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marmaladereads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
This book strongly reminded me of Steven Spielberg's film A.I Artificial Intelligence with it's Pinocchio themes and rather melancholy tone. Eke is an overly innocent AI who achieves sentience while wishing he was a "real boy" and is exploited by the family that he works for. When Kyp, a newer and more human like custom model AI, joins the household, Eke is both very drawn to him and extremely jealous of his more humanoid features.
Eke's character is haunting - innocent but consistently melancholy, and ultimately suffering severe physical and emotional abuse. Kyp is the only one who sees Eke as an individual, and continuously saves Eke from increasingly threatening situations.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book and getting to know Eke and Kyp, however I found the second half of the book to be increasingly grating. Despite not being billed as a tragedy, the book is extremely bleak, with higher and higher stakes in every dangerous situation that Kyp and Eke encounter, and really no relief from the violence and brutality of this world to almost the very last page. I would've liked to see more beauty and hope in this story, even if just more time spent developing the tender feelings between Eke and Kyp. The constant violence with no hope in sight felt rather like trauma porn and I found it increasingly depressing to keep listening to this book.
It also covers extreme themes of physical and emotional abuse, extreme levels of violence, mass murder, and suicide, with insufficient content warnings.
I also was a bit put off by some of the depictions of AI, which are weirdly humanoid. The book described AI as experiencing emotions in a very human way (feeling their "core" drop, tears streaming down their face, cheeks heating with embarrassment) which made little sense for how the AI were described to be engineered, and they also interacted with each other in overly human ways (kissing on the lips, and taking their clothes off to have their AI version of sex) as well as the fact that the author decided to make all AIs (and in fact almost all characters) light skinned with a rather thin explanation behind it.
The one consistently good part throughout was the masterful audibook narration by Michael Crouch. I enjoyed his voice acting immensely and was quite impressed by the variety of voices he could do (each speaking character has a distinct voice.)
Big thanks to Sky House Publishing for the audio ARC.
Eke's character is haunting - innocent but consistently melancholy, and ultimately suffering severe physical and emotional abuse. Kyp is the only one who sees Eke as an individual, and continuously saves Eke from increasingly threatening situations.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book and getting to know Eke and Kyp, however I found the second half of the book to be increasingly grating. Despite not being billed as a tragedy, the book is extremely bleak, with higher and higher stakes in every dangerous situation that Kyp and Eke encounter, and really no relief from the violence and brutality of this world to almost the very last page. I would've liked to see more beauty and hope in this story, even if just more time spent developing the tender feelings between Eke and Kyp. The constant violence with no hope in sight felt rather like trauma porn and I found it increasingly depressing to keep listening to this book.
It also covers extreme themes of physical and emotional abuse, extreme levels of violence, mass murder, and suicide, with insufficient content warnings.
I also was a bit put off by some of the depictions of AI, which are weirdly humanoid. The book described AI as experiencing emotions in a very human way (feeling their "core" drop, tears streaming down their face, cheeks heating with embarrassment) which made little sense for how the AI were described to be engineered, and they also interacted with each other in overly human ways (kissing on the lips, and taking their clothes off to have their AI version of sex) as well as the fact that the author decided to make all AIs (and in fact almost all characters) light skinned with a rather thin explanation behind it.
The one consistently good part throughout was the masterful audibook narration by Michael Crouch. I enjoyed his voice acting immensely and was quite impressed by the variety of voices he could do (each speaking character has a distinct voice.)
Big thanks to Sky House Publishing for the audio ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, and War
dododenise's review
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I ended up liking this book a less than I hoped I would.
Reading about the constant abuse Eke experiences as well as the horrible actions of the family was really rough. That family is severely dysfunctional and disordered. Every single one of them is in severe need of therapy.
Especially animal cruelty is very uncomfortable for me. I should have checked the trigger warnings before requesting this arc because I wish I could have spared myself from it.
Eke was a confusing protagonist. He is very naive and often acts like a child would. It makes sense for who he is, but it makes a story of rebellion seem rather odd. I am used to witty characters to manage such a thing and Eke kept making naive and bad choices. I have no idea how he survived anything in this book. To be fair, both him and Kyp would have died many times if not for the help of other smarter characters.
