Klara is an android, an 鈥淎rtificial Friend鈥, an AF. It is a world in which AFs are habitually used as companions for children, and Klara is bought by Klara is an android, an 鈥淎rtificial Friend鈥, an AF. It is a world in which AFs are habitually used as companions for children, and Klara is bought by a family for their ailing daughter. This is their story, told from Klara鈥檚 perspective.
It鈥檚 difficult to succinctly say what the core theme of the book is - what the book is 鈥榓bout鈥 - as there are three threads that play equal parts and weave around each other throughout the story.
Firstly, there is the use of AI and robotics, and how they can be used to displace people in a variety of roles - the most obvious being the use of AFs as companions for children. Klara鈥檚 role is depicted as being a positive experience for the family that she becomes part of, but there are glimpses of where relationships between AFs and their associated children have become dysfunctional.
The story is told from the first-person perspective of Klara, so it is implicit that Klara is conscious and sentient - she is, afterall, the narrator. And yet AFs are treated as property, and Klara unquestioningly accepts that - indeed, is happy to be bought by a family. These broader themes, and the societal impact of using AFs in other contexts, such as displacing people from their jobs, are hinted at but not explored.
Another thread, almost entirely independent of the use of AFs, is the practice of using medical intervention to 鈥榚nhance鈥 children (referred to as 鈥榣ifting鈥 in the book), using hinted-at procedures that are not without risk. The ethics of this decision, along with the two-tier society that can result, are not dealt with head-on, but instead form a foundation for much of the conflict within the story, and the emotional struggles of some of the characters.
And then there is the internal life of Klara herself, and the reason for the title of the book. The story is told through a lens of na茂vety as Klara learns about the world around her. Klara is described as an AF with particularly good observational skills, and she learns about the world around her mostly through observation - drawing conclusions and inferring cause and effect from what she sees around her. However, this unguided observational learning leads Klara to believe that the Sun (yes, the fiery ball in the sky) has omniscient and mystical power.
This belief in the Sun leads Klara to interpret other events around her as cause and effect, which she then struggles to make sense of - largely due to the inscrutable nature of the Sun鈥檚 decision-making process. The parallels with religious faith are clear, and it鈥檚 difficult to know what message the author is trying to convey, given some of the questionable behaviour that Klara engages with as a consequence of her belief, and the ultimate outcome of the story.
The world building is very satisfying, and the glimpses of the various issues, ideas and concepts that come out of it are intriguing and thought-provoking. With such broad scope, it鈥檚 inevitable that very little is dealt with in depth. While there were many things that could have been explored in more detail, I wasn鈥檛 left frustrated that they weren鈥檛 - rather, I enjoyed skirting around the edges....more
What an excellent story. This is a gripping tale of suspense where everything is not as it seems. A woman has fallen from the 25th floor of a buildingWhat an excellent story. This is a gripping tale of suspense where everything is not as it seems. A woman has fallen from the 25th floor of a building to her death and you (Tate Kinsella) are suspected of her murder. But the more you protest your innocence, the more holes and inconsistencies appear in your story. What aren鈥檛 you telling the police?
The plot is incredibly engaging, and had me intrigued at every twist and turn (and there are many!) as the story gradually unfolds. To say anything about the plot would be to give too much away - you just have to read it and enjoy the ride.
The author straddles the line of reveal vs. conceal perfectly as we gradually find out more about what happened. The pacing is spot on: I was just about getting used to one revelation or twist of the plot when another one came along that made me question everything that I thought up to that point.
There is a particular kind of mystery novel that I *don鈥檛* get on with - those where several equally plausible possibilities are developed by the author, then one is arbitrarily revealed to be the truth at the end (Agatha Christie, I鈥檓 looking at you). This book isn鈥檛 like that. Throughout the story, there is usually just one version of 鈥渨hat happened鈥, but that version warps and bends as new information is revealed - and I *really* liked that.
The story deals with some emotive and difficult issues around vulnerability and predatory behaviour, and I thought that it was done with great sensitivity.
This is a plot-driven story, and packs a lot in. Consequently, the character development (especially of the secondary characters) isn鈥檛 very deep. But this is a minor quibble, and there is an authenticity about all of the characters; I found some of the scenes towards the end of the book incredibly moving.
