Book review - Keystone

Title: Keystone
Author: Katie Delaharty
Genre: dystopia
Similar books: The Future Will Be BS-Free by Will McIntosh
                      The Hive by Barry Lyga
Rating:

a return to what we liked about dystopian fiction

Summary (provided by publisher): When Ella Karman debuts on the Social Stock Exchange, she finds out life as a high-profile "Influencer" isn't what she expected. Everyone around her is consumed by their rankings, in creating the smoke and mirrors that make them the envy of the world.
But then Ella’s best friend betrays her, her rankings tank, and she loses—everything.
Leaving her old life behind, she joins Keystone, a secret school for thieves, where students are being trained to steal everything analog and original because something—or someone—is changing history to suit their needs.
Partnered with the annoyingly hot—and utterly impossible—Garrett Alexander, who has plenty of his own secrets, Ella is forced to return to the Influencer world, while unraveling a conspiracy that began decades ago.
One wrong move and she could lose everything—again.

My opinion: After the big dystopian boom, we all got kind of burnt out on the genre and they largely disappeared from the landscape. Now they're starting to make a slow return with far more focus on quality writing and innovative ideas. The new focus, thematically, is on the negative influences of social media and complacency. How we allow ourselves to e oppressed in the name of convenience or social power. Delaharty points some blame at social media, saying that people are inclined to sell their souls in the name of influence. It's not an especially unique take though the approach has a unique spin. It takes some extreme views but uses those extremes to open our eyes to the dark sides of our own society.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley