As both analyst and participant, Aleksic embodies the very linguistic shifts he describes, and his TikTok videos have a punch that Algospeak sometimes strains to match. But the fact that he’s chosen to explain this moment in the long, careful, linear form of a book is part of what makes Algospeak so valuable. Aleksic is a code-switcher for the algorithmic age, fluent in both the old language and the new.
An accessible entry point into social media slang and its evolution ... [Contains] a textbook-level attention to vocabulary ... Sobering ... Academic, yet approachable ... Bold but pragmatic ... Aleksic’s writing feels personable and knowledgeable ... Algospeak is a fascinating blend of etymology, psychology, cultural analysis and first-person perspective.
Aleksic is an enthusiastic guide with an infectiously optimistic outlook, one that doesn’t quite align with the usual hand-wringing about internet slang ... The Rizzler song—to which a whole chapter is dedicated...—is a fascinating piece of etymological analysis ... The problem with all this bright-eyed enthusing is that it can conceal the political dimensions of Aleksic’s subject ... This somewhat cautious (and itself catchy) analysis doesn’t go far enough ... [Aleksic is] refreshingly candid about the tactics influencers have developed to monetize engagement and go viral online ... Many of Algospeak's most perceptive insights...are about the rising class of influencers ... Perceptive.