Thank you #NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone Century for the free review copy of #TheWomanOnTheLedge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own....more
I鈥檓 very conflicted about this book. I really wanted to give it a higher rating, but in the end, I felt that a potentially great story was let down byI鈥檓 very conflicted about this book. I really wanted to give it a higher rating, but in the end, I felt that a potentially great story was let down by execution.
As per the blurb, Grayson鈥檚 life is in turmoil since the death of his little brother, for which Grayson (鈥滸ray鈥) blames himself. Aubrey Fisher, a misfit foster child, comes into his life, and they spend 24 hours together.
There are powerful themes in this book - most notably suicide ideation. This has to be handled sensitively, and it was (the Acknowledgements at the back of the book explain that many of the themes are issues that the author has dealt with in his own life).
First, the good: I really liked the character of Aubrey. Her depth of emotion seemed real to me, and I wanted to get to know her better - there was a point in the book that I cried in response to learning something about her past. The story is told in the first person from the perspective of Gray, largely through dialogue, so the fact that Aubrey felt so alive to me speaks to the skill of the author. The supporting cast of friends (Kris, Jenna, Kyle, Tim, Reefer) were also well drawn (although Tim and Kyle seemed a bit interchangeable), and I could really feel the shared history between this friendship group: the glue that holds them together amongst the inevitable bickering and tension.
I also enjoyed the plot. The story of Aubrey and Gray鈥檚 escapades in this 24 hours was engaging and satisfying. And, although the ending was largely how I expected it, the journey carried me along throughout.
But, while I liked Aubrey, she had a wisdom beyond her years that I found jarring. She has a chequered background, and some questionable current behaviour, but she somehow has a crystal clear idea of what鈥檚 important, and what people need in order to get through life in the presence of severe emotional trauma. Some of her own traumatic background is touched upon, and contributes to her depth of character, but I just found it infeasible that she would be so worldly-wise given her age and life experience.
I also couldn鈥檛 connect emotionally with Gray at all - which is a problem, given that this story revolves around Gray鈥檚 intention to kill himself in response to the death of his little brother. This is also surprising, given that the story is written from Gray鈥檚 point of view (and doubly so given how real Aubrey鈥檚 emotions felt to me). My inability to connect emotionally with Gray meant that his intention to kill himself also didn鈥檛 seem real to me - it felt like an intellectual idea to end his life rather than a driving emotional need. So my personal experience of reading the story was that Gray was never in any real danger of taking his own life, but had an interesting and transformative 24 hours with the misfit kid from school. And, while I still enjoyed reading it, I鈥檓 sure this isn鈥檛 what the author intended.
The book is structured as a series of chapters, each covering one of the 24 hours. While this is a neat device, it meant that the story seemed to drag a little near the beginning where very little was happening in each hour. At one point it also meant that Gray ended up waking someone up in the early hours of the morning in order to have a conversation with them - which seemed like it had to be crowbarred into the remaining 鈥榩er hour鈥 structure of the book in order to tie up some loose ends.
The style also got a little preachy at times, and there were a few too many 鈥淵ou see, Timmy鈥 moments where the moral, meaning and conclusions of the story were explained in excruciating and slightly patronising detail.
So, for me, a potentially great story let down by execution....more
Keiko has difficulty fitting in. She doesn鈥檛 inherently know which emotions to express, or how to express them - taking her cues off the 鈥榥ormal peoplKeiko has difficulty fitting in. She doesn鈥檛 inherently know which emotions to express, or how to express them - taking her cues off the 鈥榥ormal people鈥 around her. But she finds comfort and belonging in the Convenience Store, where rules and procedures make sense to her.
This is a story of how Keiko navigates this world, trying to balance her own inner life and comfort with the expectations of her friends and family - most of whom don鈥檛 understand her, and want to 鈥榗ure鈥 her.
I found Keiko鈥檚 character very sensitively written, and I really felt for her. Her 鈥榙ifferences鈥 (which, to my untrained understanding, seem like they might be somewhere on the autism spectrum) are kindly written, giving Keiko a coherent and self-consistent inner life.
