening line where technology is too much, and human freedom is destroyed, which could be disturbing—although I would say that is the purpose of the novel. If you enjoyed it, a similar novel would be Animal Farm, by George Orwell.