The story felt like a piece of something that could be much bigger. The plot is rather short while trying to do something bigger than it is. It made many attempts fall rather flat. The time at the family could have been cut shorter and instead more focus and time could have been spent on after, since I feel like it needed a lot more work for it to be impactful and so that the characters got the character development they needed from it. The world building had potential, but now I am left a bit unsure what exactly it was trying to tell me.
Eke and Kyp’s romance was not very exciting. It did very little for me. I’m not sure why that is, perhaps it was Eke’s lack of knowledge about emotions, but I am not sure. I think I also expected a bigger romance focus.
I really enjoyed Kyp’s chapters. They were always a highlight and tended to have the stories most interesting to me. I’m sad there were so few of them.
I leave this book not really knowing where to place it. I mostly think of it in quite neutral terms. I didn’t particularly enjoy myself but it’s also not like I didn’t like it.
Reading about the constant abuse Eke experiences as well as the horrible actions of the family was really rough. That family is severely dysfunctional and disordered. Every single one of them is in severe need of therapy.
Especially animal cruelty is very uncomfortable for me. I should have checked the trigger warnings before requesting this arc because I wish I could have spared myself from it.
Eke was a confusing protagonist. He is very naive and often acts like a child would. It makes sense for who he is, but it makes a story of rebellion seem rather odd. I am used to witty characters to manage such a thing and Eke kept making naive and bad choices. I have no idea how he survived anything in this book. To be fair, both him and Kyp would have died many times if not for the help of other smarter characters.
The story felt like a piece of something that could be much bigger. The plot is rather short while trying to do something bigger than it is. It made many attempts fall rather flat. The time at the family could have been cut shorter and instead more focus and time could have been spent on after, since I feel like it needed a lot more work for it to be impactful and so that the characters got the character development they needed from it. The world building had potential, but now I am left a bit unsure what exactly it was trying to tell me.
Eke and Kyp’s romance was not very exciting. It did very little for me. I’m not sure why that is, perhaps it was Eke’s lack of knowledge about emotions, but I am not sure. I think I also expected a bigger romance focus.
I really enjoyed Kyp’s chapters. They were always a highlight and tended to have the stories most interesting to me. I’m sad there were so few of them.
I leave this book not really knowing where to place it. I mostly think of it in quite neutral terms. I didn’t particularly enjoy myself but it’s also not like I didn’t like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War
waffelton's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
kj468's review against another edition
Honestly, I should have checked the content warnings before I read this book and I didn’t, and then I kept on reading for some reason, even when I realized how triggering it was for me. I paused at around 50% for over a week, and then came back to it, and promptly realized it was triggering. I skimmed the last half because I wanted to see what became of eke and kyp. I don’t have much to say about the content of this book, and I don’t think I would be a fair reviewer of it anyway.
Tw: animal cruelty, self harm, multiple (AI, but conscious AI) suicide attempts, graphic bullying, discrimination, substance abuse, slurs, violence, systemic discrimination and hunting of marginalized folks, background eating disorder
Tw: animal cruelty, self harm, multiple (AI, but conscious AI) suicide attempts, graphic bullying, discrimination, substance abuse, slurs, violence, systemic discrimination and hunting of marginalized folks, background eating disorder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Gun violence, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Addiction, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm
spelledlikesleigh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, and Self harm
cammaleahh's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Eating disorder
canyoncurl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 ⭐️ (6.29 CAWPILE)
A twisting tale of kindling hope found even during harrowing, unrelenting hardship! Self-blurbed as a love letter to the Matrix, Us, Et Cetera tells the story of Eke and Kyp, two AIs whose worlds collide when they become property of the Kensworths, and their perilous journey towards freedom, acceptance and a purpose beyond servitude. From a stifling suburban enclave near Boston to the California coast, Vincent takes readers on an expansive, action-packed adventure in search of an unknown future.
So much of this book was undeniably, indelibly charming. From Eke's preoccupation with trinkets and love for Buster Keaton, to Kyp's protectiveness and knowledge of constellations, to the sentimental, sweet pseudo-sex they shared, I was pleasantly surprised by how many pockets of joy were packed into such a melancholic story. Kit Vincent has a great knack for writing loveable characters, flaws and all, who you wish the very best for.
