Crosstalk

The premise of the book is that technology has created too much communication. You might expect a thoughtful Black-Mirror-like reflection on our tech addictions and anxieties. Instead, you get a story written by someone who apparently does not know how Facebook works. Or Twitter.

At one point, one of the characters says, “I'm guessing you don't want to be seen coming home on a Sunday morning dressed like that... Especially since one of your neighbors is bound to be on Facebook.” How does Connie Willis think Facebook works??? It's truly astounding.

In another section, a character has invented a way to delete tweets. That's right. Delete tweets. Which you can do right now. The characters also seem to think that you send a tweet like a text message, to an individual person. In which case, having trouble deleting them actually makes some sort of sense? I don't know, but I tell you, it is fascinating.

Also, the main character, Briddey, turns off her phone when she doesn't want to talk to someone, and then is unable to use her phone for other things like directions. This is actually part of the plot.

There are other flaws: Briddey has no concept of boundaries. She has given most of the other characters in the book the KEYS TO HER HOME. Part of the plot hinges on her not being able to go home because someone whom she is avoiding might be there. (MAYBE DON'T GIVE THEM YOUR KEYS.) What's more, soon after this, she says that it would be been easier for her to communicate with someone if she had given them a key to her apartment and then put a note on her bed. REALLY.

More: The love interest continuously lies to her for her own good and this is deemed acceptable.

Even more: Briddey seems incapable of sorting out “look what you made me do”-type arguments and believes she's the cause of other people's bad actions. She acts like an abuse victim, but the book doesn't seem to notice.