The Social Circle

“Smart, introspective and sizzling.”—Natalie Sue, bestselling author of I Hope This Finds You Well

Four friends—the golden boy, the optimist, the designer and the girl genius—united by a vision to change the world. Together, they created something powerful and unforgettable. But not everything is built to last.

When Maggie Tang arrives as a transfer student at UC Berkeley in 2005, she has no idea how her life is about to change. In the hallway of her dingy apartment building, she meets Adam, Charles and Hari, the friends with whom she'll create Circle, the world's first major social media platform. But navigating her ambitions alongside love and friendship isn't so simple, and when they inevitably collide, Maggie exits Circle in dramatic fashion.

A decade later, Maggie is struggling with a new professional venture when she receives an invitation to celebrate Circle's tenth anniversary on a private island in Norway, with the three people she has tried hardest to forget. While she's still bitter about how things ended, her company desperately needs the publicity, and deep down, Maggie can't resist the handwritten plea at the bottom—Come, please.

Between boat rides and adventurous hikes, bit by bit the reunion begins to feel like old times. But the journalist writing a retrospective on Circle is eager for a scoop, which means they can't tiptoe around the past forever. And when a new truth is revealed about their fall-out all those years ago, Maggie will have to decide whether to run again or fight for a second chance with the people she once loved most.

The Social Network meets Daisy Jones & The Six in this dual-narrative novel about a group of college friends who found a social media company in the early days of the internet, their scandalous falling out, and the 10-year anniversary exposé that forces them back together again.

Praise for The Social Circle

“I was completely drawn in by this richly layered cast of characters, following them from their startup days in a cramped Berkeley apartment to a dramatic reunion on a private Norwegian island. Sophie Wan has crafted a beautiful exploration of the tangled dynamics of friendship, ambition, and the pressure of both failure and success. I adored it!”—Natalie Sue, bestselling author of I Hope This Finds You Well

“A page-turning novel that grapples with ambition, first loves, and the all-too-relatable personal lives of the people who build empires. The Social Circle gives us a peek into Silicon Valley boardrooms, the pang of betrayal, and a reminder that everyone, no matter how powerful (or not), craves friendship and belonging.”—Ava Robinson, author of Definitely Better Now

“If The Social Network passed the Bechdel test, this would be it. A moving, contemplative story about four friends who quickly learn that in order to be a unicorn, you have to stomp on some people along the way. Unexpectedly warm with characters you actually want to root for—finally, a book about startup culture that has heart and soul.”—Mai Nguyen, author of Sunshine Nails