Dystopia hides behind the decadence of a world of social media, dominated by Social Media Central. At the center of it all, Madeline Q holds court, followed by the trendy and those seeking fame, yet she chooses the skeptical, questioning Tayler to be her companion and part of her clique. Tayler is sucked into Madeline’s world, yet he continues to try to shake things up, change things, not realizing how dangerous such endeavours are. For nothing about Social Media Central is what it seems and the lurking shadow of Government waits behind the glitz.

This evokes some of the classics by Bradbury, Orwell, and Huxley, which involved terrible totalitarian regimes, futures where thought is regulated, controlled, or discouraged. This particular story uses a more subtle, layered method to introduce the menace and peril of its society, a society which the modern reader can relate to only too keenly. What’s missing or absent in this world is revealed in bits and pieces from Tayler’s perspective or other characters’ unfamiliarity with things we take for granted, like books or schools.

It was a fascinating read, depicting an often manic whirlwind of events in which Tayler undercovers the truth, layer by layer beneath Social Media Central. Just when things start to make sense, another layer is revealed. This society often seems shallow in its changing trends, yet it’s peopled with likeable characters and ones that grow more sympathetic as the reader becomes more familar with them. The villain, whom is far more erudite than certain real life public figures still represents an immature desire to control everything and everyone without assuming any of the responsibility that goes with it, an attitude which resonates with many a modern reader. For bringing all of these elements together in a fast-paced, intriguing read, I give this four stars.

Have you noticed how much of your life you live behind a screen? So much happens while we are on our smart phones, our tablets and our computers and now our watches (yes, I have one of those, too).

We are moving towards a world where actually meeting someone is a rarity. In that world, everyone connects via Social Media Central for their social interaction. Tayler, however, leaves his home each day to go to work and he does not have a personal computer. Events lead to his entering Social Media Central where he soon has quite a following. Tayler learns quickly that while new and intoxicating, this world is not all what it seems to be.

One day as Tayler is sitting on a park bench, a beautiful woman with a bunch of groupies carrying some kind of devices walks by and he is quite beside himself even though he has no idea who she is. This stuns the guy who happens to be sitting on the same bench. The woman is Madeline Q and she is so intrigued by Tayler’s ignorance that she gives him her card. Tayler’s phone is just a phone. He has no web connection and therefore no presence on Social Media Central. SMC has reduced the internet into one interface and portal.

The story is set in Astra City which is dominated by empty steel and glass buildings because most people now work from wherever and there are no longer any schools since education is online through instructional videos. People do not visit each other or share meals because they can now ‘mirror meal’ whereby they each get the same meal, connect and eat in front of their computers.

You may begin to wonder who is this Tayler and where does he fit into this story. He is an anachronism as a person who actually prefers real contact with people. However, he is mystified by Madeline and decides to go to one of her affairs. He learns that she is a fashion icon with a huge following and whatever she does or wears starts a trend. It does not take long for Tayler to become swept up in her lifestyle. But then, somebody dies and Tayler, Madeline and two others are implicated.

I must admit that the whole idea of a world run by the internet is totally depressing. I hate the idea of reading an ebook because I believe a book is meant to be held and cherished. I rarely agree to read something electronically and then only for a select few writers will I do so.

There is something way too futuristic and too didactic in a world where we know each other via icons. Nonetheless, after having a bit of a hard time getting into the story, I soon found this to be quite a gripping read. I am sad that the plot is plausible but I enjoyed the bold characters who really have no idea just how without power they are. This is a thought-provoking read even though I found it troubling. I felt that George Orwell was hovering above as I read the powerful social commentary presented here.

Until now I have known Kevin Klehr as an LGBT writer and it is nice to see that he has branched out (yes, there is bisexuality here but it is not the core of the novel) into a story that is both something of a mystery and a thriller. His writing is, as usual, pristine and engaging and while the basic idea of the internet controlling us is abhorrent to me, I did totally enjoy the read. Just the fact that I could become so emotional about what I read is the sign of a good writer.

Set in the near future (50 years or so), Social Media Central has a premise that does not seem terribly implausible at all. Tayler is sitting on a park bench one day when a beautiful woman with an entourage of device carrying groupies walk by. Tayler is quite taken by her but has no idea who she is much to the surprise of the older man sharing the bench with him. The woman, Madeline Q, is intrigued enough by his ignorance to give him her card. Tayler’s phone is just that; a phone. It doesn’t connect to the web and he has no presence on Social Media Central which is a reduction of the internet into one interface and portal.