I found the fact that she felt the need to change her behaviour, to 鈥榗onform鈥, to meet the expectations of many of those around her, to be utterly heartbreaking - although I was satisfied by the ending, which I thought was appropriate and warm. I loved this book, despite how sad it made me - and I finished it within 24 hours (which, although it is a short book, is still rare for me)....more
If I鈥檓 being generous, then this book is casually uncaring. If I submit to my discomfort reading this, then I鈥檓 goiNo. Just鈥 No.
Did not finish, at 23%
If I鈥檓 being generous, then this book is casually uncaring. If I submit to my discomfort reading this, then I鈥檓 going to say it鈥檚 cruel and heartless.
Eleanor Oliphant is obviously not completely fine - that鈥檚 no surprise as the title is intended to be ironic. However, she鈥檚 clearly had some horrific trauma early in her life. I have no training that qualifies me to say this, but it seems like she has PTSD. She may well have other disorders that could be identified and addressed with appropriate therapies. However, despite the fact that she has social workers visit regularly who are clearly familiar with her awful background, there is no evidence that Eleanor has had any issues diagnosed or is getting any meaningful support or treatment.
As a result of her damaged upbringing, she has difficulty relating to people and normal social situations. And she drinks heavily - something that also seems to be treated in a casual throw-away manner. And through all this, we鈥檙e invited to laugh at her as she makes various 鈥榟umorous鈥 mistakes as she misjudges various situations. These same situations might be funny if the reason for Eleanor鈥檚 detachment and lack of social understanding weren鈥檛 so tragic (even so, I found the 鈥榟umour鈥 quite heavy handed), but in the context of the what we鈥檙e supposed to believe about Eleanor鈥檚 background and upbringing, it feels like I鈥檓 being encouraged to point and laugh at the amusing freak. The freak who is a deeply damaged individual.
OK, so I stopped at only 23% of the way through the book, and maybe the author turns it around later on in a way that can mitigate this first quarter. But I searched out some other reviews from readers who feel the same way but had the tenacity to see it through to the end, and I don鈥檛 believe that鈥檚 the case.
This story chronicles the activities of four astronauts as they catalogue the life on four planets, light years from Earth. The plan is to catalogue tThis story chronicles the activities of four astronauts as they catalogue the life on four planets, light years from Earth. The plan is to catalogue the planets and then return to Earth.
This is a gentle, slow paced book, packed with detail of the day-to-day life of four people doing science, and maintaining their space craft, on alien worlds.
There is no peril. There are no fights. There is no conflict.
The two mechanisms that enable this adventure are: suspended animation (鈥漷orpor鈥) during space flight, which is fair enough; and 鈥渟omaforming鈥, which allows the people to adapt to the environment, rather than needing to adapt the environment to the people. The latter is an interesting concept that I hadn鈥檛 come across before. There is no physics-defying magic that allows the astronauts to travel (or communicate) faster than light, so distance from Earth, and the time it takes communication to travel either way, is also a character in the story.
Nothing really happens.
The descriptions of the activity of doing science and the day-to-day social interactions of four astronauts in a moderately confined space are detailed and thoughtful. There is a grounded sense of reality to what they are doing.
This is a novella, so there is little opportunity to explore many things in detail. The impact of torpor and somaforming are briefly explored, and the character development is enough to get a sense of four different people, but no more than that. The narrative space that this leaves is filled with description of the activities of the astronauts, and this description is quite engaging. There is a real sense of 鈥渄oing science鈥, and the author has gone to some lengths to describe a few niche pieces of science that crop up on the four planets - although this can feel a bit like a TED talk at times, when I felt like I was being educated rather than told a story.
So if you鈥檙e happy with sci-fi that focusses on description rather than plot or character, then this may be for you. Personally, while I appreciated the detail and the sense of gentle activity that I felt throughout the book, I found that ultimately I didn鈥檛 really care about the people or their situation. So my rating for this book has more to do with my subjective experience than the quality of the writing. This book may be for you. It just wasn鈥檛 for me....more
This was brilliant. Half machine and half human (at least, cloned human parts), this particular 鈥榮ecurity unit鈥 has a chequered past, has hacked its oThis was brilliant. Half machine and half human (at least, cloned human parts), this particular 鈥榮ecurity unit鈥 has a chequered past, has hacked its own governor module, and has privately dubbed itself 鈥淢urderbot鈥. Now on contract to a research team assessing a planet, Murderbot has a well defined job to do, but unexpectedly gets attached to the team and goes beyond the job at hand to help them.
