Heartstream is super twisted and disturbingly addictive.
It’s a story full of unreliable narrators and convoluted secrets and the lengths people will go to get what they want. Basically let’s talk about ✨obsession✨ and how it makes humans into terrifying things. It’s the type of thriller you can’t put down because you need answers and you need them n o w.
// the story follows a split timeline and two narrators: Cat and Amy
📖 Amy’s storyline is in the near-future, and starts at her mother’s funeral. We get introduced us to the concept of “heartstreaming” — basically people connect up to a network and share their emotions. Anyone can download and feel what you feel. It was an intriguing concept even if I cannot for the life of me understand WHY this is a thing. Amy has this massive cultish following who basically believe they have rights to every inch of her life due to living through the trauma of her mum’s death with her. And yes??? It sort of feels like Amy was profiting off her mum’s death to broadcast her pain which was weird. But she was trying to cope, I guess? When she gets back from her mum’s funeral, she finds one of her fans in her house wtih a bomb strapped to her chest. She just wants to talk…
📖 Cat’s storyline is set in the present(ish) time, and she’s at in wild boyband fandom where shipping the two lead singers is a literal cutthroat CULT. It’s kind of terrifying?! People have dedicated their lives to shipping these guys (Ryan and Nick = aka “Rick”) and Cat’s BFF Evie is like the leader and a viral sensation. The secret: Cat is actually sleeping with Ryan and she’s too terrified to tell Evie who literally destroys people for even suggesting the boys aren’t in love. ALSO 🙌🏻 Ryan is an insipid jerk.
How do the storylines connect?
You don’t get to know for AGES and it’s really wild when they do. My eyes might have bugged out. It’s cleverly done and pretty wild…especially wondering if people would actually do that.
// it felt like a creative and unique story (but i was also weirded out)
Obsessive fandom culture, creepy online followers, and technology that is an exaggeration of what we have today are all intensely interesting topics to explore — but not my favourite to read, personally. I didn’t understand why anyone would “heartstream” suffering or obsess over a boyband to a vindictive degree. (I know the latter happens!! Peoples lives get ruined when a band breaks up and shipping can get aggressive ugh. But *I* don’t get it.) The book is well written and unputdownable (shh that’s totally a word) though and I’d definitely recommend it if you like thrillers! 👀
thanks to Walker Books for the ARC! Heartstream by Tom Pollock came out July 5th, 2019.
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia | Walker Books
I just wanted to see you. Before the end. A taut psychological thriller about obsession, fame and betrayal, for fans of Black Mirror. Cat is in love. Always the sensible one, she can’t believe that she’s actually dating, not to mention dating a star. But the fandom can’t know. They would eat her alive. And first at the buffet would definitely be her best friend, Evie. Amy uses Heartstream, a social media app that allows others to feel your emotions. She broadcasted every moment of her mother’s degenerative illness, and her grief following her death. It’s the realest, rawest reality TV imaginable. But on the day of Amy’s mother’s funeral, Amy finds a strange woman in her kitchen. She’s rigged herself and the house with explosives – and she’s been waiting to talk to Amy for a long time. Who is she? A crazed fan? What does she want? Amy and Cat are about to discover how far true obsession can go.
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| what do you think? |
would you want to like…livestream feelings?! good ones maybe? obviously fandom culture CAN be super toxic, but how far do you think people would go? and is this book on your TBR?
Ohmygosh just reading this post I need answers….but it also sounds like I’d get a heart attack and die 😂 I cAn’T hAnDle tHiS mUcH sTrEsS
The stress is real for thrillers 😂
I hadn’t heard too much about this one but now it’s definitely on my radar and I will be checking it out! Thanks so much for sharing your review, Cait!
I hope you end up liking it!!
Wow, awesome review and story! This sounds super interesting and intense, though for thrillers/horror I usually end up skipping to the end :). But maybe this time I’ll try it out.
omg yes the “WHAT IS GOING ON” feels are big for this one!!
