Feed

Titus is the protagonist and narrator of the novel, and he tells the story in first person with limited perspective. He is a privileged teenager, who takes his privilege for granted and is barely aware that others live in poverty. Like his friends, Titus has had the feed his entire life, and he is addicted to spending money to buy things he doesn’t need or want, often as a way of regulating negative emotions. Titus is jaded and bored, showing little enthusiasm for any of the expensive belongings and experiences he and his friends buy. Despite this, Titus believes the feed is good and likes that the feed data mines his brain for corporations to tell him what he wants to buy and even shape who he is. Titus, who is a made-to-order genetic conglomeration of his parents and the looks of an attractive actor, is beautiful. When he meets Violet, Titus talks about her at first as if she is a breath of fresh air. They quickly start to dislike each other until the harrowing experience of being hacked throws them together. Titus becomes enamored with the idea of Violet, but the reality of being with someone who is poor, more educated, and far more socially conscious is much less ideal.