It鈥檚 a short novella, so there鈥檚 not a lot to say that wouldn鈥檛 spoil some part or other of it, but I loved the character of Murderbot - the combination of competence and dedication for the job at hand, self knowledge of limitations, and the deep desire to just be left alone to secretly watch as many episodes of the soap opera Sanctuary Moon as possible.
Jamie Gray gets fired and, out of desperation, gets recruited to 'an animal rights organisation.' This turns out to be the Kaiju Preservation Society Jamie Gray gets fired and, out of desperation, gets recruited to 'an animal rights organisation.' This turns out to be the Kaiju Preservation Society (KPS), working with massive, dinosaur-like creatures on an alternate Earth in a parallel dimension, where everything wants to eat everything else.
This is an enjoyable, lightweight, fish-out-of-water tale, with likeable characters, an engaging plot, and massive monsters. In the Author鈥檚 Note at the back of the book, John Scalzi says:
"KPS is not, and I say this with absolutely no slight intended, a brooding symphony of a novel. It鈥檚 a pop song. It鈥檚 meant to be light and catchy, with three minutes of hooks and choruses for you to sing along with, and then you鈥檙e done and you go on with your day, hopefully with a smile on your face."
And that鈥檚 exactly what it is. And it does it very well.
This is quite a short book, but there鈥檚 a lot of world building to do in order to set up everything you need before the jeopardy kicks in. This world building is achieved through the experience of our main character and three other new recruits - so the explanations of the alternate Earth, the kaiju, and the KPS itself, come naturally out of the characters having to learn or be taught.
The need for this amount of world building in a short book means that things only start to get 鈥榠nteresting鈥 (a.k.a. actual jeopardy) about 70% of the way through the book. Up to that point, while I was enjoying the characters and finding out about the alternate Earth, I was wondering what was going to actually happen. I was also wondering what a gang of 4 newcomers could do in the face of jeopardy involving massive monsters that could wreak havoc on a global scale. But the book really starts to deliver at this 70% point, with a pay-off for all the world building, and a scope of 鈥榩eril鈥 that fits perfectly with the characters.
The characters are all likeable, albeit quite similar to each other: they鈥檙e all bright, quick-witted, and slightly sarcastic, and the dialogue between consists largely of banter. They鈥檙e people I鈥檇 probably enjoy hanging out with. This made the story accessible and an easy read, but with very little depth of character, and no real emotional inner life for any of them. But for a plot-driven book of this length, that was fine.
Perfect length chapters, too. Is that a strange thing to include in a review? It has such an impact on my progress through a book鈥 that 鈥渏ust one more chapter鈥 feeling when the clock is ticking towards 1:00am.
I so wanted this to be a good book, but ended up with very mixed feelings. The author, Max, is getting married, but doesn鈥檛 have anyone to pick as BesI so wanted this to be a good book, but ended up with very mixed feelings. The author, Max, is getting married, but doesn鈥檛 have anyone to pick as Best Man. Thus begins an odyssey exploring friendship - specifically the friendships largely experienced by men(*).
On one level, this is a book about the problems of loneliness and lack of close friendships. There are some real issues here - for example when someone鈥檚 friendship group consists mostly of people from work, local clubs, or as parts of friendships with other couples that their partner largely manages. There is a real issue of loneliness that can be experienced when life changes remove these friendship groups (leaving work, moving home, breaking up with a partner). And for many people, the maintenance of friendships outside of these contexts is something that doesn鈥檛 come naturally, and therefore is often missing.
Some of the reasons for these crises are explored, and the book is very well researched, with extensive footnotes and endnotes, and features conversations with experts in every area. There are some genuinely perceptive observations about the nature of friendships, and the issues some people find in initiating and maintaining them. There are some very good examples of organisations that exist specifically to address these issues (for example, the various 鈥榮heds鈥 initiatives).
There is a lot of insight here, and I could relate to a lot of what was discussed.