Astra City in this era is a city with empty steel and glass buildings because most people no longer work from offices. Schools no longer exist and children are educated via online instructional videos. People don’t go to each other’s houses for meals; instead they ‘mirror meal’ whereby they each get the same meal, connect and eat in front of their computers. Tayler is an anachronism among his generation because he prefers actual contact with people but Madeline intrigues him enough to go to one of her soirees. She is a fashion icon with a massive following and her opinions or actions are always trending. Tayler gets swept up in her lifestyle until somebody dies and he, Madeline and two others seem to be implicated.

Social Media Central is an interesting and thought-provoking read because along with its Orwellian undertones there is quite a powerful social commentary running through it. We’ve all read on the internet and Facebook how detrimental our addiction to screen and devices is. Ironic, isn’t it? There is a character in the novel who runs a book shop but it only had on bookshelf in it because people can no longer read anything longer than bite-sized chunks. I felt depressed about the lone bookshelf for a moment and then realised that it’s been ages since I read a book with pages I can turn and get a paper cut from.

I enjoyed reading this but there were parts where the pace dropped off and the characters were a little like blind moths bumping into each other. At times it also felt too didactic in its delivery but the mystery and intrigue around the dead body balanced that out to some extent.

On the whole, this is a good read with a lot to mull over.

The vast majority of citizens in Astra City are addicted to the lives they have online in Social Media Central. Tayler, however, is not one of these people; he refuses to have an online profile and still watches old movies to pass his time, rather than sharing a mirror-meal with his latest cyberfriend. At least, that is until Tayler is spotted by Social Media Central’s queen and star fashion blogger, Madeline Q. One party later and Tayler is sucked into Madeline’s world and is on the payroll of Social Media Central’s leader, the Government. Tayler becomes a star in its ascendancy until the dead body of a young woman is found in the bathtub at another party he and Madeline have been paid to attend. Tayler, Madeline, and their friends, Connor and Shaun, immediately become suspects and Social Media Central takes on the role of judge and jury. Tayler has to keep his head to outwit the Government and attempt to uncover the darker aspects of Social Media Central.

Kevin Klehr’s latest release is a novel set fifty years into the future, yet it is the premise that interested me. I have lost count of the number of times that I have sat around a table with family or friends and we have all been on our phones rather than engaging in conversation. There is no doubt that we live in a digital era and there are positive aspects to that, but the power of social media in our lives cannot be denied.

In Klehr’s story, Madeline, Shaun, and Connor have all gained their notoriety and fame on Social Media Central: Madeline as as fashion blogger, Shaun by chronicling his sexual conquests on Lovers Net, and Connor by photographing their every move. Dressing in the latest fashion and attending the lavishly arranged parties has become their life and occupation. Here Klehr reflects so much of our contemporary reality with his fiction and it reminded me of the current fame of stars like the Kardashian family, who are supposedly able to break the internet with their posed selfies. Klehr’s imaginary world, run by Social Media Central, is so close to the lives we currently live that it is thought provoking and the power that the online world has in his novel is frightening and eye-opening, making the reading experience not just an escape, but a lesson for us all.

Social Media Central does twist and turn, uncovering moments of concealed power and darkness. The story has been previously compared to George Orwell’s 1984 and the parallels between them cannot be ignored. I also find it interesting that Klehr would have written his novel before the latest scandal with Facebook and there is a strong case here of art imitating life.

However, I did have some difficulty with Social Media Central and this had to do with Klehr’s characters, in particular the protagonist, Tayler, who I did not find at all likeable. Admittedly, he is the main questioner of the Government and the power of the social media giant in the lives of those around him. For Tayler, this begins with his landlady who is losing her grip on reality and spending all her time talking to her cyberfriends. However, as soon as Tayler meets Madi, Shaun, and Connor, he appears flattered and happy to be drawn easily into their world; his doubts, to some extent, become replaced by his assimilation. I am not sure whether the fact that Tayler is such a fickle character was intentional on the part of Klehr, but I was not convinced by Tayler’s multiple and contradictory responses to situations, which included his anger at his landlady, his sycophancy, and his supposed rebellion.

I may have found Tayler uninspiring, but the effect he has upon people he comes into contact with is intriguing in terms of the story. It is Tayler’s idea of people engaging in “Movie Night” that contributes to the Government’s intervention, but when we find Tayler, Madi, and Connor in dire trouble, Klehr ensures we fully understand the full force of Tayler’s influence. I liked the fact that we have read the novel questioning the quality and relevance of relationships in Tayler’s world, but we are left with the message that no matter what, friendship is abiding and strong.

There are some interesting themes running throughout Social Media Centraland though there were areas of the story that did not entirely satisfy me as a reader, I would recommend the book.