This is a wonderful book for those who are just starting out in the genre, or who crave sci-fi vibes without heavy lore or suspension of disbelief. Both Eke and Kyp, in many ways, expressed more humanity and emotional intelligence than the humans within the narrative did. Whilst it works with the larger plot, it would've been nice to see their struggle to understand 'human' concepts/emotions more deeply explored, and perhaps from a slightly more detached viewpoint.
I implore readers to read trigger and content warnings before heading into this one, especially since it's marketed towards the YA and NA market. There are some heavy themes explored here, often without relief and quite bluntly. Dani's character struggles with an unspecified eating disorder which, at times, appeared under-researched and easily solved to fit the narrative. If you are in a vulnerable place, enter with caution and kindness.
I would recommend this for fans of T. J. Klune, Buster Keaton diehards, and anybody who likes a lot'a angst with a soft ending. I look forward to seeing what Kit Vincent releases into the world next - and keep my fingers crossed that a follow-up finds its way onto the shelves!
🌈: MLM representation (there are no explicit sexuality labels used).
* content warnings: animal death, implied animal torture (off-page), eating disorders, suicide attempt (unsuccessful), power imbalance, gore & violence.
Many, many thanks to Netgalley, Sky House Publishing and Kit Vincent for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
A twisting tale of kindling hope found even during harrowing, unrelenting hardship! Self-blurbed as a love letter to the Matrix, Us, Et Cetera tells the story of Eke and Kyp, two AIs whose worlds collide when they become property of the Kensworths, and their perilous journey towards freedom, acceptance and a purpose beyond servitude. From a stifling suburban enclave near Boston to the California coast, Vincent takes readers on an expansive, action-packed adventure in search of an unknown future.
So much of this book was undeniably, indelibly charming. From Eke's preoccupation with trinkets and love for Buster Keaton, to Kyp's protectiveness and knowledge of constellations, to the sentimental, sweet pseudo-sex they shared, I was pleasantly surprised by how many pockets of joy were packed into such a melancholic story. Kit Vincent has a great knack for writing loveable characters, flaws and all, who you wish the very best for.
This is a wonderful book for those who are just starting out in the genre, or who crave sci-fi vibes without heavy lore or suspension of disbelief. Both Eke and Kyp, in many ways, expressed more humanity and emotional intelligence than the humans within the narrative did. Whilst it works with the larger plot, it would've been nice to see their struggle to understand 'human' concepts/emotions more deeply explored, and perhaps from a slightly more detached viewpoint.
I implore readers to read trigger and content warnings before heading into this one, especially since it's marketed towards the YA and NA market. There are some heavy themes explored here, often without relief and quite bluntly. Dani's character struggles with an unspecified eating disorder which, at times, appeared under-researched and easily solved to fit the narrative. If you are in a vulnerable place, enter with caution and kindness.
I would recommend this for fans of T. J. Klune, Buster Keaton diehards, and anybody who likes a lot'a angst with a soft ending. I look forward to seeing what Kit Vincent releases into the world next - and keep my fingers crossed that a follow-up finds its way onto the shelves!
🌈: MLM representation (there are no explicit sexuality labels used).
* content warnings: animal death, implied animal torture (off-page), eating disorders, suicide attempt (unsuccessful), power imbalance, gore & violence.
Many, many thanks to Netgalley, Sky House Publishing and Kit Vincent for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Eating disorder and Suicide attempt
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Vomit
chippyreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I read this book as an eARC thanks to NetGalley.
This book was rough! Poor Eke goes through so much because of that family. Please check the trigger warnings if you want to read this one. It deals with a lot of abuse on page.
I loved how it explored what it means to be alive/human. The romance was sweet, definitely cheering for them the whole time. Eke seemed so kind and caring but it was difficult to tell how Kyp feels due to most of the POV being from Eke.
Why not a 5 star read? For a book where I was promised ‘they run away’, it just took a bit too long to get there. I really wish we spent less time with the abusive family and more time out in the world meeting other AI and humans. Which did happen and I loved it but I wanted more. The ending felt a bit rushed compared to the slow start.
Do I recommend it? Definitely. But I highly suggest checking to content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Eating disorder
Minor: Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
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