I’ve just been gifted this book and it’s not something I would normally choose but did sound very interesting. It was good to read your review on this I will definitely be reading to find out how the stories connect!
That’s my instinct too! Like I quite was captivated by it but I don’t feel very knowledgable about thrillers 😂
I’ve found that people here don’t post often enough about thrillers especially as it’s one of my favourite genres but yes I am hooked by this post! I’m a bit skeptical about the basis of this story, but I might check it out if I get a chance.
I hope you do! I’d love to know what more people thought of it tbh 👀
Yessss!! People can get so mad when you like Snape or you don’t ship Stucky… It’s honestly annoying. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE IF WE ALL FEEL AND SEE THE WORLD THE SAME???
Yes everyone’s different!
Daaaaaaaaaaamn, this book sounds way more intense than I thought, somehow. Also really interesting?? Def putting this on my TBR, thank you!
Also I think people would 100% go for downloading emotions – it’d speak to a lot of people’s escapist and fantasist tendencies in a huge way, I think.
That’s a really good point about the reasons people might go for downloading emotions!
Thank you!! It’s something I struggle with (especially in the past, when I was unmedicated and didn’t know I was autistic) so just the thought of it makes me wince because I can see it being the sort of technology that def needs all kinds of health warning labels slapped on it.
Oh, then it could also be a way to learn and understand what other people are feeling. You’re right, I can definitely see it all going wrong if people were not careful, overloading on emotions.
Yes, for sure! For that reason, I think it’d actually be great from a writing perspective, too – because what better way to get into someone’s head? I’m also imagining people trying to use it to ‘rehabilitate’ sociopaths… or maybe as a punishment for criminals, having to experience what their victims did. Basically it sounds like awesome (and dangerous) technology with a loooot of range, and now I accidentally gave myself even higher expectations for Heartstream, lol.
Wow, we should market this and make a fortune! I think my expectations have gone up even more too 😉
HAHAHA. I can see it now: ‘we have this idea!! for this technology!! it will change the world in a thousand ways!! good and bad!!! ….. no idea how to make it happen plz advise :)’
(Also whenif you read Heartstream, I would be interested to see what cocktail you make for it!! I feel like that one be like, Long Island Ice Tea levels of drunk.)
This is also why my fave books tends to be ones like Scythe, because the worldbuilding is just so indepth and goes in so many different directions so I don’t have to stand there like BUT YOU WASTED POTENTIAL!!
I really enjoyed Scythe too but haven’t got round to reading the 2nd book yet. As for a cocktail for Heartstream, you’re right it will have to be something strong!
@James: That concept just didn’t click with me because I struggle processing my own emotions 😂 but THEN…like I get it a bit? We obviously choose to watch movies/consume media that will make us feel a certain way so… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I can see why the concept wouldn’t click with you tho, just based on the plot of like ‘this girl lifestreamed her mom’s illness’ because like… of ALL THE WAYS to use that technology, that is like, the least pleasant and relatable, lol.
Oh my goodness this sound so intriguing. This sounds like it has Kiss Me First vibes and I’m here for it (I also recommend that book if you haven’t checked t out and want a thriller all about how we perceive realty and human connections in a technology dominant world). Definitely going to have to add this to the list
I shall keep an eye out for it! I don’t read a lot of thrillers but I’ve been enjoying Tom Pollock books for sure!
Okay, unreliable narrators AND a split timeline?? YES PLEASE. I’m not usually one for thriller like books, but I do like to pick up one every now and then, if I hear especially good reviews.
AHH I hope you do get a chance to pick this one up! Thrillers aren’t like my go-to genre but I do enjoy Tom Pollock’s books that I’ve tried!
This sounds amazinggggg my TBR could seriously take me to the moon and back it’s so flipping tall right now. Whoops. Gorgeous post as always Hun 🙂
Grace Louise || http://www.gracelouiseofficial.blogspot.co.uk/
I am just here to ruin everyone’s tbrs 🤗