Boyne cannot resist allowing his principal twentysomething characters references to Rita Hayworth or the ability to quote Dorothy Parker. I've read a few Boyne books, and with all of those I found that the characters are always well fleshed-out, interesting and even rather relatable, but in this book, I disliked every single one of them. I laughed out loud on numerous occasions, quoting paragraphs to anyone who would listen but I was also very much aware of the message that was filtering through.

The Echo Chamber features a deeply unappealing family whose life is upended by their addiction to celebrity culture and, in part, social media. It’s like comparing house cats to lions that have only ever lived in the wild, ripping the heads off young gazelles and feasting on their bodies. Savage but compelling' Ian Rankin 'Funny, rumbustious, unstinting and wonderfully Hogarthian' The Observer' Sharp, funny, and beautifully written. And among the broad strokes of satire and some truly appalling behavior we have a marvelous scene when George, surrounded by ‘woke’ colleagues berating him as he displays sincere regret for a particularly appalling remark, turns out to the only person in the room who understands just why the remark is considered so offensive. In his previous books I have enjoyed John Boyne’s beautiful, flowing prose as he brings us an understanding of his flawed but likeable characters.A fan of humor, this was by FAR the funniest book I've read and will definitely be reading it again.

The characters were spoiled and pampered, and behaved badly, but I couldn't help feeling some empathy for their escalating situations and naivety.The Cleverley family are all characters created at the extremes of plausibility but they keep connected to the reader at all times. The phrase 'Lose Lips Sink Ships' is one that will come to mind as you make your way through the labyrinth. Poor old George, for example, believes himself to be a dyed in the wool liberal, but he can't keep up with changing terminology and keeps putting his foot in it.

Boyne has written some amazing fiction over the years, one of my favourites being The Heart's Invisible Furies. Nelson, the eldest, is a twenty-two teacher, a neurotic virgin, who is seeking help from therapists. Bestseller and was adapted for a feature film, a play, a ballet and an opera, selling around 11 million copies worldwide.

There is not alot of room to really get your point across in a Tweet but that does not stop them from trying. Thanks for a great topical read, John, especially the bit where Elizabeth argues with herself between two of her Twitter accounts, trying to raise her profiles. The Cleverley family were absurdly magnetic, the loop of six degrees of separation bouncing between them and the extra cast of characters was hilarious and really reinforced just what a small world it can be in certain circumstances, particularly when are you are up to no good or just simply making a spectacle of yourself. He does touch lots of important topics and I do think that it is a great read, but I’m absolutely sure that this book will not please the majority of readers.