Reviews

The book lacked a plot to latch onto, and the main character didn’t go through much development (maybe because there wasn’t really anything to catalyze change for her?). I found the writing to be engaging nonetheless. The author really captured the feeling of insecurity that comes with precarious employment and how that influences your sense of purpose.

debbieurbanski's review

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5.0

Wrong Way—intentionally slow-paced and meditative—offers corporate greed as a taking-off point before doing a deep dive into the human cost of tech, challenging the stories we all tell ourselves about our technology and our purchase history to justify our current lifestyles.

This book feels, to me, like it lies at the border of speculative fiction (maybe realistic fantasy? low-tech sci-fi? realistic surrealism?) even though there’s nothing fantastical about it. The idea behind Wrong Way is that the world needs self-driving cars now (for supposedly environmental reasons though also presumably to increase a corporation’s profit)—only the tech isn't there, so actual humans are squeezed into a hidden space on top of cars to do the driving.

The set-up for wacky dark humor is definitely present, and a lot of writers probably would have pressed hard in that direction. But McNeil instead chooses a more somber route, following the quiet repetitive life of Teresa, one of the drivers (or “seers”). She is a character lacking in agency, more of an observer/participant than a decider, which most of us are anyway. Several times I was reminded of Alice McDermott's [b:Someone|17332207|Someone|Alice McDermott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1377579911l/17332207._SX50_.jpg|24035833], a book that treated its ordinary main character with such empathy and care that it produced a shift in my world view.

If you are looking for an entertaining romp of a novel filled with techno action and intrigue, ending somewhere heavy with hope—this isn't that book. Wrong Way feels more unique than that. This was one of my favorite reads in a long time.

I wrote a bit more about this book on my Substack...