The other side of the book is the author鈥檚 personal journey through his own friendships. This is told through the lens of trying to identify a best man for his upcoming wedding, and works as a vehicle to explore the issues I鈥檝e mentioned above. But at the core of it, this feels like a 鈥渕y diamond shoes are too tight鈥 problem, as it turns out that Max has a significant circle of friends that he鈥檚 just fallen a bit out of touch with - there are 150 guests at his wedding. The search for a best man also acts as a story arc that tries to bind the book together, with the inevitable happily-ever-after ending. As the book came to a close, I found this to be glib and smug, as the author almost lords his newly rejuvenated group of friends over the reader.
So a mixed bag of useful insight and smug self-satisfaction. At the end of the book I ended up feeling worse rather than better, which I think means that the book seriously missed the mark. The 3 stars are for the genuinely useful content.
(*) I'm not going to comment on the gender issues here. I suspect that many people will identify with the type of friendships the author is describing in the book. The author also attempts to address this in a paragraph 鈥淎 Quick Note from Max鈥 at the beginning of the book....more
Station Eleven is an poignant, moving and very human post-apocalyptic story told both before and after a devastating flu virus sweeps the world.
It鈥檚 aStation Eleven is an poignant, moving and very human post-apocalyptic story told both before and after a devastating flu virus sweeps the world.
It鈥檚 an ensemble piece, with no one main character - it is told from the perspectives of a number of people, whose stories interweave before and in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, and then follows their stories many years later. At the beginning of the book, it isn鈥檛 clear what the purpose is of telling each person鈥檚 story - but the ways in which each character touches the lives of the others emerges organically as the the narrative artfully moves between each time and place.
According to the book blurb, the story revolves around a Hollywood actor who slumps over and dies during a production of King Lear, and 15 years later with 鈥渁 nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.鈥 While these things do happen, they are just the thread that binds together the various stories, rather than being the story itself.
As the pandemic started to take hold, the descriptions of the gradual collapse of civilisation are evocatively told and quite eery to read, given that it was written before COVID. The hope that people had that it would all be over soon, and that civilisation would return, are tragic and moving.
Thankfully, this is not a gritty story of survival in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic. The difficulties that the survivors must have gone through are hinted at, but the story moves forward to several years after the collapse of civilisation, where the survivors鈥 lives have reached some sense of stability. The story does follow the 鈥渘omadic group of actors鈥 mentioned in the blurb, and this is an elegant way for the story to move between various settlements, showing how people have coped in their own ways.
At heart, this is a story of humanity and hope. As the various threads come together towards the end of the book, the thought that human community, endeavour, perseverance, and ingenuity will endure is ultimately an optimistic one....more
By the end of this book, I was deeply invested in the main characters. I loved it. I delayed reading the last chapter so I could savour being in theirBy the end of this book, I was deeply invested in the main characters. I loved it. I delayed reading the last chapter so I could savour being in their world a little longer. I鈥檓 so tempted to give to give it 5 stars, especially while my book hangover is still raw. But I have to acknowledge where it didn鈥檛 fully hit home.
First, a small snippet of blurb as a pr茅cis鈥
Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there鈥檚 just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying鈥攆rom disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn鈥檛 outrun. Cara鈥檚 life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total.
Cara鈥檚 slim grip on life in so many of the parallel worlds makes her 鈥楨arth Zero鈥 self ideal to work as a 鈥榯raverser鈥, gathering intelligence from parallel worlds that are sufficiently similar to Earth Zero. And so the scene is set.
The main conflict in the story comes from the two-tier society that has developed on Earth. There is the wealthy, enclosed, Wiley City, where the company 鈥淓ldridge鈥 runs everything to do with multiverse travel; and there is Ashtown, in the area outside the city where pollution and poverty have a firm grip. Cara comes from Ashtown, but works for Eldridge in Wiley City. Cue conflict and tension.
Wiley City is believable as a community of the elite, with various levels of privilege, but it is in Ashtown where the author鈥檚 world building really excels. Here there is a gritty, multi-facetted society with power structures that have evolved around religion, prostitution, and a self-styled Emperor with his fearsome teams of Runners that wield his power. I could almost taste the dirt in Ashtown, and the power struggles were so well crafted that I fully understood the consequences of a wrong word here, or an unintended insult there.
And the writing style. I loved the writing style. I could just marinate in it.
