At the start of 2025, I set a goal to make a dent in my ever-growing TBR. In the spirit of shopping my shelves, I picked up The Circle by Dave Eggers, a book that had been lingering unread for far too long. With its premise of a tech company creeping into every aspect of daily life, I expected a thought-provoking dystopian read. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver.

The Premise of The Circle (A+ for Effort)

The setup of The Circle by Dave Eggers is actually pretty intriguing. Mae Holland, a young twenty-something, lands a job at The Circle, a tech giant that’s like if Google, Facebook, and Amazon got together and created a baby… and then raised it in a laboratory where it was taught to eliminate all boundaries between work, life, and personal privacy. At first, it’s the ultimate dream job: stunning campus, endless perks, and a corporate culture so peppy it’s almost suspicious. (Spoiler: it is.)

Things quickly take a darker turn as Mae becomes more entrenched in the Circle’s mission of “completing the circle,” a fancy way of saying “we’re taking over the world.” The company’s mantra, “Secrets are lies,” is a not-so-subtle nod to the dangers of oversharing, and it’s clear Eggers wants to make a point about surveillance and the loss of privacy. So far, so good, right? Unfortunately, what could have been a nuanced take on these issues ends up feeling heavy-handed and, frankly, a little exhausting.

Mae: The Human Blank Slate

Mae’s character is a big part of why this book didn’t work for me. She starts out as a relatable everywoman, thrilled to escape her dead-end job and join the glittering ranks of the Circle. But as the story progresses, her personality gets sucked into the corporate machine so fast it’s like watching a robot boot up in real-time.

What’s frustrating is that Mae’s descent into Circle loyalty doesn’t feel organic. She’s like a sponge, soaking up every ridiculous policy and slogan the company throws at her without ever questioning it. At first, I felt sorry for her. Then I was annoyed. By the end, I was practically shouting at the book, “Mae, girl, come on!” Her lack of self-awareness makes it hard to root for her—or even care what happens to her.

The Circle: Evil, But Cartoonishly So

The Circle itself had the potential to be a fascinating villain. It’s a tech company that starts with good intentions (connecting people, improving lives) but slowly morphs into an Orwellian nightmare factory. They’re developing products that range from mildly creepy (tracking your health stats 24/7) to outright dystopian (mandatory surveillance cameras for politicians, because “if you’re not hiding anything, why not be transparent?”).

Here’s the thing, though: the Circle is too evil. There’s no subtlety, no shades of gray. Every single person who works there seems to think they’re saving humanity, and there’s almost no dissent or skepticism. It’s like Eggers wanted to hammer home the dangers of tech monopolies but forgot that the best villains are the ones who actually think they’re the heroes. Instead, the Circle comes across as a cartoonish caricature, complete with ominous slogans and Stepford-employee vibes.

The Circle’s Writing: Subtlety Not Found

If you’re looking for a nuanced exploration of privacy and technology, this probably isn’t it. Eggers’ writing style is straightforward, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, it feels almost too simplistic. The dialogue often reads like a TED Talk, with characters launching into long-winded speeches about the evils of privacy or the glory of transparency. Subtlety is not on the menu.

The book’s pacing doesn’t help, either. For a story with such high stakes, the tension feels oddly muted. There are moments where things should feel intense—like when Mae’s personal relationships start to crumble or when the Circle’s plans reach new, terrifying heights—but the writing doesn’t really sell it. Instead of being gripped, I found myself skimming.

Themes That Could Have Been Great

Don’t get me wrong, The Circle tackles some big, important ideas. The way we trade privacy for convenience? Totally relevant. The dangers of tech monopolies controlling our data? Absolutely a conversation worth having. But instead of exploring these ideas with nuance, the book hits you over the head with them. It’s like Eggers doesn’t trust his readers to get the point unless he spells it out in giant, flashing neon letters.

For example, the Circle’s slogan, “Secrets are lies,” is repeated so often it starts to feel like a parody of itself. And while the book does raise some valid concerns about transparency culture, it’s so extreme in its portrayal that it ends up feeling more like a Black Mirror knockoff than a thought-provoking critique.

A Few (Unintentional) Laughs in The Circle

To be fair, there were moments in this book that made me laugh… although I’m not sure they were supposed to. The Circle’s over-the-top obsession with monitoring everything, from your heart rate to your social interactions, is so absurd it’s almost funny. At one point, Mae gets scolded for not attending enough company events or posting enough online. It’s like an HR nightmare on steroids.

There’s also a subplot involving Mae’s ex-boyfriend Mercer, who serves as the voice of reason in the story. He’s constantly telling Mae to get out while she still can, but she just brushes him off. By the time his story arc wraps up, I felt more sympathy for him than for Mae.

A Thrifted Takeaway

I found my copy of The Circle secondhand, and honestly, I’m glad I didn’t pay full price for it. The concept had so much potential, but the execution just didn’t work for me. If you’re into dystopian fiction and don’t mind a heavy-handed approach, you might still get something out of it. As for me, I’ll be donating this one back to the thrift store and moving on.

Would I recommend it? Not really. There are better books out there tackling similar themes with more finesse. But hey, at least now I can say I’ve read it… and that’s worth something, right?

What did you think of The Circle? Did it resonate with you, or were you as underwhelmed as I was? Let’s chat in the comments!