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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
I feel like I’m the problem with this book. I just did not enjoy it at all and I’m so disappointed after hearing such great things.
I will say, the audiobook was fun with like the adverts and the social media chats and stuff but nothing else flicked any of my switches.
I don’t want to be super harsh because i know so many people loved this story but I just felt like it was all a bunch of nothingness? I couldn’t have cared less about any of the characters and I certainly was not invested in the game show. I just didn’t care about anyone or their stories and there were no twists or revelations other than I guess Hudson being one of the trafficked kids but I can’t count that as a twist because it was super obvious imo. So obvious in fact that I can’t even remember when we actually find out for real.
The premise was good, but it completely fell flat for me and I couldn’t wait for it to be over
I will say, the audiobook was fun with like the adverts and the social media chats and stuff but nothing else flicked any of my switches.
I don’t want to be super harsh because i know so many people loved this story but I just felt like it was all a bunch of nothingness? I couldn’t have cared less about any of the characters and I certainly was not invested in the game show. I just didn’t care about anyone or their stories and there were no twists or revelations other than I guess Hudson being one of the trafficked kids but I can’t count that as a twist because it was super obvious imo. So obvious in fact that I can’t even remember when we actually find out for real.
The premise was good, but it completely fell flat for me and I couldn’t wait for it to be over
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Love a John Marrs book. I don’t know how he comes up with these plots but I love them!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
If you deal with infertility or have lost a child, you might have a hard time reading this book. I was surprised to find a woman with my exact struggle, which isn’t that common, so I had a hard time with that, just a little.
However, I believe that this portrays the desperation couples feel when they face infertility or the loss of a child well. The grief you feel makes you willing to do almost anything. It’s a unique kind of grief, infertility and child loss…and it makes you willing to do almost anything to fill that hole. Including entering a completely virtual world to have your own child. I can see why someone would want to do this just to fill that void.
That being said, it was a good story. I am a sucker for stories with reality tv plots, so I thought I’d enjoy this one. It has a lot of people to keep up with. As the story goes, a few of the characters leave the competition, so it makes it slightly easier to keep up with them. It’s a little hard to believe, but at the same time….it's not. If that makes sense? It’s very black mirror. Where you’re thinking to yourself, this is so far-fetched….but is it really? Considering the AI and deep fakes we see currently, there’s honestly no telling what AI is capable of that we don’t know yet.
I have read a few of John Marrs books and have enjoyed the ones I have read. This one is a stand-alone, but I think if you have read his past books, specifically The Passengers, the One and The Marriage Act some things will make a bit more sense, however, I don’t think it’s necessary. I think it’s cool that he carries things over from the same universe to different books.
I actually figured out the biggest twist very early on in the book. I don’t know why it seemed extremely obvious to me, maybe it was obvious…but it was a good story nevertheless.
Out of the Marrs books I’ve read, this is maybe my least favorite, but if you enjoy his writing, I think that you will still like it. Especially if you’re also a fan of Black Mirror.
If you deal with infertility or have lost a child, you might have a hard time reading this book. I was surprised to find a woman with my exact struggle, which isn’t that common, so I had a hard time with that, just a little.
However, I believe that this portrays the desperation couples feel when they face infertility or the loss of a child well. The grief you feel makes you willing to do almost anything. It’s a unique kind of grief, infertility and child loss…and it makes you willing to do almost anything to fill that hole. Including entering a completely virtual world to have your own child. I can see why someone would want to do this just to fill that void.
That being said, it was a good story. I am a sucker for stories with reality tv plots, so I thought I’d enjoy this one. It has a lot of people to keep up with. As the story goes, a few of the characters leave the competition, so it makes it slightly easier to keep up with them. It’s a little hard to believe, but at the same time….it's not. If that makes sense? It’s very black mirror. Where you’re thinking to yourself, this is so far-fetched….but is it really? Considering the AI and deep fakes we see currently, there’s honestly no telling what AI is capable of that we don’t know yet.
I have read a few of John Marrs books and have enjoyed the ones I have read. This one is a stand-alone, but I think if you have read his past books, specifically The Passengers, the One and The Marriage Act some things will make a bit more sense, however, I don’t think it’s necessary. I think it’s cool that he carries things over from the same universe to different books.
I actually figured out the biggest twist very early on in the book. I don’t know why it seemed extremely obvious to me, maybe it was obvious…but it was a good story nevertheless.
Out of the Marrs books I’ve read, this is maybe my least favorite, but if you enjoy his writing, I think that you will still like it. Especially if you’re also a fan of Black Mirror.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
FUN
2.5/5, rounded up
This was a disappointing read, especially given how interesting the premise could have been. A novel about AI children, the metaverse, and what happens when technology collides with family life should have had a lot to say. Instead, it felt shallow and at times frustrating.
The story tries to build toward a twist by keeping readers in the dark, but the result is poor character development and plot lines that are hard to care about. The AI children, who should have been central to the emotional heart of the story, barely felt like characters at all. Lenny, for example, gets maybe a single page of dialogue. It was hard to invest in the relationships when the people involved barely seemed present.
The metaverse and AI aspects could honestly have been swapped out for a reality show setup and nothing would really change. The futuristic world felt thin and vaguely defined, with a lot of hand-waving around how the technology works or why it even matters. It left too many unanswered questions and plot holes to feel like a believable future.
The in-universe chat logs, news articles, and comment threads were meant to add realism, but they pulled me out of the story. Most of them felt like filler or afterthoughts, and none added much that the main narrative wasn’t already trying to do.
It’s a quick read and easy to follow, but also predictable. If you go in looking for something light with a sci-fi flavor, you might enjoy it more than I did. But for a book that sets out to explore such big themes, it barely scratches the surface.
This was a disappointing read, especially given how interesting the premise could have been. A novel about AI children, the metaverse, and what happens when technology collides with family life should have had a lot to say. Instead, it felt shallow and at times frustrating.
The story tries to build toward a twist by keeping readers in the dark, but the result is poor character development and plot lines that are hard to care about. The AI children, who should have been central to the emotional heart of the story, barely felt like characters at all. Lenny, for example, gets maybe a single page of dialogue. It was hard to invest in the relationships when the people involved barely seemed present.
The metaverse and AI aspects could honestly have been swapped out for a reality show setup and nothing would really change. The futuristic world felt thin and vaguely defined, with a lot of hand-waving around how the technology works or why it even matters. It left too many unanswered questions and plot holes to feel like a believable future.
The in-universe chat logs, news articles, and comment threads were meant to add realism, but they pulled me out of the story. Most of them felt like filler or afterthoughts, and none added much that the main narrative wasn’t already trying to do.
It’s a quick read and easy to follow, but also predictable. If you go in looking for something light with a sci-fi flavor, you might enjoy it more than I did. But for a book that sets out to explore such big themes, it barely scratches the surface.
This is my favourite John Marrs book so far. Love all the mini-plots and twists including the twist at the end. Excellent
This was my first John Marrs book, but won’t be my last! I didn’t realize this was part of a series until I was engrossed in the story. Loved the premise and the twists.