An economy of words that could be evocative, blunt, eloquent, direct, poetic, or just plain gorgeous. I so often found myself smiling from the little rush of joy I would get from a phrase or paragraph that felt like a little nugget of perfection - even when it was used to illustrate something cruel or callous, to fill in the colour in a character鈥檚 motivations.
So what鈥檚 not to like?
I really struggled with the first 20% or so of the book. This is where the heavy lifting was done for the world building. This was establishing Cara鈥檚 credentials as having come from Ashtown, with a hardness of character and a set of sensibilities that have allowed her to survive, when so many of her parallel world selves didn鈥檛. And I really didn鈥檛 like her very much. Then there is an extended visit to a parallel Earth that takes the remainder of the first half of the book. Again, this is critical world building, and was quite enjoyable as it was beginning to benefit from a pay-off of the earlier character establishment. And the consequences and differences of parallel worlds started to become really interesting. But I still didn鈥檛 understand where the story was going.
It was only in the second half of the book that the full pay-off for all of the world building and character establishment really kicked in. And then it really kicked in. The second half of the book was an exciting ride of twists and dense plot - fully taking advantage of all of the world building that had been done across multiple parallel worlds. This is where I really started to engage with the characters, and get to like so many of them鈥 and I enjoyed it immensely.
So while the second half of the book is 5 stars through and through, I can鈥檛 fully forgive it for my struggles in the first half.
But here are some other random things that I enjoyed:
- The central conceit that it is only Earth Zero that initiates traversing isn鈥檛 ignored or glossed over, but is quite neatly explained, and even contributes to the plot. I appreciated this not-so-little detail, that is missing in some other parallel worlds stories.
- At the 50% point in the book, I made a prediction about what would happen to one of the main characters by the end of the book. And although it turned out that I was wrong, there was a moment when the character contemplated that course of action and rejected it. That felt like the author rewarding me twice: once as a nod to me having predicted it, and again for providing me with something else that was ultimately more satisfying.
- The mechanism for traversing was only obliquely 鈥榚xplained鈥, but is clearly intended to be entirely based on science and technology. However, the traversers themselves had developed a little mysticism around it that I found incredibly human.
Until this book hangover subsides, I will continue to find it intrusive and an invasion of privacy that other people have read this book, and may have become as attached as I have to so many of the characters.
A solid, fast-paced thriller, with a mind-bending plot where people find themselves having lifetimes of memory of a life they didn鈥檛 live. The mechaniA solid, fast-paced thriller, with a mind-bending plot where people find themselves having lifetimes of memory of a life they didn鈥檛 live. The mechanism behind these 鈥渇alse memories鈥 has far-reaching, global, existential consequences. Our two main characters, Barry and Helena, find themselves in the position of being the only people who have any chance of stopping the gathering chaos - but hope seems slim. To say much else would be to give away more than is in the blurb - which I don鈥檛 want to do.
The entire story - including the main jeopardy, and some delicate nuances of what our heroes need to do to save the day - has a foundation on a characteristic of the main plot device that I found very difficult to believe, and was never properly explained. There鈥檚 even a bit of 鈥渓ampshade hanging鈥 that goes on when one character incredulously queries whether or not this surprising characteristic is really true, and another character simply says 鈥淎pparently鈥.
For a while, this was niggling at my enjoyment of the story, but it does result in some really thorny and interesting problems for our heroes to solve, and a genuinely exciting escalation of jeopardy towards the end of the book. So is it forgiven? Well, mostly.
This is thoroughly plot-driven story, but with a couple of very solid main characters. There is some romance, and the blurb refers to the book as 鈥渁 deeply emotional story about time and loss and grief鈥, which, for me, is overstating the emotional content enormously. Yes, there is a believable connection between the two main characters, and the impact that this has on their decisions, and outcomes, make sense - but I never felt the emotion of their relationship. However, this isn鈥檛 to say that the book is without an emotional impact: some of the climactic sequences towards the end of the book are quite raw - and appropriately so.
If I鈥檇 have felt the emotion between the main characters, and if my suspension of disbelief hadn鈥檛 been so robustly challenged, then it would have been a firm 5 stars. But it鈥檚 still a solid, page-turning thriller, based on a unique, imaginative, and interestingly complex central premise....more
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