and i know that its unlikely to love everything an author has written, so im just going to chalk it up to a personal miss and eagerly wait for JBs next book! But the dialogue and the thoughts and the absurdity that Boyne shows us that is so not far off from what is happening. Being in my early 40’s I have seen the rise of the World Wide Web and the introduction of social media sites: Hi5, Myspace, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (sorry I never liked Snapchat and I just can’t get into Tik Tok – yet) However in the past two years, especially on Twitter and Instagram stories I’ve noticed a new breed of people cropping up; they are self-righteous, quick to act aggressive if an opinion does not match with theirs and get all their education from memes, which they share and follow as the gospel truth. The Echo Chamber features a deeply unappealing family whose life is upended by their addiction to celebrity culture and, in part, social media.

There are 511 pages and the narrative is split across five parts set on consecutive days in the present day (Mon to Fri) - each containing multiple named chapters. It means that she lost all her followers, no one talks to her any more and she’s considered a pariah. I galloped through it, chuckling a lot, and truly dismayed by the fate of the disregarded tortoise, 115 years old, named Ustym Karmaliuk after a Ukrainian folk hero. And what an unexpected departure this is from the author’s previous novels, none of which prepared me for this complete change in style - and so much for the better, in my opinion.

Ripping into the ludicrousness of the criticism that has been levelled at him (“My own son is named after Nelson Mandela, for Christ’s sake”), he saves his most lethal venom for those levelling the criticism: “Every person vying with everyone else to see who can be the most affronted, who can show that they’re the most woke … Well, eff Twitter, Sophie!

John Boyne has the ability to turn the written word ( some of which are rarely used on a day to day basis,) into a joy to read. The book follows the Cleverley family which is a very weird family and is certainly a dysfunctional one. Together they will go on a journey of discovery through the Hogarthian jungle of the modern living where past presumptions count for nothing and carefully curated reputations can be destroyed in an instant. The Echo Chamber reference is likely the nonstop social media infrastructure where a comment or transgression reverberates forever.and a scary reminder of just how dependent, obsessed and addicted we are as a culture to our smart devices. However, I commend JB for taking on these issues as he is no stranger to tackling institutional abuse and social misconduct.

I can’t hear it in my head without hearing the quick drumbeat, the sting, that’s played after the punchline of a joke. Along the way they will learn how volatile, how outraged, how unforgiving the world can be when you step from the prescribed path.The characters were spoiled and pampered, and behaved badly, but I couldn't help feeling some empathy for their escalating situations and naivety. I like funny books and humor is always a good thing to have in a book but when it is overly satirical, I tend to enjoy it less which I thought would be the case with this book. and their three grown up kids, Nelson, Elizabeth and Achilles, each with their own problems/issues, but Boyne uses the family as a platform for more than a tinge of satire, that will leave you smiling. He lands himself in some hot water after deadnaming and misgendering a trans receptionist, Nadia and congratulating her on social media on her transition. What they lack in timeliness you expect them to make up for in originality and insight but that’s not much in evidence here.